Chapter 301-310

Chapter 301

It seemed that Michael did not forget. Moreover, the ring’s style was exactly my type. There was no doubt that he had personally selected the ring.

“Do you like it?”

Michael’s gaze softened as he saw happy tears rolling down my cheeks. He quickly strode toward me, took the ring, got down on one knee before me, and slid the ring onto my finger.

At that moment, as I stared at the ring on my finger, I couldn’t believe that it was real. Is this a dream? Has Michael just proposed to me?

I could never bring myself to imagine him proposing to me. All this while, I thought that the happiest time of my life would be the day I became Michael’s wife. That thought changed after that day.

Michael, who knew me like the back of his hand, was aware that I was still immersed in the surprise. As a result, he didn’t press me for an answer. He merely sat next to me and pulled me into his arms.

“I promise to give you everything any woman would ever dream of,” declared Michael in a soft but firm voice as he wrapped his arms around me tightly.

His declaration was full of affection. As of that moment, I felt that I had lived my life to the fullest. To obtain Michael’s love was the luckiest thing that could happen in my life.

Women were emotional beings, and I was no exception. As Michael’s declaration had touched me, I couldn’t help but cry uncontrollably. All I could do was tighten my hug and feel the warmth of his embrace.

“I love you, Michael.” As I stuffed my face into Michael’s chest, my voice came out muffled.

Michael’s body stiffened upon hearing what I said. Though he knew about my love toward him, he had never heard me declaring it out loud. The next moment, the embrace became more intense.

It took me a long while to finally recompose myself. As I glanced up, I saw Michael looking down at me with a smile. My gaze then fell on his plump lips. The next second, I raised my head and captured his lips.

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“Michael, take me…” I whispered in Michael’s ear lustfully and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Since you’re the one asking for it, don’t beg me for mercy later, Anna.”

An hour later, Michael collapsed on top of me. It took him quite some time to be able to breathe evenly again.

“How do you feel? Did you enjoy it?”

The redness on my face caught Michael’s attention, and he smirked smugly in return.

I rolled my eyes at him and turned away shyly to avoid answering his question. Doesn’t he know the answer to that? He couldn’t have possibly not heard my cries. I’m sure he is just trying to tease me.

“What’s with that look? Are you not satisfied? If so, then let’s go for another round.” Michael deliberately twisted the meaning of my response and looked at me teasingly.

Seeing how much he was messing with me made me want to slap him in the face as a punishment.

But lucky for him, I was exhausted and had no energy left. I didn’t have the mood to react to his jokes.

Seeing how tired I was, Michael felt sorry for me and didn’t continue with his tease. Instead, he carried me to the bathroom, positioned me in the bathtub, and helped me to clean up.

While it was enjoyable to have someone serve me, I found Michael annoying because he kept taking advantage of me. I tried to stop him but in vain.

After the bath, Michael placed me on the bed before returning to the bathroom to clean himself.

Bone-tired, I drifted off into a deep slumber without waiting for Michael to get in the bed.

The next morning when I woke up, my face turned red uncontrollably as soon as I saw the hickeys on me. They had reminded me of the happenings with Michael the night before, which had lasted for an hour.

At the same time, my phone rang. The sight of Michael’s name on the caller ID left me grinning happily, and I quickly answered the call.

“Are you up?” Michael’s sexy voice came through the moment the call connected.

“I just woke up,” I replied.

I then took a glance at the time on my phone. Wow, it’s already ten o’clock in the morning. I bet I’m the only person still in bed at this hour.

“Get up and get dressed. I’ve arranged for our parents to meet today.” Michael’s voice came through again, and his words shocked me.

I didn’t speak to him about this before. How could he know to arrange for this? Did he have such a plan in his mind too?

“What? Why would you want to meet my parents out of a sudden?” I asked carefully after a moment of silence.

After the last meeting with my mother, I hadn’t had the courage to speak to Michael about her betrothal gift request. I had a hunch that my parents would press on this matter if they met that day.

“Your mom called me today and requested it. They are your family, so it’s appropriate to grant them that. After all, the request is not outrageous,” Michael answered honestly upon hearing my question.

I, on the other hand, was disappointed after hearing his answer. I could feel my heart sink instantly. Since my mother requested the meeting, I was sure that she would talk about the betrothal gift.

As I got worried, I forgot to answer Michael.

“Are you okay? Why aren’t you saying anything? Is something wrong?” Michael’s confused voice sounded from the other end of the phone, thinking something was wrong.

“N-Nothing. I’m just worried that Mrs. Shaw would not accept my parents.”

I wouldn’t be so worried if my parents merely wanted to meet Michael as I could explain to him what was going on. However, if Josephine saw how avaricious my parents were, she would conclude that I was a gold digger. If so, it would be hard for me to explain it to her afterward.

“Don’t worry about it. You have me. Go wash up. I had my secretary send you clothes to wear. I’ll go pick you up in the afternoon.”

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Michael, however, had no clue about my worries. After informing me of his plan, he hung up the phone. Dread grew in my heart.

I then picked up the phone and dialed my mother’s number. After a few rings, the call got disconnected, and it made me frown. I tried again, but it didn’t work. At that instant, as I wasn’t sure what my mother’s intentions were at the moment, I was getting worried.

Noon arrived, and Michael picked me up on time. On the other hand, I had put on the flower print dress sent by Michael’s secretary. Though it was simple, it was a designer dress.

I was agitated when I got into Michael’s car. Since morning, I’d been trying to call my mother, but there was no answer. I really couldn’t wrap my head around her plan.

Soon after, we arrived at a five-star hotel owned by Michael. When we first met, Michael had even deliberately booked a room there to make love with me.

“Your parents should have arrived. I have ordered the manager to take them to a private room. You don’t have to worry about anything,” Michael reassured me in a flat tone and grabbed my hand as he noticed my anxiousness.

I nodded and returned his gaze as I knew he was trying to comfort me. In any case, I wasn’t worried about Michael not doing a good job of welcoming my parents. Instead, I was scared that my parents would ask for outrageously greedy conditions.

Michael and I arrived at the luxurious private room on the thirty-third floor. When we got into the room, I saw both of my parents there acting like rubes.

