In truth, Kayden’s refusal to shake hands wasn’t about a lack of manners. He simply disliked shaking hands with people.
Handshakes were merely a social custom, a way for friends or business partners to greet each other. But Kayden was neither friends nor partners with Sheldon. The gap in their status was too great; Sheldon had no right to shake his hand. Even Sheldon’s father wouldn’t have that privilege.
For most people, shaking Kayden’s hand would be the honor of a lifetime!
“Hmph!” Scarlett snorted as she walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fruit.
She mocked, “Sheldon, don’t mind this idiot. His brain doesn’t work properly!”
“Do you know who Sheldon is?” Scarlett boasted to Kayden. “He’s the young master of the Whitley family, one of the top five families in Zlando. Their business empire spans the entire country!”
The Whitley family she mentioned ranked third among Zlando’s elite. Their wealth was indeed substantial. However, even if you combined the assets of all five top families in Zlando, it wouldn’t come close to Kayden’s fortune. The Whitley family was barely a blip on Kayden’s radar.
Scarlett continued, “Do you know why Sheldon is here? He’s taking charge of their Southwest region operations. Soon, half of the Southwest’s industries will belong to the Whitley family. He came to Hiphia today specifically to see Georgia.”
“Sheldon, ignore this fool and have a seat!” Scarlett glared at Kayden, wishing she could chase away this unwanted presence. She was treating Sheldon as if he were already her son-in-law.
Sheldon sat down with a smile and said, “Mrs. Adams, Kayden hasn’t said anything wrong. He’s actually quite nice. I envy him for marrying Georgia. Many men would be jealous of that.”
As he spoke, Sheldon’s gaze remained fixed on Georgia, his intense stare making her blush.
“Hmph!” Scarlett grew increasingly irritated. She said angrily, “I really don’t know what Georgia’s grandpa was thinking, marrying her off to such an idiot. Isn’t this ruining Georgia’s life? Georgia is a great beauty. Sometimes I feel it’s so unfair to my daughter! But don’t worry, Sheldon. Georgia is still pure. Even though they’ve been married for three years, nothing has happened between her and this fool. He still sleeps on the floor!”
These words were like a sword piercing Kayden’s heart. It was true; he was still sleeping on the floor.
In Scarlett’s eyes, even though Kayden had recovered, even though he had saved her life once, even though he had given her a thirty-million-dollar ring, she still saw him as nothing but a useless idiot.
“Don’t worry, Sheldon. Georgia is very disciplined and won’t give herself away easily. If you’re willing, I can arrange for Georgia to get a divorce at any time. Of course, this depends on how your relationship develops!”
As she spoke, Scarlett looked at Sheldon with motherly affection.
What was she doing? She was trying to sell her daughter off a second time to Sheldon.
Not long ago, she had pushed Georgia towards the wealthy Tony. Now, upon meeting Sheldon, she was pushing Georgia towards him. This truly embodied the saying, “I’m doing this for your sake!” She genuinely believed she was doing what was best for her daughter, hoping to marry Georgia off to someone reliable.
In Scarlett’s world, whoever had the most money and influence was considered reliable.
“Mom!” Georgia’s face was burning red. Hearing these shameful words, she looked at Kayden with guilt and quickly exclaimed, “What are you saying?”
“Am I wrong? Weren’t you dating Sheldon in college? If your grandfather hadn’t forced you to marry this idiot, you’d probably be Sheldon’s wife by now, and I’d be part of the Whitley family.”
As she spoke, Scarlett put on an air of self-importance.
Georgia felt extremely embarrassed. She looked at Kayden, truly afraid he might get angry. This was undoubtedly trampling on his dignity, forcefully grinding Kayden’s pride into the dirt!
“Mom, how can you say such things!” Georgia said angrily.
Sensing the tension, Sheldon intervened, “Mrs. Adams, that’s all in the past! Those were just college days, long gone now. As long as I can see Georgia is happy now, I’m content. I can tell that Kayden really loves Georgia and respects you too. His tolerance is truly admirable.”
These words made it sound as if Kayden was a kept man, silently enduring such insults.
Of course, there was another layer to Sheldon’s words. He was essentially confirming what Scarlett had said – that he had indeed been Georgia’s boyfriend in college.
“Marrying such an idiot, she can’t even hold her heads up in public. It’s not just her – our whole family has lost all standing because of him!” Scarlett continued to grumble.
Kayden took a deep breath and calmly said, “I’ve already told you, from now on, people will look up to and admire my wife. No one will ever insult her or look down on her again.”
Sheldon struggled to hold back a laugh, thinking to himself. “You? Wearing clothes that cost less than 200 dollars, and you expect people to look up to your wife? You’re living in a dream world!”
Of course, he wouldn’t actually say that. As someone they perceived as successful, he had to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor. Even if he truly looked down on this good-for-nothing and had designs on his wife, he wouldn’t voice such thoughts aloud.
Georgia, hearing Kayden’s words, didn’t find them heartwarming at all. On the contrary, she felt extremely embarrassed. It was like a beggar who couldn’t afford a simple meal constantly promising to take you out for a luxurious dinner.
“That’s enough, Kayden!” Georgia said, looking at him with a mortified expression, feeling utterly humiliated.
“By the way, what does Kayden do for work?” Sheldon suddenly asked.
Though it sounded like a casual inquiry, it was actually quite deliberate.
Looking at Kayden’s attire, Sheldon figured there wasn’t much work he could do.
Scarlett pursed her lips and said, “What work could he possibly do? He’s unemployed! Just lazing around all day! Once he leaves our family, who knows how long he’ll last.”
“Oh!” Scarlett suddenly exclaimed, as if something had just occurred to her. “Kayden, since your idiocy has been cured, why don’t you divorce my daughter? Surely you’re not planning to tie her down for life, are you?”
These words clearly caught Kayden off guard. Although he never took Scarlett’s words seriously, this was going too far.
Oh well, he thought. Best to get used to it.