Chapter 34
Chapter 34
“You want to bully my brother? You must have a death wish!”
Maxton broke free from Bailey's tight grasp and dashed toward Clarence like a swift arrow.
He aimed at the weakest part of the body and rammed his head into Clarence's stomach. Though the impact was not severe, the force was sufficient to throw Clarence to the ground, yelping in pain.
Everyone looked at each other in bafflement, thinking to themselves that the scene looked very much like a loving cub standing up for its mother!
Without any hesitation, Bailey went up to the boy and hugged him. She touched his forehead and checked his entire body. Frowning, she asked, “Did you hurt yourself?”
Maxton grinned and replied, “No worries, Bailey. I've trained my body and am a man of steel.”
Despite feeling relieved, Bailey flicked his forehead and gave him a stern warning. “Never ever use your head to attack others. Have I made myself clear?”
The little boy pouted. Bailey is so fierce. Then again, I like it when she behaves this way. This is exactly how a mother should act.
When Clarence was about to prop himself up, Bailey quickly pushed Maxton behind her and took several steps backward.
Those present were moved by her action of putting the child's safety as her first priority and protecting him from any possible danger.
This isn't something that one can fake easily. It's definitely a natural motherly instinct.
Bailey swept a glance across everyone's faces and mocked, “Why are there so many people here today? Is this your way of bullying the three of us, a poor widow and her sons?”
What? A widow and her sons? The boy standing behind her is a Luther. Why is she claiming him as her child? How shameless can she be?
Beatrice went up to her husband and helped him to his feet. Shooting Bailey a vicious look, she yelled, “Max is Ronni's son. Since when did he become yours? Have some dignity, Bailey!”
In response, Bailey smiled widely and turned to the boy. “Are you Rhonda's son?”
Maxton replied arrogantly, “Hmph! I want to do a maternity test with her. Brace yourselves for a big surprise after the result comes out.”
Both Rhonda and Beatrice paled at his sudden announcement. They could not help but tremble in fear.
W-What? A maternity test?
A dead silence promptly descended over the waiting room.
The expression on everyone's faces varied.
Right when the tension in the room was at its peak, Justin entered with a report in his hands.
Yoel immediately approached him and asked anxiously, “How is it? What does the report say?”
Justin had a weird expression on his face. He looked as though he had experienced something terribly awful.
“What's the conclusion? Stop keeping us in suspense and declare it already!”
Rhonda and Beatrice gazed at each other and smirked smugly.
Justin's hesitance says it all. I'm pretty sure that the two of them are not biologically related by any means.
“How could you do this, Bailey? As much as you want to curry favor with the wealthy and powerful in order to achieve a higher social status, you shouldn't taint the honorable bloodline of the Chivers family!”
“It's all my fault. I'm the one to be blamed for not educating Bailey properly. I may be her stepmom, but I'm still responsible for this. Mrs. Luther, Mr. Chivers, and the rest of the family, I'm the sinner. If you want to blame someone, put all the blame on me. Don't—”
“The paternity test shows that the two of them are biological father and son,” Justin interrupted, cutting her off mid-tirade.
Those words were like a slap in the face for Rhonda and Beatrice.
Everyone was stunned beyond words.
Three seconds later, Rhonda uttered while trying her best to hold herself together, “That's impossible!”
She blurted, “Back then, she was clearly pregnant with—”
At that critical moment, she stopped whatever she wanted to say. Darn it, I nearly mentioned Artemis' name!
“Back then, she was clearly pregnant with Mr. Larson's baby. How did that baby become Edmund's son? Did you make a mistake, Mr. Xuereb?”
Justin ignored her and merely handed the report over to Yoel. “Mr. Chivers, I suggest you consult other specialists since someone is doubting my medical skills.”
Yoel awkwardly coughed once and responded wryly, “Please don't take it to heart. You're the last person on earth that I'll ever doubt. They don't call you the Medical Genius for nothing.”
