One year, one love by Aurora Miller

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13:04 Wed, 26 Feb EEE.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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Doris led Peyton to a cozy little coffee shop near the hotel. Doris ordered two coffees, and they sat across from

each other, a sense of unspoken tension lingering in the air.

Peyton reached across the table and clasped Doris’s hand, her touch warm but tentative. “Doris, how have you

been these past few days?” she asked, her voice gentle, almost hesitant.

Doris’s chest tightened at the question. Her eyes stung with an ache she wasn’t ready to confront. She gripped

her coffee cup tightly, the warmth seeping into her fingers as if to ground her.

“I'm fine, Mom,” she replied, her voice steady but her emotions teetering dangerously close to the edge. Forcing

a smile, she added. “The coffee here is pretty good. You should try it.”

Peyton took a sip, nodding faintly. “It is good, she murmured, a fleeting smile tugging at her lips before fading

into silence. The lines of hesitation etched deeper into her face, betraying the fact that she had more on her

mind.

Doris finally broke the quiet. “Mom, did you cto seeabout something?”

Peyton glanced up, her expression shifting to one of quiet determination. She decided to cut to the chase. “Doris,

Claudia’s parents are coming from back hto discuss Rupert and Claudia’s wedding arrangements with us.

“Rupert's the youngest, and we want to do this properly, make it a little more special. Since you work at

Hampstone Hotel. | figured there’s probably an employee discount. Could we book the event there? What do you

think?”

Doris’s smile froze, and she scoffed internally, ‘Of course. In their eyes, Rupert is always the precious baby, the

only one worth their love and attention. They’d move heaven and earth for him, but for me, it’s just this-a

middle child whose existence barely registers.

She swallowed the bitterness rising in her throat and forced herself to respond evenly. The employee discount is

just 10% off. If it’s only a few people, a medium table should be enough.”

Peyton shook her head. “A medium table won't do. Claudia’s grandparents, both sets of them, along with her

uncles and aunts, are all coming too.

“They haven't been to Hampstone before, and they'd like to visit while they're here. Plus, they're arriving a day

early and will need to stay overnight at the hotel.”

Doris stared at her mother in disbelief. “Mom, they're coming to discuss a wedding, not attend one. Why do they

need to bring the entire extended family?”

She couldn’t wrap her head around the logic. Every one of these additional guests would mean more expenses

for her parents-expenses they could ill afford. Doris thought of all the times her mother scrimped and saved,

only to pour everything she had into Rupert's life.

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Peyton sighed, a note of weariness in her voice, “They want to come. If we don’t let them, they will say we're

being stingy.”

A flicker of anger sparked in Doris’s chest. “So let them say that. Mom, you've already bought Rupert and

Claudia a place. Then her family asked for 100 thousand dollars as the wedding gift and you also went along with

ie.”

That $100,000 was something Jimmy had told Doris’s big sister, Laura,

to prepare.

Jimmy, always doting on his youngest child, only knew how to exploit Doris and Laura.

Doris clenched her hands into fists. “Mom, all those relatives coming along just to add to the celebration-do you

know how much that’s going to cost? The money you've worked so hard for, your savings from decades of

sacrifice... It's not something you can just throw away.”

Her voice softened as she tried to appeal to reason. “I understand you want to be a good mother-in-law, and |

have no issue

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04 Wed, 26

Chapter 10

with you treating Claudia well. But all these extras, these demands from her family. It's too much?

Doris was at a loss for words, though the frustration simmering within her was hard to suppress. Deciding not to

press the issue further, she shifted the conversation “Moin, our hotel is the most luxurious in Hampstone,

“Even a medium-sized table costs at least 3 grand, and a single night's stay starts at over 700 dollars. Add a

fancy dinner with fine wine, and the total easily climbs to tens of thousands of dollar

“It’s just not worth it. Wouldn't it be more practical to choose a three-star or four-star hotel with a better price-

to-quality ratio? You could save that money for the actual weiding, where it would really matter. Spending wisely

is what counts

She softened her tone, trying to reason with her mother, | remember there’s a three-star hotel near Rupert's

new place-the Azure Hotel.

“The food and accommodations there are decent, and | know someone who could get us a good discount. After

the meal, they could even visit Rupert's new home. Doesn't that sound perfect?”

Peyton considered Doris’s suggestion, nodding slowly. “That does make sense. Could you go with me, though?

I'm afraid | might mess it up if I go alone.

“I'll check with my friend to see if there are rooms and a dining hall available on that day,” Doris replied calmly.

“Once | confirm, I'll take you there. If it works, great-we’ll book it. If not, we can look elsewhere.”

“Alright.” Peyton pressed her lips together in a faint smile before adding, “Your dad also called Laura and asked

her to bring her husband and in-laws to the dinner. Doris, as part of our family, as Rupert's sister, you should

attend too.