They were walking around the room, admiring the surroundings and complimenting the quality.

Though my parents were indeed from the countryside, and I had no intention to hide that from Michael or pretend to be someone sophisticated, I was irritated to see the way they acted.

As my parents’ full attention was on the room, they didn’t notice us entering. Hence, I called out to them with a frown of irritation. “Dad, Mom.”

The two regained their senses after hearing my voice. When they saw Michael and me, smiles immediately filled their faces.

“You’re here!”

My mother, Maria, was the first who walked toward me, but her gaze was on Michael. After a quick study, her smile grew wider. It was clear as day that she was satisfied with Michael.

After all, Michael was a near-perfect and impeccable man. I couldn’t find any flaw in him. It would be more likely for Michael to find me unsatisfactory rather than the other way around.

“Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, please have a seat. Do forgive me if the welcoming service is unsatisfactory. My mother will be arriving soon,” Michael greeted them with a faint smile.

Michael knew my parents well, but he was also aware that I craved for my parents’ love. As such, he treated my parents as courteous as he could.

After sitting down, my parents’ gazes continued to be glued to the private room’s surroundings. They were amazed by it. This was merely a private room. Yet, its size was as big as a house.

Seeing how excited my mother was, my heart sank further. “Mom, I called you today. Why didn’t you pick up?”

I got angry when I thought of the unanswered phone calls. I was sure that she deliberately declined my calls.

“What call? Did you call me? I have no idea that you did.”

Upon hearing my question, she pretended to be shocked and confused.

Though I admire her acting skills, she was my mother, and I knew her well enough to spot her lying.

“Are you sure? Why don’t you take your phone out to have a look? You can see that I have called you multiple times in the morning, and you rejected every call,” I called her out on it angrily without saving her face.

I didn’t think of protecting her dignity in front of Michael since I was unsure of her intention.

Her expression darkened after being exposed. Her gaze became unfriendly as well. However, she remained silent about it as Michael was at the scene.

“I’ve used the same phone for years, and it has some problems from time to time. If you had called me and I saw it, I would have picked it up. Isn’t that right, Michael?” She then shifted her attention to Michael.

“You’re right, Mrs. Garcia. I’ll have someone send you a new phone tomorrow.” Michael spoke flatly after taking a glance at me. Since Michael was there to talk about our wedding with my parents, he had to take care of my mother’s feelings.

My mother smiled with satisfaction after hearing Michael’s answer. She then turned to me and commented displeasingly, “Anna, take a page out of Michael’s book. He’s a better child than you.”

Her words angered me, but I had to drop the topic. It was just that I was still mad.

Twenty minutes passed, Josephine still hadn’t turned up, and my parents became impatient. Logically, the man’s parents would be the first to arrive at the scene on such occasions, but things were the other way around that day.

“Michael, is your mother not coming? We’ve been waiting for quite a while. Isn’t it rude that your mother hasn’t arrived?”

My mother’s face darkened after glancing at the door and failing to see Josephine.

“I’ve called her. The traffic is rather heavy at the moment. But I assure you that she will be arriving soon.”

Michael was aware that his mother was late to the meeting on purpose, but he was good at hiding it.

As the atmosphere was getting more and more awkward, the door opened. The graceful Josephine then appeared in front of our eyes.

It was apparent that Josephine had gone through the trouble of dressing up. The number of jewels on her was rather jaw-dropping. After all, she was a wealthy wife, and she could afford the highest quality jewelry.

Mom’s gaze was fixed on Josephine as soon as she entered the room. She was fixated on the jewelry.

“You’re here, Mom! Mr. and Mrs. Garcia have been waiting for a long time for you.”

Michael walked up to his mother and seated her like a gentleman. When Josephine arrived, I saw Michael let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s fine. Your son told us that you were stuck in traffic.”

My mother’s anger instantly dissipated after seeing the jewelry, and she tried to ease the atmosphere.

“Traffic? What traffic?”

However, Josephine wasn’t planning to play nice. She pretended to be confused with my mother’s words.

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“Wasn’t there a traffic jam when your mom was on the way? That must be why she’s late. Michael told us about it just now.”

My mother’s attention was fixated on Josephine at this particular moment, but she still had not realized Josephine was doing it on purpose. Instead, she took her time and explained everything to the woman.

I felt anxious in my heart. Josephine’s first words had given me the impression that things were not going to go well today. I immediately looked toward Michael when I felt worried and noticed he was wearing a sullen expression on his face.

Just then, Josephine tidied her hair and replied in a sarcastic tone, “What traffic? That was just an excuse Michael made up for me. I was setting up a spa appointment with a friend and completely forgot about the meeting today.”

At that moment, even if my mother was oblivious, she could still see that Josephine had no regard for us at all, and her expression turned grim immediately.

When Michael, who was sitting next to Josephine, noticed the tension in the air, his expression darkened as well. “Mom, watch your attitude!” he reminded his mother in a hushed tone while looking at her with a gloomy gaze.

Although Josephine was not fond of me, she still had to show Michael some respect. Despite the dissatisfaction in her eyes when she looked at me, she said nothing in the end.

“You’ve been waiting for a while, Mom and Dad. Please help yourself to some water.”

Because I did not want the atmosphere to turn sour, I did my best to ease the tension between our families, hoping to keep them from causing any more commotion.

At the same time, the waitress began serving the dishes as well, which helped to reduce the awkwardness in the air.

“Mrs. Shaw, given how late it is, you must be hungry as well. Let’s eat first.”

When Michael noticed that Josephine did not respond, his gaze shifted to my parents.

“Sure, sure.”

My parents had spent their entire lives in the countryside and had never dined in such a fancy hotel. They could not help but get excited when they saw the scrumptious dishes being placed on the dining table. Moreover, they had poor table manners as well.

Seeing this, I was left speechless and felt a little embarrassed by their gawking. If Michael was the only one here, I might not be that embarrassed. After all, he was aware of my family’s predicament. However, Josephine was present at the scene as well. She was already bothered by the lifestyle and status differences between me and Michael. Her already bad impression of me was bound to be worsened by my parents’ behaviors.

