Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 27: The Grandmother’s Displeasure

Chapter 27: The Grandmother’s Displeasure

Ella’s POV:

When Arec first mentioned that we were heading to his grandmother’s estate, I didn’t realize how soon we’d be thrown into the fire.

It was supposed to be a visit, to make things official, introduce me as the woman he was going to marry. Except, only Arec and I knew the truth.

This wasn’t some romantic union. It was a contract, an agreement that would let Arec finally take over the CEO position his grandmother had been holding over his head for years.

Still, the weight of the situation pressed down on me. Contract or not, this meeting felt personal.

I had rehearsed my words, practiced my smile, but nothing could have prepared me for the moment we stepped into that grand living room.

His grandmother, Lydia Weston, was a force of nature. The kind of woman who could silence a room with just a glance, she was seating in a high-backed chair, dressed immaculately in cream-colored silk, her posture straight, her gaze sharp. She looked at me like I was an unwelcome guest in her kingdom.

"Well, Arec," she said, her voice cold as marble. "I assume you’ve brought me the woman you plan to marry?"

Her eyes landed on me, and I felt the sting of her judgment instantly. Arec, standing tall beside me, squeezed my hand briefly, a reminder that we were in this together, even if the stakes felt higher than ever.

"Grandma," Arec began, his voice steady but firm. "This is Ella. The woman I’ve chosen to marry."

Lydia’s eyes swept over me, her disapproval thinly veiled behind a tight smile. "Chosen," she repeated, the word dripping with disdain. She sat back, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "I see."

There was a pause. A long, uncomfortable one. I could almost feel her calculating the next move, deciding how to tear into me, or, rather, into us. The tension crackled in the air.

"You’ve made your choice," Lydia said at last, her gaze still locked on me. "But I had hoped... that Joanne would be the one sitting here with you today. She’s much more suited to the role, wouldn’t you agree?"

Arec sighed, a quiet but loaded sound. I could see the strain in his jaw, the tension that had been building since we stepped into this house. "We had an agreement that I would choose a bride within a month," he reminded her, his tone steady but firm. "And I’ve done that."

His grandmother’s lips thinned. "I was expecting someone... more appropriate," she said, her gaze flicking back to me, as if I were some blemish on her carefully curated life. "Joanne, for instance. A girl from a respectable family, with the right connections."

There it was, the comparison. The name of the woman she ’wanted’ for Arec. I still wondered why Alex didn’t asked Joanne to be contract wife, I she was his best friend from childhood. Joanne’s Practically born into Arec’s world, but the deed has already been done, and now I just have to face the consequences.

Arec leaned forward, his voice firm and deliberate. "Grandma, you gave me a deadline. I’ve made my choice. I’m marrying Ella, and nobody else."

Lydia’s lips thinned, her displeasure palpable. "And why, may I ask, would you choose someone who doesn’t have the background or connections that are expected of a Weston wife? Surely, you could’ve made a more... sensible decision."

The sting of her words wasn’t lost on me. It wasn’t about me as a person; it was about my lack of status. I wasn’t the high-society woman she envisioned for Arec, and she wasn’t even trying to hide her disappointment.

Arec’s voice remained calm, but there was a steeliness to it now. "You gave me an ultimatum, Grandma. Find someone to marry, or lose my shot at becoming CEO. I’ve done what you asked. Don’t go back on your word now."

Her eyes flickered, but she recovered quickly. "I didn’t think you’d settle." She muttered, her voice like venom, dripping with disappointment. "I expected more from you, Arec."

"I’m not settling," Arec countered, his tone sharper now. "This isn’t about settling or about appearances. This is about doing what’s best for me and for this family. You wanted me to marry within the month, and I’ve done that."

Lydia’s gaze shifted to me again, colder this time. It was clear that she wasn’t just frustrated, she was furious. And yet, she wasn’t going to show it outwardly. That wasn’t her style. Instead, she let her disappointment simmer just beneath the surface, hidden in the daggers she sent through her eyes.

"Best for the family?" she echoed, as if the words were foreign to her. "You think this marriage is best for the family? Arec, you’ve always been pragmatic, but this..." She gestured at me, a dismissive wave of her hand. "This is reckless."

I bit the inside of my cheek, willing myself to stay calm. I’d known walking into this that she wouldn’t accept me easily, but hearing it, feeling it, was another thing entirely. And yet, the stakes weren’t just about personal feelings. This marriage was a stepping stone, a means to an end. For both Arec and me. We needed it.

But Arec wasn’t backing down. He sat forward slightly, his posture confident and unwavering. "You think it’s reckless because it’s not Joanne. I’m not marrying someone for their status. I’m marrying someone who understands me and supports what I need to do."

Lydia’s fingers tightened around the armrest of her chair. "And you believe she understands what it means to be a Weston?" she asked, raising a perfectly arched brow. "Does she know what’s expected of her? The sacrifices she’ll have to make?"

I swallowed, the words hitting close to home. I did know the expectations. I knew what I was signing up for. But there was a part of me that wondered, even in the back of my mind, if I was really ready for the reality of it all.

Arec didn’t hesitate. "She knows, and she’s more than capable of handling it."

Lydia’s gaze shifted to me again, and the silence stretched. I could feel her weighing her options, deciding whether to keep pushing or to accept the inevitable. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and sharp.

"Fine. You’ve made your choice." Her words were clipped, her disappointment clear. "But don’t expect me to embrace it. Joanne would’ve been the perfect match for you, and you know it.

Arec stood then, pulling me gently to my feet beside him. "I’m not marrying Joanne. I’m marrying Ella. And the wedding will be in a few weeks, just close family and friends."

His grandmother’s eyes hardened, but she didn’t argue further. She’d made her feelings known, and Arec had drawn the line. There was nothing more to say.

"I’ll be there," Lydia said finally, her voice tight. "But don’t expect me to smile through it."

Arec nodded, not saying anything else. He turned, guiding me toward the door, but as we walked away, I could still feel Lydia’s eyes burning into my back, her disapproval weighing heavy on my shoulders.

Once outside, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My heart was pounding, and my mind was still spinning from the confrontation. Arec had stood his ground, but I could tell it hadn’t been easy for him either.

"Are you okay?" Arec asked quietly, his hand still resting on the small of my back.

I nodded, though I wasn’t entirely sure. "Yeah. I think so. Are you?"

He glanced at me, his expression softening. "I’m fine. This was bound to happen."

I nodded again, though there was an uneasiness in my chest that wouldn’t quite go away.