Chapter 242 Get out of the way
“Darla’s such a great girl. If you don’t make your move soon, some other guy will snatch her up, and it’ll be too late! You have no idea how popular she is at my hospital. There are tons of guys chasing after her, she gets so many flowers every day, she can’t even keep up!”
Hearing this, Alana felt a pang of unease.
She had already been skeptical of Darla’s words, but now that she heard Stephan’s mother say it herself...
It was clear that his mother genuinely liked Darla and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law.
If she were to marry Stephan, his parents wouldn’t approve or support the union, would they really be happy after getting married?
After all, marriage wasn’t just about two people; it involves two families.
What if the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was strained after marriage, with constant conflicts?
Suddenly, she thought of the short videos she often watched on YouTube: a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law at odds, constantly arguing and even fighting, while the son is caught in the middle, unable to please either side.
She had to admit, she was becoming more and more afraid of marriage...
“Mom, you’re being really disrespectful right now. I just told you my girlfriend is right here and you’re still talking about Darla! Stop it.” Stephan let out, getting really pissed.
“You’re the one who needs to stop lying.”
“I’m not lying!”
“Fine, if you want me to believe you then you bring her over!”
“I’ll bring her over before the end of the year so stop talking about Darla!” With that, Stephan hung up.
Alana blinked. “I’m going to meet your mom?”
Stephan sighed. “Lana, I know you’re not very confident in our relationship and you think we might not last but I really am serious with you and I hope you can take me serious too.”
“But your mom...”
“We might argue all the time but I assure you, she’s not a bad person and she won’t treat you badly, I assure you.”
Seeing her still lost in her thoughts, Stephan reached over and placed his hand above hers.
“We have a date to enjoy so stop overthinking...let’s just focus on our date, let’s take things one at a time.”
Alana nodded, really wanting to enjoy their date.
*********
On getting to the Cinema, Stephan softly told Alana to sit and wait while he went to get their tickets.
Not long after Alana got seated, she heard a voice.
“Oh...it’s you.”
Looking up, Alana’s mood almost soured.
Seriously?
Was she cursed or something?
Why did she keep running into this woman.
Darla unhesitatingly sat down in the seat next to Alana.
“Are you here to watch a movie too?”
Alana paused for two seconds before nodding and murmuring, “Mm-hmm.”
Darla glanced at her curiously. “With whom? Your boyfriend?”
Alana nodded. “Yeah, with my boyfriend.”
After a brief pause, she looked at Darla and asked pointedly, “And you, Miss Gordon?”
“Are you here to watch the movie alone, or with your fiancé?”
Upon hearing this, a trace of
embarrassment flashed across Darla’s face, and she gave a vague nod.
She was too embarrassed to admit that she had actually come out with another man, and it wasn’t the man she liked.
She smiled, a faint hint of sarcasm in her expression.
Darla didn’t want to delve deeper into the topic, so she changed the subject.
“What about your boyfriend? Why isn’t he with you?”
“He’s in line getting our tickets. Where’s your fiancé? Why isn’t he with you?”
Darla frowned. Why did Alana’s tone sound like she was deliberately picking on her?
She hadn’t done anything to provoke her, had she?
Suppressing a flicker of irritation, she replied, “My fiancé is also in line getting tickets for me.”
Alana nodded, her tone flat. “Oh.”
Darla seemed to remember something and asked, “Come to think of it, I haven’t
met your boyfriend yet.”
“Which one is your boyfriend? Why don’t you introduce him to me?”
She’d missed the chance to meet Alana’s boyfriend several times already, and to be honest, she was growing increasingly curious.
Besides, she had a strong hunch that she should already know Alana’s boyfriend.
Alana gave a faint smile. “Why are you so eager to meet my boyfriend, Miss Gordon?”
Darla curved her lips. “I feel your boyfriend is someone I know, so I just want to confirm.”
“I think you’d rather not know, Miss Gordon.”
“You’re wrong. I really do want to know.”
“If you find out, you’ll regret it.”
Hearing this, Darla became even more eager to confirm this.
Just what kind of person could make her regret finding out?
Darla said, “Then I’m even more determined to meet him.”
