Chapter 133 A Gift for You
Dahlia fell to the ground in a disgraced heap, her face, once adorned with meticulous makeup, now twisted in ugliness.
How could this happen? Why hadn't events unfolded as perfectly as they had planned? Was Malcolm blind? To forego someone as genuine as herself, Dahlia, and marry some country girl who couldn't match up to anything that she was.
They were only married a short while, and yet he treasured Reese like a precious gem in the palm of his hand. What did Reese have that she didn't?
Alyssa could barely contain her laughter and turned to Reese, saying, "Let's head back to the foyer."
"Sure," Reese replied, giving a proper acknowledgment this time.
As the two women returned to the foyer, they saw Nancy softly questioning Malcolm.
"Malcolm, how did your chat with Dahlia go?" her voice was tinged with curiosity.
Malcolm's gaze flickered coldly, "It was quite enlightening, gave me a new perspective on Dahlia."
His words carried a profound meaning but not the one Nancy was anticipating.
Nancy, hearing this, thought Malcolm had a favorable talk with Dahlia, and considering that Dahlia hadn't returned yet, she conjured up ideas...
A triumphant smirk crossed her face as she believed her plan had succeeded and she began to raise her voice with abandon.
"Right, our Dahlia is the legitimate daughter-in-law of the Flynn family. Reese merely filled a temporary vacancy. It's time for things to go back to their rightful owner. And frankly, Reese, a country girl like you doesn't quite fit the bill to accompany Malcolm in his social circles, like at social functions; that's where Dahlia can truly assist you."
Just as Reese and Alyssa walked in, they caught Nancy's boastful claims.
Alyssa was about to retort but Reese tugged at her sleeve.
"Don't bother, let her perform. We'll just watch the show."
It wasn't what she had in mind as a voluntary arrangement. If Dahlia hadn't been so repulsed by Malcolm's condition, would any of this have happened?
Nancy was under the delusion that by pulling this stunt, she could get sent back to her own family and pave the way for Dahlia to become Malcolm's wife.
Little did she know that the Flynns had agreed to this marriage out of sheer coercion. Now that the vows were exchanged and promises kept, if she decided to divorce Malcolm, couldn't the Flynns just find another suitable match?
It would be utter madness for the Brooks family to have their daughter marry again.
Yet Nancy thrived on drama; she didn't even know that her daughter's attempt at seduction had failed miserably. By now, she probably thought the girl was still hiding and crying somewhere, while she began her own melodramatic performance.
Finn Sawyer, sitting with authority, couldn't help but feel perplexed by Nancy's actions.
"Mrs. Reese, whatever do you mean by this?" he inquired.
Nancy, realizing Finn's attention was on her, quickly approached and began to explain earnestly,
"You see, originally Dahlia was the one designated to marry Malcolm. But Reese had been infatuated with him for so long and just had to wed him. Having soft hearts, we thought, well, they are all our children after all, and we agreed."
The more Finn listened, the more confused he became: "Wasn't it because Dahlia couldn't conceive that Reese was brought in as a substitute?"
"That was then," Nancy interjected, "but after some time and treatment, Dahlia has fully recovered. Look, we even have the medical reports with us, proclaiming that future conception won't be an issue."
Nancy hastily fished out the documents to present to Finn, who wasn't the type to scrutinize medical reports.
He passed them to Vincent, saying, "Vincent, would you take a look?"
After a brief glance, Vincent reported back to Finn.
"Grandfather, according to these results, Dahlia is in perfect health. Now..."
He naturally hoped for Malcolm to divorce Reese. If that happened, things could reset, and dealing with one person was surely easier than dealing with a couple. Reese was a barrier, and as long as she stood in the way, Vincent's prospects of becoming the Flynn heir were slim to none.
Nancy, seizing the opportunity, pushed her agenda while the iron was hot, relentlessly criticizing Reese's shortcomings.
Reese may have been a bit headstrong, but she had us backed into a corner with her dramatics, threatening to end her life right before us if we didn’t agree to her marrying into your Flynn family. Concerned for her well-being, her father and I felt we had no choice..."
Finn Sawyer listened and then suddenly slapped the table with force.
"This is absurd! What do you take the Flynn family for? A place where you can come and go as you please, marrying off daughters at a whim? Even if Malcolm had his mobility issues back then, your Brooks family was never in our league!"
Finn's outburst changed the atmosphere in the hall, silencing everyone.
