Part 2The Matriarch's Match

Two hours later, my alarm woke me up.

Mrs. Foster told me, "Young master has been waiting for half an hour."

I freshened up a bit and went downstairs to see my brother.

"Sis, why did you come back? You're just in time, I want to break my engagement with Claire."

My brother was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, playing a video game.

The coffee table in front of him was covered with cut fruit and unopened snacks.

My mother was attentively peeling an orange, feeding him segment by segment.

"Why do you want to break the engagement?" I sat down, cutting straight to the point.

"Why else?" My brother ate the orange while intensely focused on his game, too busy to even look at me. "Claire and I are not on the same path. We have nothing in common."

"Alex," I called his name calmly, without much inflection, but giving him a clear warning, "I'll give you two seconds to put away your phone and talk to me properly."

My brother stole a glance at me.

I raised my eyelids, shooting him a cold stare.

He shivered, turned off his phone, shoved it in his pocket, and muttered unhappily, "Fine, I won't play then."

"But seriously, Sis, I'm not joking. Since you're back, hurry up and break the engagement for me, so my girlfriend doesn't get jealous."

"Your girlfriend?" I prompted.

He immediately perked up. Without waiting for me to ask more, he eagerly continued, "That's right, Sis. My new girlfriend is Mia. She's gentle, considerate, and caters to my every whim."

"Claire just has a better family background than Mia. She always has a cold face and expects me to coax her, acting like she's some kind of princess. I'm not putting up with that."

"Sis, I'm saying this upfront: I have someone I like. If you all force me to marry Claire, don't blame me for running away from home."

"Don't say such things!" My mother patted him lightly, soothing him anxiously, "Your sister didn't say she wouldn't support you, right, Vicky?"

She started right off the bat by forcing an awkward nickname on me, which sounded incredibly uncomfortable.

I swallowed my disgust and instructed my brother, "Bring your girlfriend home tomorrow so I can meet her."

He was stunned, thinking he had misheard. Once he realized what I said, he jumped three feet in the air with joy. "Okay! Sis, I'll bring Mia home tomorrow. Don't worry, I bet you'll definitely like her."

Overjoyed, my brother went to find his girlfriend.

Mrs. Foster asked if I wanted to dine now.

I replied, "Yes."

The dishes were brought to the table one by one. As I moved to the dining room, my mother followed.

"That Mia girl went behind your brother's back straight to Claire, sowing discord between them while urging your brother to break the engagement."

"Your brother is just naive and can't see her tricks. That woman is definitely not to be underestimated."

Speaking of Mia, my mother glared fiercely, with nothing good to say.

I found it amusing and asked her, "Then why didn't you say that in front of Alex just now?"

My mother choked, her eyes darting away.

I slowly scooped a spoonful of porridge, put it in my mouth, and bluntly pierced her little scheme. "So, you wanted to play the good guy in front of Alex and push me out to be the bad guy?"

Her expression stiffened, and she stubbornly argued, "I was afraid you didn't understand the situation, so I specifically reminded you!"

"Well, thank you very much," I said sarcastically. "I don't like beating around the bush. You might as well just tell me what you're thinking directly. That way, I won't get the wrong idea and get your hopes up for nothing."

Hearing this, my mother immediately forgot her awkwardness and started issuing commands: "The engagement cannot be broken. You cannot let your brother be foolish."

"The Miller family is small potatoes; they can't compare to the Davis family."

"That Mia doesn't know her place, thinking she can be my daughter-in-law. Does she think she's worthy?!"

"Your brother is just excited right now. We'll humor him and let him play around for a couple of years, as long as he doesn't marry her."

"As for the Davis family, you find a way to placate them."

"Tell Claire to change her attitude. She shouldn't think that just because she's a Davis, she can look down on her fiancé. Besides her family background, how is she worthy of my son?"

"For a family of our standing, what's the big deal if your brother has a girlfriend or two on the outside?"

"Family harmony is the most important thing. If Claire knows what's good for her, she should turn a blind eye and not be petty and small-minded."

I asked her, "Are you done?"

My mother was dissatisfied with my interruption, but since she had said her piece, she generously didn't argue with me, only adding, "That's about it. As his sister, you should be more involved in your brother's affairs. Did you listen to what I just said?"

I stretched my lips into a fake smile. "Of course."

"Good," my mother said, issuing her final directive with satisfaction. "When Mia comes tomorrow, there's no need to be polite. Otherwise, she'll really think our family is easy to marry into!"