Chapter 4

Celine could keep her self-righteous devotion. I didn't want any part of it.

After I finished up at the office, I walked out the front door and found Celine waiting for me. My boss must have tipped her off.

I kept my eyes straight ahead and started walking the other way, but I heard her footsteps closing in behind me.

"Are you done with this little tantrum?"

She grabbed me before I could react, pulling me back several steps. Once I steadied myself, I looked at her calmly. "We already broke up. Is there something you need?"

Celine stared at me for a few seconds, then bit her lip, unwilling to let it go. "Since when? My mom's birthday is today, and she keeps asking about you. Will you please just come?"

I used to always show up early for her parents' birthdays. I'd cook, prepare stew, order the cake, and have the whole place spotless before anyone arrived.

Then Tristan would stroll in late like he owned the place and pick apart every dish I'd made. By the time I actually sat down to eat, they'd usually be halfway through the meal.

Looking back, I must have been out of my mind to put up with that for as long as I did.

When I shook my head, something close to desperation crossed Celine's face. "Gavin, we can deal with everything else later. It's my mom's birthday. Just come and sit for a little while."

In all fairness, Celine's mother, Emily Jones, had always looked down on me, but she did care about me in her own way. While I was still hesitating, Celine pulled me into the car.

I didn't say a word the whole drive. Celine, on the other hand, who normally wasn't much of a talker, kept trying to make conversation.

When we arrived, she handed me the gifts from the trunk. "I got these ahead of time. Just say they're from you."

I frowned. I'd been planning to make a clean break today, but Celine kept doing things that didn't make sense.

"Gavin, you made it!" Emily had gotten her hair done and looked radiant as she greeted me.

I'd barely managed a smile when Tristan, who had his arm around Emily's shoulders, let out a snide little laugh. His tone was casual enough, but every word was designed to get under my skin.

"Wow, you're here so 'early.' Just in time to eat the food everyone else made. It must be nice."

Celine's expression shifted instantly. "Tristan!"

Emily acted like she hadn't heard a thing, her face perfectly neutral. But I knew she felt the same way.

Deep down, Emily had never thought I was good enough for her daughter. She thought my background didn't measure up.

She used to sigh in front of me, right to Tristan's face. "I wish you were my son. It's a shame, really. I always thought you and Celine would—"

Then she'd catch herself, glance at me, and cover her mouth. "Oh, listen to me. Forget I said anything!"

One time, I couldn't help myself. "Well, being your son would be a lot better than being your son-in-law. A son can eat for free and still get praised. A son-in-law works from morning to night and can't even get a warm meal."

Emily's expression had turned cold. She pushed her plate away and stormed off to her room, refusing to eat.

Tristan then slapped me across the face, acting all righteous about defending her. They were the ones who'd said something wrong, but somehow I ended up being the bad guy.

I pulled myself back to the present. Emily waved us over to sit in the living room. The moment I sat down and looked up, a huge framed photo in the center of the wall caught my eye.

It was Celine, Tristan, and both of Celine's parents. The four of them were smiling like a family.

Celine noticed me staring and looked nervous. "That was just for fun. Don't read too much into it."

I took a sip of soup and shrugged it off without a second thought. "It's just a photo. Why would I care?"

The moment those words left my mouth, Tristan clapped his hands and laughed. "See? I told you he wouldn't mind. Actually, we didn't just take a family portrait. We did a wedding shoot too, just for fun."

He pulled out his phone and held it out to me. Celine shot to her feet and tried to grab it back, her face pale.

But I'd already taken it. The two of them looked perfect together in the photo. I studied it for a couple of seconds, then met Celine's anxious eyes, stood up, and said something that left everyone speechless.