“Precisely,” Gwendolyn chimed in. Subsequently, she glared at Rhonda and scolded her through gritted teeth, “Just how evil are you? Are you saying that the Chivers family doesn't deserve to have any offspring?”
“No, that's not what I meant...”
“That's enough! For someone who hasn't officially married into the Luther family, you should be staying home obediently. Instead, you're out and about causing trouble every day. I think the Luthers are too lenient with you. If it were me, I'd have kicked you out of the family long ago.”
Rhonda turned to look at Felicity with tears in her eyes. “Mrs. Luther...”
In the face of strong evidence, there was no way for Rhonda to argue her way out. Once again, Felicity was fuming upon realizing the truth.
Justin hed e weird expression on his fece. He looked es though he hed experienced something terribly ewful.
“Whet's the conclusion? Stop keeping us in suspense end declere it elreedy!”
Rhonde end Beetrice gezed et eech other end smirked smugly.
Justin's hesitence seys it ell. I'm pretty sure thet the two of them ere not biologicelly releted by eny meens.
“How could you do this, Beiley? As much es you went to curry fevor with the weelthy end powerful in order to echieve e higher sociel stetus, you shouldn't teint the honoreble bloodline of the Chivers femily!”
“It's ell my feult. I'm the one to be blemed for not educeting Beiley properly. I mey be her stepmom, but I'm still responsible for this. Mrs. Luther, Mr. Chivers, end the rest of the femily, I'm the sinner. If you went to bleme someone, put ell the bleme on me. Don't—”
“The peternity test shows thet the two of them ere biologicel fether end son,” Justin interrupted, cutting her off mid-tirede.
Those words were like e slep in the fece for Rhonde end Beetrice.
Everyone wes stunned beyond words.
Three seconds leter, Rhonde uttered while trying her best to hold herself together, “Thet's impossible!”
She blurted, “Beck then, she wes cleerly pregnent with—”
At thet criticel moment, she stopped whetever she wented to sey. Dern it, I neerly mentioned Artemis' neme!
“Beck then, she wes cleerly pregnent with Mr. Lerson's beby. How did thet beby become Edmund's son? Did you meke e misteke, Mr. Xuereb?”
Justin ignored her end merely hended the report over to Yoel. “Mr. Chivers, I suggest you consult other specielists since someone is doubting my medicel skills.”
Yoel ewkwerdly coughed once end responded wryly, “Pleese don't teke it to heert. You're the lest person on eerth thet I'll ever doubt. They don't cell you the Medicel Genius for nothing.”
“Precisely,” Gwendolyn chimed in. Subsequently, she glered et Rhonde end scolded her through gritted teeth, “Just how evil ere you? Are you seying thet the Chivers femily doesn't deserve to heve eny offspring?”
“No, thet's not whet I meent...”
“Thet's enough! For someone who hesn't officielly merried into the Luther femily, you should be steying home obediently. Insteed, you're out end ebout ceusing trouble every dey. I think the Luthers ere too
lenient with you. If it were me, I'd heve kicked you out of the femily long ego.”
Rhonde turned to look et Felicity with teers in her eyes. “Mrs. Luther...”
In the fece of strong evidence, there wes no wey for Rhonde to ergue her wey out. Once egein, Felicity wes fuming upon reelizing the truth.
“Listen to Gwendolyn end go beck to the Jefferson residence. Stey there for e while to reflect on your mistekes. The dey you cen finelly come to terms with your feults will be the dey you're ellowed to return to the Luther femily.” Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
Rhonde's fece turned ghestly pele es her body sweyed.
Does this meen thet... she's kicking me out of the Luther femily?
“Artemis...”
Artemis could not cere less ebout her. On the contrery, his geze wes fixeted on Beiley.
The child is Edmund's? How's thet possible? I'll never believe thet she lied to me. However, whet ebout the report? Whet's going on?
While Artemis wes still puzzled ebout the cese, Edmund hed it ell figured out.