“Take a day off and help us host the guests. | know you might feel resentful, but discussing Rupert's wedding is a

big deal. Families should present a united front. Don’t let people laugh at us. Will you listen toon this?”

“Alright,” Doris sighed, knowing her mother had her reasons, even if they weighed heavily on her.

Peyton’s expression brightened at Doris’s agreement. “Don’t blyour father, Doris. He's got a quick temper,

but everything he does is for your own good. He just wants you to settle down and be happy. | feel the same

way”

Doris lowered her long lashes, hiding the wounded look in her eyes. “Mom, you and Dad always say it's for my

own good, but have you ever stopped to ask if this version of ‘good is what | truly want?

“If it’s not what | want, then it’s not really good for me. Please, don’t worry aboutanymore. | just want to

focus on earning as much as | can while I'm still young.

Peyton’s brows knit together in concern. “Doris-

But Doris didn’t want to continue the endless, fruitless argument. Cutting her mother off gently, she said, “Mom,

do you have anything else to talk about? If not, | need to get back to work. Once I've sorted out the hotel. I'll let

you know,”

“Alright,” Peyton said with a resigned sigh as she stood up, “I should get hto cook dinner for your

dad.”

“I'll get you a rideshare.” Doris pulled out her phone without waiting for a response.

“No need, Doris. 111 just take the subway. Don’t waste your money on me,” Peyton said quickly, waving her

hands to decline.

“I already called a rideshare,” Doris said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. Despite everything, she

couldn't bear the thought of her mother enduring the discomfort of public transportation.

Doris walked Peyton to the curb just as the rideshare car arrived, the faint hum of its engine filling the quiet

street.

She carefully closed the door after her mother got in, leaning down to give her one last reminder. “Mom, text me

when you get hsafe.”

13:04 Wed, 26 Feb EEE

Chapter 10

Peyton looked at her daughter, her expression soft yet burdened with unspoken worries. “Doris, don’t blme

for not being able to do more.

“Once your dad calms down. I'll try to convince him to let you chome. While you're out here on your own,

don’t skimp on food or rest. Take care of yourself”

As the car began to move, Peyton reached out from the window, grasping Doris’s hand firmly. She pressed a

small object into her palm

Startled. Doris glanced down and found a neatly folded envelope. When she opened it, a few crisp hundred-

dollar bills peeked out-a modest sum, but one that carried all the love Peyton could muster.

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As she stared at the money, Doris’s throat tightened as a wave of emotion surged through her chest. The

gesture was simple yet unbearably bittersweet.

“Mom...” Doris’s voice broke as tears blurred her vision. She began to run after the car, her instincts propelling

her forward. But the vehicle didn’t stop, its taillights fading further into the distance.

Stopping in her tracks, Doris wiped at her eyes with trembling hands, blinking away the tears that threatened to

spill over She clenched the envelope tightly, as if holding onto the fragile connection between her and her

mother.

Feeling hollow yet overwhelmed, she turned and made her way back to the hotel, her steps heavy with lingering

sorrow. Once inside, Doris forced herself to collect her emotions. Work was her only refuge, a space where she

could bury the ache for a little while.

The calm was short-lived. Kayla Barker, a colleague from the sdepartment, rushed over, her face pale and

her eyes rimmed red. “Doris, I'm so sorry to bother you, but my mom's fallen ill. | need to go hright now,

“Can you cover my night shift? | swear I'll take over for you

nex! tneed help.

you

Doris’s heart softened instantly. Thinking of her own mother, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. “Go ahead,

Kayla. Don’t worry about it. I'll cover for you.”

Relief flooded Kayla’s expression as tears of gratitude glistened in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Doris. | owe

you one. See

later.” With that, she hurried off, leaving Doris standing alone but resolute.

you

At midnight, the supervisor from the Food and Beverage Department approached her. “Doris, we're short-staffed

tonight. There's a delivery that needs to be made. Can you handle it!”

“Sure,” Doris replied without hesitation, her professional demeanor firmly in place.

But what she didn’t expect was that the delivery was for none other than the prestigious Hartman Group.

Hartman Group's headquarters were a mere 500 yards from Hampstone Hotel, their towering skyscraper a

striking landmark in the city.

Its grandeur wasn't just in its appearance; working there was a dream for many, a symbol of status and

achievement. Doris drove the hotel's business delivery van to Hartman Group, parking neatly in one of the

designated spots in the plaza. She stepped out and opened the back door, carefully lifting the trays of delicacies

and drinks. As she approached the main entrance, her attention was caught by a gleaming Maybach parked

nearby.

r were two men engaged in conversation. Her eyes instinctively locked onto one of them, and Standing beside

the luxury car her eyes widened in surprise.

Wed, 26 Feb

Chapter 10

It was Lewis. Her husband.