Chương 15: Boyfriend

"Chloe King. It's so difficult meeting you these days."

Chloe smiled at her father. Since her parents kept having guests greet them, she had been waiting by the side until they were free. And it was just the perfect time for Jeremy to disappear. She had no idea where he was and she had planned to meet them with him. Silly boy!

"Hello dad, mum. Nice to meet you too. You look well." Chloe's mother scoffed. She was still not happy with her after Chloe stubbornly moved out more than a year ago. She had even threatened to sue them if they didn't hand over the rights to her company, and she had also stubbornly refused to date Kelvin Hank, who was now occupying a top position at his father's company. Since she had rudely turned Kelvin down, his parents had cut off all ties with the King's family and since Kevin's father was running for president, her parents were angry at her for making them lose such a big fish.

As if she cared.

"You sound like you care about your parents." Her mother said in a snide remark.

"I care about you two. And it is high time we stopped having this conversation anytime we meet like this. It's getting old."

When she was 23, she wouldn't have imagined standing up to her parents like this. Anything they said was what she did. But at 24, a lot about her had changed. She was thankful for all the people in her life who helped her grow and realize she was a grown woman who can make her choices independently– Her brothers, Jeremy and Mia.

"Is that Chloe?"

A middle-aged woman whom Chloe didn't recognize joined them and looked at Chloe with a big smile on her face.

"It's her, Mrs. Vine." Mrs. King said, suddenly all smiles on her face as she spoke to the woman. Chloe can only guess she was another big fish.

"Oh my! She is so pretty and lovely." The woman fawned over her while smiling brightly.

"We should all have dinner in my place sometime."

Chloe frowned. What was this about?

"Definitely, Mrs. Vine. What about your son?" Mr. King asked.

"Oh! He's quite busy, so he couldn't make it." As the woman answered, she continued to smile at Chloe.

Seeing the woman giving her her attention like this and mentioning her son, Chloe understood what she was trying to do. Fortunately, she sighted Jeremy.

A stupid troll was flirting with him. Flirting with her man! The lady was lucky she couldn't leave right now. She would have understood why people avoided Chloe like a plague.

Jeremy's eyes met hers and she used her hands to signal for him to come over.

Jeremy looked at the people she was standing with and shook his head, saying no. She could see the horror in his face.

Chloe sighed in frustration. Why was he so difficult sometimes?

She turned to look at the three people still talking and probably trying to set up a date for dinner before she announced, "I have a boyfriend."

The three stopped talking and looked at her immediately. She was especially mad at her parents, who knew she was in a relationship but kept trying to set her up with different guys. That was so disrespectful of them.

She pointed in Jeremy's direction. Well, if the mountain wouldn't go to Mohammed, Mohammed would go to the mountain.

Jeremy stood stiffly as he watched 4 pairs of eyes turn to him. Three didn't look pleasant at all. Having no other choice, he went to them and stood beside Chloe.

"This is my boyfriend, Jeremy William." Chloe introduced again before looking pointedly at her parents. "You know him. We have been dating for a year now. That should mean I am no longer available, I guess?" She looked at Mrs. Vine with a polite smile before she laced her fingers with Jeremy's fingers.

"Hi!" Jeremy greeted them awkwardly.

"We'll leave now." Chloe said before she began to walk away, pulling Jeremy along with her.

After getting away from the crowd to a quieter spot, she turned and was surprised to find Jeremy smiling at her.

"What is it?" She asked with a raised brow.

"You... are a cool girlfriend." He said with a smile while giving her a thumb up.

Chloe scoffed and pushed his hand away from hers, but she couldn't stop the smile that was springing up on her face. "I keep rejecting suitors because of you, yet you allow girls to flirt with you." She eyed him.

"Me? Girls? When?" He asked in confusion.

"So I'm blind then?"

"Oh! That girl? She was only asking if I knew the direction to the restroom."

"That was her flirting, dummy!" Chloe rolled her eyes.

Jeremy smiled and pinched both sides of her cheeks, "I like a jealous girlfriend. It assures me that you are mine. So cute."

Chloe slapped his hands away, but she blushed and cleared her throat, "I am not yours. Where were you earlier?" She asked, changing the topic swiftly.

"I bumped into Louis. He was saying a lot of stuff. Is it... weird that even though I don't like Leo very much, I prefer him to Louis?" Jeremy asked. "Louis is so...." He tried to come up with a word but couldn't.

"Louis..." Chloe supplied with a laugh.

"Yea." He agreed with a laugh. Louis is so... Louis.

"Should we get out of here?" Chloe asked seriously.

"I thought you'd never ask." Jeremy answered with a sigh of relief before lacing their fingers together.