Chapter 650 Out of Reach
Harold was kinda curious why his folks suddenly wanted to meet Desiree, but he shrugged it off, thinking they just wanted to see their daughter-in-law.
He tried to reassure her, "We haven't seen my parents since we got hitched. Let's just use this chance to catch up with them."
"Got it," she said.
"Don't stress, they won't give you a hard time," Harold added.
With his constant reassurances, Desiree felt a bit better, telling herself that meeting the in-laws was just part of the deal.
Honestly, it was kinda late for them to be meeting the parents only after getting married.
Harold's family wasn't rolling in dough.
They were just a regular family living in an old apartment near downtown.
Their office was in the city center, so heading to Harold's parents' place wasn't far, but the traffic made it a bit of a trek.
In the car, Desiree watched the old houses go by and asked, "Why don't you get your parents a better place? With your salary, you could've bought a house in the city center ages ago."
Desiree's parents looked down on Harold, thinking he was just some low-paid assistant. But that wasn't true.
From what she knew, Oscar was pretty generous with Harold, paying him no less than $20,000 a month. Buying a house downtown might be tough for others, but not for him.
Still, Desiree didn't think he was doing it on purpose; she figured he had his reasons.
"My family's old house was bought by my dad when he retired," Harold explained while driving. "My parents are pretty nostalgic and don't wanna move."
Just as Desiree's eyes showed she got it, the car stopped.
They'd arrived at Harold's parents' place.
Desiree walked to the trunk, reaching for the gift bags.
A hand gently wrapped around hers, and Harold, gentle yet firm, took the items. "I'll carry them."
Soon, they were at the door.
Harold's mom, Ember Stone, heard the doorbell and came out all smiles, only to see Desiree.
"Hi, I'm Desiree Sandvik, Harold's wife," Desiree said with a smile.
"Hello! Harold, why are you lugging all that stuff? They look heavy. Couldn't someone help you?" Ember gave Desiree a cold glance.
But she looked at Harold with great concern, not wanting him to carry anything, and quickly called out to Harold's dad, Wesley Lewis.
Harold naturally didn't want to trouble his elderly parents. "Dad, you guys go back inside. I got this."
"No way! We live on the fifth floor, and it's already tough enough for you to carry them up. It's just a few more steps, let your dad help. It's not like he can't walk," Ember said.
The family bickered noisily.
Even the usually quiet Harold seemed like a different person at home.
Desiree saw Ember thoughtfully wiping Harold's sweat and fussing over him. Their family was so tight-knit that she felt out of place. And she didn't know why.
She gently placed her hand on her still-flat belly, as if that was the only way to gain some strength.
"Don't stand outside, it's windy. Come inside," Harold said, coming out and holding her hand to pull her into the warm living room. Once inside, Desiree felt a lot better.
Harold handed her a cup of warm water. "I checked the temperature, it's just right."
Desiree took it and it was perfect. Harold must've tested it himself. She glanced at him, seeing him peeling roasted chestnuts for her, and felt a warm sensation in her heart.
She was super sensitive to both heat and cold.
A lot of people called her delicate, and sometimes even her own parents couldn't stand it, but Harold never complained.
He always took care of her willingly.
From the kitchen came the sound of sizzling and the aroma of cooking, while Desiree and Harold chatted in the living room.
From the smile on Desiree's face, it was clear that Harold was the one making her laugh.
This scene made Ember increasingly displeased with Desiree.
"Look at how attentive Harold is. I can't believe that's him," Ember said, giving Desiree a sidelong glance, careful not to let her see, "I don't know how she managed to charm Harold."
"Enough, you were the one who called her over. What's the point of complaining now?" Wesley said.
"I called her over for a reason, didn't I? It's because of those rumors online! Have you seen how nasty they are?" Ember said, unhappy.
Wesley nodded, not really paying attention.
He'd long learned the art of marital harmony: no matter what, never argue with a woman.
He didn't respond, and sure enough, Ember soon calmed down, but she still couldn't stand Desiree. "No, I can't let her continue to charm Harold. Even if they're married, they need to divorce. A woman like her, with such a bad reputation, doesn't deserve him."
Soon, the food was ready, and they officially started eating.
Harold sat very close to Desiree on her right, in a position that was quite inconvenient.
Ember, puzzled, asked, "Harold, why are you blocking her?"
Harold, already used to it, served Desiree some food and replied naturally, "I always do this at home. It's easier for me to serve her."
Ember fell silent.
Suddenly, the atmosphere became very tense.
Desiree didn't know if it was her fault, but she felt that Ember didn't like seeing Harold act this way, so she tried to stop him. "It's okay, I can do it myself."
But Harold didn't listen to her and continued serving her food.
After a couple more dishes, Ember couldn't hold back any longer. She put down the utensils and looked directly at Desiree. "Desiree, can I call you that? There's something I need to make clear."
Desiree stared blankly at her cold face.
The bad feeling she had since entering the house was now confirmed by Ember's next words.
"You come from a wealthy family, and we're just ordinary people. We can't afford to be associated with you," Ember said coldly, "Harold told me a few days ago that you just got your marriage certificate. That's perfect. Before you have kids, you should get a divorce."
Harold suddenly stood up, the smile on his face completely gone. "You didn't discuss this with me beforehand."
"Does it need to be discussed?" Ember retorted, "Those things online, did you really think you could hide them from me and your dad? Why would you want a woman with such a bad reputation?"
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