Alana pursed her lips.
Seeing Alana’s silent reaction, Darla asked, “What’s the matter? Don’t you want to introduce him?”
She smiled, feigning nonchalance.
“If you feel uncomfortable, I won’t push you.”
Though she said that, her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the crowd in line, hoping to spot a man she recognized.
Suddenly, Alana’s gaze slowly settled on a certain spot, and she spoke softly, “Of all the men in that line, the most handsome one...that’s my boyfriend.”
Darla froze for a moment, and just then, she spotted Stephan in the crowd.
He was wearing a blue shirt and black dress pants, standing tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, a truly impressive head-to-body ratio.
Standing out in the crowd, his noble bearing was immediately apparent.
His face was turned slightly to the side, revealing sharp, flowing features: a full, well-defined forehead; deep, angular brow bones; a high, straight nose; and sensual lips.
It was as if he had been meticulously carved, so perfect that not a single flaw could be found.
Seeing Stephan, she was a bit surprised, how had he ended up at the movie theater?
However, when she heard what Alana said, she found it somewhat amusing.
Alana said that among all the men in line, the most handsome one was her boyfriend?
Truly, beauty was in the eye of the beholder.
She surely didn’t think her boyfriend was on the same level as Stephan, did she?
Darla laughed. “Sorry, but I really can’t tell which one is your boyfriend.”
Alana smiled back but didn’t answer.
If Darla was acting blinding to the truth and unwilling to admit it, there was nothing she could do about it.
Alana couldn’t help but lift her gaze and look over again. Stephan had already successfully picked up the tickets and was walking toward her, holding a bucket of popcorn and a can of Coke.
With his handsome looks and toned physique, he naturally drew attention.
Quite a few girls had already noticed him, their eyes fixed on him as they gazed at him dreamily.
“Wow, he’s so handsome!”
“Tall and handsome, with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, he’s practically the perfect man!”
“I wonder whose boyfriend he is. I’m so jealous of her!”
Hearing this, Alana felt a surge of
sweetness in her heart, yet she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
Darla was right beside her now. If Stephan walked over and they met, their relationship would inevitably be exposed.
But... So be it.
She no longer wanted to hide anything.
Perhaps, once Darla got the confirmation she needed that Alana truly was Stephan’s girlfriend, Darla would immediately order her to break up with Stephan.
If she refused, Darla might team up with Fu Mingxiu’s mother to coerce her into breaking up with him.
And there were many other things she couldn’t even imagine happening.
But when she thought of how Stephan had always stood by her, supporting her, not even giving his own mother any hope that he’d ever be with Darla, and also his words earlier that he intended to take her seriously.
Alana realized that she had to stop being so scared. She shouldn’t keep running away.
Instead, she should resolutely choose to face everything with him.
So, as Stephan walked toward her, Alana decided to set aside that lingering nervousness and unease, stood up, and prepared to walk toward him.
She would slip her arm through his, then introduce him to Darla officially, openly and proudly.
However, she didn’t expect Darla to act faster than her.
Darla stood up first, walked in front of Stephan and blocked his path.
Stephan was returning with a bowl of popcorn and a Coke, but before he could reach Alana, he was blocked by a figure who suddenly appeared.
Seeing Darla standing there, he couldn’t help but frown.
He must have forgotten to check the almanac before leaving today, he’d actually run into the one woman he didn’t want to see.
Darla had seen Stephan walking toward her and assumed he had spotted her, which was why he was coming over.
He had come for her!
Plus, with a few starry-eyed girls around them staring intently at Stephan, curious about his girlfriend,
She couldn’t help but take the initiative and walked up to him.
Sure enough, when the girls around them saw Darla suddenly standing in front of Stephan, they all gasped in surprise.
“So she’s that handsome guy’s girlfriend!”
“She’s a total stunner too...they make a perfect match!”
“Yeah, yeah...a handsome guy with a beauty. We don’t stand a chance!”
Darla felt quite smug inside. See? So many people thought she and Stephan were a perfect match, she wasn’t just imagining things after all.
Stephan frowned, clearly growing impatient. “Darla, can you please get out of the way?”