When Dahlia entered, the tension was palpable. Spotting her, Nancy quickly pulled her daughter forward to Finn.
"Finn Sawyer, now that Dahlia is able to bear children, and since she was initially proposed to be Malcolm's bride, isn't it time to set things right?"
Nancy's insinuation couldn't be clearer: push for a divorce between Malcolm and Reese and then bring Dahlia into the Flynn family fold. Finn felt as though the Brooks family wasn’t worthy of the Flynns, and Nancy’s proposal made it seem as if they had been played, implicating Reese as well.
He looked sternly at Reese, who remained composure itself.
" Reese, did your Brooks family conspire to deceive Malcolm, resulting in your marriage into the Flynn family? If that’s the case, you must secure a divorce immediately. Think of the impact on the Flynn family's reputation if word got out? "
"Grandfather, I am willing to divorce Malcolm, but before that, I feel I need to clear my name."
Reese never cared for the Flynn family's riches; she was financially independent and didn’t need a man. Nancy's wild accusations deeply insulted her personal integrity. She could let go of everything else, but her honesty and dignity were non-negotiable.
Turning with an icy gaze that chilled to the core, Reese caught Nancy off guard, causing her to stiffen as she addressed Reese with a surge of anger.
"Reese, after all this time, are you still gonna play the evasive game? You begged us back in the day; it should've been your sister marrying into the Flynn clan, not you. Today, with Finn Sawyer here, you might as well spill the truth," Nancy challenged with a stir of impatience in her voice.
Reese narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint bursting forth from beneath her lashes.
With a mocking curl of her lips, she closed in on Nancy, an oppressive aura in tow. "I plan on telling the truth, Nancy. Don't be so eager. I'll settle our little scores right here in front of the Flynns today," Reese declared with chilling clarity.
Nancy felt an uneasy tension knot in her stomach at those words. What was this wildcat plotting?
Alyssa watched, almost ready to whistle and cheer as Reese's formidable side surfaced. She had already sized Nancy up as trouble, here today with the clear intent of pushing Reese out to slip her own daughter into Malcolm’s arms – in her dreams.
Even if Reese gave in, Alyssa knew Malcolm would never agree.
Reese stood her ground. There, in front of the Flynns, she laid it all bare to Nancy and Dahlia. "Why did you bring me back from the countryside in the first place? It was because Malcolm was paralyzed; you were worried your own daughter would marry into a life of celibacy, without a child to follow. You used me as a replacement."
Nancy was taken aback by Reese's unexpected sharp tongue, a move that had caught her off guard. Yet, Nancy was no pushover and retorted on the spot, "Nonsense, Reese! I've treated you fairly. When you came from the countryside, I even took you shopping. Do you even remember how you were dressed back then? And now, to stay with the Flynns, you dare accuse us of wrongdoing? That's heartbreakingly ungrateful."
"Really? Then answer me this: you say I desperately wanted to marry Malcolm, begged you, and you allowed it out of pity, to spare your own daughter. If Malcolm were still paralyzed, would you still let Dahlia marry him?"
Nancy nodded without hesitation, "Of course, we would. If we knew you’d turn out to be such an ingrate, we would've never agreed in the first place. You can’t even bring yourself to call me 'Mother'. It’s obvious how much shame you've brought upon the Flynn household."
Reese's gaze on Nancy sharpened, seeing right through her. "Call you 'Mother'? Do you think you deserve it? Besides, you're no kin of mine, and you've wrecked my parents' marriage. A home-wrecker trying to lecture me on morals is quite the joke, don't you think?"
Reese's words were incisive, hitting the mark, and Nancy's expression twisted into an ugly scowl of both embarrassment and anger.
"You...you really have no conscience," Aunt Susan chastised, her voice laden with disappointment. "Your father and I didn't want you to struggle out in the countryside, so we kindly brought you back home. This is how you repay us? Showing not an ounce of respect for your elders. Well, if that's how it's going to be, there's no need for me to be polite. Go ahead and relinquish your place as the head of the Flynn estate to your sister."
Nancy was the picture of reluctant familial duty, as if Reese had dragged her into this mess against her will.
Reese wasn't one to seek trouble, but she wouldn't back down from a challenge either. She wouldn't silently endure if anyone attempted to take advantage of her.
She had promised a grand gesture for Nancy and her daughter, and now was the perfect time for it.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
