The Mysterious Billionaire and His Substitute Bride (Ethan and Janet)
Chapter 697 Alienation

From the other end of the line, Vera seemed calm and unfazed. Laney could tell that her mother-in-law didn't look down upon her, but rather she was looking out for her. "Oh, I see, Mom," Laney answered respectfully.

Vera was very discerning and could tell that Laney was a little hesitant. "Laney, is there something wrong? Why don't you want to live with us? We're a family now. You can be frank with me." "No, there's nothing wrong. I just don't want to inconvenience you and Dad. But since you've asked, I'll do whatever you say." Despite saying so, Laney still felt uneasy.

She wasn't interested in any of the courses Vera had listed, but she knew that Vera was doing this for her own good. It would be beneficial if she learned the ways of the upper class. The following day, Vera sent over some servants to help Laney pack up her things. After having her luggage loaded into the car, Laney officially moved into the house of the Harding family.

The Harding family had lavish mansions in both Seacisco and Barnes. Vera and Leo didn't want to exhaust Laney too much and decided to meet her halfway, so they temporarily moved to Barnes. Not long after Laney moved in, her courses started and Vera began to teach her all kinds of things.

One day, at six o'clock in the morning, Laney was woken up by a servant.

When she rubbed her sleepy eyes and went downstairs, she found Vera sitting at the table, drinking coffee elegantly. She was already dressed for the day, with delicate makeup and perfume.

Vera always looked perfect and impeccable. And she never ceased to tell Laney to mind her appearance and manners.

"Good morning, Laney. Did you sleep well last night?" Vera looked her up and down and added in jest, "You look sleepy."

Laney stifled a yawn and tried to sober up. "No, no, I usually get up at this time."

"Good girl. Nowadays, few young people like getting up early." Vera nodded with a satisfied smile. She glanced at Laney's clothes and added, "We usually get dressed before breakfast. Garrett must've forgotten to tell you about it. Oh, well, you can have breakfast first and then go upstairs to change."

Laney looked down at her pajamas and blushed in embarrassment.

In an effort to hide how flustered she was, she quickly sat down at the table to eat.

After taking only two bites, Vera reminded her, "You'd better stop eating when you're half full. If you overeat in one sitting, you'll feel tired and lazy the rest of the day." After saying that, Vera paused and then broke into a smile. "But you're pregnant now. It should be okay for you to eat a little more than that."

Laney nodded obediently and quickly ate two more spoonfuls of food. Then she wiped her mouth, stood up, and was about to go upstairs to get dressed. However, she had stood up too quickly and nearly tripped over the table leg. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, or she would've fallen face flat.

Vera was so frightened just now that she patted her chest and sighed. "Don't be so brash next time. You can't afford to be clumsy anymore, Laney. You have to think about the baby in your belly."

"I'm sorry, mom." Laney apologized hurriedly. Then, she held the stair rail and made her way upstairs slowly, just to err on the side of caution. After getting changed, her etiquette class started. It was a very long day for Laney. By the time she returned to her room, it was already nine o'clock in the evening. She sank into bed, feeling like falling apart.

She had to restrain herself and mind her manners at all times. It was exhausting. This kind of life made her feel suffocated.

The etiquette courses were very difficult for Laney. In fact, they were so difficult that Laney found them a hundred times more challenging than martial arts.

She had only been in bed for a few seconds when her phone started to ring. It was Garrett calling.

"How've you been now that you live with my parents?" Garrett asked in a gentle voice.

Laney massaged her aching shoulder and murmured, "Mom and Dad are very kind to me. I'm happy to be here."

Garrett knew that his parents weren't mean people who were difficult to get along with, so he didn't doubt Laney's words. "That's great!" he said brightly.

"Since you're happy there, you can live with them for a little while longer."

Laney chuckled dryly and said nothing else.

She didn't like the awkward silence, so she changed the topic. "How's work?"

Garrett yawned in a leisurely manner. "I've told Brandon that I'm leaving the Larson Group. He didn't say anything.

After all, I'm the heir of the Harding family. He knew that I wouldn't work in the Larson Group forever. It was only a matter of time before I left to go work to take over the family business. The problem is that the Larson Group is really chaotic right now. Charis is on leave since she's in therapy. Now, I'm resigning. The Larson Group will be even more understaffed."

Laney didn't know what to say. She suddenly felt extremely upset and depressed.

Garrett had no idea that she was not happy at all here, but she couldn't complain to him.

The dreaded gap between them was rearing its ugly head.

"It's getting late. I'm sleepy." Laney hastily looked for a way to end the call. She wasn't lying. After all, she had to get up at six o'clock the following morning, so she had to cherish what little time she had to herself.

Garrett didn't sense that anything was wrong. He was too busy wrapping up his work at the Larson Group. He blew kisses into the receiver and said, "Okay, okay. Good night, honey."

Laney rolled her eyes, hung up the phone, and pulled the quilt all the way up to her forehead.