FAZER LOGIN•Vera POV•“So when are you going to test your wedding dress?” Juliet asked as she rested her back on the couch.“I discussed it with the wedding planner, and she suggested I go tomorrow. I’d really appreciate it if you come along with me,” I answered.“Of course, I’ll do that,” Juliet said with a slight laugh. “I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”I gave her a warm smile. “Thank you so much, Jules. I’m so happy I have you with me in times like this.”Juliet chuckled. “Seriously, you’re thanking me too much, Vera. You’ve been there for me more than I’ve ever been for you.”“Awn, my heart,” I muffled, placing a hand on my chest dramatically.She laughed softly. “I’m glad you’re finally smiling. And if Eric’s mother gives any more trouble, we’ll plan a way to lock her in a room during the wedding.”I burst out laughing, shaking my head. “Jeez, Jules. That’s exactly what I would’ve suggested if this wasn’t my life we’re talking about.”“Come on,” Juliet added gently. “Mrs. Lawson needs to
•Eric POV•I lifted the bottle in my hand, turning it slightly as I checked the design. The perfume bottle was made of clear glass, smooth and heavy in my palm, with sharp edges that caught the light. The liquid inside was a soft lavender shade, calm and clean, like it was meant to pull you in without trying too hard.I pressed the spray nozzle, and the fragrance filled the air almost immediately. It was a unique scent of lavender mixed with warm vanilla and a hint of citrus underneath. Soft, but strong enough to stay."This is good," I said, collecting the notepad from Fred and scribbling my signature on the page. "Inform the distribution team. I want this perfume delivered to the people who already ordered it before the weekend."Fred nodded as he collected the notepad from me, and I walked out of the room, heading toward my office.The moment I approached the door, Gwen, my personal assistant, stood up from her seat beside my office and walked over to meet me."Sir, you have a visi
•Vera POV•"Yes, Miss Vera," Brooke replied, briefly looking toward Thelma before turning back to me. "Thelma and I are best friends. We met in our first year in college, and ever since then, we’ve been together."I smiled and glanced in Thelma’s direction. The look on her face didn’t seem to agree with what Brooke had said, but she still smiled at me."Yes, Brooke is right about that," she said, then turned to Brooke. "Can I have the password now?"Brooke pulled out her phone from her pocket and typed something on it. A soft beeping sound came from Thelma’s phone a second later. "I’ve sent it.""Thanks," Thelma said, giving me a brief smile before walking out of the office without looking back."Is there anything else you want me to do, Miss Vera?" Brooke asked.I shook my head. "Nope, that’s all. I’ll be moving around today to check the designs already made. Please inform the designers."She nodded slightly and left, closing the door behind her.The moment I was alone, I leaned bac
•Vera POV•I wiped my tears with the back of my palm as I walked into the room and made my way to pick up the bag I had come in with. My chest felt heavy, like something was pressing down on it. I couldn’t believe that after all my efforts to make Mrs. Lawson like me, she seemed to hate me even more. No matter what I did, it was never enough.“My love, please don’t take whatever my mom said seriously,” Eric said as he walked into the room.I picked up my bag and turned toward the door, my fingers tightening around the strap, but he held my hand, stopping me. His grip was firm but gentle, like he was scared I would disappear if he let go.“Please don’t leave,” he said. “My mother can’t stop us from getting married. I promise you.”I stopped and slowly turned to face him. My eyes burned with fresh tears.“I can’t take this anymore, Eric,” I said, my voice shaking. “I just feel like maybe this whole thing is a mistake. I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant for you and—” I paused, wiping the t
•Vera POV•I sat on the bed for a while before deciding to take a shower. The day had been stressful, even though it started well.I took a deep breath to calm myself, telling myself that all this was just happening because of a misunderstanding, and maybe with time, everything would be okay.By the time I came out of the bathroom, Eric walked into the room and sank onto the bed, burying his face in his palms. From the way he looked, I could tell his conversation with his mother didn’t go well.“How was it?” I asked, drying my wet hair with a towel.He looked up at me with a small smile. “Vera, my mother is a difficult person. I feel so bad telling her about our engagement. If I knew she was going to behave this way—”“No, don’t say that, Eric,” I muttered. “It wouldn’t have been nice getting married without your mother knowing.”Eric stood up and walked over to me, taking my hand. “Vera, I don’t want any of this to make you feel bad. If my mother doesn’t want us to marry, then we’ll
•Eric POV•I moved my hand around the steering wheel as I drove down the road, my eyes fixed ahead but my mind far away. I couldn’t get my mother’s words out of my head, the way she had spoken to Vera like she was nothing. And the fact that after we talked about it, after I told her clearly that marrying Vera was my decision, she hadn’t said anything again.She had been silent ever since.I glanced at the rearview mirror, trying to read her face, but she looked lost in thought, staring straight ahead without really seeing anything.Vera sat in the passenger seat beside me, her gaze fixed on the window. The streetlights reflected softly on her face as we passed, and the silence in the car made my chest tighten. She was too quiet. Vera was never this quiet.“My love,” I called, lifting my hand from the steering wheel to touch her arm.She turned to look at me with a thin-lipped smile. It was the kind she used when she didn’t want me to ask questions. She was pretending to be happy. I co