Sure enough, she had a contemptuous look on her face when she noticed my parents’ poor table manners. There was a hint of disdain in her eyes, and I felt uncomfortable when I saw the way she looked at my parents.

“Have you two been living in the countryside all this while? Judging by the way you’re eating, it seems like…”

I could not tell if Josephine was trying to humiliate my parents or if she had had enough of them. Even though she did not finish her sentence, I could already tell what she was trying to say.

My expression was sour when I turned to look at Josephine. At that moment, my parents were the only ones who had yet to react to the situation.

“Mom, you should leave for your spa appointment if you have nothing nice to say.”

It was evident that Michael was enraged as he cast a stern gaze at his mother. Josephine was about to say something but stopped herself upon Michael’s warning. Clearly, she was furious too.

When my parents noticed Josephine’s hesitance after being warned by Michael, they realized he was the one who had the final say in most matters.

My mother then cleared her throat, shifted her gaze to Michael, and prepared to say something. However, for some reason, a sense of uneasiness arose in me.

Sure enough, what my mother said next had confirmed my conjecture.

“Michael, your wedding with Anna is just around the corner. Shouldn’t there be some things that are held in our tradition?”

My mother’s tone was casual, but the excitement in her eyes gave me an idea about what she was going to say next.

Nervous, I clenched my fists and quickly interrupted her, “Mom, it’s our first meeting today. Why don’t we talk about traditions some other time?”

I knew what my mother was going to say next, had I not stopped her. Knowing my mother’s temperament, she would not be satisfied with just a betrothal gift.

“It’s fine, Mrs. Garcia. Just state your request if you have one. Me and Anna’s wedding is just around the corner. It will be too late if you tell me about it next time.”

I tried my best to deter from the topic, but Michael was oblivious to the nervousness in my tone. Although he and my mother shared some unpleasant interactions in the past, I was going to be married to him. Since my parents were about to become his in-laws, he was naturally more polite toward them.

“Sure! Since you’re insisting, I might as well tell you.”

My mother gave me a disapproving look, and I could tell she was blaming me for not allowing her to speak. At that point, my nerves got the better of me, and I could not utter a word. Furthermore, Michael had allowed my mother to express her wishes, so it would be inappropriate for me to stop her again.

“I’m not sure if this is a tradition in your city. In the countryside, whenever a woman marries, the man is expected to give a betrothal gift.”

As soon as she finished her words, my mother shifted her gaze toward Michael’s face and scrutinized his expression. However, Michael’s face revealed nothing as he remained deadpanned. On the contrary, Josephine furrowed her brows, as if dissatisfied with my mom’s request.

“Mrs. Garcia, how much would you like?”

Michael’s face remained calm and expressionless. I could not tell what he was thinking at the moment.

A betrothal gift of thirty to fifty thousand was nothing to a person of Michael’s status. However, I was concerned that my parents would use this opportunity to demand an outrageous sum.

When she heard Michael’s response, my mother’s face immediately lit up. She then excitedly held up two fingers toward Michael.

“Twenty thousand?”

Josephine was unfazed when she saw my mother extend two fingers. After all, twenty thousand was just pocket money for their family.

A frown formed on my mother’s face as she shook her head in dismissal of Josephine’s guess. “Obviously not. How can it be a mere twenty thousand?”

“Two hundred thousand?” Josephine furrowed her brows as she spoke. Despite believing I was not worth that sum of money, she did not say much.

On the other hand, Michael remained expressionless the entire time, as if he did not care about how much she was going to request.

As I watched the situation unfold, I could not help but frown as I turned to look at my mother. Even in the countryside, a betrothal gift of that amount was extremely outrageous. No one in their right mind would spend that much money on a betrothal gift.

Although my parents were greedy and asked for two hundred thousand, I did not think it was utterly ridiculous.

However, her next words caused my eyes to widen in disbelief. “It’s two million. Not two hundred thousand.”

My mother wore a slight smile on her face as she uttered those shocking words.

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“What do you mean two million? Are you crazy!” Josephine stood up abruptly. A glint of rage flashed across her eyes as she looked at my mother. It was clear that she could no longer put up with my mother’s outrageous behavior.

Furthermore, my heart sank when I noticed Michael was furrowing his brows as well. I knew that two million meant nothing to Michael, but my mother used our marriage to extort such a huge sum of money from him. I could not help wondering if he was feeling sorry for me.

“Mom, don’t you think this is too much?”

Seeing that Michael did not respond after a while, I frowned and looked at my mother with displeasure. I was not expecting her to ask for such a ridiculous amount of money.

“Is two million too much? I raised you from a young age and spent so many years taking care of you. You wouldn’t be where you are right now if it weren’t for your parents. How is it too much to ask for two million? I don’t think the Shaw family will have a problem fulfilling my request even if I’m asking for twenty million.”

My mother’s tone was laced with annoyance when she realized I was taking the Shaw family’s side. She looked at me with rage-filled eyes and scolded me as if I was an unfilial daughter.

Nonetheless, I was dissatisfied with my mother’s actions. She had gone overboard by requesting a two-million betrothal gift. To put it into perspective, in the countryside, betrothal gifts of ten to eighty thousand were already considered excessive.

“How dare you have the audacity to ask for two million as a betrothal gift? Do you really think your

daughter is worth that much money? This is ridiculous!” Josephine jumped from her seat and snorted coldly.

She cast an unhappy gaze at my mother and was visibly upset by the shocking request.

I was well aware of Josephine’s dislike toward me. She had always suspected that I got together with Michael because I was after his money. Now that she was saying these things about me in front of my parents, I could not help but feel heartbroken, despite it being the truth.

“Based on your words, it seems to me that Michael isn’t sincere about marrying Anna. How could you try to settle things in such a half-hearted manner when my daughter is already pregnant with your son’s child?”

My mother was unwilling to back down and stood her ground against Josephine. She appeared to be hell-bent on obtaining the two-million betrothal gift. However, Josephine had already expressed her disapproval of my relationship with Michael. Coupled with the fact that my parents were being greedy, I was afraid that our marriage plans would fall through because of the discord between our families.

