Chapter 2

"Erin, have you gotten acquainted with Rosie?"

My mother spoke with a gentle expression, her gaze falling on the woman behind me.

I was furious.

"Acquainted with what? How could you rent out my room without my permission?"

What was even more suffocating was that she was even using my sheets and blankets.

The thought made me shudder.

When I first fell asleep groggily and smelled the perfume scent on the blanket, I thought it was from the laundry detergent, but it turned out to be...

But my mother suddenly took my hand and placed it on the woman's hand, smiling as she spoke.

"You two are going to spend your whole lives together anyway, so it's good for Rosie to get to know you in advance."

I looked at the woman's scrutinizing gaze and quickly pulled my hand away in alarm, staring at my mother in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?! What do you mean spending our whole lives together?"

My father, sitting on the side, took a sip of tea and glanced at me.

"Is this how you talk to your mother?!"

There was even a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"If you hadn't been fooling around out there all this time and refusing to find a partner, would your mother be this anxious?"

"Rosie has promised us she'll treat you well. Just get along with her and don't make your mother and me worry."

I finally understood.

This wasn't a tenant at all—they had taken it upon themselves to find me a girlfriend!

I spoke with some exasperation.

"The company is at a critical stage right now. Where do I have time to date?"

"Can you stop making decisions for me?!"

Since college, I had teamed up with classmates to start a business.

Over these years, it had developed rapidly and had already become a leading force in the city.

The woman's scrutinizing gaze swept over me from head to toe as she spoke with understanding.

"Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, don't be angry. Erin just needs some time to adjust."

Hearing her form of address made my vision go black, but my parents couldn't stop smiling.

However, when their gaze turned to me, it instantly darkened.

"Look how sensible Rosie is?! You should be grateful she's interested in you!"

"And she's a big boss at Sterling Corporation, a major company in the city! Not like you, making three thousand a month and acting all proud about it!"

I suddenly laughed and began examining the woman's face carefully.

How did I not know that the company's CEO had changed from me to her?

She mistook this for a change in my attitude, and her spine straightened noticeably.

"Erin, I heard from your mother that you just do odd jobs—lots of work for little money."

"After we get married, you won't need to work anymore. I'll transfer money to you on time every month."

I was completely baffled.

How could someone shamelessly take credit like this?

I didn't have time to argue with them and spoke calmly.

"I don't care what you've agreed to between yourselves. I'm giving you two choices right now."

"First, have this woman get out of my room and I'll pretend nothing happened.

Second, I'll call the police to have her removed from this room, and I'll never come back to this house again."

Before I could finish speaking, my father suddenly stood up and slapped me across the face.

My cheek instantly burned with pain.

"You bastard!"

"We found you someone with such good conditions and you dare chase her away?! I'm telling you right now—you're getting married whether you like it or not!"

I stared at my sister's and brother's rooms and suddenly spoke.

"Fine, then can you explain why you're only pressuring me to get married quickly?"

"Is it because my good-for-nothing brother Brian needs money to get married and buy a house?

Or is it because my sister Sophie, who has absolutely no artistic talent, needs more money for her living expenses abroad?"

Just that one sentence left my parents speechless, their faces turning the color of liver.

"Erin, are you asking for a beating?!"

A familiar roar came from outside the door.