Chapter Seven

Bettany's POV

"Well, what do you see in my son?" I heard Damian's mother ask.

I was shocked and taken aback by the question. It had come unexpectedly, and I felt the weight of my answer in the tense moment.

I debated whether to give a casual response or to express our supposed deep love. But recalling the terms of the contract I had signed just hours ago, I knew exactly what to do. I replied, "Well, ma'am, I think your son is probably the most perfect man out there."

My response seemed to surprise both Damian and his mother. They looked incredulous and were rendered speechless by my words.

I noticed Damian staring at me intently, a look I struggled to decipher. My heart skipped a beat; perhaps I had overdone it. Maybe I should have kept it simple, like saying, "I think your son is a good man, and I'm happy being with him."

Yes, that would have been better, I thought, but now I had called him perfect, and they both looked at me as though I were insane.

Just as I was about to correct myself and say something more casual, Damian's hand wrapped around my shoulder, drawing me close to him. He said, "Yes, Mom, I think she's perfect for me too. I wouldn't want to date anyone else."

I was taken aback by Damian's response. I didn't realize he was capable of such romantic words, even if they were part of our pretense.

His mother smiled, firmly holding Damian's hand on my shoulder, giving a reassuring smile to her mother.

I wasn't sure how we appeared, but I believed we looked like two people deeply in love.

"It seems my son has found himself quite a wife," Damian's mother said. "Well, I must say, young lady, you look absolutely stunning. You look this good even without any makeup on your face. You will definitely be a daughter-in-law for me to brag about amongst my peers."

"Thank you, ma'am, for your high opinion of me," I said, blushing slightly and feeling flattered inside.

"But I hope you know what you're getting into. After all, my son is a chronic womanizer," Damian's mother added casually.

Damian and I froze. We never expected her to say something like that so openly. It was true that Damian had a reputation for moving from one woman to another, but I had agreed to this marriage to save my sister's life. It wasn't a real marriage; we only had to pretend to be in love around his mother to make this deal easier.

"I don't mind if he's had a few escapades in the past. I love him for who he is, and I don't hold his past against him," I said.

"A few?" Damian's mother asked incredulously, looking at me as though I were naive. "This son of mine has probably been with more women than you have taken steps in your life."

It was an exaggeration, but it highlighted Damian's blatant promiscuity.

"Well... um... I..." I stammered nervously.

I didn't know how to respond. It was as if she knew our love was not real and intended for me to admit it rather than continue lying.

"Mom, what's the meaning of this?" Damian asked angrily. "You asked me to bring my fiancée over so you could see her before your surgery, not to interrogate and humiliate us."

"I'm not talking to you, Damian," his mother said firmly. "I'm talking to her." She turned to me. "Why would you want to marry a man who you know will keep cheating on you and breaking your heart?"

"Well, ma'am, I don't think it's appropriate to judge someone by the number of partners they've had," I replied. "It's better to judge them by the promises they keep and how well they treat you and others around them."

I didn't even believe the lie I had just told. A person's character and decisions could easily be judged by their sexual behavior.

"Is that so?" Damian's mother asked, looking at me intensely.

"Yes, ma'am, that's my honest opinion. From the way Damian has treated me since we met, I know he's a good person deep down, and those who judge him solely on his past escapades are making a gross misunderstanding."

"Well, I guess everyone has their own opinions," she said, dropping the topic of Damian's promiscuity and bringing up another tense topic. "When are you two officially getting married?"

Damian and I looked at each other, unsure of who should answer. The question seemed like a trap.

Finally, Damian spoke up, "No need to worry about that, Mother. We're already married. We had a court wedding."

"A court wedding? Well, that's ridiculous, Damian," his mother exclaimed. "You two need to have a proper wedding. Everyone must know that my son, Damian, is getting married."

"We'll think about it," I said, trying to think of how we could avoid an actual wedding.

But before Damian's mother could argue further, a nurse came in. "Excuse me, madam," she said to Damian's mother, "it's time for the operation." She beckoned for her assistants to move her out.

"I'm not done talking with my son," his mother protested, turning to face Damian and me.

"No, Mother," Damian said firmly. "You wanted me to introduce you to the woman I was engaged to. Well, not only have I introduced you to my fiancée, I've introduced you to my wife. We can discuss things further after your operation, once you've properly recovered. For now, I wish you good luck with your surgery." Damian signaled for the nurse and assistants to take his mother to the operating room.

"It was nice meeting you," Damian's mother said as she was wheeled out.

"Bettany, my name is Bettany," I said.

"Well then, it was nice meeting you, Bettany. I look forward to seeing you soon."

I gave Damian's mother a reassuring smile as she was wheeled away to the operating room, where she would undergo something similar to what my sister had just experienced.

After Damian's mother was wheeled out, there was an awkward silence in the room. Neither of us knew what to say to break the silence.

"Good job," Damian finally said.

"What?" I asked, as though I had misheard him.

"I said, 'good job,'" he repeated. "Good job playing your role as a loving wife. It might not have fully convinced my mother, but you did well enough."

"Thank you," I accepted his compliment, blushing slightly. The last man to make me blush this much and feel self-conscious was Joel, who was now in a committed relationship with my stepsister.

For some reason, the atmosphere in the room suddenly felt less tense and awkward.

"I'd like your account number," Damian requested.

"Why?" I asked, completely mystified as to why he would need my account number at this moment.

"I'd like to reward you for a job well done, that's all. A small token of my gratitude."

I was taken aback by his offer but replied calmly, "I only accepted the money you gave me because my sister's life was at stake. Now that I've paid for her operation and she's fine, I don't need any more money from you. I really appreciate your help during my time of need."

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm sure," I said. "With the money left over from the $3 million you gave me, all I need to do is find a suitable apartment for my sister and me while looking for a job to sustain us before the money runs out."

There was a worried look on his face as though he didn't understand what I was saying. But then he moved closer, looked into my eyes, and said, "There'll be no need for you to find an apartment. You and your sister will come and live with me."