"Aunty?" Ivy stopped her when they were far away from the rest. She let herself being dragged away because she was her aunt only way out of that mess.
"Why are you so against them being together?" she needed to know.
"If it's because of me, you don't have to," she added. As much as she would appreciate that, she didn't want her to ruin their relation for her. It wasn't worth it, worse when the fight was already lost.
Liam's mother face softened, she caressed her cheek, with her left hand holding onto hers, "You know I wanted you to be my daughter in law right?"
"Wanted? Not anymore?" Ivy joked.
She laughed, "I still do. It would have been simple and better if Liam just see how amazing you are,"
She had never imagined her son with anyone else than Ivy. She was sure her son had feelings for her which himself wasn't aware of. Imagine her shock when another girl came in equation. She never thought about such possibility. Never thought her son would come with another girl he loves to the point of forgetting reason.
"He does, just don't see me as a woman," she said her bitter truth. Her unacceptable reality. Liam loved her, not how she wanted to be loved.
"I know." She was well placed to know her son immense love for Ivy. She was important to him, no doubt about it.
"You are not the reason I'm against their union," she wasn't unreasonable enough to act so shallow. To act solemnly base on het own feelings and wants.
A part of Ivy wanted to hear it was for her. That she only wanted her as her daughter in law. It would have be so pleasen to hear.
If not for her, what then was the reason?
"She isn't for my son," she said but Ivy was unsatisfied with her answer. It couldn't be so simple.
"Why? Shirley is beautiful, kind, innocent, respectful, and her status is also good. What makes her such an unfavorable candidate?"
As much as Ivy hate her, she had to accept the reality, Shirley was perfect and could be the perfect wife.
"You are too young. Yes it counts but it isn't the only thing to take into consideration when marriage is involved," she sighed.
"I would have love if it was you," she added, watching her with sadness.
'I would have loved it myself' she cried in. They discussed for a while before Ivy excused herself.
The night was long. After her brief discussion with Liam's mother, she couldn't go back to the company of her friends since the group have spread their separate ways, doing what she was supposed to be doing. Mingle. It was all the purpose of this party.
Though she was exhausted. Not only physically but now emotionally as well, she kept in mind her company interest and joined the rest in their search of connections.
What kept her sane was the fact she expertly evaded all her extended family attempt in talking to her, especially her grandparents. Talking with them always took a whole on her.
Afters hours of force smile and inability to get close to her friends, she had enough. She couldn't maintain the façade for anymore hours. She had to leave.
With a rapid scanned of the big room, she spotted her friends engrossed in ther separate conversation with their little partner glue on their side. She could go to them decided against it.
Leave. With that in mind, she walked through the room, aiming the back door leading directly to the garden and her personal hide far in the property. Her quest was brought to an end when her eyes landed on Karl, whom gesture her to come to him. It won't have been a problem if not for the people standing by his side. The very ones she did everything not to talk to.
She pasted a smile on her face and walked to them. The smile didn't appeared natural nor genuine but she didn't care. They didn't love her, and the feelings was mutual. She had long stopped aiming to get their approval or love. They don't love her? Ok, she didn't either.
"Grandfather, grandmother!" she greeted with a kiss on their cheek. She nodded to the rest standing by their side. Who were her two cousins.
"Your grandparents said they couldn't talk to you all the evening," Karl said.
Ivy nodded, "I was kept busy. I apologize," she forced the words through her mouth maintaining her fake smile.
Karl nodded in understanding. He agreed to her words but knew for fact she didn't want to talk with them. His parents was too much on her and the only thing they talked about was either marriage or their disapproval of her career choice. Himself had enough but couldn't dismissed his parents.
Ivy look at the old couple in front of her with no emotions. They maybe a family but she had no feeling for them. Once upon a time, she did have but they crushed it down into dust. Only particles remained, constantly reminding her they were family and she couldn't attacks them.
"If you were busy looking for a life partner, apologies accepted," her grandfather said. The carbon copy of her dad, no one could doubt their DNA connection.
Ivy forced smile fell at his words. There were no need to pretend she wasn't outrage by his choices of words.
"You are a woman now, you should think about marriage. Now that you return you should stop playing around with that low company of yours and get married. A woman place isn't behind an office," he added.
"I have already sent a list of favorable candidate to your mother, you can choose the one you like and settle down," her grandmother injected.
The pursuit to talk more deeply about the topic, leaving out the mean interested.
Ivy look at them with no expression as the program her marriage without caring about her. The only thing left was for them to choose her husband. She wondered why. From what she heard they already programmed all, from the day, place and invitation, they should just choose the husband when they were at it.
Marriage. It wasn't the issue here. Herself felt it was normal to start to think about that. She was twenty five years old, with no relation going on. It was natural for elders to begin to worry but that wasn't her case. It wasn't because they worry about her that they were always on her back but because they want to to push her off the list of candidates to inherit the company after Karl.
They looked down upon her and always get in to a huge argument with her father when the topic of inheritance where brought up. Her grandfather always said it was not a place for a woman to inherit. Even though she was the only child of her father making her the legitimate heir of his fortune. He wanted it to be given to her cousin, her father first brother son.
Speaking of the devil, Micheal Stone he was standing beside her grandfather, immersed in every words been said.He was a two years older than her. They once had a good relationship but they drove apart due to their grandparents.
As if feeling Ivy strong stare, he looked in her direction offering smile. It was answered by a deep frown, and a cold gaze. If she hated Shirley, she despised him.
Her cold gaze went on her grandparents. If they were one thing she hated the most were people looking down upon her and that was exactly what they did, they looked down at her saying she won't be capable of managing the company.
Ivy created her own company for two reasons: to prove them wrong, to show what she was able of and for reassurance.
Ivy was never interested in business, at least it wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted to be a designer. Even though she always admired her father and wanted to be like him, her heart was incline in designing. She had two choose of career and it was choose for her. Her grandfather constant critic made her choose business instead, she was determine to show him how wrong he was and take over the company he was refusing her. No one look down upon her. She like her job and was great at it but it wasn't her passion and that was why she created her own company. It was the combination of both.
She was sure of one thing,it wasn't because of her incapability to manage the company they were against her, nor the fact she was a woman since they want to offer a position to her other cousin standing by their side. It left her in the dark, why were they hating on her?