The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Chapter 197: A Chaotic Family Gathering

ELLA’S POV

The first thing I felt when I woke up was irritation.

The second thing was confusion.

Why?

Because my alarm, the one I specifically set for 6:30 AM, had been turned off.

And when I rolled over and grabbed my phone, the horror hit me.

8:00 AM.

"What the—?!"

I shot up from the bed, my hair a tangled mess, my heart racing.

I SLEPT IN.

Yet here I was, hours late, my body betraying me in the most humiliating way.

Something wasn’t right.

And then—the smell.

A rich, warm aroma of coffee, toast, and something sweet drifted into my room.

I frowned, dragging myself out of bed. Was the house on fire? Did I leave something in the oven? Did Jason finally decide to poison me after everything I put him through?

Grumbling, I grabbed my robe and trudged out of the bedroom.

And that’s when I saw it.

Jason was in the dining area, setting up the table like some kind of devoted husband in a K-drama breakfast montage.

He was even wearing an apron.

An APRON.

The sight was so ridiculous that I actually stopped mid-step.

There were plates of pancakes, fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, and even a glass of orange juice—freshly squeezed.

I squinted. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

Jason turned around, grinning like a man who had just secured his villain arc victory.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he drawled, voice obnoxiously sweet.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you acting suspicious?"

"I made you breakfast."

"You don’t usually cook at this time."

"I do now."

"Since when?"

He smirked. "Since my beautiful, amazing wife started carrying my child."

I choked. "Excuse me?"

And just as I was about to demand more answers—

BOOM.

The front door slammed open with a force that shook the walls.

I flinched. "What the hell—"

And then, chaos arrived.

My father.

Mr. Kingsley.

The devil himself.

"MY BABY!"

Before I could react, I was crushed in the strongest bear hug of my life.

"Dad?!" I choked out. "What—what are you doing here?!"

He ignored me, holding me at arm’s length, his eyes misty with pride and excitement.

"You’re pregnant! Oh, my sweet Ella! I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life!"

I froze. My heart dropped.

And then, slowly, dramatically, I turned to Jason.

He took a step back. "Uh—"

I raised an eyebrow. "Jason."

"I can explain."

"Did. You. Tell. My. Father?"

Jason lifted his hands in surrender. "Sweetheart, listen—"

"I WILL KILL YOU."

I lunged.

Jason dodged me like a trained assassin.

"Ella, violence isn’t good for the baby!" he shouted, holding a pancake like a shield.

"I swear to God, Jason—"

BAM.

I landed a punch straight to his arm.

"OW—"

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT—"

"ELLABELLE, STOP BEATING YOUR HUSBAND!" my father scolded, but he was smiling as he pulled me away. "Negative energy is bad for the baby!"

"Don’t ’negative energy’ me! I—Wait." I blinked at him. "You’re actually happy about this?"

"Of course I am!" My father beamed. "I thought I’d die before I got grandkids!"

Jason snorted. "That was always your fault, sir. You raised a terrifying daughter."

"WATCH IT, BOY."

Jason shut up immediately.

As if the situation wasn’t already insane, the front door opened again. freewebnoveℓ.com

And in walked two more sources of chaos.

Jason’s mother and father.

The Kings.

"Where is my daughter-in-law?!" Jason’s mother practically flew to my side. "Ella, my sweet girl! Let me see you! Are you okay? Are you sleeping well? Eating enough? Do you need foot massages? Jason, why is she standing? SHE SHOULD BE SITTING."

Jason, who had just sat down, was immediately forced to stand up again.

His father, a towering man with a permanent scowl, clapped Jason on the back so hard I thought I heard his soul leave his body.

"Good job, son!" he declared.

Jason blinked. "Huh?"

"You got her pregnant!" His father laughed. "You’ve finally contributed to this family!"

I stifled a laugh as Jason looked deeply, existentially offended.

It was chaos.

Everyone was talking at once, fussing over me, debating baby names, talking about prenatal yoga and nursery colors.

Jason sat next to me, looking exhausted as he sipped his coffee.

And then—

he made a fatal mistake.

"Well, it’s not like I’m there to watch over her at night. We don’t even share a—"

Silence.

Pure. Terrifying. Silence.

Jason’s mother, his father, and my father froze.

They turned to him slowly.

"What," his mother said, voice eerily calm, "did you just say?"

Jason’s face paled.

"I—"

"You mean to tell me," my father interrupted, his voice dangerously quiet, "that you don’t share a room with my daughter?"

Jason glanced at me.

I smirked.

Oh, he was dead.

"Well, uh—" Jason swallowed. "Technically—"

"UNACCEPTABLE."

His mother smacked the back of his head.

His father crossed his arms.

My father cracked his knuckles.

And just like that, Jason was chased out of the dining room like a criminal.

"YOU WILL SLEEP WITH HER FROM NOW ON!"

"HOW DARE YOU LEAVE MY PREGNANT DAUGHTER ALONE AT NIGHT?!"

"BOY, HAVE YOU NO SHAME?!"

Jason ran past me, betrayed and horrified. "Sweetheart! HELP ME!"

I sipped my orange juice.

"Nope."

He gaped at me. "Ella!"

I smirked. "Good luck, husband."

Jason disappeared down the hallway, our parents hot on his heels.

I leaned back in my chair, took a deep breath, and popped another piece of chocolate in my mouth.

Best. Morning. Ever.

I should have known that this day would only get crazier.

After chasing Jason like a rabid dog, my father and Mr. King finally decided to calm down. Or maybe they were just tired from screaming at him. Either way, the chaos settled, and we all sat down for lunch—together.

It was... weird.

Jason’s mother, my father, Jason’s father, Jason, and me.

One big, happy, dysfunctional family.

Jason, still recovering from being bullied by our parents, sat next to me, his eyes flicking to me every now and then, probably hoping I’d defend him next time.

(I wouldn’t.)

His mother had taken it upon herself to serve me every possible dish on the table, piling my plate up like I was a starving child from a war zone.

Jason, in contrast, was ignored.

Completely.

Even when he tried to grab a plate, his own father snatched it away and handed it to me instead.

"Dad?" Jason asked, staring in betrayal.

His father ignored him. "Ella, have some more vegetables. You’re eating for two now."

Jason blinked. "I—But I—"

"Jason," his mother scolded, "let your wife eat in peace."

Jason looked at me. "Are you seeing this?"

I shoved a forkful of rice into my mouth and smirked.

Best. Day. Ever.