Chapter 12
Muriel had no idea about the fake marriage and was absolutely glowing, her face beaming with happiness.
Julia was stunned. “What? Married?” She couldn’t believe Winston got married, and she hadn’t heard a damn thing about it.
“Winston, why didn’t you tell us you were getting married? Where’s the bride from? Which family?” she asked.
Winston hated people poking into his personal business, especially Julia, who was practically a stranger to him.
“She’s just a regular person,” he said flatly, helping Muriel into the car. “Grandma, let’s go home.”
Muriel waved a quick goodbye to Julia, clearly not even thinking about inviting her to dinner.
Julia watched them leave, feeling pissed off and frustrated. A mischievous thought crossed her mind, and she decided to follow them quietly.
Inside the car, Winston cleared his throat. “Grandma, she doesn’t know who I really am, so don’t screw this
Muriel blinked in confusion. “She doesn’t know who you are?”
up
later.”
“She thinks I’m just some regular office guy. Seriously, don’t say anything stupid,” Winston explained.
If it weren’t for his grandma being so stubborn, he’d never have brought her here to meet Chelsea.
Muriel immediately got it. “You young ones really know how to have fun. Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I’ll play along.”
Winston felt like she was probably misunderstanding everything, opened his mouth to say something, but ended up just shutting up.
When they finally got to the apartment, he helped Muriel inside and knocked on the door.
Chelsea’s voice came from inside. “Coming!”
She washed her hands quickly, took off her apron, and straightened herself up before opening the door.
Standing there were Winston and a sweet–looking old lady.
Muriel was dressed neatly, in good–quality fabric, her white hair pinned up in a bun. Her eyes were sharp, and she had the energy of someone half her age–not the frail, sickly type.
“Mrs. Moody, you’re here! I’m Chelsea, Winston’s wife,” Chelsea said, acting all affectionate, playing the part to perfection.
Winston hesitated for a moment, then gave a short, disinterested response, just to acknowledge her.
Muriel had already met Chelsea and was clearly happy with her. “Good girl, really appreciate you having me over.”
Chelsea sighed in relief and guided her into the living room.
Winston slipped off his shoes and followed right behind.
The delicious smell of food filled the air, and Muriel looked even more pleased. A daughter–in–law who could cook? Hell yeah, bonus points.
“Mrs. Moody, take a seat. Dinner’s almost ready,” Chelsea said, settling Mrs. Moody into a chair and handing her a cup of
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Chapter 12
coffee, softly adding, “You must be tired”
Chelsea went into the kitchen, while Muriel looked around the apartment. It was simple but well–kept, everything in its place and organized.
She shot Winston a look of approval. “This girl’s a keeper. Knows how to take care of things.”
To Muriel, where someone came from didn’t matter. All she cared about was Winston’s happiness. If he was happy, that was all she needed.
Winston hadn’t expected his grandma to be so impressed with Chelsea. A twinge of regret hit him. Maybe bringing her here was a bad idea. After all, their marriage was just a show, and sooner or later, it would fall apart, ‘What then?‘ he wondered.
“Mrs. Moody, you go ahead and have some coffee. I’ll help out in the kitchen,” Winston said quickly.
“Alright,” Muriel replied, smiling warmly.
Winston headed into the kitchen, and Chelsea raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing in here?”
“Why isn’t he out there chatting with his grandma? She rarely came over, she wondered.
“My grandma doesn’t know we’re in a fake marriage,” he said, explaining himself.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” Chelsea said, confidently patting her chest. “I won’t screw this up,”
She totally had the situation under control. They were partners in this little act, and she wouldn’t slip up.
Suddenly, Chelsea seemed to remember something. “Winston, can you keep an eye on the stove? I forgot to buy some sauce for the fish. I’ll be right back.”
Before he could even respond, she dashed off like a whirlwind.
Muriel watched Chelsea rush out and turned to Winston. “Winston, where’s she going?”
“Grandma, I made your favorite fish, but I forgot the sauce. She’s just running out to get some,” he explained.
“You, boy… how can you let your wife run around like that? You’re the husband, you should be doing it!” Muriel sounded annoyed.
