Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 67: Daughter-in-Law

He winced. "Uh... yes, Mom."

"YES?! That’s all you’re going to say?" Her voice pitched even higher. "I found out from the internet! The internet, Kendrick! My own son’s marriage news is trending, and I didn’t even get a phone call?!"

"I was going to tell you—"

"When? After your anniversary? During your retirement party?"

Kendrick glanced at Zephany, who looked like she wanted to sink into the couch and disappear.

"Mom, please. I... it happened so suddenly. It wasn’t planned."

"Not planned?! Marriage is not like buying bananas from the market, Kendrick!"

Zephany bit her lip to keep from laughing, while Kendrick rubbed his temple.

"I’m sorry, okay? I’ll explain everything. Just... maybe later?"

There was silence. Then a calmer voice replied, "I want to meet her."

Kendrick froze. "You what?"

"Your wife. Zephany, right? Bring her to dinner this weekend. No excuses."

He gulped. "Okay."

"And tell Levy I’ll be calling her next. She’s not off the hook either."

"Yes, Mom."

Click.

Kendrick lowered the phone and groaned.

Zephany let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her fingers curled tighter around the hem of her shirt as she sat silently beside Kendrick, the tension from the phone call still thick in the air. Christy’s voice had rung through the speaker like a bell that wouldn’t stop echoing.

But what stuck most in her mind were the words: "I want to meet her."

Zephany wasn’t ready. Not at all.

She looked up when Kendrick turned to her, his head now resting against the couch, eyes closed.

"I guess the secret’s out," she said quietly.

"Yep."

There was a pause, not heavy, but lingering.

"You okay?" she asked, hesitant.

He opened one eye, looked at her, and smiled faintly. "I’m more worried about you. That woman can be intense."

Zephany huffed a laugh, covering her mouth quickly. "Well, I’m already terrified. So that’s a great start."

Kendrick chuckled, shifting so he was facing her. "Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she doesn’t eat you alive."

Zephany raised a brow.

"Just kidding. She’s the kindest mom in the whole world. Just be yourself. She’ll like you for sure."

Zephany’s face softened. "You’re sure?"

He nodded once. "One hundred percent."

Her gaze lingered on his for a moment. They weren’t strangers anymore. Not really. There was something steady about him—something she didn’t know she’d been missing until now.

"Thanks, Kendrick," she murmured.

"Anytime."

Outside, the world was still obsessing over their sudden comeback, the return of the prodigies who had once set every stage and podium on fire. But inside the luxurious apartment, things moved slower. Quieter.

Two strangers-turned-partners were learning to share space, meals, awkward silences, and now even secrets.

The apartment became their bubble. They stayed inside for days. Calls poured in—some from old friends, others from complete strangers—and neither of them bothered answering most.

---

[163 Days Left to Live]

A week passed, and despite the news slowly being replaced by fresher headlines, the tension between Kendrick and Zephany grew again—not out of discomfort, but because the most anticipated day had finally arrived.

Mrs. Christy Montclair wanted to meet her daughter-in-law.

Zephany stood by the front door, her fingers twitching against the small purse she clutched. Her breathing was uneven, heart hammering like a warning bell in her chest.

Kendrick appeared beside her, keys in hand, checking his phone for directions even though he didn’t need them.

"Ready?" he asked gently.

Zephany swallowed hard. "As ready as I’ll ever be."

They stepped into the car, buckling in with unspoken nervousness. Kendrick started the engine, and the silence inside the car was immediate. Comfortable wasn’t the word Zephany would use. More like... cautiously civil.

She fidgeted with her seatbelt, then glanced at him. "She sounded... nice."

Kendrick smiled, eyes on the road. "She is. A bit dramatic, but she’s all heart."

Zephany nodded slowly. "Still, I don’t know if I’m ready for... all this."

"I get it." He glanced her way. "But just be yourself. Don’t try too hard."

She forced a small laugh. "Trying not to cry counts as not trying too hard?"

He chuckled, eyes briefly lighting up. "You’re braver than you think, Zeph."

Zephany let that nickname settle in. It sounded strange coming from someone she barely knew a few weeks ago—but somehow, it didn’t feel wrong.

"This feels like the hardest mission of my life," she murmured to herself.

He smiled. "That bad, huh?"

She gave him a sideways look. "Meeting your mother? I might pass out."

Kendrick reached over and briefly touched her hand, just a light tap. "You’ll do fine. I’m sure Mom will like you a lot."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "All right. Let’s go."

The road stretched ahead, the sky clear but their minds anything but.

---

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up in front of a neat, two-story house with a small garden out front. Potted plants lined the porch. Wind chimes clinked lazily in the breeze.

Zephany stared at it like it was enemy territory.

Kendrick turned off the engine and looked at her. "We can sit here for a minute if you want."

She nodded, but her hand was already on the door handle. "If I sit too long, I might make a run for it."

He laughed under his breath and opened his door. "Fair enough."

As they walked up to the door, Zephany tried to straighten her blouse for the third time. Kendrick knocked once, casually, like he wasn’t worried at all. But she could see the nervousness in the way he shifted his weight from one foot to another.

The door opened seconds later.

Christy stood there, a petite woman with brown eyes, dark hair, and an apron tied around her waist. Her face lit up the moment she saw Kendrick.

"Kenny!" She pulled him into a tight hug. "You didn’t shave again, huh? And your shirt—what is this? Wrinkled?"

"Mom," he groaned. "Please."

Then her eyes turned to Zephany.

And the world stood still.