After putting on makeup and changing into the outfit Rex set aside for her, they left the flower garden Villa and headed towards the Anderson villa. While they were driving, Ariel recalled last night’s events. She was aching all over, and her legs were still wobbly. Hence, she couldn’t even sit well in the car.
Once in the Anderson mansion, Rex Anderson still sat in a wheelchair with his legs covered with a blanket.
Ariel sized him up, knowing his pretentious act. She coughed lightly and was about to leave when she felt someone grabbing her wrist.
She lowered her head and met Rex Anderson’s gaze!
“Let go. I know the way in so I can see myself in. Subsciously Subsciously, Ariel shook him off.
“Don’t touch me”
“Your imaginations are quite wild, you’re thinking too much. I only ask you to push the wheelchair.”
“Don’t you think that is too much to ask? Ask your assistant to push you”
Rex took a deep breath, frowned and reminded her, “if you want your families and mine to send people to monitor your every move some days after your wedding, then don’t push me”
Ariel’s eyes swept across his half-masked face before she unwillingly walked behind him and pushed the wheelchair.
Putting on a meek smile, she entered into the Anderson villa. However, the moment she laid her eyes on the delicious spread on the table, her mouth watered while her stomach rumbled in hunger. She gulped down her saliva silently at one corner while waiting to be seated. Just then, Rex’s Grandmother, Cathy Anderson, waved at them.
“Oh my gosh, is this not sister-in-law!?” before Ariel could reach the restaurant, she heard a mocking voice from afar.
“I thought you and my cousin would be having a blissful honeymoon, busy having sex and wouldn’t be able to wake up to attend our weekend family breakfast this morning.”
Ariel heard the ridicule’ in the Andersons’ young master’s words. Although she has a bad impression of Rex Anderson, she would never allow his people to mock her either.
Just as she was about to refute, her wrist suddenly felt hot! It was Rex Anderson who touched her, signaling her to not speak.
“Andrea, your sister in-law is feeling shy. Stop teasing her.”
“Mom, I was just curious, after all it was difficult for my cousin to stand up, but I heard my dearest cousin went to the villa last night after abandoning you for days after your wedding… you must be tired out, right, sister- in- law?”
“Yes! I was really tired! My legs are still shaking!” Ariel couldn’t help but interrupt, forcing Andrea’s next word back to his throat.
Grandma Anderson frowned and coughed to break the awkward atmosphere.
“All of you should shut that thing you called mouth and sit down to eat!” “My dear Rex, come. Take a seat beside me.”
There were two empty seats by her side, obviously saved for the newly-wedded couple.
“Grandma!” yelled Rex happily. Sorry I came late. I was just busy dealing with some stuff.
“Silly child, come sit with me”
Ariel pushed Rex Anderson to sit with Old Madam Anderson and sat down. “Can we eat now?” she inquired.
“How rude! You came to the Anderson villa late and forced us to wait for you. Now, you’re about to eat ahead of us. Don’t you have any manners?”
Ariel shot an indifferent glance at one of Rex Anderson’s cousins, Claudia Anderson, who was reprimanding her sternly. She lowered her head and spoke shyly, “Grandma, Rex and I… had a rough night. So we…”
A delighted smile appeared on old lady Anderson’s face as she gestured towards one of the helpers. “Now, now. You’re newlyweds, so we understand. Why don’t I ask them in the kitchen to prepare some nutritious food for you? You must be tired from last night’s events.”
“Mother! How could you be so lenient with her…”
Before Brenda Anderson could finish, her husband, Fidelis Anderson, cut her off. “Shut up. How dare you criticize Rex’s wife before Mom?”
Seeing that her husband was reprimanding her, Brenda fell silent and glared at Ariel.
Brenda had been sharp-tongued for years ever since she married into the Anderson family, so she was upset at how Ariel was dismissed by old lady Anderson that easily.
Glaring in return, Ariel was now no easy meat either. Hmph! Don’t think that just because you’re the second lady of the Anderson that I’ll be afraid of you. I’m not! If anyone in the Anderson family dares to go against me, I’ll be sure to retaliate boldly!
“Alright now. Let’s eat,” announced old madam Anderson. “My dearest grandson is married, and I’m so thrilled!”.
Andrea glanced at Ariel and saw that she had a fake smile on her face.
The breakfast was extremely boring. Ariel couldn’t help but sneakily glance at Rex Anderson’s side profile, as the man had been quiet all along.
He was slow and unhurried, his movements were graceful and they had a bit of laziness and naturalness to them.
This kind of temperament was something that could not be imitated by any individual.