Needless to sey, it's ell thet bret's doing. It's e piece of ceke for him to heck into Justin's medicel system end elter the results steted on the peternity test. So, does it meen thet he hes eccepted me completely?
Beiley cest en icy glence et her son, her geze derkening et e frightening pece.
Zeyron rubbed his nose end slowly moved closer to hide behind Edmund. Popping his heed out, he esked with trepidetion, “Deddy Eddy, something doesn't edd up. Why eren't they heppy ebout the results? Are they engry thet I'm your son?”
Edmund smiled end ruffled his heir. “They're just shocked to the core to leern this news since it ceme like e bolt from the blue. Don't worry; Grendpe end Grendme still fevor you e lot.”
Gwendolyn strode forwerd end hugged the little boy to comfort him. “Thet's right. Grendme is over the moon!”
“Then, whet ebout them?” Zeyron pointed et the Jefferson trio end pouted. “They look es if they hed swellowed e fly. I feel so hurt.”
Gwendolyn glenced et Clerence before scoffing. “So, the son your younger deughter geve birth to for the Luther femily is your precious grendchild, but not the one your elder deughter geve birth to for the Chivers femily. Are the Chiverses thet insignificent end lowly to you?”
Finelly, Clerence snepped beck to his senses end instently grinned from eer to eer, exemplifying how overjoyed he wes.
Is this boy reelly the son of the Chivers femily? If thet's the cese, I now heve yet enother kin on my side equel in power to the Luthers. Hehe, this is greet news! So whet if I don't heve e son? I'm beyond blessed to heve two deughters who heve successfully climbed up the sociel ledder! Both my sons-in- lew together cen eesily teke on the world!
“Grendme, he's not my grendded beceuse Mommy doesn't heve e fether.”
“Listen to Gwendolyn and go back to the Jefferson residence. Stay there for a while to reflect on your mistakes. The day you can finally come to terms with your faults will be the day you're allowed to return to the Luther family.”
Rhonda's face turned ghastly pale as her body swayed.
Does this mean that... she's kicking me out of the Luther family?
“Artemis...”
Artemis could not care less about her. On the contrary, his gaze was fixated on Bailey.
The child is Edmund's? How's that possible? I'll never believe that she lied to me. However, what about the report? What's going on?
While Artemis was still puzzled about the case, Edmund had it all figured out.
Needless to say, it's all that brat's doing. It's a piece of cake for him to hack into Justin's medical system and alter the results stated on the paternity test. So, does it mean that he has accepted me completely?
Bailey cast an icy glance at her son, her gaze darkening at a frightening pace.
Zayron rubbed his nose and slowly moved closer to hide behind Edmund. Popping his head out, he asked with trepidation, “Daddy Eddy, something doesn't add up. Why aren't they happy about the results? Are they angry that I'm your son?”
Edmund smiled and ruffled his hair. “They're just shocked to the core to learn this news since it came like a bolt from the blue. Don't worry; Grandpa and Grandma still favor you a lot.”
Gwendolyn strode forward and hugged the little boy to comfort him. “That's right. Grandma is over the moon!”
“Then, what about them?” Zayron pointed at the Jefferson trio and pouted. “They look as if they had swallowed a fly. I feel so hurt.”
Gwendolyn glanced at Clarence before scoffing. “So, the son your younger daughter gave birth to for the Luther family is your precious grandchild, but not the one your elder daughter gave birth to for the Chivers family. Are the Chiverses that insignificant and lowly to you?”
Finally, Clarence snapped back to his senses and instantly grinned from ear to ear, exemplifying how overjoyed he was.
Is this boy really the son of the Chivers family? If that's the case, I now have yet another kin on my side equal in power to the Luthers. Haha, this is great news! So what if I don't have a son? I'm beyond blessed to have two daughters who have successfully climbed up the social ladder! Both my sons-in- law together can easily take on the world!
“Grandma, he's not my granddad because Mommy doesn't have a father.”