Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Misunderstanding

“Michelle,” Gareth’s voice cracked like thunder through the room. “Turn that off. Now.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, but Michelle didn’t even blink at the interruption. She just let out an annoyed huff and turned back to the computer, clicking away. “Ever heard of knocking?” she mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.

Gareth stepped fully inside, his presence heavy like a storm rolling in. “Michelle, it’s past ten. You were supposed to be studying. Shut it down.”

Michelle spun around, crossing her arms. “Jasmine said I could finish this round!”

My heart dropped. “I didn’t mean—”

“You what?” Gareth cut me off sharply, eyes narrowing on me.

I stood up quickly, my palms suddenly clammy. “I didn’t mean it like that. She studied all afternoon. We only played a little after dinner—just a break.”

His face didn’t soften. “You’re here to tutor, not hand out screen time.”

“It’s not just screen time,” I said, trying to stay calm. “This is how I bond with her. She actually listens when she trusts me. We made a deal—work first, then play. And she kept her end of the bargain.”

Gareth’s jaw tensed.

The butler, who I hadn’t even noticed standing behind him, stepped forward with a smug little look on his face. “Sir, I did try to warn you that this new tutor wasn’t a good fit. They’ve been gaming the entire day. It’s clear she isn’t focused on discipline or structure. Frankly... I believe Miss Lowett should be let go.”

I blinked. “Excuse me? That’s not true—”

Gareth raised a hand to silence me.

I clenched my fists.

It felt like the ground had shifted beneath me again. Just when I thought I was starting to get through to Michelle, I was being thrown under the bus. Just like Elliot, twisting the story to suit himself.

And Gareth? He was buying it.

“That’s not true!” Michelle shouted, jumping up from her chair, finally registering the conversation. “Why are you always like this? You don’t even know what happened!”

Gareth turned to her slowly. “Excuse me?”

“We worked all afternoon,” she said firmly, hands balled into fists at her sides. “I even finished my essays and drills. Jasmine didn’t just sit around while I slacked off, okay?”

Still, Gareth didn’t look convinced.

“Fine,” Michelle muttered. She stormed over to her desk, yanked the stack of papers she’d completed, and shoved them into his hands. “Here. Look at it. I did the work. Jasmine helped me understand it. She explained it instead of barking orders like the last two tutors.”

Gareth blinked in surprise but took the papers. The room went quiet as he flipped through them, page after page.

Michelle folded her arms, glaring at him. “If you’re going to fire her because some snobby butler thinks I can’t learn and because you can’t be bothered to believe me, then go ahead. But don’t expect me to study again. I’m done trying if none of you ever give me credit.”

I stood frozen, my chest tight. I hadn’t expected Michelle to defend me like that. Her voice trembled with frustration, but her eyes were clear. She meant every word.

Gareth said nothing. He just kept flipping through the pages.

And I waited.

“That’s her handwriting,” I said quietly, my voice calm. “Every page. She worked for hours this afternoon. The game time was a reward—after everything was done. Maybe next time, you could ask before jumping to conclusions.”

The air shifted like the weight of my words had landed in the center of the room.

Gareth’s eyes snapped up to meet mine. They were cold, sharp, ready to cut—but I didn’t look away.

“She’s telling the truth,” Michelle cut in, her arms folded across her chest, chin raised stubbornly. “But you never believe me anyway. So just do it—fire her. I’ll stop studying completely. I’ll fail on purpose, and it’ll be your fault. Good luck letting everyone know your youngest is a failure!”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify