Dolores came to a halt as she caught sight of the two of them. Beulah arched her eyebrows at Dolores.
“Mom, isn’t that Dolores? What is she doing here?” Annabelle couldn’t contain her anger as well as Beulah could. “Is she here to eat?”
Lan-Kwai served delicious yet expensive food, not a place for ordinary people to dine at. How could Dolores afford to eat in such a high-class establishment?
Beulah scoffed. “She married into the Nelson family. Although her husband may be disabled, his social status and wealth are real. It shouldn’t be surprising that she can afford to patronize a place like this.”
Dolores didn’t want to engage with them and attempted to walk away, but Annabelle blocked her path.
“You married a disabled man. Even if you can come to this fancy place, you’re nothing more than a disgraceful opportunist.”
Annabelle examined Dolores’ outfit from head to toe and laughed sarcastically.
“Move aside!” Dolores retorted coldly.
But Annabelle refused. “What’s the rush? Are you ashamed of marrying a disabled man?”
Abbott frowned, about to order Annabelle to step aside when he noticed Matthew approaching and quickly withdrew his hand.
“Dolores, why do you still look so shabby after marrying into a wealthy family? Is it because even the disabled man despises you?” Annabelle sneered. “Don’t take after your mother, who couldn’t even hold onto her man.”
At that moment, Dolores also caught sight of Matthew walking over and couldn’t help but stare at him in astonishment.
Annabelle noticed the change in Dolores’ expression and assumed she was angry, escalating her insults. “Dolores, this is your fate. Your father abandoned you in the first half of your life and left you to fend for yourself overseas. Now you must serve a disabled man for the rest of your life, a burden…”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you,” a deep, commanding voice interrupted; soft but impactful, demanding attention.
“Who do you think you are…” Annabelle turned and saw a man approaching her. He wore a well-tailored, slim-fitting business suit. Tall and elegant, with long, slender legs, he exuded confidence and carried himself with an air of nobility. His chiseled features and piercing eyes radiated a sense of power and coldness.
With each stride, he exuded an aura of superiority that sent shivers down the spines of onlookers. His silence and indifference only added to his mystique. Annabelle stared in shock, her jaw dropping.
‘He… isn’t he disabled?’ Disbelief washed over her. ‘How is this even possible?’
Under the judgmental gazes of Annabelle and Beulah, Matthew wrapped his arm around Dolores’ shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Dolores was stunned for a moment before looking up at him. “You…”
His gaze deepened, and he affectionately smiled. “What’s the matter, my silly girl?”
Annabelle couldn’t take her eyes off his legs, her disbelief evident. “Aren’t you disabled?”
She quickly covered her mouth, realizing her mistake. Beulah, too, was taken aback. It was beyond comprehension. Matthew’s miraculous recovery left them speechless.
Abbott scoffed. “Shallow.” He didn’t spare a glance at their stunned and obnoxious expressions as he walked away towards the car.
Beulah watched in astonishment and fear, her legs trembling. “How can this be? Matthew isn’t disabled?”
“What just happened?” Annabelle lost control and grabbed Beulah’s arm. “Why aren’t Matthew’s legs crippled?”
After a while, Beulah regained her senses. Weren’t his legs supposed to be untreatable?
“Mom…”
“That’s enough!” Beulah felt a throbbing headache from the chaos and frustration in her mind. “I wonder if your father knows about this?”
Losing their appetite after discovering Matthew’s miraculous recovery, they left together for the Flores Group.
Randolph seethed with anger. A property the Flores Group had invested in had collapsed, and the company was now facing a lawsuit. Deep lines furrowed Randolph’s brow.
Knock, knock.
Randolph was about to unleash his rage on whoever dared to disturb him, but before he could shout, the door swung open, and Beulah entered.
As soon as Beulah caught sight of Randolph’s gloomy expression, her heart skipped a beat, and she inquired, “What’s the matter with you?”
Beulah didn’t bother to address Randolph’s concerns and continued, “Did you know that Matthew can walk now?”
The news stunned Randolph, and he frowned as he turned to Beulah. “But wasn’t he diagnosed with an incurable venomous snake bite? How is he able to walk again?”
Indeed, Randolph was unaware of this recent development.
Beulah’s expression turned serious. “He can stand up-”
“Where did you hear this from?” Randolph interjected, cutting Beulah off before she could finish.
“We saw it with our own eyes,” Annabelle quickly responded.
Having regained her composure, she approached Randolph. “Father, we must have been deceived.”
The doctors had clearly stated that his condition was incurable, so how could he suddenly be able to walk? Randolph’s confusion grew as the recent turn of events startled him.
“But why did he spread the news that he couldn’t walk?”
Beulah couldn’t fathom the reason behind his deceit and ventured a guess. “Could it be that he was dissatisfied with the marriage arrangement with the Flores family? Maybe he spread that news to prompt us to break off the marriage instead of him?”
The office fell into an eerie silence.
“That must be it. What else could it be?” Annabelle concurred with Beulah’s speculation, sinking onto the sofa in frustration. “If we had known earlier, we wouldn’t have needed Dolores to come back.” Then she could have been the one marrying Matthew.
Randolph, too, was upset as the situation had spiraled beyond his expectations.
His original plan was to solidify their relationship with the Nelson family by having his daughter marry Matthew. But if Beulah’s words held true, not only had Randolph failed to please Matthew by giving him Dolores, but he had also unintentionally angered him.
Now that the company was facing financial difficulties, Randolph had hoped to seek assistance from Matthew. However, it seemed that option was no longer viable. Randolph fell deep into contemplation. No wonder Matthew had refused to meet him when he went to WY Tower.
“Mom,” Annabelle tightly grasped Beulah’s arm. “Mom, why didn’t I marry Matthew?”
He was the first man she had genuinely liked. She had missed out on the opportunity to marry him, and now she was consumed by regret. Envy turned her green. If she hadn’t cared about Matthew’s disability and married him, perhaps he would have loved her for accepting him as he was.
But now, all of that belonged to Dolores, and Annabelle couldn’t accept this reality.
“We need to carefully consider our next steps now that we know how things stand.” Beulah, too, felt a pang of regret for missing the chance to strengthen their ties with the Nelson family.
Randolph felt a splitting headache coming on and grew furious at how things had unfolded. Why had Matthew pretended to be disabled?
In another part of the city, Dolores entered the car with Matthew and sat quietly beside him.
Matthew appeared deeply preoccupied, flipping through documents on his lap and adjusting his collar. Dolores remained silent, not wanting to disturb him.
As they neared WY Tower, Dolores requested the car to stop.
“Is something wrong?” Matthew inquired.
“It’s better if I go in separately,” she replied.
Dolores understood that their marriage was something Matthew wished to keep private. Entering separately would avoid any misunderstandings.
Her actions started to puzzle Abbott. In the past, Dolores had tarnished Matthew’s reputation, but now…
Dolores exited the car, and Abbott drove to the underground garage.
Matthew stepped out of the car and entered the elevator, with Abbott closely trailing behind.
Abbott’s curiosity about Matthew’s feelings for Dolores grew, and he decided to ask.
“Mr. Nelson, do you prefer Ms. Flores or Ms. White?”