Shadows of revenge

Chapter Nine

Cindy woke up from her long sleep later that night. Her throat felt dry and sore from crying. She headed to the kitchen to get water and found Megan sprawled on the couch, sleeping. She sighed, walked to her room to grab a quilt, and returned to cover Megan up. She must have worried so much, Cindy thought as she raised the quilt to Megan's face. She hated that Megan had to worry about her instead of enjoying her honeymoon peacefully.

Turning, she walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She gulped it down and felt better. Then she went back to bed, knowing she needed to be ready to see Mrs. Anderson, Max's mother, in a bright mood the next day.

Cindy woke up to rays of light streaming through the curtains. Her head throbbed from pain, obviously caused by the crying from last night. She stood up slowly from her bed and walked out of her room toward the kitchen.

"So she's finally awake!" Megan said as she entered the kitchen, just finishing preparing toast for breakfast. "Tea or coffee?" she asked Cindy.

"Coffee, please." Cindy sat on one of the kitchen benches.

"Alright," Megan replied, taking some coffee beans to grind before making the coffee for Cindy. "About last night... You can marry whoever you want, Cindy, but just make sure you're sure of that person. I'd recommend marrying someone you love and who cares for you; it'll be dangerous to marry for money." Megan handed Cindy her coffee and set about making herself tea.

Cindy sighed. "I know, Megan. I know exactly what I'm doing. Don't worry too much about me."

Megan leaned against the kitchen counter. "Alright. I just want you to be happy," she said, and Cindy got down from the bench to hug her.

"I know, Megan. What would I do without you?" she said, still hugging her.

Megan smiled and laughed. "Absolutely nothing! Same goes for me; I can't imagine my life without you. So that's why I need you to take good care of yourself and..." she paused before adding, "... I want to see our proposed suitor."

Cindy laughed and turned around to get prepared; she had a big day ahead of her. "I'll let him know that."

Megan smiled sadly. If only there were a way to change Cindy's mind. She could help. She could talk to Killian, and he would have helped. But Cindy was too stubborn to accept that kind of help. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone, including herself. She felt bad about it but didn’t want to dwell on it.

A car was waiting for Cindy by the time she finished preparing herself.

"Cindy, your chariot awaits!" Megan called out from the living room.

Cindy sighed. She would just be seeing his mother—no big deal—but then why did she feel agitated? She decided not to think too much about it and went outside. "I want to see you when I get back," she pointed at Megan with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am!" Megan stood at attention with her hands stretched over her head, mimicking military respect.

***

Cindy looked out the car window as it moved past huge buildings along the road. Her mind was in panic; her heart beat fast, and she had trouble breathing. Doubts swirled about this whole arrangement. She tried to convince herself she was doing the right thing, but her heart kept telling her that what she was about to do was wrong in every way.

She felt like she was selling her freedom, driving herself into bondage. She knew Max did not want to marry her out of love, but surely he wouldn't treat her badly, right? She hoped so. If she met Max's mother, there would be no turning back.

Steadying her breathing, she raised her head. She could do this. Even if they were wealthy people and Mrs. Anderson might look down on her, she would bear it. She knew how important this arrangement was for her.

They arrived at the gate of the estate. The big silver gates opened to reveal the beautiful scenery behind them. As they moved inside, Cindy saw rows of neatly trimmed flowers on each side of the driveway. There were beautiful buildings one after another on the wide expanse of land. On their way to the Anderson mansion, she spotted a beautiful river that meandered alongside an enormous hillside before disappearing behind it. The Andersons were surely wealthy to have such a place, she thought.

At last, they arrived in front of a grand building—bigger and more beautiful than the one she had seen when she visited Max. She caught a glimpse of Max's house along the way before they got here; it was decorated in a way that screamed luxury and power.

Earlier, she had seen a man standing outside, and as the driver stopped, she recognized it was Max. He walked over and opened the door of the car for her to get out. When she stepped out, he offered her his hand, which she took, and together they walked toward the large doors of the mansion. A man stood in front of the door, and as they approached, he opened it and motioned for them to enter.

"Good morning, Mr. Anderson," Garrett, their butler, greeted.

"Good morning, Garrett. Please inform my mother we are here."

"Alright, sir," Garrett replied, walking up the stairs to get the lady of the house.

After Garrett left, Max motioned for Cindy to take a seat on one of the luxurious couches in the living room. "Mother will be with us shortly."

She nodded as she sat and began to admire the rich decor surrounding her. Max sat opposite her as they awaited Mrs. Anderson.

Cindy looked around and felt small in the expansive, opulent living room. She couldn’t compare herself to even the house—how much less to the son of the family who owned it. Just as she was considering changing her mind about everything, a slender, graceful yet slightly aged figure walked in.

Cindy almost gasped at the sight of Tonia as she descended the stairs.

Tonia was in her mid-fifties yet looked like she was in her thirties. She had a body that Cindy knew must have caused chaos among men in her time. With the face and figure of a model, Tonia exuded confidence.

"Hello!" Tonia smiled warmly at Cindy.

"Hi, Mom," Cindy greeted back, returning the smile.

Max raised an eyebrow. Mom? he thought. He had believed she didn’t initially want to marry him. How quickly she was to call his mother "Mom." He walked over to his mother and kissed her cheek. "Mom! How quick you were to greet someone else without even sparing me a glance."

Tonia, who had been appraising the woman in front of her, suddenly turned to look at her son and flashed him a smile. "Hello, son. Have you been well?"

"Trust me when I say I have never been this well for the past three months."

She smiled knowingly. "I see..." She looked at Cindy and then back at Max.

Max already knew where his mother's mind was wandering and rolled his eyes.

"Max, you are bad-mannered. Don't you want to introduce me?" Tonia said meaningfully.

"Of course, Mom. This is Cindy. She is my fiancée."

The smile Tonia had on her face disappeared in an instant. "Fiancée? How come I didn't know until now?"

"Sorry, Mom. But we would be married in two weeks."

Both Tonia and Cindy stared at him wide-eyed.