Chapter 4 MY SON WON'T MARRY A NOBODY

At Zara's cozy apartment, Giulia sat on the couch, tears streaming down her face as she recounted the events of the previous day. Zara listened attentively, her expression a mix of concern and understanding.

"Lia, it's not something you should cry about," Zara said gently, handing Giulia a box of tissues. "He's your boyfriend, he cares for you, and he's doing everything in his power to be with you. At least he's not like Nelson."

Giulia sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue. "I know, Zara, but this is all so sudden. I'm not ready for marriage, especially not with his parents breathing down our necks."

Zara nodded sympathetically. "I get it, but maybe Richard is trying to protect you from his parents' interference. Think about it, Lia - he proposed to you in public, in front of his mother, no less. That takes courage."

Giulia sighed, shaking her head. "But what about his parents? They hate me, Zara. They'll never accept me as their daughter-in-law."

Zara took Giulia's hand, her voice firm. "Richard has made it clear that he's willing to go against his parents for you. That's what matters, Lia. Not what his parents think, but what he thinks, what he feels."

Giulia looked up, her eyes searching. "But what if I'm not ready for this? What if I'm not ready to be a wife, to be part of that family?"

Zara smiled softly. "Lia, you're not alone in this. Richard will be with you every step of the way. And as for being ready, well, sometimes life doesn't give us a choice. Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith."

Giulia nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. "You're right, Zara. I need to think about what I want, what I'm ready for."

Zara squeezed her hand. "That's my girl. Now, let's get some coffee and brainstorm, shall we?"

As they sipped their coffee, Zara pulled out a notebook and began to jot down notes.

"Okay, let's break this down," Zara said, her eyes scanning the page. "What are your concerns about marrying Richard?"

Giulia thought for a moment before responding. "I'm not ready for marriage, I'm still young. And his parents... they hate me. I don't want to be part of a family that doesn't want me."

Zara nodded, her pen moving swiftly across the page. "What about Richard himself? How do you feel about him?"

Giulia's expression softened. "I love him, Zara. He's kind, caring, and he makes me feel seen and heard. But is that enough to overcome all the obstacles we'll face?"

Zara looked up, her eyes locking onto Giulia's. "That's a great question, Lia. But here's the thing: you can't control how others behave, but you can control how you react to them. If you and Richard are on the same page, you can face anything together."

Giulia nodded slowly, a sense of determination growing within her. "You're right, Zara. I need to talk to Richard, to figure out what we want and where we're going."

Zara smiled, her eyes shining with approval. "That's my girl. Now, let's get to work on planning your future... or at least, your next move."

At Zara's cozy apartment, Giulia sat on the couch, tears streaming down her face as she recounted the events of the previous day. Zara listened attentively, her expression a mix of concern and understanding.

"Lia, it's not something you should cry about," Zara said gently, handing Giulia a box of tissues. "He's your boyfriend, he cares for you, and he's doing everything in his power to be with you. At least he's not like Nelson."

Giulia sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue. "I know, Zara, but this is all so sudden. I'm not ready for marriage, especially not with his parents breathing down our necks."

Zara nodded sympathetically. "I get it, but maybe Richard is trying to protect you from his parents' interference. Think about it, Lia - he proposed to you in public, in front of his mother, no less. That takes courage."

Giulia sighed, shaking her head. "But what about his parents? They hate me, Zara. They'll never accept me as their daughter-in-law."

Zara took Giulia's hand, her voice firm. "Richard has made it clear that he's willing to go against his parents for you. That's what matters, Lia. Not what his parents think, but what he thinks, what he feels."

Giulia looked up, her eyes searching. "But what if I'm not ready for this? What if I'm not ready to be a wife, to be part of that family?"

Zara smiled softly. "Lia, you're not alone in this. Richard will be with you every step of the way. And as for being ready, well, sometimes life doesn't give us a choice. Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith."

Giulia nodded slowly, a small smile on her face. "You're right, Zara. I need to think about what I want, what I'm ready for."

