Chapter 503: Odessa’s Unwillingness
Benjamin’s POV
I planned to pretend I hadn’t noticed her and head straight upstairs to my room. “Stop right there,” my mother’s voice called out, stern and unyielding. She stood up, fixing me with a serious look.
I halted mid-step, turned around, and nodded respectfully. “Mom.”
“You’ve grown more and more unruly. How could you not greet me after coming home?” she said, her voice laced with discontent.
I lowered my gaze. I was too weary to argue or respond.
“Is it worth it for the two of us to become strangers over Hayley?” Her tone rose with frustration after only a few sentences.
“We could’ve gotten along just fine, but you’re unwilling to do so,” I replied truthfully.
“What? Are you implying that all the problems are my fault? Don’t forget, I’m your mother. No one in this world loves and cares for you more than I do!” Her voice became increasingly emotional as she tried to justify herself.
“You just won’t admit that you only care about yourself,” I said calmly, exposing the truth without hesitation.
“You-! ” She froze, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment, she changed the subject entirely. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Go make preparations. Tomorrow, we’ll formally invite Johnny to dinner. Since he’s Hayley’s godfather, and you’ve chosen her as your mate, it’s time we invited him to our home as a guest.”
I was taken aback by her sudden shift in attitude. “What did you just say?” I asked, barely able to hide my surprise and delight.
Was my mother finally accepting Hayley as my Luna?
“What? You don’t want to? If not, then forget I said anything,” Odessa replied, her tone turning dismissive as if she didn’t care either way.
“No!” I immediately smiled and answered enthusiastically. “I’ll arrange it right away!”
“Go ahead,” she said, her expression softening as though pleased.
I nodded and turned to head upstairs. But once I was alone in my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Her change in attitude toward Hayley was far too sudden. It didn’t feel right.
Chapter 503: Odessa’s Unwillingness
The next day, Johnny and I arrived for dinner as planned. Hearing that Odessa had supposedly changed her mind and decided to accept me, Johnny seemed to be in good spirits. However, I wasn’t so optimistic. Something about this didn’t sit well with me.
At the dinner table, Odessa was warm and welcoming. She even raised her glass for a toast and didn’t hesitate to drink several cups of wine in quick succession. The atmosphere grew livelier as the meal went on.
After a few rounds of drinks, Odessa suddenly spoke up, “Mr. Estrada, the more I look at Ben and Hayley, the more they resemble siblings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Hayley were my daughter instead?”
“But I’ll make you a promise, Mr. Estrada. As long as Hayley doesn’t end up with Ben, she’s welcome to choose any of the other Southwell brothers as her mate. I’ll wholeheartedly support her decision.”
Her words hung in the air, shocking everyone at the table. Johnny’s hand froze mid-motion, and his face darkened as anger began to surface.
“Mom, you’re drunk,” Benjamin said, frowning with obvious displeasure. “You seem to have forgotten that Hayley and I are already engaged!”
I stayed quiet, watching Odessa’s little performance unfold without interrupting. Odessa opened her mouth to say more. Before she could, Johnny suddenly slammed his glass down onto the table with a loud crash. His face was grim, and his silence only made the tension in the room even heavier.