Winston didn’t expect his grandma to be so defensive of Chelsea. He quickly apologized. “You’re right, Grandma. I’ll be more thoughtful next time.”
Outside the building, Julia stood, frowning at the worn–down apartment.
How the hell did Muriel end up here? Does she lost her mind?‘ she thought in disbelief.
After they went inside and hadn’t come out for a while, Julia’s curiosity couldn’t handle it anymore. She was about to leave when she spotted a familiar face–Chelsea.
‘Wait, what? She lives here?‘ she wondered.
Chelsea walked into the little convenience store, grabbed a bottle of soy sauce for fish, and casually picked up a bottle of juice.
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“Ms. Wise, cooking fish tonight?” The store clerk greeted her with extra enthusiasm, as he always did for his pretty, young
customer.
“Yep, my husband’s grandma is visiting tonight,” Chelsea said, smiling brightly. She paid and left with her items.
Julia, still standing a bit further off, froze when she heard that. ‘Wait, Chelsea’s married? And what’s with her husband’s grandma being here?’
Julia tried not to think too much about it, but her curiosity was burning. She had to figure out who Chelsea’s husband was.
She pulled out her phone and called Margot. “Margot, did Chelsea get married?”
“Yeah, Mr. Robinson didn’t get anywhere, but he’s still bothering us. No idea who this new guy is. She moved out ages ago,” Margot replied, clearly frustrated. “I don’t know what kind of guy married her.”
Julia’s heart stopped. She muttered a few words, hung up, and stood outside, her mind made up. She had to get to the bottom of this.
t
Meanwhile, Chelsea was blissfully unaware, walking back home with her things. She quickly got to work. “Winston, Mrs. Moody, dinner’s ready!”
Winston set the table, and Muriel sat down, eyeing the meal Chelsea had made.
It looked amazing–well–cooked, perfectly presented, and smelling incredible.
Chelsea poured Muriel some freshly squeezed juice. “Mrs. Moody, I know your health isn’t great, so I made sure this juice is fresh. You should try it.”
Muriel took the glass, smiling with approval.
Winston pulled out a chair and sat down. “Alright, let’s eat.”
During dinner, Muriel asked a ton of questions, and Chelsea answered everything honestly.
*Actually, I grew up in a single–parent household. My mom passed away when I was really young, and my dad remarried. We don’t really keep in touch anymore,” Chelsea explained.
Muriel’s heart gave a little jolt. That was exactly like Winston’s story.
For a young woman to grow up like that and still turn out so well? That was rare. The more she thought about it, the more sympathy she felt for Chelsea.
“Grandma, eat up,” Winston said, interrupting just as Muriel was about to ask more. She hesitated for a moment, clearly reluctant, then let out a sigh and dropped the subject.
After dinner, Muriel was insistent on leaving.
Chelsea and Winston both walked her downstairs to see her off.
Just before parting, Muriel handed Chelsea a delicate brocade box, her eyes full of meaning. “Chelsea, Winston’s been through a lot. Be patient with him, okay? Take good care of him and make sure you both have a happy life together.”
Chelsea hesitated, glancing at Winston. She felt conflicted–after all, they were just pretending to be married.
But Winston gave her a small nod, silently telling her to take it.
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Chapter 12
With a reluctant sigh, Chelsea accepted the box and slipped it into her pocket, speaking softly, “Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll make sure Winston and I have a good life together.”
Winston’s eyes briefly lowered, and a strange warmth spread through him.
As they helped Muriel down the stairs, Chelsea kept reminding her to take care of herself.
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Muriel, completely oblivious to Chelsea’s concerns about her health, grinned widely and kept reassuring them, “Don’t worry about me, I’ve got this. I’ll take care of myself.”
Winston couldn’t help but think to himself, “This is like talking to a brick wall!‘
They were clearly on totally different pages, yet somehow, they were chatting like old friends.
Just then, Julia, who had been standing nearby, froze. Her eyes went wide in shock, almost like they were gonna pop out of her head.
‘So Winston’s new wife really is Chelsea!‘ she thought, grinding her teeth in frustration.
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