After finishing his work, George headed straight to his mother's house. The moment he stepped inside, he saw a variety of delicious dishes in the dining room and Sula was setting the table alongside Donna. 'They really do look like mother and daughter. No wonder Holley gets jealous, ' he thought.
When Sula heard the door open, she turned around and saw George. Her face lit up in joy and she gushed, "George, you're here! Dinner is ready. Why don't you go wash up?"
"Hmm," George replied flatly.
During the dinner, they didn't talk anything about the charity auction. After the delicious meal, George settled himself down on the living room couch and watched TV while Donna went to the kitchen. Knowing that the two might need some privacy, Sula retired to her bedroom upstairs.
Donna brought a plate full of fruits, placed it on the center table and sat down next to her son. Seeing the shadow of sadness on his face, she asked, "What's wrong? Did Holley snap at you last night?"
"No, she didn't," George lied. He wasn't the kind of person who would talk behind his girlfriend's back. With a slight smile, he said, "Holley is a sensible girl."
"Oh Come on, son! Stop defending her," Donna reprimanded him. With a cold sneer, she said, "I know her better than you do."
"Mom..." George knitted his brows in worry. He couldn't contain his doubts anymore and blurted out his complaints to her. "You can't blame her. Why did you bid for that diamond?" he grumbled.
He turned to look at Donna as he admonished her, "It would have been fair if you had bought it for yourself. But why did you have to give it to Sula in front of her? What were you thinking?"
"I had to do that because of you! Don't you know that you have broken her heart?" Donna shot back angrily. "I brought her here hoping that you two could be together. We have been here for so long, yet you totally ignored her. And all women love jewelry. So, I gifted her one. Did I do something wrong? Don't you think that we owe her at least that much?"
"I..." George faltered. 'She does have a point, ' he thought.
A bitter smile appeared on his face as he said, "But Mom, you shouldn't have given her such an expensive gift."
"Sula is from a rich family and you know it. Do you think it's proper to give her some cheap third rate stuff?" Donna scowled at her son. "Besides, she might feel displeased if I didn't treat her according to her status."
Seeing the dismal look on George's face, she continued, "You should talk to Holley and ask her to stop sulking. She already has you. There is no need to get angry over some jewelry."
"Mom, you got Holley all wrong."
"Enough of that. I'm done with this subject," she said with finality, sparing George a glance. "Anyway, I have settled down here. I will be going to the company from tomorrow."
"What?" His eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "You are resuming work?"
"Oh yes. Is there a problem?" Donna asked acidly. "I will be staying here for quite some time. I have already put some work on hold. I can't continue to stay at home. I've got things to deal with and I will be starting tomorrow. I will need an office."
"No problem." George nodded reluctantly.
Donna poured him a glass of milk and said, "It's late. How about you sleep here tonight? I have set up a room for you upstairs."
George hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement.
He decided that it was time to teach Holley a lesson. This time, he wasn't going to compromise.
He took the glass of milk from Donna and emptied it. He put down the glass on the table with a thud. He had intended to stay in the living room for a little while longer, but he felt his head spin wildly. With a scowl, he shook his head to clear his vision, but failed. With a sly smile flickering across her lips, Donna said, "If you're sleepy, you should go upstairs and rest. Your room is the first one on the left."
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