“You are clearly trying to extort us!”

Josephine was so enraged that her words were stuck in her throat for a long time. When she finally got her words out, she bellowed furiously at my mother without a single care about her image.

“Don’t say that, Mrs. Shaw. Since my daughter is going to marry into your family, it’s only appropriate for your family to prepare a betrothal gift. How could you call that extortion? Perhaps the Shaw family can’t keep their promise and is intending to walk away from this marriage? My daughter is clearly

carrying Michael’s child. If you decide to back out, I don’t think it will be good for your family’s image if word gets out, don’t you think so too?”

My mother was not dumb and began to threaten Josephine. When I witnessed her behavior, I got chills down my spine. She was clearly blackmailing the Shaw family using my marriage.

“Y-You…”

In the face of my mother’s threats, Josephine was so angry that she could not even utter a single word. At this point, there was nothing but anger on her graceful face.

While I could not tolerate the banter that was going on, I also knew that my parents would not compromise, even if I were to advise them. The longer I remained there, the more humiliation I brought upon myself.

After coming to that realization, I stood up while holding back the tears in my eyes and left quickly.

When Michael noticed I was leaving the room, a slight frown formed on his face. In the next second, he began to chase after me, leaving my parents and Josephine in the private room.

Although I had been preparing for a long time, I still felt uncomfortable about it. Furthermore, my parents’ behavior did not leave me with any options. I did not know what to do right now or how to deal with Josephine in the future.

When I walked out of the hotel, I could not hold back my tears anymore. Why did it turn out this way? I finally have a chance to be with Michael, and I also have a feeling that happiness is just around the corner. How did it become like this? Why is it so difficult for me to lead a simple and happy life?

Michael was following behind and caught up to me. He then grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop in my tracks. However, I was crying profusely at this point.

His eyes were filled with distress when he saw the teardrops streaming down my cheeks. I looked up at him, becoming more and more aggrieved.

“Why did this happen? Why are they doing this to me? What did I do wrong?”

I threw myself into Michael’s arms and hugged his waist tightly as I expressed my sadness.

He sighed helplessly and gently patted my shoulder. I could tell he was heartbroken to see me this way.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this.”

Michael’s voice was not loud, but he sounded confident. Even though I knew he could solve the problem for me, I still felt wrong. My parents treating me like a cash cow was a hard pill to swallow. After all, they used my marriage to get more money for themselves.

Is my happiness truly unimportant in their eyes? Do they have anything else in their minds besides money?

While looking up at Michael with my tearful eyes, I asked, “Will you give them the money”

“You’re not doubting my ability to fork out that sum, are you? Anna, am I really that incapable in your heart?”

Michael lowered his head to look at me and spoke to me in a soothing tone. He used that tone because he did not want me to be too upset about this.

Despite the fact that he did not directly answer my question, I knew he was planning to give my parents the money they had requested.

I also knew that if the two of us wanted to be together in peace, we would have to compromise and relent. However, I was unable to accept this kind of fate. Moreover, if he actually gave it to them, Josephine would despise me even more.

“Two million is not a small amount at all. Furthermore, we don’t ask for that much money in the countryside.”

I lowered my head slightly, feeling a twinge of guilt in my heart. How can I not feel guilty about it? Because of me, Michael has to fork out two million. Moreover, he helped my father pay for his surgery as well. The surgery cost hundreds of thousands, and now my parents are requesting a betrothal gift worth two million!

“You’re priceless in my heart. Two million is nothing to me.”

Looking at the guilty expression on my face, Michael let out a nonchalant chuckle. What he said caused my heart to skip a beat. I didn’t know what to say for a moment, so I just hugged him even tighter.

In Michael’s heart, my baby and I were most important to him. I was well aware of that fact, but that was not the reason for my parents’ greed.

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Thanks to my parents, the terrible feeling I felt earlier remained even after returning home. It was saddening that the first thing they had to say when they saw me was asking for two million.

Despite already acknowledging that I was insignificant to them a long time ago, seeing them prioritizing money over my happiness was still disheartening.

As if that was not enough, Michael received a call from Josephine as soon as we arrived. Even though she did not say anything other than wanting Michael to head home, I perceived that it must be about the incident at the hotel earlier.

After hanging up the phone, Michael stared at me with an unnatural expression. I knew he was pondering about how to tell me about that call.

“Don’t worry about me. Go ahead.” I smiled at him in response while feigning a look of nonchalance desperately.

Still, needing to hide my true feelings was not only unbearable but also depressing. I believed no woman could face such an incident forthrightly if it happened before their wedding.

“I’ll be back very soon.” Michael curled his lips into a half-smile after my words and planted a kiss on my forehead before leaving.

Following his departure, the smile on my face vanished as I looked toward the door in anguish.

Anyhow, I realized that it was not wise for me to dwell on such a feeling unceasingly. Thus, I took a deep breath to compose myself before making up my mind to meet my mother about the money issue.

I would not allow them to receive two million from Michael for no reason whatsoever.

A few moments later, I arrived at the house my mother lived. After knocking on the door for quite some time, someone finally opened it for me. It was Steven. Unlike his previous hospitable demeanor, he looked indifferent when he saw me.

I recognized that their decent attitude toward me previously was only because of the betrothal gift. Since the situation had escalated to this extent, it was no surprise that a 180-degree change of attitude occurred.

Once he opened the door, Steven walked back into the house without even sparing a glance at me.

When I entered the living room, I discovered that my parents were on the couch watching TV. Like Steven, they did not bother to cast a glance at me.

It was pretty apparent that they were ignoring me since I was standing not too far away from them.

Regardless, I decided to remain standing while looking at them watching dramas for the time being as I thought they would talk to me after dissipating their anger. However, I had overestimated my importance. For the next thirty minutes, I was a nobody that no one gave a rip about.

“We need to talk, Mom,” I uttered in a chilling tone, staring at my mother as I could not suppress the fury in my heart any longer.

The second she heard my utterance, my mother shifted her gaze toward me at long last. Her eyes were seething with rage as well.

