Irresistible Boss Succumbing to Your Touch (Maria Anita) novel Chapter 488

Manuela’s POV

I had barely closed the door, hadn't even recovered from Flavian's father's visit, when the doorbell rang again. What else did that man want? I took a deep breath and opened the door. I felt as if all the blood had drained from my body. There, standing in front of me with a cold smile that seemed almost cruel, was my mother, and right behind her was Julian.

"Mom?!" My legs trembled, and I thought I would collapse on the floor.

"Did you miss me, Manuela? Did you think I would forget about you?" She laughed, but it was a humorless laugh. "A mother never forgets her child, especially one as rebellious as you!"

"Mom, of course I missed you!" I tried to hug her, but she dodged away, which made my heart ache.

"Won't you invite me in, ungrateful daughter?" My mother spoke in a cold, cutting voice. I merely gestured, and she entered, followed by my brother who rubbed his hand over my head, messing up my hair and pulled my ear hard. This had been Julian's habit since he grew taller than me, which meant he had been doing this to me for a very long time.

"Living well, huh, squirt?" Julian spoke mockingly, looking around at everything.

"So this is where you're shacking up with a man?" My mother sat where Flavian's father had been sitting just moments before - it seemed like a sinister coincidence. "I had a lot of trouble finding you, Manuela. You hide like a little rat. But I'm a patient and very intelligent woman, Manuela, you should have learned that by now."

"Mom..." I didn't understand how she found me, but I knew my father would never give her my address.

"Shut up, Manuela! I'm the one talking here. You're going to listen to me, pay very close attention to what I'm going to say, and do exactly what I tell you to, just like it always was until your father decided to give you wings and help you escape," she snapped harshly, and I trembled, feeling fear begin to take over me.

"Sit down, brat," Julian yanked my hair, catching me by surprise, and shoved me into the armchair near my mother. "Listen to your mom, she knows what she's talking about."

"Well, Manuela, I'll get straight to the point, you know why I'm here. I know very well your lover isn't around, I know he's at work, there's no one to help you. So now, without throwing a tantrum, because you know I have no patience, you're going to pack your things and leave with me," my mother spoke as if this was the most natural situation in the world.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Mom!" I shot back with what little courage I had left.

"Oh, yes you are, you're going because I'm your mother and I'm telling you to. You're going and when you get there you're going to marry Mr. Calvin's son. Everything's already arranged, all set up, and we're just missing the bride. I came to save you from this depraved life, this life of debauchery." My mother's eyes gleamed with dark satisfaction.

"We've talked about this a million times, Mom, why do you want to force me to marry Mr. Calvin's son? Why do you want me to be unhappy?" I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

"We've talked about this a million times and a million times I warned you to come back nicely without making a scene. I warned you I would come get you. You know I was always against this ridiculous idea of you coming to study and live alone. But what did you do? You convinced that idiot father of yours to give in to your wishes, as always. You plotted with him and took the first chance to run away. And what did you think? Huh? Thought I would just let it go? Thought you two could outsmart me and I'd stay quiet? Looks like you don't know me, Manuela! Looks like you forgot that I do everything my way, when I want and how I want! Looks like you forgot that I'm the one who controls you!" My mother's eyes were bloodshot and flashing with anger.

I never understood why she treated me like that. She didn't treat Julian this way, and he was an irresponsible person who did nothing, refused to study, and spent his time loafing around town. But for him, she always had affection and love. She always let him do whatever he wanted, and when I asked why it was different with me, she would simply say that Julian was a man and could do whatever he pleased, while I was just a little girl, an insignificant girl she had to look after. My obligation as a daughter was to be obedient and do everything she commanded because she knew what was best for me. But what she thought was good for me always left me sad or forced me to do things I didn't want to do.

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