The Hijacked Marriage Chapter 12
[Nate, I’m back. Where did you go? Didn’t I tell you to wait for me where you were?]
[Are you on the bus now?]
[Where is your hometown? Tell me. I’ll come find you right now.]
It was almost funny.
Claire had gone back to Maple Creek with me several times, yet she did not even know where my hometown was.
She really had ignored me to a ridiculous degree.
I did not reply. I only blocked her and deleted her contact.
After four hours on the bus, I finally returned to Maple Creek.
My parents had been waiting for a long time. The moment they saw me get off the bus, they rushed over and took my luggage.
“Son, you’re finally back! You have no idea how much your mother and I have missed you all these years!”
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It had been so long since I last saw them. My parents had so much more gray in their hair now, and wrinkles had spread across their faces, carrying the marks of age.
Looking at them, my nose stung.
All these years, Claire had always used the development of Whitmore Group to guilt me into working unpaid overtime during holidays. Because of that, I never had time to go home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any of the other holidays. I barely saw my parents all year.
And because Claire looked down on my parents for being from the countryside, she refused to let me bring them to live with us. When I suggested buying them a place near ours, she complained that it was too expensive.
Because of her, I had gone this long without letting my parents enjoy even a few comfortable days.
The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt.
I silently decided that from now on, I would make it up to them properly.
After I went home with my parents, I ate all the dishes. I had not had such a satisfying meal in a long time.
Without Claire’s harassment, I slept especially peacefully that night.
The next day, I went to meet the date my parents had arranged.
As it turned out, she was not only the daughter of my mother’s best friend, but also my old deskmate from childhood. Once we started talking, the conversation would not stop. We got along incredibly well.
After that, I lived a quiet and peaceful life in Maple Creek for a while.
Most days, I took online design commissions to earn some extra money and help with household expenses. When I had free time, I helped my father weed and work the fields, and I helped my mother in the kitchen.
Life here was nowhere near as polished or luxurious as life in New York City, but I felt a kind of ease and freedom I had never felt before.
During this time, my parents often tried to matchmake me with Sophie Lane.
That day, they invited Sophie over for dinner again. After the meal, as usual, I walked her home.
On the way, Sophie suddenly stopped.
After a long while, she finally gathered her courage and said, “Nathan, I like you.”
“Actually, after college graduation, I wanted to contact you and confess my feelings. But then I heard you already had someone, so I buried those feelings in my heart.
“This time, I only asked my mom to arrange this date because I heard you and your ex had broken up and that you had decided to come back to Maple Creek.
“Nathan, I’ve liked you since we were young. Would you be willing to accept my feelings and give me a chance to love you?”
Sophie’s small face was flushed, but her eyes shone brightly, like stars.
Being confessed to so suddenly caught me off guard. My heart sped up, and heat rose to my cheeks. Faced with her sincere confession, I did not know how to react for a moment.
The air between us slowly grew warmer.
Sophie rose onto her toes and moved closer to me.
I did not step away.
Just like that, we drew closer and closer.
Then a sharp female voice shattered the moment.
“What are you doing?”
The next second, someone rushed in front of me and shoved Sophie and me apart.
When I saw her clearly, I froze.
“Claire? What are you doing?”