“There’s nothing to talk about between us! Aren’t you on the Shaw family’s side now? I don’t even know if you’re my daughter anymore!” Those words from my mother were full of displeasure. Undoubtedly, she saw me as the culprit that prevented her from getting two million from the Shaw family earlier at the hotel. She must have thought I was standing up for them.

I intended to talk it through with her initially, but her attitude indicated that it would be fruitless. Her decision would never change, no matter how I was going to reason with her.

“Did you care about my feelings when you asked for two million at once, Mom? Do you realize how difficult my life will be in the Shaw family if we’re on bad terms with them? I’m your daughter, for heaven’s sake!” I spoke everything from the bottom of my heart while staring at my mother in sorrow. Even if she preferred males over females, she should have had paternal love toward me at the very least since I was her daughter. Yet, every decision she had made thus far was hurtful toward me.

In response to my grumble, a hint of guilt surfaced on my mother’s face, and she furrowed her brows. Nonetheless, the more noticeable expression was annoyance. “Who gave you the idea that I didn’t care about you? Isn’t it reasonable for me to ask for a small betrothal gift since you’re about to marry into the Shaw family? We’re the ones who raised you. Shouldn’t you show us some gratitude? Unlike your forthcoming prosperous life, your father and I have suffered for a very long time. Don’t you want to see us having a blissful life?”

Although I would not deny the sensibleness of my mother’s words, a couple of things she did had gone overboard in my judgment. Marriage is equivalent to my paramount happiness. As my parents, shouldn’t they foremost desire to see me having a blessed life instead of emphasizing money? Why didn’t they ever care about that?

“I won’t stop you from asking for a betrothal gift, but two million is too much. A betrothal gift of over a

hundred thousand is already a large amount in our area. Have you considered how Mrs. Shaw would think of me?”

Josephine had always thought I seduced Michael only for money’s sake. Consequent to that incident at the hotel, that opinion of hers must have solidified even more. As a result, changing her impression of me was much more difficult.

“The Shaw family should be happy since you’re pregnant with their descendant!” My mother glanced at me apathetically before resuming to drink her beverage. It seemed like I was unquestionably a nobody to her.

Subsequently, I clenched my fists tightly in furiousness. An urge to cause a big fuss surged within me, but I controlled my emotion because of my pregnancy. Being hot-tempered constantly during pregnancy would affect the baby’s growth.

“I will never allow you to receive two million no matter what, Mom!” I made my position clear to my mother as I could not endure her attitude. She was never going to receive two million from Michael on my watch.

That was not to say that I was reluctant to give financial support to my parents, but their action would only lead to my hardship in the Shaw family.

“You’re sticking up for outsiders now, huh? Are you even my daughter? How can you say such a thing to me?” My mother stood up from the couch while glaring at me.

I would have compromised before, but the numerous things that I experienced during that period had made me realize my place in my parents’ hearts. As I thought what I had done for them over the years

was already sufficient, I was determined to be resolute and prevent myself from suffering once more.

“I’ll ask Michael to give you a betrothal gift of two hundred thousand tomorrow night, Mom. It doesn’t matter whether you want it or not. Don’t even think about the two million. If you think two hundred thousand is not enough, I’ll take it back!” I enunciated those words with a cold tone while subduing the anger in my heart.

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Two hundred thousand was the most I could tolerate. Even though Michael was not short of money and would give more money if my mother let him take the initiative to propose the amount, I was adamant not to compromise because of my parents’ attitude. My pricelessness to Michael was irrelevant at that point as well.

“Two hundred thousand? That’s ridiculous! How can you dismiss your father and me with that amount of money when we have raised you for so many years? You’re such an ungrateful wretch!” My mother looked at me with rage as she spoke. If I were not pregnant, she would have hit me already.

Ungrateful wretch? Again? Despite not showing my genuine feeling outwardly, my heart could not help but feel sorrowful whenever my mother used that term to call me.

In her eyes, I was nothing but an ungrateful and heartless wretch. However, it was dumbfounding that they had overlooked my sacrifices for the family throughout the years.

“I don’t care what you say about me. My decision is final. Whether you want that betrothal gift of two hundred thousand doesn’t bother me as I will not compromise this time regardless. If worse comes to worst, I’ll stop myself from returning to this house ever again! No big deal!” Since my mother would not yield to a meek approach, I had to demonstrate my dominance over her to keep her in check in such circumstances.

“You’ve gone too far for saying such things to Mom, Anna. Are you going to break ties with us because you’re about to marry into a wealthy family? Do you think we’re an embarrassment to you? You must be afraid that we’ll ask for money from you in the future.” Steven limped toward me at that moment, staring at me smugly. The mature aura he emanated during my last visit was no more.

“You can think whatever you want about me!” I had long been accustomed to the scene where each of my family members singled me out. Hence, I glared back at Steven without hesitance while uttering those words before leaving.

Given that I had made my stance clear to them, there was no point in remaining there any longer.

Yes, they were my closest family, but they were also the people who hurt me ad nauseam. No ordinary person would treat what I had experienced like it was nothing. For that reason, there was a strong desire in me to never return to that house forever.

Soon after leaving my parents’ house, tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably once again.

Every time such a problem occurred, I felt like I was about to go insane like a madman.

As I walked along the streets with tears flowing down my eyes, the pedestrians passing by me could not help but cast their glances toward me. Nevertheless, I did not mind that at all. Why should I care about their gazes when I can’t even deal with my family?

A while later, my phone rang. The ringtone sounded for quite some time before I returned to my senses.

As soon as I realized the caller was Michael, I wiped away my tears promptly and cleared my throat before answering the call.

“Michael…” I had more to say initially, but I felt like I was about to burst into tears and could not finish my sentence.

“Where are you? Why aren’t you at home?” I was not sure whether Michael had noticed the oddity in my voice, for his tone had become more anxious.

“I dropped by my mom’s place just now. I left the place not too long ago.” Sniffing my nose, I tried to keep my voice tranquil as best as I could since I did not want Michael to worry about me again.

“Remain at your current spot. I’ll be there right away,” Michael commanded me without delay after hearing my answer. I knew he was still worried about me.

