Married To My Ex-Husband’s Rival by Jobet GraySon

Chapter Twenty Five

Third-person POV.

Martha and Raymond exchanged glances, their confusion apparent as they tried to process Amber's unexpected

response. Raymond, unable to withhold his defense, spoke up with a hint of irritation.

“Amber, | must say that calling our son ‘insane’ while we're here is not very respectful. Richard is not insane; he

is a responsible and level-headed young man, and you should choose your words carefully,” he asserted firmly.

Amber, sensing Raymond's defensiveness, quickly interjected to explain her stance. “Oh, no, Mr. Romero | didn’t

mean it negatively at all. | apologize if it cacross that way,” she clarified, her eyes darting apologetically

between Raymond and Martha. “What | meant was that Richard has this incredibly unique personality-he’s just

so weird and so different that it sometimes makesthink that he’s insane.”

Raymond relaxed slightly as Amber clarified her intentions. He peered at her, his disinterest

evident Martha, on the other hand, shot Raymond a glare, urging him to calm down and not react like a grumpy

old man.

With a softened expression, she turned her attention to Amber and spoke with a playful smile. “Would you mind

elaborating, Amber? I'm curious to understand why you would describe our son as ‘insane,” she asked, her voice

filled with genuine curiosity.

Amber's gaze shifted to Richard, who sat beside her, his brows furrowed unusually. His eyes looked like they

would start glitching at any second, and because she knew he was staring at her this way because he was most

likely upset that she had referred to him as insane, she couldn't help but burst into laughter, her giggles

uncontrollable.

The Romeros stared at her, bewildered, unsure of what had prompted such a reaction.

When Amber realized that she was starting to seem like the insane one, she would quickly compose herself and

turn back to Martha while struggling to hold back her laugh. “It's because of moments like these,” she said,

gesturing towards Richard's frowning face, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Look at him. He can look so serious

and intense, but there's always this element of weirdness that makes him insanely hilarious. He's definitely not

normal.”

Martha's amusement was palpable as she watched Richard's confused expression. She nodded, gestur for Amber

to continue.

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Chapter Twenty Five

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“He's just so delightfully weird in the best way possible,” Amber explained, trying to find a way to glorify the

word she had used, even though she had responded that way because she genuinely thoug

Richard was insane. “I've never met someone who can be both incredibly intelligent and say the most

insanely ridiculous things at the stime. Richard has this knack for makinglaugh even when | least

expect it, and he does it so effortlessly.”

As she processed Amber's words, a mix of bemusement and incomprehension filled Martha's expressio

While she couldn't fully grasp the extent of Amber's fascination with Richard and whatever humor she

claimed he possessed, she found herself unable to suppress a chuckle at the genuine affection she had

sensed in Amber's voice.

Finally, Martha shook her head in disbelief, unable to contain her amusement any longer. “Well,

Amber, you are most definitely in love with my son, because there's no other explanation for why you'd think

Richard, the most boring child | birthed, is funny in any way. You're in too deep, my

dear,” she stated, unable to hide her surprise.

Amber faked a blush at Martha's comment, her laughter subsiding. She then looked at Richard and nodded

“You're right, Martha. I'm head over heels in love with your son, quirks and all. Richard has this

way of makingsee the world from a different perspective, and | wouldn't have him any other way.”

Richard watched Amber's every move, his mind running a million miles an hour. Her words echoed in his

ears, each one resonating with such convincing emotion.

He couldn't help but be dumbfounded by the realism in her acting, and if he didn’t know any better,

he would have believed that Amber was really in love with him, as she claimed.

But despite how grateful he was for her acting, the fact that she had described him as “insane” was

still nagging at him, and he made a mental note to confront her about it later, once they were

alone.

Meanwhile, Raymond couldn't help but observe Amber closely, his skepticism growing by the minute. He sensed

that Martha had already taken a liking to Amber, but Raymond couldn't shake off the feeling

that something was off about their supposed relationship.

Martha, noticing the tension from Raymond, intervened, urging him all to set aside his questions for the moment

and focus on having lunch. With a wave of her hand, she summoned the servants, who swiftly

entered the room, carrying trays bursting with an array of delicious food.

Amber's eyes widened at the sight of the feast laid out before them. It was clear that Martha had

gone above and beyond to prepare for their visit. Not wanting to offend her, Amber attempted to pusl

aside her apprehension about the amount of food before her.

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Chapter Twenty Five

“I... I didn’t expect so much,” she muttered, realizing her surprise had slipped out.

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Martha chuckled lightly, a warm smile gracing her face. “I made a variety of dishes since | wasn’t- sure what you

would like,” she explained kindly, gesturing to the assortment of offerings. “I hope

you find something that pleases your taste.”

Amber nodded gratefully, a hint of nervousness still lingering in her expression. Since her divorce,

her appetite had diminished significantly, and the sight of so much food overwhelmed her.

But since she felt a sense of responsibility not to offend Martha, who had put in so much effort for

their visit, she tried to prepare to forcefully stuff herself.

As Martha began to serve Amber, piling the plate with ‘portions of various dishes, Richard couldn't help but

notice the subtle panic in Amber's eyes, and he quickly realized that she was struggling

with the quantity of food.

“Mom, | think that might be too much,” Richard interjected, his voice filled with genuine concern.

“Amber’s stomach can’t handle a large meal. She’s had sstomach issues recently.”

Martha's eyes widened with understanding, and she immediately adjusted the serving size, reducing the

amount of food on Amber's plate.

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Amber glanced briefly at Richard with a grateful look in her eyes. She gave him a quick wink, a playful gesture

that caught him off guard, before paying her attention back to her food.

As the lunch cto a close, the room fell into a comfortable silence. The clinking of cutlery

slowly quieted, and satisfied smiles were exchanged across the table.

Just as the silence threatened to stretch on, Raymond cleared his throat. All eyes turned to him as

he fixed his gaze on Richard and Amber, his expression curious.

“So, Richard, Amber,” Raymond began slowly, his tone laced with apprehension, “can you tell us why

the rush to get married?”

Richard’s brow furrowed at the question. He glanced at Amber, silently urging her to take the lead

and respond as planned.

Amber hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between Richard and Raymond. Gathering herself, sh

spoke. “Well, you see, Richard proposed torecently. And when you find the person you truly love

why wait? We didn’t see any reason to delay the inevitable.”

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Richard nodded in agreement, offering a supportive smile to Amber. He knew their answers had to align because

any inconsistencies would only deepen Raymond's suspicion. “Exactly,” he interjected. “I love Amber, and | don’t

see anything stopping us from getting married as soon as possible. We're both ready, and we want to take this

step together.”

Martha chimed in, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. “That's wonderful news, Richard and Amber. When do

you plan on having the wedding?”

“We plan on having a small, intimate wedding,” he explained. “So, we've scheduled it in just a few

days’ time.

Raymond let out a displeased sigh, his brows furrowing even deeper. “How soon is ‘a few days?” he

asked, his skepticism more evident now.

Richard met his father’s gaze, his eyes determined. He understood that Raymond's concem stemmed from a

place of love and care, but he was committed to moving forward with Amber, regardless of any doubt lingering in

his father’s mind.

“In five days,” Richard responded firmly. “In, five days, Amber and | will officially be married.”