The Substitute Wife My Poor Husband is a Billionaire
Chapter 694 The First Visit To The Harding Family
Leo and Vera had set up countless blind dates for Garrett with all the eligible daughters of Seacisco’s rich families, but none was fruitful.
“I think your son’s purposely trying to ruin his reputation. Does he want to d*ie a single man?” Vera rubbed her aching forehead and pursed her lips unhappily. “I’ve been wanting a grandchild, Leo. All the other rich lad*ies my age parade their grandchildren in front of me. One time, I couldn’t stand it and blurted that I’d have a grandchild next year at the latest. But Garrett is too stubborn! Worse yet, with all the blind dates he had ruined, people now start to gossip and there’re some nasty things they say about our son. How’s he going to find a suitable partner now?”
Garrett was willing to sacrifice even his reputation in order to reject his parents’ arranged marriage for him, which left them feeling helpless.
Leo in particular was at his wit’s end and fed up with Vera’s nagging. “He got that woman pregnant, didn’t he? If you’re so desperate to have a grandchild, why don’t you just accept her?”
Vera snorted angrily and said nothing more.
Surprisingly, Garrett’s ploy worked. Vera now fully understood that her son was determined to marry Laney. After thinking about it for a long time, Vera finally threw up her hands in defeat. “Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad, Leo. Although this girl is an orphan, what if she turns out to be decent? How about we invite her to lunch and see for ourselves? Anyway, we have nothing to lose.”
Leo nodded hesitantly. “Fine. There’s no such thing as a perfect daughter-in-law anyway.”
******
When Laney stepped inside the house of the Harding family, she was very anxious, but she knew that her nerves were good for her. That way, she’d have her guard up and would only proceed with caution.
It took Laney a long time to get dressed before coming here today. Since she was pregnant, she had stopped wearing makeup. Today, however, she specifically hired a makeup artist to help her get her hair and make-up done. She wore her most expensive clothes. After all, this was the first time she was meeting Garrett’s family. Everything just had to be perfect. She couldn’t give them a reason to look down on her.
Garrett held her arm carefully and led her into the house, taking one step at a time.
Over lunch, Laney was still very uneasy. She chewed and swallowed slowly, trying to eat as gracefully as possible, totally unlike her usual self.
As a result, after the meal, Laney felt stiff and unprecedentedly full. Plus, she could feel Vera’s and Leo’s intent gaze, sizing her up carefully.
Vera dabbed the corner of her mouth elegantly and stole a glance at Laney’s belly. “Miss Garcia, how many servants do you have at your house? You’re pregnant now, so you have to take good care of yourself.”
Laney nodded obed*iently and smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Harding. I have several maids taking
care of me, and there’s also a nutritionist and a doctor. In fact, I’ve been on a d*iet specific for expecting mothers.” She wasn’t lying. Although the whole truth was that the food designed for her was terrible and she secretly ate other snacks throughout the day.
Vera nodded in satisfaction.
After lunch, Garrett arranged for someone to take Laney back to the villa ahead of him. He stayed a little longer to talk with his parents.
“Well? What do you think?” Garrett asked seemingly casually, although he was even more nervous than Laney was just now.
Leo had investigated Laney’s background before she came.
It turned out that Laney used to be a professional bodyguard for high-profile celebrities and superstars. She led a simple life, but she was indeed a decent girl. Just now, she treated them with respect. But Leo could tell that she had tried her best to act like a proper lady to impress them.
“She’s good enough to be your girlfriend, but she’s not good enough to be the future hostess of the Harding family.” Leo was not the kind of man who would say something nice. This was already high praise for Laney.
Garrett turned to his mother, eyebrows slightly raised.
Vera adjusted her posture and said, “She looks good, but she definitely doesn’t look like a noble lady. No matter how expensive her clothes are, there’s not a graceful bone in her body.”
Vera’s ideal daughter-in-law had to be as elegant and dignified as herself.