Although there was an element of vexation in his tone, I could feel his utmost concern toward me. A mixture of warmth and melancholy was brewing in my heart at the moment.

After ending the call, I remained at my current location in obedience as I knew Michael was coming for me very soon.

He was most probably the only person in the world who loved me with all his heart, soul, and strength. Sure enough, he was my everything at present.

Around ten minutes later, Michael’s car came into sight. He appeared before me as soon as he stopped the car.

His countenance was a little grim, but I could discern the worry he had for me through his eyes after taking a closer look.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay at home and wait for my return? Why didn’t you listen?” Michael glowered at me after scrutinizing my entire body. His tone while speaking was a combination of anger and concern.

He must have known that I was in a terrible mood as he was the person who understood me the most. In addition to that, he would also perceive that I returned for something unpleasant since it was about my family.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened.” I threw Michael a faint smile before pretending to speak in a carefree manner.

I had no idea how fake my smile was as Michael stared into my eyes intently for quite some time. Then, he scooped me up from the ground and shoved me into the front passenger seat.

In response to his action, I did not resist and sat in the car quietly. The only thing I wanted at that moment was to be by Michael’s side.

Not sure if it was intentional, but Michael was driving pretty slowly. Due to his silence ever since we got into the car, I wondered if he was indeed upset.

“About the betrothal gift—”

“About the betrothal gift—” Coincidentally, Michael and I uttered in unison about the same thing when I was about to tell him concerning the betrothal gift issue.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward as we stopped talking after hearing both parties mentioning the same topic.

“After you.” I smiled at Michael, wanting him to speak first. Verily, I intended to know his point of view regarding my parents’ request.

“I’ll send two million to your family tomorrow,” Michael said those words casually while looking ahead as though that amount of money was picayune.

He always had an unyielding personality, but he chose to give in for the very first time for my sake. Two million was perhaps nothing to him.

“Two million is too much. I’ve already told my family that two hundred thousand is the maximum,” I responded to Michael while gazing at his gorgeous side profile.

Albeit acknowledging that he could probably earn more than two million in a single day, I did not want my parents to take advantage of his wealth.

“What? Do you think you’re only worth two hundred thousand? If your parents ask for twenty million instead of two million, I will still agree to it.” Michael decelerated the car and gazed at me with earnestness.

Those touching words caused my heart to palpitate irresistibly again as I looked at Michael with appreciation. For him, I was invaluable in his heart. He was the only person who thought of me in that way too.

Chapter 308

Feeling incredibly touched, I was on the brink of tears. I lifted my head slightly, trying not to lose myself in front of Michael.

“I know that you don’t lack money, but you know my parents’ personalities well, right? If you give them the money this time, they’ll definitely ask for more in the future. I don’t want my family to burden you.” I was very insistent with my point, unwilling to give in.

Hearing that, Michael turned to look at me. I instantly noticed the surprise in his eyes. Perhaps he had never expected me to make that decision. After all, I was always the one to compromise every time something happened with my family. I knew that Michael would be surprised upon seeing how determined I was this time.

“All right. I’ll listen to you.” Michael stopped insisting.

After we were together, there were several times I became the one to make decisions, and Michael would always respect my choices.

The next day, Michael sent two hundred thousand to my parents’ place. I did not tag along as I did not want to argue with them anymore. As soon as he came back, I tried to ask him about the situation, but he dismissed the topic readily. Although he did not show any emotion on his face, I was very sure that my parents had not treated him pleasantly.

Michael had always acted all high and mighty. Everyone around him treated him with respect, but my parents were rude to him. For an arrogant man like him to endure and tolerate them must be hard.

There were still three days left until our wedding. I was feeling excited and nervous at the same time. I

could not help but look forward to it. In three days, I can finally stay with Michael forever.

Michael prepared and settled everything for the wedding ceremony on his own. He even looked for someone in Pillere to custom-tailor my wedding gown. Our wedding would surely be unable to compare to Emma’s, but Michael was putting a lot of heart into it.

I would be moving to Michael’s mansion after our marriage. Hence, he asked me to go and take a look at his place.

He had some matters to handle in the company, so I hailed a taxi to his place alone. In all honesty, I liked our tiny house better compared to his spacious mansion, as our house felt much warmer. Moreover, the furnishings in his house was black and white. That color scheme made the place look even colder.

I paced back and forth in the living room, thinking of ways to make the space feel warmer.

Sitting on the couch with my legs on the coffee table, I fell asleep shortly after, which might have been due to my pregnancy.

Suddenly, I woke up to the sound of someone coughing. As I opened my eyes in a daze, Josephine’s face appeared in front of me. My heart instantly dropped.

Am I hallucinating? Why is she here? I must be dreaming. I tried to comfort myself internally. However, I could not help but stand up straight in the next second. Right then, I finally regained my senses. Josephine was, indeed, looking at me right in front of me.

“Mrs. Shaw, what brings you here?”

Josephine was not satisfied with me all this time. I had to be extra careful in front of her as I did not want to anger her.

“Ms. Garcia, don’t you know you should be more aware of your image as a woman? If you’re tired, you can go ahead and take a nap on the bed. How could you sleep on the couch and put your legs on the coffee table like that? Do you think that’s how an educated lady should behave?” Josephine ignored my question. She glanced at the table and spoke with a voice filled with contempt.

I lowered my eyes, trying to avoid her eyes as I listened to her lectures. I did not expect Josephine to come. If I knew that she would be here, I would have never done that. Nevertheless, everything was already too late.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Shaw. I’ll be more mindful next time.” I had no choice but to be obedient in front of Josephine. After all, she was Michael’s mother, so I hoped that I could change her impression of me.

Unfortunately, her actual impression of me was far from my expectation. Although I had already apologized to her, she refused to let me off.

“I don’t understand what’s wrong with Michael. Why would he fall in love with such a useless woman like you? I’ve never expected my daughter-in-law to be a hoyden. Our family is going to be a joke if this news spreads!” Josephine stared at me with a contemptuous look on her face as she insulted me.

Although I had mentally prepared myself for that, I could not help but get infuriated upon hearing her words.

