All this ti, Lariette’s eagerness to receive her parents’ and siblings’ love made her foolishly endure the length of their mistreatnts. No matter what, she thought she just had to do better.
Lariette often begged Chairman Delaney not to scold her family whenever her grandfather found out anything regarding the maltreatnt. She convinced him that her parents and brothers only needed more ti to get to know her.
Throughout the decade, Lariette’s patience gradually ran thin yet, she still desperately grasped the last semblance of hope. The last traces of it vanished after what happened two weeks ago.
Now, for the first ti ever, Lariette herself stepped forward to recount the unfairness—the last straw—she had to endure under her family’s pressure.
"Mom kept insisting I have to get married before Phanie’s wedding. When I said I wouldn’t ever marry a cheater like Damien, she claid I could find another man as long as I’ll be married."
Lariette’s voice, despite sounding calm, hid treacherous waters of disappointnt underneath.
Chairman Delaney, Brian and Ruediger quietly listened to her, their countenances beca darker with the following ti.
"Mom and Phanie... Their reason is ridiculous. They’re afraid I’ll snatch Matthias away from Phanie. Dad and Eric aren’t better. Only Dec and Ray seem to acknowledge how absurd their demand is."
Even though Lariette mostly ignored Declan and Rafael’s texts and calls, she knew they didn’t share the sa view as the rest of their family. Both of them kept telling her not to listen to their mother and Stephanie’s pleadings.
Lariette took a pause, trying to stabilize the raging emotions within her. She also saw guilt and disappointnt flickered in her grandfather’s eyes.
"Still... this is too impulsive, Lari," Chairman Delaney muttered after a period of silence, finding it hard to co to terms with Lariette’s story, "This is your future. If only you ca to before you took this option, I’d surely handle your parents."
"I know I shouldn’t act impulsively but, I want to do what they don’t want and expect to," replied Lariette, her voice firm, "I don’t regret my choice, Grandpa. When I looked for a husband candidate, Eddy appeared."
Turning to look at Ruediger, Lariette’s eyes glead softly. She still rembered his gallant appearance when Damien harassed her back in the hospital.
Ruediger carved his lips, returning Lariette’s smile. He noticed the sheen glistening in her sapphire eyes, being held back from rolling down her cheeks.
Chairman Delaney and Brian were robbed of their speeches. They exchanged a glance before looking at Lariette and Ruediger.
The newlyweds, despite forming this alliance out of a whim, were sharing a warm smile.
"Eddy saved from Damien," Lariette tore her eyes away from Ruediger, once again looking at Chairman Delaney, "He ca to the hospital to look for . Damien harassed ."
"W-what? What did he do? What did the scum do? Are you okay?"
Chairman Delaney’s voice rose an octave, shocked by Lariette’s claim. Horrified, he abruptly stood up and rushed to Lariette.
Brian unconsciously straightened his back, his eyes staring at Lariette. Neither he nor the chairman expected to hear about this harassnt.
"I was fine, Grandpa," Lariette chuckled when Chairman Delaney held her shoulders and looked at her from head to toe, "As I said, Eddy saved from him."
Lariette’s last remark reminded Chairman Delaney of what his granddaughter had just told him earlier. His lips parted without any words slipping out, he blankly stared at Ruediger next to Lariette.
"Lari was fine, Chairman Delaney," Ruediger spoke for the first ti, trying to reassure the worried elderly man "The guards kicked the man out of the hospital. They didn’t allow him inside anymore."
Chairman Delaney sighed. Releasing Lariette’s shoulders, he said, "Thank you... You saved my granddaughter, Mr. Alvord."
Ruediger simply smiled and nodded once. He didn’t make any attempt to glorify the good deed he had done when rescuing Lariette from Damien’s assault attempt.
"Grandpa, sit down," Lariette held Chairman Delaney’s arm, telling him to sit on the vacant seat by her side, "Hehe, I haven’t done talking. Don’t be so mad."
"Should I catch him and snip his family jewel? The ungrateful, two-faced brat! Urgh, I should’ve been more wary about him. How dare he cheat on you!"
Chairman Delaney cursed under his breath, his face reddening from anger. Lariette leaned closer to Chairman Delaney, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Well, I’m still grateful for catching him red-handed on that day. Can you imagine if I only knew how unfaithful he is after we get married? It’ll be a nightmare."
Chairman Delaney couldn’t deny the rationality in Lariette’s reasoning. Still, scorching hot lava continued gushing out of his heart, eager to burn the cheating scumbag alive.
How dare that wimpy brat cheat on his beloved granddaughter?
He courted death!
"I’m sorry for making you worried about , Grandpa. I’ll bear full responsibility for my choice of marrying Eddy. This might seem a petty revenge but, I want to do this."
Lariette tilted her chin up, finding the conflicted emotions in Chairman Delaney’s eyes. The elderly man said nothing as he let this situation sink into his mind.
Lariette was always a sweet and well-behaved granddaughter to Chairman Delaney. She had never caused any nonsensical trouble. Reuniting with her flooded his heart with gratitude.
Chairman Delaney was aware of the countless disappointnts Lariette endured because of Jonathan and Samantha’s mistreatnt. At the sa ti, Declan, Alaric and Rafael refused to accept Lariette as their sister.
Because of how blatantly the Elsher family showed they favored Stephanie more than Lariette, the latter was always ridiculed by the gossipy bunches in high society.
Chairman Delaney cared for Stephanie as he did for Lariette. Being related by blood or not didn’t beco an issue for him.
Thus, Samantha and Jonathan’s actions terribly disappointed the elderly man.
Exhaling a sigh, Chairman Delaney shifted his eyes from Lariette to Ruediger. The young man remained quiet yet, his presence was hard to ignore.
People around Ruediger’s age, especially those who t Chairman Delaney for the first ti, usually were too eager to speak with him or too busy to shrink the sense of their existence.
Yet, this Alvord boy was different.
Rising to his feet, Chairman Delaney said, "Mr. Alvord, let’s speak in private."
Ruediger nodded once, already expecting this request, "Yes, Chairman Delaney."
Under Lariette’s surprise gaze, she watched Ruediger standing up before following Chairman Delaney out of the lounge.
"Eddy..."
Ruediger paused right before walking through the door. Glancing at Lariette, he playfully winked before resuming his steps.
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