Meanwhile, at the staircase, chills traveled down my spine as I overheard Tobeyâs conversation with Mom. It was at that moment I realized that Mom was not the least bit worried about me staying at Tobeyâs place.
Besides, Mom had really gone overboard this time trying to set me up with a random man whom I had just met.
It was pointless to be a bigger person by tolerating Momâs behavior, as she tended to cross the line sometimes. Thinking of that, I couldnât help but sneer at myself. I bet sheâll be happy if anything happened between Tobey and me here. With that, her dream of marrying me to Tobey would finally come true.
Meanwhile, their conversation continued. I strode down the stairs and headed to the couch. My expression slowly darkened as I eavesdropped on their conversation. All they talked about were business opportunities and investment.
âMrs. Goldstein, let me know if you have any other requests. Weâll be family soon, wonât we? As agreed previously, you should give away Yvonneâs portion. Marry her? Sure, I like Ms. Yvonne, too. I wish to marry her as soon as possible! The shares? Yes, of course. Theyâre still hers. But since weâll soon be family, we should not be so calculative. Am I right? Haha!â
Everything was set up perfectly on the dining table. Candles were lit and illuminated the steak and wine, while the dining area was done up romantically. Nevertheless, I was not touched after listening to their conversation.
It took Tobey a while to finally end that sickening conversation. He whistled a tune happily and headed upstairs with a smug grin, only to hurry down the stairs to look for me soon afterward.
âEve? Where are you?â He glanced around nervously.
I picked up the glass of wine in front of me. Hearing the sound, Tobey instinctively looked in my direction and was stunned to see me sitting at the table. He probably did not think I would have come down so quickly. As soon as Tobey regained his composure, he quickened his steps and walked toward me with a polite smile. âYouâre here. Why didnât you tell me?â
âIâm afraid of disturbing you since you were on the phone,â I said in a straightforward manner.
Tobeyâs face turned pale. Scratching the back of his head anxiously, he asked, âDid you hear everything, Eve?â
As I saw Tobey put a smile on his face, I could not help but notice that he actually had a warm and pleasant smile. However, his smile could not compare to Andrewâs radiant smile. Andrewâs was so genuine and contagious that it would instantly warm my heart.
Seeing Tobeyâs hypocritical smile, I scoffed heartlessly, âI think weâre not that close, Mr. Osborn. I would appreciate it if you could address me as Ms. Tanner or Ms. Goldstein. âEveâ is only for my closest friends and family. I hope you get what I mean.â
Disgusted by his pretense, I was not planning to show mercy to such a hypocrite.
My forthright behavior and the hostility in my tone must have frightened Tobey. He stood there, too stunned to speak. After collecting himself, he smiled bitterly and responded, âMs. Goldstein, is there a misunderstanding between us? Why are you acting like this? Do you not remember it was me who saved you on the street?â
âOf course I do, and Iâll repay this debt of gratitude. Nevertheless, I would like to be excluded from any agreement or dealing that you have with my mother. Please donât involve me in this.â
Having that said, I stood up from my seat, grabbed my handbag from the coffee table, and continued coldly, âWhatâs yours is yours, and whatâs mine is Christopherâs. I have nothing to do with you anymore. Iâm not in the mood to eat. Iâll make a move now, Mr. Osborn.â
Tobey scurried over and blocked my way. Raising his eyebrow, he uttered, âMs. Goldstein, you must have misunderstood me. How can you judge me by just listening to a phone conversation?â
âReally?â I scoffed with disdain.
He replied, âI canât tell whatâs on your mind. So, let me make this clear to you: I actually have someone that I like.â