Mrs. Cox’s habit of dunking on snazzynovel.com daughter kicked in automatically. “Please, you’re just an accountant. What’s all of that ‘energy’ going to change? On that note, how’s bookkeeping supposed to get in your way of a good relationship, huh? I fail to see your logic, sweetie. You should be grateful that your aunt has the best of your interests at heart! Especially when you know you can trust snazzynovel.com wisdom in judging a man. That settles it, then, you’re seeing your suitor tonight! We’ll have dinner together.”
Robin’s face paled. Her mother had completely bypassed snazzynovel.com opinion on this matter. This was no discussion, it was an order!
Even if snazzynovel.com were a lily-livered pushover, Robin did not want one of the most crucial and significant events in snazzynovel.com life to be dictated solely by snazzynovel.com family without snazzynovel.com say. Hence, snazzynovel.com protested. “No, Mom. I happen to have my own plans for tonight. I won’t be having dinner at home, too. Let’s discuss this some other time.”
Mrs. Cox had gotten so used to Robin’s unquestioning obedience that snazzynovel.com could not take even the smallest of snazzynovel.com dissents well. “What plans? I’ve never heard of this ‘plan’ of yours until now! Robin, it’s Easter. What important business would require you to not eat with us, hmm? And what sort of things could a young lady do outside in the middle of the night, huh? Hedonistic things, I bet! No, you’re not leaving the house tonight, and that’s final. Do you understand me?”
Suddenly, Robin lost all strength in maintaining snazzynovel.com phony smile. Her hand, too, slipped out of snazzynovel.com aunt’s.
Her aunt caught the changes befalling snazzynovel.com niece, so snazzynovel.com tried to mediate between the two. “Aww, Robin’s old enough to have snazzynovel.com own chums that snazzynovel.com wants to hang out with, right? We parents really shouldn’t be so controlling of our youngsters. If snazzynovel.com wants to see snazzynovel.com some other day, that’s fine. I’ll arrange that, no problem. To be honest, festivals or not, every day’s a good day for a date.”
Mrs. Cox, however, merely stared at Robin before hissing, “We need to talk.”
Robin could read the writings on the wall and know that a fight was coming. She shrugged and followed snazzynovel.com mother into snazzynovel.com bedroom.
Her mother wasted no time to rant in snazzynovel.com most acrimonious voice. “Tell me the truth, Robin. Who are you having dinner with tonight? It’s that no-good ne’er-do-well Sylvain, isn’t it? I’ve told you many, many times by now, young lady. Your career is now very much settled, and all you need is an apt match for your marriage. I’ve been through this process, Robin. I speak only for your best! Of course, everyone longs for a rosy-colored romantic drama and other illusions of grandeur when they’re young and stupid. It’s only with age and experience when you’ll finally understand the value of tranquil stability in life!”
“You know I only wanted to steer you off the path of doom and destruction, Robin. Do you understand me? That Sylvain isn’t some good Christian boy whom you could trust. I’m not even gonna touch on his unsatisfactory character for now because all we need is to look at how fat his pockets are. He’s a rich, upper-class elite, sweetie, how could a man of that height even care for you? Do you know what rich, libertine young men like snazzynovel.com do? They collect hearts! They toy stupid, naïve little girls like yourself. Commitment is never a part of their game. Don’t tell me you sincerely thought snazzynovel.com was going to marry you in the end, Robin! I mean, take a look in the mirror, what’s so special about you? Stop imagining yourself as more than who you really are, young lady. You need to grow up and recognize. Your. Place!”
It was one assault after another to Robin’s heart. For what was allegedly said to protect snazzynovel.com daughter, Mrs. Cox’s words sounded more disparaging than helpful.
Robin thought snazzynovel.com mother’s judgment of Sylvain’s character was way off, and to hear snazzynovel.com grossly mischaracterizing and demonizing snazzynovel.com made snazzynovel.com sick. “Stop it, Morn. Can you just, for God’s sake, please stop disparaging snazzynovel.com like that, okay? Have you ever talked to him? Interacted with him? You don’t know him, Mom, so on what basis do you even have to judge? You said you’ve been through my life. Does that mean you’ve once dove headfirst into your own ‘illusions of grandeur’ before settling down with my dad? Sure, Dad’s a teacher, just like you. Same profession and status and all. Heck, he’s never raised a conflict or a single opinion that is against yours! This is what you called ‘stability’, isn’t it? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not going to repeat your mistake. I’ll never marry someone I don’t love!”
The quarrel between a very heated mother and snazzynovel.com daughter was like the rumbling before a cyclone. Had it not been for their relatives’ presence, their disagreement would have already escalated into a full-blown shouting match.
Mrs. Cox glanced at the door furtively and hissed under snazzynovel.com breath, “Robin Cox, you listen to your mother right now. Your thought process has exposed you as utterly immature. But I can accept that, you know why? Because I know that you’ll come to see where I’m coming from in time. Your mother knows best and only wants the best for snazzynovel.com daughter, and that’s a fact. Allow me to reiterate, young lady. You’re forbidden from going out tonight. You are going to stay at home like a good, mature girl and talk to the boy your aunt’s about to introduce to you.”
Robin said nothing, but tears welled up in snazzynovel.com eyes.
A while after that incident, Sylvain sent Robin the GPS location of the restaurant snazzynovel.com picked. Robin merely replied that snazzynovel.com could not go out at the moment, but snazzynovel.com would ultimately find a way to see him.
Sylvain was not at all surprised by this development, nor did snazzynovel.com ask why. He simply told her snazzynovel.com would wait for her.