I tried to suppress my anger as I did not want the situation to worsen. Besides, Josephine was an elder to me. She would also become my mother-in-law in a few days, so I had to respect her.

“Mrs. Shaw, I know that you’re very dissatisfied with me. I’m also aware that there’s a big gap between the Shaw family and me. But then, don’t you worry. I’ll try my best to learn everything so that I won’t embarrass the Shaw family.”

The people from the upper-class society valued their reputations the most. It was apparent that Josephine cared about her ego and dignity a lot. It must be hard for her to accept the marriage between Michael and me. I could only learn to be better so I would not embarrass their family.

“You won’t embarrass the Shaw family? We’ve already become a joke in the corporate world! Don’t you know that we’re the big shot in the industry? Rumors have already been spreading around ever since Michael decided to marry a worthless woman like you.” Josephine shot me a disdainful glance. No matter how much I tried to please her, her attitude to me was as rude as usual.

Everyone thought that I did not deserve Michael. However, our statuses could never be compared to the value of our relationship.

I stood still in front of Josephine, remaining silent. No matter how much I tried to please her, she would never change her attitude toward me. Deep inside, I was a prideful person, and her words had challenged my patience.

Just when the tension in the air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife, Michael came back and broke the silence. As soon as he noticed Josephine in the living room, he was stunned for a moment. Then, he walked briskly toward us and stopped between Josephine and me.

“Mom, why are you here?”

With that said, he turned around to size me up.

“You’re getting married soon, so I came here to help you with the arrangements. Can’t I do that?”

Chapter 309

Upon noticing Michael’s gaze on me, Josephine knew that he was worried about me. Hence, her tone and attitude became harsher.

In fact, I understood why she would act in that way. Her son cared about another woman’s feelings more than hers. It was only natural she would feel upset.

“Of course, you can do that. But then, we don’t want to trouble you. Anna will handle everything here since this is our house. She can decorate it according to her preferences.” Michael flashed a smile.

He pretended to worry about Josephine on the surface. However, he was being considerate of me deep inside his heart. After all, he knew that I did not want to face Josephine.

“Michael, I know what you’re thinking. You’ve forgotten about your mom now that you have a wife, huh? Is Anna more important than me?” Josephine understood what was on Michael’s mind. The more Michael tried to defend me, the more she hated me.

I lowered my head without saying anything, not wanting our relationship to become tenser.

“Mom, that’s enough, or I’ll really get angry.” The man frowned as he warned with displeasure.

Michael was not good at pleasing anyone. He had never sweet-talked anyone, including me.

Josephine knew him well. She turned to glare at me, saying nothing upon noticing the impatient expression on his face.

Feeling helpless, I let out a sigh. I don’t think Michael knows how complicated the relationship between

a mother and daughter-in-law is. Otherwise, he would not have defended me just now.

Perceiving Josephine’s sharp gaze, I felt anxious. I did not even dare to raise my head to look into her eyes, afraid that she would vent her anger at me.

“Mom, if you have no other business here, you should go home and get some rest now. Don’t worry about the wedding anymore. You only have to attend the ceremony on that day.” A moment later, Michael glanced at Josephine, who was glaring at me furiously.

My heart immediately sank upon hearing his words. I let out a sigh under my breath. That’s not helping!

“Are you chasing me away now? How can you do that to me? I’m your mother!” Josephine widened her eyes in surprise. Her gaze was blazing with anger.

To be honest, anyone would be infuriated to hear him say that. I would be mad too.

“No, Mrs. Shaw. We’ll be happy if you can stay and help us with the decorations.” I instantly grabbed Michael’s arm to stop him before he managed to say anything else. Then, I turned to look at Josephine with a bright smile.

Michael stared at me in confusion upon hearing that. He furrowed his brows slightly, trying to figure out the reason I said that.

However, I could not explain much to him in front of Josephine.

I tried to change the topic so that we could resolve the awkwardness. Josephine understood my

intention behind my words, so she did not continue the argument with me.

“Michael, do you see that? You’re worse than an outsider. I shouldn’t have given birth to you in the past. All you do is make me angry every day.” Josephine stared at Michael upon glancing at me.

I knew that Josephine was calling me an outsider. Although I was upset to hear that, I continued to put on a smile.

“Mom!” Michael was never a patient man. He raised his voice as he noticed the sarcasm in Josephine’s words.

“Forget about it. My feelings don’t matter to you anymore now that you have a wife. Fine. I’ll stop bothering you and take my leave now,” Josephine blurted that sentence out after a second. She took her handbag before turning around to leave.

I let out a sigh of relief as I watched Josephine leave. However, I could not help but feel disappointed. There are only three more days to our wedding, but Mrs. Shaw still hasn’t accepted me.

I was just an ordinary person. I did not wish for a grand or expensive wedding. The only thing I wanted was blessings for my marriage.

“Don’t take that to heart. Just give me a call if anything like that happens again in the future. I’ll come back and settle it for you.” Michael turned to look at me.

His tone was calm, but I knew he was worried about me.

“Don’t defend me like that in front of Mrs. Shaw next time. She’s going to dislike me even more.” I rolled my eyes at him with a sigh.

“Why? Am I supposed to sit here and listen to her snarky comments without doing anything?” Michael frowned.

“You won’t understand even if I explain it to you. Women’s thoughts are complicated.” I wanted to explain to him at first. However, I immediately recalled that he was just a typical man, so there was no way he could understand that.

Michael did not probe further upon hearing that. After all, that was not the main issue right then.

Josephine was Michael’s only family member I had met before. Therefore, he decided to bring me to visit his parents and grandfather in the Shaw residence the next day.

I had hardly heard anything about his family from him, but that was a given.

I thought that Michael’s mansion was already pretty big. However, as soon as I arrived at the Shaw residence, I was stupefied. They were not staying in an ordinary mansion as the building and compound were way more luxurious than anything I could ever imagine. The building was a few times bigger than Michael’s mansion. Moreover, the decorations of the estate were resplendent and majestic.

The Shaw family’s wealth was beyond my imagination. Standing at the entrance, I could not help but feel nervous. After all, I already found it hard to deal with Josephine. If the rest of Michael’s family members act like his mother, it’ll be difficult for us to be together.

