Stefan drove to Hayes Mansion and welcod his grandparents after dropping Ella off at ho. They had always loved and cherished him because he was the only heir to carry on their legacy.
Stefan's grandparents had always prioritized boys over girls because they believed that in the long run, only n could operate the business, while girls would marry off at the appropriate marital age. However, his father strongly disagreed.
Marcus believed in equality and raised Stefan with the sa ideals and perspectives. He never wanted his son to think he was superior unless he earned it.
After greeting and speaking, they all headed to the dining area for dinner.
Marcus hardly spoke, while Nancy, the considerate daughter-in-law, took care of everything. Stefan, too, kept engaging in discussion and brightening the mood.
"So, when are we going to et our granddaughter-in-law?" Dmitri Hayes inquired.
"Yes, I heard a lot about her from your mother. She seems quite impressed with her," Maya said, casting a glance at Nancy.
"She is a beautiful soul, and I am sure you will adore her," Nancy said, extolling Ella before them.
It ca as a surprise that Stefan was indeed seeing soone, and it piqued their interest to know more about the girl's background.
Maya's smile faltered as she rested the spoon back on the dish. "I hope she cos from an influential family, which matches our position. Her arrival should result in a favorable proposal that could be advantageous to our firm. You understand what I an," she said thoughtfully.
Nancy exchanged a worried gaze with Marcus. "Mom, let's not talk about it now," he attempted to broach the subject, fully aware of what his mother was trying to convey.
Dmitri noted how his son tried to avoid discussing it, which prompted him to dig further.
"Why not? We need to determine whether the girl has the potential to beco the daughter-in-law of the Hayes family."
"And what are the criteria for becoming the Hayes family's daughter-in-law's grandpa?" Stefan, who witnessed everything, asked.
Stefan, who seed troubled by their remarks about his partner, caught everyone's attention.
"Stefan, it's not the ti." Nancy attempted to calm the tension, believing Stefan's involvent with the elders would lengthen the argunt. She would never want her son to disrespect his grandparents.
Marcus and Nancy saw no need to reveal anything about Ella's upbringing because they understood how they would evaluate her for being a commoner. For them, Stefan's happiness ca first, but these elders won't understand it.
Stefan looked at his parents and saw his father beckoning for him to relax. But Stefan had already lost his appetite.
He respected his grandparents, despite the humiliation they caused his father. He had always tried to understand them, but when they questioned his choice, he realized how wrong it was to rank people based on their familial history.
"I'm not hungry anymore," Stefan said as he left the dining table, hardly tasting the food, and went to his room.
"I thought he would be one of us, but I guess Stefan simply turned out to be like you." Dmitri ridiculed his son's upbringing as a refined gentleman.
Marcus, on the other hand, had been trying to smooth the situation without losing his cool, but his father wasn't soone who valued peace.
"And how many tis have I told you both to cease intruding in my family affairs? Stefan is your grandchild, but I never granted you the power to govern his life." Marcus also lost his appetite.
This was the reason he found his parents' visits tolerable. They had always thought highly of how they handled those below them. And today they did the sa, this ti hurting his son.
"Marcus, where are your manners?" Maya spoke up, her tone full of disappointnt.
Marcus scoffed. "I have been lenient with my tone, Mom, and please don't make things difficult for us. I only tolerate you two because my sister is your daughter. She only wanted us to miss her for one day, which is why I've tolerated you two every year on her death anniversary."
Nancy gazed at Marcus' forlorn expression. The sorrow was obvious, as was the way his voice beca heavier with each word he spoke.
"And we do not consider her our daughter." If it weren't for the nasake, we would have shunned her for even bearing our na. That girl was useless," Dmitri said. The disgust in his tone was apparent.
Marcus slamd his hand on the table, surprising everyone. His eyes were filled with vehent hatred for his father, who was degrading his daughter.
"You should feel grateful that we still regard you both as our parents. Your treatnt has been consistent throughout our lives. We should have disowned you. Don't discuss your nasake with , father, as you're not the distinguished individual you portray yourself as. Soone who conceals his affairs behind the guise of a family guy does not need to express his disappointnt with his children, and you, mom, I never expected this from you."
Maya turned away, covering her embarrassnt."You should have left your husband before even considering another lady in your company. However, you chose to stay with him, thereby forfeiting your dignity. Never, ever discuss who Stefan will marry. She is completely different from you, having grown up with the highest standards, valued relationships, and treats everyone with respect. Marcus left no stone unturned. He knew what kind of people his parents were, but he didn't feel the need to speak up because of the little bit of respect he had for them.
Their only child shad Dmitri and Maya for upholding their morals.
"Enough of your foolishness. This is humiliating." Dmitri stood up. "We're leaving right now," he muttered, darting his furious glare at Maya as she rose up.
"As you wish," Marcus replied, allowing them to leave. He never expected anything different from this eting. But for once, he imagined his parents would set aside their ideals and cry for his sister.
But no. They chose to wreck it. They, along with Stefan, anticipated no criticism.
But little did he know Stefan had previously anticipated it, and he was still respectful of his grandparents.
Once they had ruined the dinner, Marcus' parents quickly left.
The silence in the ho was preferable to their presence, which only made him feel suffocated.
"You should go check on Stefan. He left the food unfinished. Marcus sighed and pinched his temple as a headache coursed through his veins.
But instead of responding to his remarks, Nancy reached out to grab his hand, diverting his focus away from his anxieties and smiling sadly.
"Are you okay?" she inquired, fully aware that Marcus was still battling his own battle.
She knew, even though he might never admit it, that he blad himself for being their son whenever he faced his parents.
Marcus' gaze softened, and he grasped her hand firmly and nodded.
Nancy remained by his side as usual, and once she felt Marcus was fine, she excused herself and went to et her son.
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