Chapter 7: The Bride Must Meet the In-Laws

As soon as the words were spoken, the car came to a smooth stop in front of the hospital staff dormitory.

"I'll be going now," Amaya said politely, tightening the shawl around her as she prepared to get out of the car.

Just as she stepped out, a large hand grabbed her: "Find some time in the next few days to come with me to the old house for dinner."

"Huh? The old house?" Amaya exclaimed, her mind freezing for the nth time that night.

"Yes, meet your future in-laws before we marry," Jaylan replied calmly, looking at her terrified face.

"Isn't it too soon?" They had only known each other for half a month!

"The wedding is in a month and a half."

"Or do you want to start preparing for the wedding without meeting the in-laws first?" Jaylan asked without hesitation.

"Then... let's do it on Friday. I don't have a shift that night," she replied reluctantly.

Meeting his family and getting married was something she expected, but the wedding itself was a surprise. She thought they would just get a certificate, pretend to be in love in public, and satisfy his physical needs. She hadn't considered an actual wedding.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Someone like Jaylan wouldn't get married without a wedding.

"Alright, pack your things. I'll pick you up on Friday. After dinner at the old house, you'll stay at my place," he said before getting back into the car and driving off.

"Wait, we agreed on Saturday!" Amaya called after the car.

She truly understood what it meant to shoot herself in the foot. What was supposed to be Saturday had been moved up because of her own actions.

After a while, Amaya turned around. Instead of going back to the dormitory, she bought some fruit and headed to the inpatient department.

She stood quietly in front of a hospital room, looking at her mother, who was leaning against the headboard reading a book. Though still looking sickly, her spirit had improved significantly. Since the surgery half a month ago, she’d been recovering.

She sighed contentedly. Wherever her mother was, that was home.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled and gently pushed open the door.

"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Amaya, you're here. Why have you lost weight? Is work too busy?"

Lana put down her book and looked lovingly at her daughter. Seeing that she had lost weight again, she couldn't help but feel sorry.

Once a pampered young lady, her daughter had matured early and endured many hardships following her. Over the years, as Lana's health deteriorated, their small family relied entirely on her daughter.

Not only did she cover daily expenses, but also Lana's medical bills and the recent expensive surgery.

Lana had considered leaving this world to stop being a burden on her daughter. Her daughter deserved a wonderful life at her age.

But she feared that if she left, there would be no one left to care for and love her daughter. If her daughter got married and was mistreated by her in-laws, there would be no family to support her.

Her family naturally consisted only of herself and her daughter. The Moreno family... had long ceased to be part of their lives.

"Why are you wearing a dress? Did you just come back from somewhere?" Lana asked with concern, noticing her daughter's tired face.

Amaya looked at her mother's concerned expression and thought about her upcoming marriage, which her mother knew nothing about. She struggled internally, unsure how to break the news.

But knowing that her mother had to be informed eventually, she took a deep breath and decided to tell everything.

"Mom, I'm getting married in a month and a half. The groom isn't Adam; we broke up half a month ago because he cheated on me with Aubree."

"The groom is Jaylan from the Hancock family, the current head of Hancock Group. I know him because his grandmother was my patient. The decision to marry isn't rushed; it's well thought out. He's very good to me. Tonight, he protected me and stood up for me when Adam bullied me."

Amaya said everything in one breath, expecting her mother to scold her for deciding to marry someone she had known for only half a month.

For a few seconds, the room was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

"Adam cheated with who? Aubree?" Lana asked angrily, throwing the book she had been reading onto the floor.

"Those shameless people!" She had always treated them well whenever they visited their home. How dare they hurt her daughter? Did they think her family was easy to bully?

"Mom, don't be angry. Jaylan has already dealt with them," Amaya said hurriedly, trying to calm her mother down as she saw how upset she was.

Lana's hands were still trembling with anger.

After about a minute, she suddenly asked, "You said you're marrying Jaylan? The head of Hancock Group?"

Although Lana had fallen on hard times, she used to be a wealthy lady and knew quite a bit about Atheria's various powers, especially the century-old Hancock family.

Amaya nodded. "Yes, it's him."

Lana was silent for a while before seriously asking, "Did he pay for my surgery? Amaya, tell me honestly. Are you marrying him because of my medical expenses?"

"Mom, I don't want to lie to you. The surgery cost is part of it. Another reason is that he can protect me and is willing to do so. Mom, you know I don't believe in love. Even when I was with Adam, it wasn't because I loved him; I just thought he was suitable."

"Besides, Jaylan treats me well. After marriage, we won't live with his parents, so there won't be any in-law conflicts. We will respect each other and grow old together; there's nothing wrong with that."

Amaya spoke quickly to convince Lana. Ever since that older "sister" appeared in the Moreno family when she was young, she stopped believing in love. As she grew older and saw more of the dirty dealings among wealthy families, she became numb and accustomed to it.

Such things were all too common.

She initially wanted a simple life with Adam but clearly misjudged him.

Now entrusting her future marriage to Jaylan, she didn't know how it would turn out. He protected her now because she was going to be Mrs. Hancock. But this wasn't something she could tell her mother; all Lana needed to know was that Jaylan treated her well.

Lana listened to everything her daughter said but remained silent for a while before finally speaking up.