I followed behind Michael as we walked toward the mansion. My fingers were in a twist from my

nerves, and my heart thumped fast as I wondered about his family’s attitudes toward me.

Michael noticed my nervousness, so he stopped walking. As soon as I stopped beside him, he reached out a hand to grab mine.

“Don’t be so anxious. I’m not sending you to execution.” His lips curled into a smile.

My heart is going to jump out of my mouth soon. How dare he still makes fun of me? Perhaps I looked a little funny as I felt uneasy.

Chapter 310

“I’m here, no matter what happens.” Detecting that I was worried, Michael held my hand tightly and looked at me tenderly.

I felt a lot more at ease after feeling the temperature coming from his palm and took a deep breath to calm down. I would have to meet Michael’s family sooner or later, anyway.

Michael led me through the long corridor while holding my hand, and we finally arrived at the living room.

An older man around seventy years old sat in the living room on a couch. Although his hair was gray, his agile and deep eyes seemed capable of reading a person’s thoughts.

His eyes went straight to me when Michael and I entered the living room. I felt inexplicably pressured once I noticed his gaze.

Rooted to the ground, I didn’t know what to do. I knew the identity of this old man as soon as I saw him even though Michael had not introduced him yet.

“Hello, Grandpa.” I finally remembered to greet the old man after hesitating and standing still for quite a while.

I worried that he would be difficult to get along with judging by his looks because his eyes made me a little uneasy, but soon after, I knew I was overthinking things.

“So this is my granddaughter-in-law. Come here and let me take a look at you.”

Stunned after hearing what he said, I wondered if there was something wrong with my hearing because he looked strict, yet his words felt kind.

I turned to Michael and saw him gesturing at me to go over to the old man with a smile.

Today was the first time I came to the Shaw residence. I looked away from Michael and walked toward his grandpa. At the same time, I saw Josephine watching me with a displeased look, and I knew that she was still angry with me.

I stopped and hesitated when I was close to the old man as I didn’t know what to do next.

“Your name is Anna Garcia, right?” Michael’s grandpa, Andy, took the lead and started a conversation. I guess he couldn’t help but show some kindness when he saw me standing there nervously.

“Yes, Grandpa.” I lowered my head and answered softly.

“Anna means one full of grace. It’s a good name.” The old man looked at me with a smile before taking my hand and letting me sit beside him.

Having him treating me so kindly, I was surprised and felt inexplicably happy. I could feel that he wasn’t ostracizing me and that he liked me quite a fair bit. I felt so much lighter because of this. After all, I didn’t want Michael’s family to hate me.

“Anna looks decent, Michael. You should treat her well and never hurt her after marriage, you hear me?” The old man patted my hand, looking pleased before turning to Michael and speaking with a hint of authority in his tone.

“I know. I’ll cherish her all my life.”

Michael was in a good mood when he saw that his grandpa was pleased with me. However, for some reason, what he said made me uncomfortable. Am I not thinking straight recently?

“Dad, you can’t possibly be satisfied with her as a granddaughter-in-law, right?” Josephine spoke while glancing at me coldly before turning to Andy.

“Anna is so much better than Emma. She looks pleasant and pleasing to the eyes; I like her.” The old man made no secret of his appreciation toward me.

I felt happy when hearing his praise and satisfied that I could gain the approval of someone in the Shaw family.

“Dad, you only like her because you don’t know what she has done yet!” Josephine looked at me again, and her expression turned colder.

I knew she didn’t want the old man to like me, so she deliberately targeted me. It made me feel nervous immediately.

Andy had a good first impression of me, but I was worried that her words would change that.

Michael’s expression was also faintly sullen at this time. He was pretty angry, seeing that his mother was targeting me.

“I’ve lived for a long time already, and you don’t think I know how to read people?” The old man

snapped before she could continue. He also looked at her with dissatisfaction.

Josephine had always acted high and mighty, so she would dare to target me even in front of Michael. But the old man knew what to say, and he also used a fierce tone when he spoke. Josephine immediately stopped talking when she heard him and shot me a glare.

“Anna, you will soon become a member of our family. You can tell me if someone in this family makes things difficult for you—I will help you.” Andy retook my hand and spoke kindly.

This was the first time someone other than Michael defended me like this. My eyes reddened from all the overwhelming emotions. I didn’t know why but I felt the deep affection from Andy, the kind of affection elders gave to the younger generations.

This was the first time I met him, yet he made me experience familial affections. I was completely fond of the old man at that instant.

“Thank you, Grandpa,” I sniffed before smiling at him.

Michael just smiled slightly without saying anything when he saw my reaction.

I noticed a room not far away with its door open at this time. Inside the room was a middle-aged man practicing calligraphy, and his figure appeared very elegant. The man must be Michael’s father.

I stood up and went to the door of the study before offering my greeting. “Hello, Mr. Shaw. I am Anna Garcia.”

In my impression, people who liked calligraphy were often very scholarly and would be kind to others.

And as expected, Lincoln Shaw looked up and promptly smiled at me after hearing my greeting. “Oh, it’s you, my soon-to-be daughter-in-law. To gain a hold of Michael’s heart is pretty remarkable.”

Michael’s father was like his grandpa; he talked more casually and was easier to get along with. I was once again relieved, seeing that he was not dissatisfied with me.

I smiled in reply, and Michael spoke at this time. “Dad, you continue your calligraphy practice. I’m going to stroll around with Anna.”

Although the other two members of the Shaw family were easy to get along with, Michael could sense that I was still feeling quite uneasy.

“Okay, go ahead. Tell your mom to ask the kitchen staff to prepare a sumptuous meal.”

Lincoln seemed to be absorbed in calligraphy. He resumed his practice, not knowing that his casual words just now warmed my heart.

Michael took me to the garden behind the mansion. It took us nearly half an hour to complete our tour around the Shaw residence. The garden was remarkably extensive. It even made me wonder if this garden of the Shaw family was bigger than the gardens of royal palaces.

“Your garden is so big.” I looked at the garden overflowing with bright flowers all around, and my mood turned brighter.