“The person I’m seeing is much better than that man. He’s someone I don’t deserve.”
“Then why is that amazing and undeserving person dating an ordinary girl like you?”
Was her mother underestimating her too much?
Or did she not believe it?
What on earth did her mother want from her?
Lola felt perplexed by her mother’s contradictory words.
Paulina asked again.
“Who is he, really? What do his parents do? Does he have any savings?”
Originally, Lola had planned to take Dylan to meet her parents when he had time. But as Paulina continued to ask questions that felt superficial, Lola couldn’t help but be precise.
“He’s Gia’s brother.”
“What? Gia’s brother? You mean your friend Gia, the one who married a Business Magnet?”
Paulina had seen Gia’s face a few times. She knew her well since she was Lola’s only best friend.
“Yes.”
“Let me think. Gia’s brother is a prosecutor, right?”
“Yes.”
Paulina’s expression softened a bit, seeming to like the man’s profession.
“What’s he like? He must have a good personality. What good is it if he makes a lot of money and is capable? If a man has a bad personality, the woman suffers a lot.”
“Mom!”
“Hey, I’m just saying this because I’m worried about you.”
Lola pressed her temples with her fingers, feeling a headache coming on.
Her feelings toward her mother were very complicated, both now and when she was a child.
There was resentment, bitterness, and a lot of disappointment.
In other words, even though Paulina was her mother, she wasn’t a very affectionate presence. So, there were many times when Lola envied Gia, who had a kind and friendly mother.
“You’re not an orphan without parents. Don’t you think it’s a bit much to decide on marriage all by yourself?”
To be honest, her mother had hardly been involved in her life until now, and there were many moments when Lola had to make decisions on her own.
So why was she suddenly acting like a caring mother now?
Lola couldn’t understand her mother’s behavior, but she calmly explained.
“Dylan is quite busy. I’ll take him home to meet you when he has time.”
“I haven’t given my permission for the two of you yet.”
Although she didn’t know everything about Dylan, she had picked up some conversations between Lola and Gia in the past.
She heard that the man was a genius.
He had entered law school as the top student and graduated as the top student.
With that kind of background, he must be very smart, capable, and earn a good income.
And if the siblings resembled each other, the man wouldn’t be ordinary in appearance either.
He should be more than suitable as a husband for her daughter, but Paulina deliberately cleared her throat and acted pretentious.
Knowing her mother’s true feelings, Lola was very displeased.
“He’s a perfect, wonderful, and amazing person.”
Lola didn’t like and love Dylan because of his specs, wealth, or looks.
She simply liked him for who he was.
She liked that Dylan Eve was strong yet gentle, and her heart raced and fluttered at the deep and soft gaze that was only for her.
But why was her mother so picky about the man?
It was embarrassing and shameful to have a mother like that.
Feeling that staying here any longer would only make her mood worse, she quietly said, “I’m a bit busy. I’ll get going first. Please drive safely.”
“I understand. Go ahead.”
Fortunately, Paulina didn’t try to hold Lola back any longer.
She just watched Lola’s back as she left the café with a complicated expression.
Unlike other mothers and daughters, Paulina was aware of the distance between herself and Lola.
The invisible wall between the two had not formed overnight; it had been built up over a long time.
She must be blaming herself a lot.
There must be plenty of disappointment.
Paulina knew well that she wasn’t a friendly mother to Lola. So, she also understood that pretending to be a good mother now wasn’t a very wise action, but she genuinely hoped that Lola would meet a good person.
*****
That evening.
To be honest, Dylan didn’t particularly like gatherings or drinking parties. He disliked the noisy atmosphere, and since he didn’t drink much even though he smoked, such occasions were burdensome and annoying.
Until now, he had avoided these gatherings with various excuses, but this time he was bombarded with messages from the morning. The reunion president and some friends he had been close with in school kept sending texts, making it hard for him to concentrate.
‘Aliza will be there too.’
Just thinking of Aliza made Dylan’s head throb. However, working in the legal field, he couldn’t avoid running into Aliza. Dylan wasn’t the type to run away, and avoiding things just because they were troublesome didn’t suit his character.
