Unpredictable Betrayal : A Sweet of Revenge

Zendaya Harvey is the mother of Alden Maximus. Aurora knows this 55-year-old woman as warm, kind, and friendly. Back when she was still in a relationship with Alden, he often brought Aurora to meet his parents. Aurora never forgets how his mother treated her like her own daughter, with genuine affection, fully supporting the relationship she and Alden had. Even when they had arguments, Zendaya sometimes intervened to reconcile them.

Aurora and Zendaya used to be a very cohesive pair, like partners. Sometimes, Aurora would visit Zendaya not to see Alden, but just to accompany her while she cooked, go for a walk in the mall, or simply go out to eat.

Honestly, when she ended her relationship with Alden, Aurora felt lost. And now, after not meeting for so long, Aurora feels nervous and apprehensive when Alden invites her to visit his mother again.

Imagine this: since morning, Aurora has been standing in front of the mirror for a long time. She looks confused, trying to decide which outfit would be appropriate for her outing with Alden today.

Usually, whenever there’s a big and important event, Aurora never struggles or fusses over choosing clothes. But today, for some reason, it feels different. She really wants to make sure her appearance is perfect.

“Aurora, how many more outfits are you going to pile up on the bed? They’re all scattered everywhere.”

Elena, who is staying at her daughter’s house, protests. She shakes her head at Aurora, who has been throwing some of her clothes on the bed.

“Which one’s better, Mom? The black one from earlier or the cream one she’s wearing now?”

Elena, who was grumbling before, suddenly gives a critical look. She inspects her daughter’s appearance from head to toe. In fact, to reassure her mother, Aurora even turns around, making sure her outfit looks good from the front to the back.

“The cream one you’re wearing now looks better. But for the shoes and bag, you should use lighter colors so they don’t get overshadowed.”

Aurora nods. She walks to the closet, looking for shoes and a bag that she thinks would match.

“Is this gold glitter bag good? Or do you have another suggestion that you think would be more suitable, Mom?”

Aurora points to the bag she’s referring to, showing it to her mother while asking for her opinion again.

“Just the gold one. The smaller one.”

“Does Mom mean this one?” Aurora points to the bag her mother meant.

“Yes, exactly. That one matches your outfit better. And for the shoes, just wear the white ones. If they’re too high, you’ll have trouble later on.”

“Are you talking about these?” Aurora points again to the branded shoes.

“Yes. Perfect.”

Aurora then takes out all the items her mother has chosen. She puts them next to the sofa so she can wear them immediately after finishing dressing up.

“Where are you going? Why are you making such a fuss about choosing clothes? Are you meeting the president or something?”

Aurora shakes her head. Smiling, she approaches her mother, who is now sitting on the edge of the bed.

“No, Mom. Guess who Aurora is going to meet today?”

“Pfft! Probably some hospital client or someone important.”

“No,” she shakes her head again.

“Then who?”

Aurora smiles. The look in her eyes cannot hide her excitement and nervousness.

“Today, Alden invited Aurora to meet his mother.”

Elena pauses for a moment. She reconsiders Aurora’s words, then asks to confirm.

“Wait… wait… you’ve been invited to meet parents and stuff, does that mean your relationship with Alden is official—-”

“Yes, Mom,” Aurora interrupts her mother’s question with nods. There’s no need for further clarification; Aurora knows what her mother wants to ask. “Aurora has decided to accept Alden’s invitation to slowly rekindle the relationship that they once broke off. Who knows, maybe this time it will end well, as hoped.”

Elena immediately gets excited. From being just normal, her face now shows enthusiasm. She’s happy because her daughter’s relationship has seen a significant improvement.

Elena doesn’t forget when she met Alden the other day, Aurora was still playing hard to get. She still felt traumatized by the failure of her marriage.

However, now things are different. Elena is very grateful that her daughter is willing to open a new chapter, even if it involves someone from the past. It doesn’t matter, as long as Aurora is comfortable and happy. Besides, Elena knows Alden’s family background. She also knows his personality better, so there’s no need to feel doubtful anymore.

“Oh my God, Mama is so happy to hear that. Could it be that Alden wants to propose to you, that’s why he invited you to meet his mom first?”

“Gosh,” Aurora replied with a chuckle. She knew her mother was someone who couldn’t wait. But it’s not like Alden would propose right away. “It’s just a regular meeting. Just invited for lunch together.”

“If it’s just a regular meeting, why are you fussing over choosing clothes? Just dressing like usual is enough.”

Aurora scratched her head. Her mother was right. But it felt like something was missing if she didn’t look her best. “Just to look pretty. Besides, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. So, I want to look perfect.”

“Oh, you’re just being silly.” Aurora laughed. She was used to seeing her mother nag like this.

“Just pray for a smooth meeting today, Mama. Hopefully, there will be more meetings after this. And don’t forget to bring a gift. It’s not polite to visit empty-handed.”

Aurora understood this one. That’s why she was busy ordering the favorite cake that she used to bring when visiting Alden’s house. Until now, Aurora hadn’t forgotten what kind of food and snacks his girlfriend’s mother liked.

