Chosen By My Mate's Father-in-law
Chapter 22: Misunderstanding

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Misunderstanding

“Michelle,” Gareth’s voice cracked like thunder through the room. “Turn that off. Now.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, but Michelle didn’t even blink at the interruption. She just let out an annoyed huff and turned back to the computer, clicking away. “Ever heard of knocking?” she mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.

Gareth stepped fully inside, his presence heavy like a storm rolling in. “Michelle, it’s past ten. You were supposed to be studying. Shut it down.”

Michelle spun around, crossing her arms. “Jasmine said I could finish this round!”

My heart dropped. “I didn’t mean—”

“You what?” Gareth cut me off sharply, eyes narrowing on me.

I stood up quickly, my palms suddenly clammy. “I didn’t mean it like that. She studied all afternoon. We only played a little after dinner—just a break.”

His face didn’t soften. “You’re here to tutor, not hand out screen time.”

“It’s not just screen time,” I said, trying to stay calm. “This is how I bond with her. She actually listens when she trusts me. We made a deal—work first, then play. And she kept her end of the bargain.”

Gareth’s jaw tensed.

The butler, who I hadn’t even noticed standing behind him, stepped forward with a smug little look on his face. “Sir, I did try to warn you that this new tutor wasn’t a good fit. They’ve been gaming the entire day. It’s clear she isn’t focused on discipline or structure. Frankly... I believe Miss Lowett should be let go.”

I blinked. “Excuse me? That’s not true—”

Gareth raised a hand to silence me.

I clenched my fists.

It felt like the ground had shifted beneath me again. Just when I thought I was starting to get through to Michelle, I was being thrown under the bus. Just like Elliot, twisting the story to suit himself.

And Gareth? He was buying it.

“That’s not true!” Michelle shouted, jumping up from her chair, finally registering the conversation. “Why are you always like this? You don’t even know what happened!”

Gareth turned to her slowly. “Excuse me?”

“We worked all afternoon,” she said firmly, hands balled into fists at her sides. “I even finished my essays and drills. Jasmine didn’t just sit around while I slacked off, okay?”

Still, Gareth didn’t look convinced.

“Fine,” Michelle muttered. She stormed over to her desk, yanked the stack of papers she’d completed, and shoved them into his hands. “Here. Look at it. I did the work. Jasmine helped me understand it. She explained it instead of barking orders like the last two tutors.”

Gareth blinked in surprise but took the papers. The room went quiet as he flipped through them, page after page.

Michelle folded her arms, glaring at him. “If you’re going to fire her because some snobby butler thinks I can’t learn and because you can’t be bothered to believe me, then go ahead. But don’t expect me to study again. I’m done trying if none of you ever give me credit.”

I stood frozen, my chest tight. I hadn’t expected Michelle to defend me like that. Her voice trembled with frustration, but her eyes were clear. She meant every word.

Gareth said nothing. He just kept flipping through the pages.

And I waited.

“That’s her handwriting,” I said quietly, my voice calm. “Every page. She worked for hours this afternoon. The game time was a reward—after everything was done. Maybe next time, you could ask before jumping to conclusions.”

The air shifted like the weight of my words had landed in the center of the room.

Gareth’s eyes snapped up to meet mine. They were cold, sharp, ready to cut—but I didn’t look away.

“She’s telling the truth,” Michelle cut in, her arms folded across her chest, chin raised stubbornly. “But you never believe me anyway. So just do it—fire her. I’ll stop studying completely. I’ll fail on purpose, and it’ll be your fault. Good luck letting everyone know your youngest is a failure!”

“Michelle,” Gareth said sharply, warning in his tone.

But she continued to shout.

“Jasmine is the only one who’s actually helped me! Everyone else talks down to me or just wants to suck up to you. But she treats me like a real person!”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

Gareth pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to hold in a headache—or maybe it was due to guilt. The tension in his shoulders slowly loosened, and after a beat, he let out a heavy sigh.

“I... apologize,” he said finally, voice lower now. “To both of you.”

Michelle blinked. “Wait. Did you just say sorry?”

“I did,” Gareth muttered, clearly not used to the word. “I overreacted. You did your work, and I should’ve asked instead of assuming the worst.”

“Wow,” Michelle said, clearly surprised. “Did anyone record that?”

I gave a small nod, keeping my tone neutral. “Thank you.”

Michelle’s face immediately brightened. “Awesome! That means we can keep playing, right?”

“Actually—”

Too late.

She grabbed my arm and tugged me back toward the desk with surprising strength.

As I stumbled after her, my scarf slipped loose from around my neck, sliding down my shoulder and catching on my elbow.

And I didn’t even realize it until I felt the cold air against my skin—bare skin where Elliot’s marks still were.

I froze.

Gareth’s gaze dropped immediately.

And landed right on the bruised skin at the base of my throat.

I grabbed the scarf quickly, yanking it back up and tying it again with fumbling fingers.

But the damage was done.

Gareth’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing a cold steel grey.

Michelle hadn’t noticed a thing, too caught up in the game as the screen lit up again. “Come on, Jasmine! Let’s beat that fire quest next!”

My heart jumped. I tugged my scarf higher, trying to hide the hickeys I hadn’t meant for anyone to see—especially not him. My fingers fumbled with the soft fabric, but it was already too late.

Michelle, thankfully, was still glued to the monitor, muttering to herself as she clicked furiously through the next level.

“I can explain—” I began, voice barely above a whisper.

“Don’t,” Gareth said, cutting me off before I could even try. His tone was low. Clipped. “Your personal life is your business. As long as it doesn’t interfere with Michelle’s progress, I don’t care.”

That last part stung way more than I expected. I bit down on the inside of my cheek and nodded. “I understand.”

He stared at me for a moment longer—like he wanted to say something else but decided against it.

“Wait—what was that I heard?” Michelle suddenly turned around, staring at me with interest. “You got a boyfriend?”