Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change? novel Chapter 1276

What was she supposed to make of that?

A film of moisture welled in Sherilyn's eyes, and she blinked hard to force it back down. She knew he was good to her. Objectively speaking, since her return to Sunhaven a year ago, he had treated her very well.

But he wasn't just good to her.

And for that reason, she would rather do without his kindness.

Without lingering any longer, Sherilyn pulled her gaze away and slipped quietly from the corridor.

…

That evening, at seven o'clock, Joyce arrived back at her rented apartment. She'd taken the morning off and spent the afternoon seeing patients at the clinic, leaving her completely exhausted. She carried a takeout box from the hospital cafeteria, planning on a simple dinner.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she saw a tall, lean figure standing by her door.

"Galen?"

"Joyce." Galen was standing in the shadows. She had no idea when he'd arrived or how long he'd been waiting.

Joyce fumbled in her bag for her keys, muttering, "Why didn't you text me? Or did I miss it?" He should have let her know he was coming.

"I didn't… I didn't dare," Galen admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me, that you'd block my number if you saw my message."

"She's the woman who gave birth to me. I can't choose my mother." Galen's face was pale, and he swallowed hard before looking at Joyce. "If—and this is a big if—if you give me a chance, Joyce, I promise I will treat you right. If we get married one day, I will never make you live with her. I won't let her give you any trouble."

Even without a mother like Malvina, it was rare for young couples to live with their in-laws these days. Now that he'd put it all on the table, it was her turn.

"You said 'if,' so let's talk 'if'…" Joyce considered his words. "Your mother dislikes me so much. If we got married, could you really balance the relationship between me and her?" Even if they didn't live together, a bad relationship with a mother-in-law was a huge problem.

"There's no need to balance it," Galen said with a bitter smile.

"You know what kind of person my mother is," he said. Joyce paused. It was true; she had a general idea from what Sherilyn had told her.

"With a mother like mine… what is there to balance?" Galen scoffed, shaking his head. He was just surprised that his mother would take such a dislike to Joyce. That was his oversight, but it was one that wouldn't happen again, and it wouldn't affect his decisions.