She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 992

For a split second, Helena froze, the sickening realization washing over her that Swain's parents had witnessed the entire nightmare.

Swain's voice echoed in her head, assuring her that his parents were open-minded and understanding. *Maybe,* she thought desperately, *maybe they'll realize this isn't my fault.*

She took a tentative step forward, intending to cross the street and explain everything.

But the moment Carl saw her move, he sprang into action. He frantically flagged down a passing cab, deliberately avoiding eye contact with her, and practically shoved Martha into the backseat.

The taxi pulled a quick U-turn and sped past her. Neither of them looked back.

Helena stood rooted to the pavement for a long time before a bitter smile touched her lips.

*Open-minded.* That was just Swain's naive delusion.

She turned on her heel and walked away.

By the time the older couple arrived at Swain's apartment, he had just gotten home and was rummaging through the fridge.

Hearing the front door open, he popped his head out, a bright smile on his face. "Helena bought a ton of groceries for us. Let's invite her over for dinner tonight!"

Then he saw his mother's pale face and his father aggressively kicking off his shoes in heavy silence. His stomach dropped. He stepped out of the kitchen. "What's wrong? Did you guys not have a good time?"

Martha dropped her purse onto the sofa, sat down heavily, and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

She was quiet for a long moment before she finally spoke, her tone completely devoid of the warmth she had shown just days prior. "Swain, what exactly is going on with that girlfriend of yours? Her parents were out on the street today with protest signs, screaming for money. She called the cops on them right in front of us and had them arrested."

Swain blinked, caught off guard. "I—I was going to tell you guys. That's her parents' issue, not hers. It's a horrible situation, and she's in a lot of pain over it. She—"

"She's in pain? So being in pain makes it okay to have your own mother and father thrown in a squad car in front of half the city?" Carl hung up his coat and marched into the living room, his voice low but razor-sharp. "Those are her flesh and blood. It was an absolute circus out there. We saw it today, but what happens if you marry her? Are her parents going to show up and terrorize our home every few weeks? How are we supposed to live like that?"

Swain stood his ground, desperate to defend her. "Helena isn't like them! She hates it just as much as you do. She barely talks to them anymore. She knows how to handle it, and she'd never let it affect us."

"Oh, stop with the fairy tales. Your mother wasn't born yesterday," Martha snapped, her fingers anxiously twisting in her lap. "Swain, we are an ordinary, quiet family. We can't handle this kind of chaos. Your father's pension barely covers our bills, and the money I've scraped together my whole life is meant to help you settle down and get married. You cannot drag this family into that girl's fire pit."

Swain went quiet, his voice dropping a fraction. "...We're supposed to go out with her tomorrow. Let's just sit down and talk it out. She'll explain everything, and it'll put your minds at ease."

Martha looked away.

Swain placed his phone on the nightstand and stared blankly at the ceiling. He was trapped in the middle, failing his parents and failing his girlfriend.

A few days later, he took his parents to the airport. Right before security, they were still nagging him.

"Just let this girl go," Martha urged. "You have a great career, you're handsome. We can find you someone so much better. I'll have someone introduce you to a nice, stable girl back home."

"I'm not going on blind dates," Swain snapped, shutting it down. "Just have a safe flight."

The moment they were through the gates, he called Helena and asked to meet.

They sat across from each other in a quiet, dimly lit coffee shop. Helena had done a lot of thinking over the past few days. She already knew how this was going to play out.

"They disapprove, right?" Helena asked, breaking the silence. Her voice held no resentment, just quiet resignation.

Swain dragged his thumb across the wooden table. "They just... need a little time."

"Are you still going to meet my parents?"