Married to my suspect

DANIELLE'S POV

I wanted to sink into the ground and cry. Or just sink into the floor, at least I was already doing the latter.

"Mom." I called pleadingly as she looked at me, the hurt and betrayal in her eyes hitting me.

She shook her head and sighed. "What happened?"

I glanced around. Since we had been among the first, if not the first, to leave, the parking lot was still busy with people milling about, and we were attracting quite a few onlookers.

"Can we talk somewhere else? Somewhere quiet?" I asked quietly, and she ran her hands down her hair, tears still running slowly down her cheek.

She moved closer to me. "Why? So you can make up another lie to tell me?" She shook her head and paced about five steps, then back. "I just don't understand. Why would you get married to someone and I wouldn't be informed? But you had the courage to put it in the papers? Do you know how many articles of you and him are out there for the world to feast on, and I was kept in the dark for months? Months?" She asked, her voice getting louder with each word.

I took her hands, but she removed it harshly, causing my nails to scratch against her palm. I made to touch her hands again, and she kept it behind her back. "The least you can do is give me an explanation, don't you think?" She asked quietly and I nodded.

"I will. But please, let's talk in the car. People are beginning to stare." I glanced at Jonathan and he opened the door. Without a word, she entered, and I got in after her and Jonathan closed it behind us.

Her eyes ran through the sleek interior, taking in the mounted CCTV, screen, and mini fridge in it, unlike any of the cars we'd ever managed to have or ride in, but her expression didn't change. Neither impressed nor disgusted. She turned to me. "Was it because of his money? I heard he's the one you work for. Is that why you married him?"

I shook my head, barely noticing Jonathan getting into the driver's seat and putting on his AirPods. "No. I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't have agreed. You've always been against me getting married like you had a personal vendetta with marriage and I wanted to, just once, do it without all the negativity you always attached to it." I lied, my voice gentle.

Mom's face shrouded with hurt. "I'm your mother, am I not? Regardless of what I say, you know all I want is for you to be happy. And if you wanted to keep it a secret that much, why would you allow yourself to be all over the media and internet?" She clasped her hands together. "Oh, because I'm always so obsessed with working and making money, you were sure I wouldn't ever have to find out? Wasn't that it?"

"No. I was going to tell you. I swear." Tears began gathering in my eyes again. "I was going to tell you soon."

Mom's eyes didn't leave mine, and it felt like she was staring into my soul. "Would you have told your father, if he were still here? It just doesn't make sense to me. You were in a dress, in a hall with many unfamiliar people, I could tell. Why wouldn't you have wanted someone you knew who could have been on your side?"

What could I respond to that with? That I'd hired a woman to come to the wedding and act like my mother? Thankfully, she didn't require an answer but continued. "How did you meet him? Was he also okay with not having his bride's mother on her big day? Does he treat you well? Have you met his parents?" She took a deep breath. "You can answer the questions one by one."

The lie came easily from my mouth. "We met in college and then lost contact with each other. Then I went for an interview and met him, and all the old emotions that had been buried rose back to the surface. Then it became increasingly difficult to relate as only business workers. Honestly, I didn't think I was going to marry him, but the whole thing just happened all of a sudden, and we got married." I shrugged. "It just kind of happened like that."

Mom shook her head at the absurdity of my explanation, I could tell. "How about his parents?"

I shrugged and glanced at Jonathan. "They're amazing. They're really busy so we've not had a lot of time to meet them, they've been a delight."

She hummed. "When will I be able to meet them? They must think me a terrible mother."

I regulated my breathing, even as my heard skipped a beat. "I'll let you know the next time they're in the country. Like I said, they're really busy people."

A low sound came from the driver's seat, and I forced a smile. I'd been doing a good job at ignoring the fact that I was well and truly fucked. I had no doubt Jonathan had been listening in on our conversation, even with the AirPods in his ears. The look on his face while he had opened the door had told me that much.

"How about him? Does he treat you well? Are you happy?" Mom whispered, her head tilted towards Jonathan's direction.

The smile came easily now, and I grabbed her hands in excitement. This time she didn't push me away. "He treats me really well, and I'm really happy when I'm with him. He listens well, assists me whenever something seems too much for me, and he's one of the kindest people I know. I'm really happy."

Mom touched my face. "I'm glad that you're happy, but I'm still mad at you for keeping something this sensitive and important as this from me. Imagine if I hadn't told him about how I would try on you, I would have still been in the dark." She put her hand under her chin like she was thinking. "Now, I can forgive you after two months, imagine if I'd found out later, which was exactly your plan, I wouldn't have forgiven you even after years."

My brain had paused on her first statement. "Wait. What do you mean?"

Mom eyed me. "Exactly what I meant. Put yourself in my shoes, I'm sure your reaction would have been…"

I interrupted her. "Let's get to that later. What did you mean by if you hadn't told him you would try, about what? Told who?" With the shock of her finding out my secret, in Jonathan's presence no less, I'd not given a second to wondering how she had found out.

She frowned. "Do I really have to tell you that? What's with your voice? You should be grateful."

My blood was beginning to boil. "I just want to know. Who was it? What exactly did you mean?"

"Your friend." She replied and my heart dropped.

"Which one?" I asked hoarsely.

Mom eyed me. "How many do you have? Lucas." She smiled in triumph. "See, I remembered his name this time around."

I stared at her in shock, and my phone began ringing.