Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 19 No Dignity at All

After a few run-ins, Chloe figured out that Liam wasn't really a threat, so she wasn't scared of him. Grant, even with his icy attitude, had sparred with her a few times, and she wasn't afraid of him either. But Michael? He gave her the creeps. He was a schemer, always getting others to do his dirty work. Just a few words to the gullible Liam, and he'd have him wrapped around his finger.

Chloe wondered what Michael had in store for her. If he tried anything, she'd fight back with everything she had, even if it meant risking her life. She'd scratch his face, yank out his hair, and throw mud at him, ruining his pretty-boy looks. She wanted to see him strut around after that.

Determined, Chloe crossed her arms and slumped in the back seat.

Outside the car, Michael was chatting with someone before he got in.

Chloe braced herself, thinking he was going to make a move on her, but to her surprise, nothing happened.

Instead, Michael started his endless rant, "Chloe, do you have any idea how much trouble you could've gotten into sneaking out to meet a boy? The world's a sketchy place, and you can't trust just anyone.

He pressed on, "Staying with the Martins means we gotta watch our backs. If I hadn't caught you while I was working on my script, who knows what could've happened?

"You might not be blood, but you're family to me, and I don't want to see you getting messed up. What you pulled was seriously wild."

Michael's rambling was relentless, and Chloe, holding her head, felt like she was going to die.

Dealing with Liam was easier; if he disagreed, they could fight it out. But Michael's constant nagging made her head feel like it would explode. Under Michael's barrage, Chloe started to feel like she had really messed up. She shouldn't have had dinner with Philip; she shouldn't have interacted with any guys other than the three from the Martin Family.

She was wrong!

Michael kept at it, "Chloe, did you do something wrong today? If you don't admit it, I'll tell Grant and Liam. They'll track down that boy tomorrow and give him a piece of their mind. Who does he think he is, hitting on any girl he wants? He's asking for trouble!"

Under Michael's pressure, Chloe had no choice but to give in.

She looked up with her big mole and admitted her mistake to Michael. "Mic, Meeting that boy for dinner was a naive move on my part. It was my fault, for causing you trouble. Please forgive me this time, Mic."

Chloe's sincere apology seemed to satisfy Michael. Under the car's dim light, he looked at Chloe's not-so-pretty face. Perhaps he was growing accustomed to it, as it didn't seem as off-putting as before. When Michael realized he was thinking that, he quickly shook it off.

He repeatedly told himself not to waver. As a future star, he couldn't picture himself marrying someone he found so ugly. Determined, he turned away from her.

When they got home, Grant and Liam were nowhere to be seen. Chloe quickly slipped into her room, took a shower, and started a video call with Zara.

As soon as the video connected, Chloe started venting to Zara, "Zara, I can't take it anymore. I need to go back to the Northwest. If I stay with the Martin Family for a few more days, I'll lose my mind." "Why?" Zara asked, curious.

Chloe recounted the events of the evening, making Zara laugh out loud.

"Zara, don't you think Michael is ridiculous? When I first joined the Martin Family, he called me ugly and refused to marry me. Then I had dinner with Philip, and he dragged me back and nagged me the whole way. Is he crazy? If this keeps up, I won't find a husband; I'll be driven nuts by his family."

Zara quickly empathized with Chloe's complaints.

She explained, "Chloe, don't worry. I don't think Michael has any feelings for you. I think the young heirs are like dogs guarding their food. They don't eat it themselves, but they won't let other dogs eat it either. That's probably what it is." Zara's description was spot on.

Chloe thought she made a lot of sense, but she also felt that the description was a bit inappropriate.

If the Martin Family's young masters were like dogs guarding their food, then what was she?

Dog food?

Chloe had a great time chatting with Zara. After Zara's advice, Chloe's mood quickly bounced back.

She confided in Zara her six-month plan to provoke the three Martin heirs into kicking her out, allowing her to return to her Northwest hometown with dignity.

As Chloe reveled in her scheme, the three heirs endured their grandfather Louis Martin's reprimands in a four-person Facebook chat.

Louis admonished, "You three are hopeless. I asked you to win over the Davis girl, but you let her dine with another man? She's perfect-great character, beautiful, and from a good family. Where else will you find someone like that?" Liam, rolling his eyes, whispered to Michael beside him, "I agree on the good family part, but I can't say the same about her beauty. Grandpa's taste is truly questionable."

Michael said nothing, holding his phone and listening to his grandfather's scolding.

Grant, sitting not far from the two, also held his phone, not daring to slack off.

Louis continued to scold, "You three better put in some effort and win the girl over. If she chooses another boyfriend over you three guys, you'll be embarrassed."