The Unwilling CEO's Love Game novel Chapter 153

Jocelyn sat uneasily in her chair and waited for the trail. Her parents' piercing gazes felt like weights pressing down on her. Despite unaware of the reasons of her parents‘ irritation, still she knew that politeness might mitigate whatever was coming.

"Mom, Dad, is there anything you want to ask me?" Jocelyn ventured, breaking the thick tension in the air.

She couldn’t cope with the awkwardness anymore, which was nothing but a waste of time. She decided to end it, the sooner the better.

Her mother, Daisy, asked in return with sharply, "Do you even have to ask if we want to talk about something?"

Jocelyn frowned in confusion. She truly had no clue what she'd done wrong.

"Can I get a hint?" she asked, her voice small.

"Jocelyn, you've really outdone yourself this time. You are a teacher – a decent person! How could you mess with two men at once? And Harrison - bless his heart – he was so steady and kind. If you don't fancy him, just leave him alone rather than give him false hope."

The word 'mess' caught Jocelyn's attention. But what?

"Mom, when have I ever been involved with two guys at once? I’ve never betrayed Harrison." Jocelyn was genuinely puzzled by the unreasonable accusation.

"You’re still play dumb? If I hadn't run into that neighbor of yours today, I'd never have imagined you've been hooking up another man for nearly four years. You are already dating Harrison, but you still let that man send you home. Tell me, Jocelyn, what's going through your head? No wonder you remain unmarried and not interested in Harrison. You’re never satisfied!"

Daisy's irritation was palpable. The idea that Jocelyn had kept a boyfriend a secret for over three years—especially from her own parents—was infuriating.

Jocelyn felt her heart race. She hadn't expected that her mother got mad for this.

Melvin often stayed at her place. Although they avoided running into others, it still happened. Rose, her neighbor, had seen Melvin a few times and knew he was Jocelyn's partner.

Before her fallout with Melvin, Jocelyn had been adamant about keeping her parents away from her place unless she was there. She had managed to keep the relationship a secret for over three years.

After the break-up, she thought her parents would never suspect anything as Melvin had moved away. Unfortunately, she forgot about her neighbor.

Nor did she ever imagine her neighbour and parents would coincidentally be talking about men.

Biting her lip, Jocelyn watched her parents' mix of worry and anger. She needed to come up with a good explanation. Luckily, they didn't know that the mysterious man was Melvin.

"Mom, I'm an adult. Dating is normal." Jocelyn began her rational defense.

"Yes, dating is normal. What burns me up is that why haven't you mentioned him in over three years?" Daisy was still hung up on the secrecy. She had been persuading Jocelyn to find a steady man and settle down, while the latter kept refusing with good excuses of work and fate. Now Jocelyn was in love and even the neighbors knew. But she, Jocelyn’s parent, didn’t even have a clue.

Jocelyn was calm. "I didn't mention him because it wasn't serious enough to bring home to you."

"And where is he now?"

"We broke up."

"When?"

"Before I even met Harrison."

Daisy remained skeptical. "Then why did someone see him dropping you off just last week?"

Daisy glanced at Jocelyn, still slumped on the couch, and sighed. "But what about her and Harrison? Were they serious? She used to play along just to keep us off her back. I hope she's not faking it again."

As Daisy stewed over her daughter's love life, the scent of roast chicken and mashed potatoes began to fill the air. It was time to focus on dinner, but the lingering questions about Jocelyn's heart would remain, like an unsolved mystery waiting for its next chapter.

"Can't be. Harrison even transferred his job to be closer to us, and he bought a house and everything." Calvin said, shaking his head. "Let's not bring up the past anymore, alright?"

"You have no idea how shocked I was when I heard she had a boyfriend for over three years. I'm terrified that she's not bringing him around because there's something shameful about their relationship." Daisy sighed again. "If they've been together for so long, why it wouldn’t work out?"

"Forget about it. If it's meant to be, they'll find their way back to each other. If not, no amount of forcing will keep them together." Calvin tried to console his wife. "Love's a tricky thing, no one can predict it."

...

On the way home, Jocelyn couldn't stop pondering her parents' words.

Harrison was the kind one could safely and peacefully settle down with. Don't miss out on the right one.

Fortune came in fleeting moments. If one missed it, they’d be gone for good.

It was the same with men.

There would always be one great guy in your life. If you couldn’t hold on tight and cherish him, he would end up with someone else.

You must look ahead. Those not meant for you would drift further away. Even if you cross paths again, your hearts would have been miles apart, too distant to ever return to that moment when they first skipped a beat.