Chapter 83 Resistance
David felt humiliated. He never thought Gregory would question him.
With no excuse to counter, he snapped, "Mr. White, this is a Martin family matter. Stay out of it!"
Gregory smirked coldly, his gaze icy. "Abigail is my wife. Her matters are mine. Or do you think I'm not fit to be part of the Martin family?"
David, nervous, quickly denied, "No, I didn't mean that, Mr. White. I admit I was harsh with Abigail. I apologize."
He needed Gregory's help, so he had to be humble, even though he didn't think he was wrong. Abigail was his daughter, and he felt it was his right to discipline her. In his mind, Abigail's arrogance was due to Gregory's favor.
Abigail sneered; it was rare to hear an apology from David.
Gregory glanced at her and said, "I'll accept your apology on her behalf. Anything else? If not, I'll hang up."
"Wait..." David hurriedly stopped him. "Mr. White, about the company..."
Abigail tugged Gregory's sleeve, signaling him not to agree to the investment. David was greedy; if there was a first time, there'd be a second. She didn't want to trouble Gregory.
Gregory held her hand, giving her a reassuring look. "I'm a businessman; I don't do unprofitable deals. If I invest, what can you offer?"
David's eyes lit up. Gregory didn't refuse outright, so he thought there was hope! He suppressed his excitement and said, "Mr. White, you know DM Group's strength. The White Group developed with our help. Your investment will be worthwhile!"
David listed DM Group's advantages, but Gregory's patience was limited. He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's set up a meeting. I have other matters to discuss."
David, excited, quickly agreed. Even after the call ended, he couldn't calm down. Though Abigail often made him angry, she finally did something good for the family.
On the other side, Abigail looked at Gregory in surprise. "Mr. White, why are you back?"
Gregory handed her the phone and smiled warmly. "I forgot a document and overheard you. Abigail, you won't blame me for eavesdropping, will you?"
Abigail shook her head. "It's okay. Without you, I would've just hung up."
Gregory reached out to ruffle her hair. Abigail instinctively stepped back, then froze. The atmosphere in the living room became tense.
Abigail blinked, flustered and uneasy. "Mr. White, I..."
Gregory, momentarily stunned by her reaction, quickly adjusted, smiled faintly, and withdrew his hand.
"You don't look well. Didn't sleep much last night?" Gregory's tone was full of concern, even though he seemed indifferent.
Abigail, feeling guilty, furrowed her brows and pressed her lips together, barely able to breathe from the weight of her apology. "Mr. White, I'm sorry."
Gregory sat beside her but kept some distance. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Abigail, are you afraid of me?"
She quickly denied it, "I'm not! You're a nice person, so why would I be afraid of you?"
"Then why are you avoiding me? Since last night, you've been distant. Did I do something wrong?"
Abigail gulped nervously, staying silent. She wasn't afraid or avoiding him; she was worried. Worried she'd end up like Michelle. David married Michelle but always had feelings for Kayla. Abigail suspected David married Michelle for benefits, not love.
Her marriage to Gregory started as a transaction. She feared falling for Gregory and ending up like Michelle, with a man who didn't love her. She also worried their children would be unloved, like her. This fear made her instinctively avoid him.
Abigail closed her eyes, trying to suppress her discomfort. She thought if she restrained her feelings, maybe the tragic things wouldn't happen.
Gregory, unaware of her thoughts, only knew she'd been off since returning from the hospital. Everything seemed fine during dinner; she was nervous but didn't resist holding hands or kissing. Had Olivia said something? Or had something else happened?
He felt all his efforts had been reset to zero. "Abigail, are you afraid of being intimate with me, or that I'll force you?" he asked.
Abigail lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling.
Gregory felt helpless and fell silent again.
After a long time, Abigail finally looked at him. "Mr. White, it's not your fault. It's my problem. There are things I haven't figured out yet."
Their marriage wouldn't end quickly, so she needed time to figure out how to handle it.
Gregory nodded, said "Okay," and got up to leave. He knew Abigail was sensitive and fragile, like a snail retreating into its shell at the first sign of danger. Pushing too hard would only drive her further away.
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