We walked into the dining room together. But the moment I stepped inside, my stomach dropped.
Standing near the table was a man about my age, with dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a confident posture. My eyes darted to my mom, who kept smiling as if everything was perfectly normal.
She looked between us expectantly, waiting for my reaction. But words failed me—I froze where I stood.
“Are you kidding me?!” The words burst out louder than I intended. “Is this some kind of joke?!”
“Casey, this is not a joke,” Mom said calmly. “Aaron and I are dating.”
I turned toward him, fury flaring in my chest. “Why are you with her? Is it for the money?”
“Casey!” my mom gasped, her voice sharp with disbelief.
I ignored her and clenched my fists. “You two need to break up!”
Her expression hardened instantly. “We’re not breaking up!” she declared. “Aaron proposed, and we’re getting married in two months!”
Aaron’s jaw tightened, but his tone stayed even. “Casey, I assure you, I don’t care about your mom’s money. I love her.”
Mom exhaled, clearly exhausted. “I’m done with all this yelling. Either you calm down and join us for dinner, or you can leave.”
“Great!” I snapped back. “If a random guy is more important to you than your daughter, then I’m leaving!”
