After He Rejected Me As His Fraud, I Bankrupted Them

As soon as I walked in, Milena saw me and rushed over, her face lighting up with happiness. "Aleena, why didn't you give me a heads-up you were coming today? I didn't get a chance to whip up your favorite spiced honey cake."

I looped my arm through hers with a smile. "You can make it next time, Milena. Consider this your chance for a breather."

"It's never a bother—I'll bake as much as you want, Aleena."

I felt a warmth spreading through me; Milena is like a second mother to me.

Taking a seat at the dining table, Amaia wasn’t here yet, but someone unexpected was—Memphis Reyes. Despite the close moments we had last night, now we acted like strangers, not even meeting each other's eyes.

My father, well-versed in navigating awkward situations, chose to ignore the strained atmosphere and the engagement debacle, cheerfully chatting about my work, life, and reminding me to visit home occasionally instead of burying myself at the office all the time.

I had quit my previous job when Emerie's company took off, but I hadn't told the family yet, worried they’d oppose my decision and stir up more drama.

Nodding along with Dad, I sneaked a glance at Memphis. As usual, he looked indifferent, playing on his phone, fingers tapping away as if he was chatting with someone. Was it Amaia? When did they start talking?

My mother came downstairs and, upon seeing me, her face briefly showed surprise before she awkwardly said, "Aleena, you're home? I thought you were staying at a friend's last night..."

Her attempt to patch things up was feeble, and a stern look from Dad shut her up.

I got it; Memphis must have already told them about our 'breakup.' Looks like the Bennetts are prepared to let me go. It makes sense—who wouldn’t want the Scott family’s wealth? No matter how close I am to them, there’s no blood relation; naturally, marrying off the real heiress is more secure.

I nodded slightly. "I've been transferred to the subsidiary, which is too far from home, so I'm thinking of moving out."

Mom glanced helplessly at Dad, as if she wanted to voice something, but when he stayed silent, she had no choice but to assure me, "Sweetheart, I'm aware of what happened with Memphis... This will always be your home, don’t fret about it."

Memphis chuckled after a moment. "Mrs. Bennett, you're too kind. Aleena and I are just friends, and saying things like that isn't fair to her. Please, let’s avoid such comments in the future."

Dad gave Mom a warning look, dragging the room into silence.

I clenched my fist, then slowly relaxed it, adjusting my expression back to neutral and smiled. "I know, Mom. Let’s just sit and eat, don’t worry too much."

Even with my reassurances, Mom still seemed worried, although, with Dad dominating the household, her influence was minimal, so she sat down, trying to talk to me to make sure I was genuinely okay.

Internally, I sighed. Mom married into the family, never really having a say in the Bennett household. As her relationship with Dad has dwindled, she lives cautiously every day. I shouldn't be hard on her; she might be the only person here who actually cares about me.