Chapter 4The First Day Home: My Mom Handed Me a Gorgeous Younger Guy, and I Took the Hint.

Mrs. Miller came with him, carrying bags of expensive gifts, her attitude incredibly warm, enthusiastic, and polite.

She claimed it was just a small token of appreciation for me tutoring Liam.

I looked in the bags. Premium health supplements, luxury skincare sets... these were not "small tokens."

My parents exchanged a look and absolutely refused to accept them.

Mrs. Miller spun a few heartfelt stories, successfully buttering everyone up. Amidst the laughter, she patted Liam's arm. "You silly boy, it's rare that Chloe is home. Don't waste time, go let your sister teach you."

Liam took the cue perfectly, standing up straight and saying politely, "Thank you for the trouble, Chloe."

Hearing this, I knew they were trying to isolate us into a private study session. My scalp prickled. I picked at my nails, shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh, what a shame. We actually have to visit her grandmother this afternoon," my mom suddenly announced as I was about to stand up.

"Oh, no problem! He can just come back tomorrow," Mrs. Miller replied smoothly.

"Well, she might not have free time recently. Mrs. Jenkins set Chloe up with a few local boys. She has to go meet them."

Mrs. Miller gasped in shock. "Chloe doesn't need blind dates! A girl as beautiful as her? Any family would fight to have her. Plus, she's so young, there's no rush."

She glanced at Liam and added, "Who knows, maybe Chloe already has someone she likes."

My mom waved her hand, looking dismissive. "She's turning 27 after the New Year! And she has no guts. If there's a decent match, she needs to meet them early before someone else snatches them up."

"That's true. Liam isn't getting any younger either. He'll be 24 after the holidays. Speaking of which, I'm even more anxious..."

My mom patted Mrs. Miller's hand. "You have nothing to worry about! Liam is so handsome, I can't imagine how many young girls are chasing him. You’ll have a headache just trying to pick one for him..."

My dad and I watched the two moms expertly spar back and forth. My mom was essentially saying Chloe and Liam are not a match, while Mrs. Miller was aggressively hinting Chloe and Liam are a perfect match.

After thirty minutes of psychological warfare, Mrs. Miller forced a smile, insisted Liam and I exchange numbers so we could coordinate our "study sessions," and reluctantly left.

I was a bit surprised and confused. The second Liam left, I grabbed my mom. "We aren't going to Grandma's this afternoon..."

"You idiot!"

My mom poked me in the forehead, looking at me like I was a lost cause.

"Don't let Liam's pretty face fool you!

"While we were chatting, his eyes were practically glued to your body!

"Guys who are that smooth and pretty are never reliable!"

She glared at my dad. "Especially guys in the contracting business! There's too much temptation. Young girls throw themselves at them. They still have women chasing them when they're 50!"

Feeling targeted, my dad grumbled defensively, "Who are you insulting?! I have a clean record! I think Liam is a great kid. He's honest and doesn't have any bad intentions!"

"Besides, is it our fault we're handsome?"

I sighed, suddenly feeling inexplicably annoyed.

So, my mom didn't like Liam.