Zara squeezed her hand. "That's my girl. Now, let's get some coffee and brainstorm, shall we?"

Zara's eyes sparkled with excitement as she began to brainstorm ideas. "Okay, first things first, we need to get you two on the same page. Why don't you call Richard and ask him to meet up?"

Giulia nodded, pulling out her phone. "I'll text him now."

As Giulia typed out a message, Zara continued to scribble notes in her book. "Once you two are on the same page, we can start thinking about the logistics of the wedding... if that's still something you want to do."

Giulia looked up, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know, Zara. I'm just so overwhelmed by everything."

Zara's expression turned sympathetic. "I get it, Lia. But sometimes you just have to take things one step at a time. Let's focus on getting you and Richard on the same page, and then we can worry about the rest."

Giulia nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her friend. "Thanks, Zara. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Zara smiled, her eyes shining with warmth. "You'll never have to find out, Lia. Now, let's get to work on planning your future."

♡♡♡♡

Liliana and her husband, George , sat in their lavish living room, sipping their coffee and discussing their son's recent proposal.

"I still can't believe Richard proposed to her in a restaurant," Liliana said, her voice dripping with disdain. "It's just so...tacky."

George chuckled. "Well, Richard's always been a romantic. I think it's sweet." Though he's not in support before but somehow he's at the moment.

Liliana rolled her eyes. "Sweet? It's ridiculous. And to think that Giulia accepted him like that!who does that? Ha! She's not good enough for our family.

George set his coffee cup down. "Liliana, we've talked about this. Richard loves Giulia, and we should respect his decision."

Liliana's face turned red with anger. "Respect his decision? You're not thinking about what's best for Richard. You're just thinking about how to make him happy."

He sighed. "That's not fair, Liliana. I am thinking about what's best for Richard. And I think Giulia might be good for him."

Liliana scoffed. "Good for him? She's a nobody,George . She has no connections, no money, no family. What could she possibly bring to our son?"

He shook his head. "You're not giving Giulia a chance, Liliana. She's a kind and intelligent person. And Richard loves her."

Liliana's eyes narrowed. "I don't care about any of that. What I care about is our family's reputation. And Giulia is not the kind of person we want associated with our name."

He sighed, knowing that his wife was not going to change her mind. "What do you plan to do, Liliana?"

Liliana's smile was cold and calculating. "I plan to make sure that Richard and Giulia's relationship ends. And I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen."

"I thought you were in support?"He asked with suprise in his voice.

George felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew that Liliana was a force to be reckoned with, and he had no doubt that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

But he also knew that Richard was a grown man, and he needed to make his own decisions. He just hoped that Liliana's meddling wouldn't ruin their son's happiness.

Liliana walked back over to George, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I'll make sure Richard knows what's expected of him," she said. "And I'll make sure Giulia is out of the picture for good."

George felt a surge of unease. He knew that Liliana was capable of manipulating Richard, but he knows Richard is a grown man with his own mind.

"Liliana, I don't think this is a good idea," He said, trying to reason with his wife. "Richard loves Giulia, and we should respect his decision."

Liliana's face turned red with anger. "You're always so soft,George ," she spat. "You never want to take a stand or make a decision. Well, I'm not like that. I know what's best for our family, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we come out on top."

George sighed, knowing that he was beaten. Liliana was not going to change her mind, and he might as well just accept it.

But as he looked at Liliana, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that she was capable of great cruelty, and he worried about what she might do to Giulia.

Little did George know, Liliana had already set her plan in motion. She had made a few phone calls, pulled a few strings, and soon Giulia would be facing a challenge that would test her strength and courage.

And as for Richard, Liliana was confident that she could manipulate him into doing her bidding. After all, she had always been the one to control him, to tell him what to do.

But as Liliana smiled to herself, thinking about her plan, she didn't realize that Richard was not as weak as she thought. He was a grown man, with his own mind and his own heart.

And he was not going to let his mother control him forever.