Although she hated Rex Anderson’s plot and arrogance, she had to admit in her heart that he was very charming and that many women would flood him once they found out he wasn’t disabled. She cringed at the thought of Rex going out with another woman.
Rex noticed her stare.
“Honey, if you keep staring at me like this, how will I be able to eat my breakfast? And you should eat something since you are tired out”, he stressed the word tired out for the people at the table to hear, he then fetched some food and put it on Ariel’s plate.
The people on the table felt uncomfortable by the display the newlyweds were putting on, as someone like Fidelis Anderson thought in his heart that the two people were just putting on an act, as he was sure Rex Anderson was crippled.
After breakfast, after greeting the relatives who were obviously masking their actual emotions, Ariel was certain they were no pushovers.
Old Madam Anderson told everyone to stay back as she had an announcement to make. It turned out that she was going to hand a fashion company under her name and forty percent of the Anderson group of companies to Rex as a wedding gift.
At once, a heavy cloud of silence hung in the air and filled the entire room. Rex, however, was cold and emotionless, like it had nothing to do with him. Or so it seemed to the rest of the Anderson.
As Ariel was his wife, she was about to thank Old Madam Anderson when a young lady around her age rose to her feet.
The young lady, Dana Anderson, was clad in a fashionable outfit from a luxury brand if the cost of the accessories she had on were to be calculated, it’s a huge amount of money. Her short hair hung in curls around her oval face, making her look both lively and professional.
Right now, she was complaining in front of the whole Anderson family, “Grandma, I’ve been running your fashion company all this while. Did you not think it’s unfair to just take it away from me without a notice, how could you hand it to this crippled person,?”
“Who are you calling a crippled?” Ariel jumped out of her seat immediately like the good and obedient wife she was.
After realizing Rex Anderson was just pretending this morning, Ariel knew she had to please him at times in order to survive in the Anderson family and get her mother’s property back.
To gain his trust, she had to stand out and defend him when someone was bullying him.
“I won’t allow you to criticize my husband. Apologize to him, now!” she glared at Dana angrily.
However, Dana shot her a disdainful look. “Just who do you think you are? Everyone knows that the Ann family sacrificed you in order to establish connections with our family. They can’t bear to part with their precious daughter, so they got an illegitimate like you to take her place. The person you’re sold to is nothing but a crippled!”
Unwilling to back down, Ariel retorted without hesitation. “It doesn’t matter who I used to be. I’m now an Anderson, your sister-in-law, and Rex is your cousin. As a member of the Anderson family, how could you say such a thing? Shame on you!”
“Tsk-tsk… Uncle Fidelis, is this how you teach your daughter?” Ariel turned around and glanced at Fidelis and Brenda with a faux surprised look on her face.
“B*tch, what did you-”
“Shut up!”
The sarcasm in Ariel’s voice was too obvious, making both Claudia and Dana contort in anger immediately. But just as they were about to curse out loud, Fidelis stopped them.
“Ariel is absolutely right. From now on, stop embarrassing the Anderson family.”
Andrea who has been watching in silent finally speaks up.
“Dad what are you saying, how could grandma do this to us we only have twenty percent out of the Anderson groups of company and now she’s making Rex the sole owner of the Anderson companies how could she be so inconsiderate, we do all the works and the profit just go to this cripp…..”
“Shut up” Fidelis stopped Andrea.
I’ve said it once and I’m now repeating it stop embarrassing the Anderson Family. Mom owns her share. She decided about whom to give. It is not up to you to complain and Rex is your cousin stop using his disability against him. Watch your tongue”, Fidelis Anderson warned Andrea sternly and, without waiting for the Old madam of the Anderson to dismiss the meeting, Andrea stormed out.
Rex Anderson glanced at Fidelis Anderson and snickered, such a pretentious human being kept playing nice. He thought
“Yes, as an Anderson, we must always watch our language. Don’t be a shame to our family,” said Old Madam Anderson, as she nodded in agreement. She seemed pleased that Ariel had addressed herself as an Anderson earlier.
Then, Old Madam Anderson added gently, “I told you to run my company on behalf of me. I’ve never said I’d hand the company to you. Now Rex is married, please hand the company over to them.”
“Okay.”
Knowing that her grandmother favored Rex Anderson and the fact that her father had yelled at her, she had no choice but to accept her fate for now. Rex might be crippled, but it was a well-known fact that old madam Anderson still adored him over her. Therefore, no matter how hard she tried, she knew she would never win her grandmother’s recognition.
“I’ll do as you say, Grandma,” she said reluctantly, even though her heart was simmering with annoyance.
After that announcement, old Madam Anderson dismissed everyone but asked Ariel and Rex to spend the rest of the day in the Anderson villa.