“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared everything.”

“Alright, you keep getting ready. Alden might be here soon. It’s a pity if he has to wait long.”

After Elena left, Aurora hurriedly tidied up the clothes she had scattered on the bed. Then she started to get ready. She put on the clothes she had chosen, then applied makeup until she felt her appearance was stunning and perfect.

Exactly at eleven o’clock, the doorbell rang. Not long after, her mother’s voice was heard calling from downstairs. Aurora was sure that the one who came was Alden.

He had promised to pick her up after finishing his surgery schedule last night.

“Aurora, it’s taking forever.”

Elena continued to protest. Although Aurora was already rushing down the stairs to greet Alden, who was sitting in the living room waiting.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“Yes, be patient, Mom. I’m still getting ready.”

Then Aurora strode forward. She approached Alden, who stood up as soon as he saw her.

“Sorry for the delay.”

Alden smiled. He seemed relaxed.

“No problem. I just got here too.”

“Please excuse us, Alden. Aurora is always like this. She takes a long time to get ready. Especially when it’s for meeting the future in-laws, she spends hours.”

“Mama!”

Aurora glared then playfully pinched her mother. Why did her mother always embarrass her like this?

“Don’t listen to her.”

“How can you say that?” Elena replied hurriedly. “It’s a sin not to listen to the words of your parents.”

Alden just laughed. Making sure it was time to leave, he took the initiative to ask for permission and say goodbye.

“Mama Elena… Alden asks for permission to take Aurora out for a while. Alden promises to bring Aurora back before late at night.”

Elena smiled. While accepting Alden’s invitation to shake hands, she gave her permission.

“Sure. Be careful. Mama entrusts Aurora to you. It’s okay if she doesn’t come back. The important thing is not to forget to feed her.”

Alden couldn’t help but laugh. He had always known Elena’s attitude to be like this.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure to feed her plenty so she’s full and comfortable.”

Meanwhile, Aurora could only sigh. Protesting would be useless. Her words wouldn’t be heard.

“Oh, Alden,” Elena called out again. Although Aurora and Alden were ready to leave.

“Yes, Mama Elena. What’s up?”

“Since today Alden invited Aurora to meet his mother. Next weekend, it’s Mama Elena’s turn to invite Alden for dinner at home, and you have to agree.”

Of course, Alden wouldn’t refuse. When else could he have dinner with his girlfriend’s immediate family? It’s a step to further strengthen the family relationship before moving on to a more serious level.

“With pleasure. I’ll make sure to come.”

After that, Aurora and Alden bid farewell and left. Leaving Elena smiling happily as she watched her daughter leave.

***

Aurora’s heart beats faster. She feels nervous as the car Alden is driving finally arrives and is now neatly parked in front of his parents’ house.

Repeatedly, Aurora took deep breaths, trying her best to calm herself so that when she met Alden’s mother, she wouldn’t appear nervous.

“Aurora, let’s get down. We’ve arrived.”

Alden helped open the door, inviting Aurora to enter his parents’ house.

“Ma…” Alden called out. And he found his mother busy at the dining table, seemingly preparing something.

“Aurora…”

Instead of responding to Alden’s greeting, Zendaya, Alden’s mother, addressed Aurora. She quickly stepped forward and immediately embraced the woman who had once been her son’s girlfriend.

“Are you okay? It’s been so long since Auntie last saw you.”

Aurora blinked, nodding her head. She could see how enthusiastic Zendaya was in welcoming her after such a long time of no contact.

“I’m okay, Auntie. I’ve missed you too.”

After accepting the gift that Aurora brought, Zendaya immediately took Aurora’s wrist and led her to the dining room, inviting her to sit down while enjoying the food she had prepared.

“Let’s chat over lunch, shall we? Auntie has cooked a lot today.”

Aurora complied with Zendaya’s request. Even when the middle-aged woman offered her a lot of food, Aurora tried each one without hesitation.

“Do you and Alden work at the same hospital now?”

Aurora nodded. “Yes. I didn’t expect Alden to come back from America and end up working at the same hospital as me.”

Zendaya laughed. “That’s fate. Even if you’re separated far apart, one on the American continent and the other in Asia, in the end, you’ll meet and be reunited. Auntie was also happy when Alden told me that he met you again.”

“Oh, really? So, Alden told Auntie?”

Zendaya nodded. “Yes. He also told me that he wants to approach you again.”

Aurora blushed. Her heart warmed at Zendaya’s continued affection, just like before.

“Come on, Aurora. Eat more. Otherwise, your mom will scold me if you’re not full.”

Alden teased. He took more food from the table and moved it to Aurora’s plate. Then, they both enjoyed lunch while chatting as if releasing the pent-up longing.

“Coincidentally, Auntie’s birthday is next week. Aurora, you have to come.”

In the midst of their conversation, Zendaya invited Aurora, making sure her son’s girlfriend would attend the event she was hosting.

“Aurora, please try to come.”

“Yes,” Zendaya added. “Who knows, maybe Alden will propose.”

Aurora blushed even more. Why were both mother and son so mischievous?