Uncovering My Wife's Secrets (Annalise and Julian)

Chapter 4 Mr Park Is Here

Annalise interjected before Kent could finish his sentence, "Yes. I know about Mr. Parks and Abigail's engagement." Half a year ago, when Kent went on a business trip to Jadeborough, he had helped an elderly by chance. The elderly man he helped turned out to be none other than the patriarch of the Parks family, Samuel Parks. Samuel thought Kent was a kind-hearted man, so he asked if the latter had a daughter and inquired how old she was, as Samuel had a grandson who was still unmarried. Kent immediately agreed to the suggestion after he knew that the old man was a member of the Parks family. He did not even ask about Samuel's grandson's age or health condition. Annalise remembered how Kent had related the story to them back then. He told them he had helped that old man only because he saw that the latter was clad in expensive clothes and had an extraordinary air about him. Seeing Samuel passing out after exiting the bank, Kent had helped the old man up just as over a dozen bodyguards immediately rushed over to protect Samuel. Judging by that unusual scene, Kent reckoned the old man's identity had to be remarkable. Hence, when Samuel mentioned marriage, Kent agreed at once. Initially, Abigail was thrilled as well when she heard that she would be marrying a man from a wealthy family in Jadeborough. However, she regretted it after she requested her friend to ask around and found out that the eldest son of the Parks family was fifty-two years old and disabled. "Anna, Abbie and Benjamin are in love with one another. You know that they've been sleeping together as well. Our two families are already discussing their marriage, so I have no other choice but to let you fulfill the engagement with the Parks family from Jadeborough." Annalise stared at her uncle with an amused expression. "Abbie and Benjamin are in love with one another? You don't have any other choice but to let me fulfill the engagement with the Parks family from Jadeborough? Uncle Kent, are you talking about Benjamin Quigley when you mentioned Benjamin?" "That's right." "Riddle me this. Why is Abbie in love with my boyfriend? Is it because we did not announce our relationship to the media, or is it due to the infrequency I've brought him home for meals together?" Kent was stumped. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. Abigail was displeased. She said haughtily, "Anna, I'm sorry, but Benjamin and I could not contain our feelings for one another. We've been together for so long. Perhaps I'm even carrying his child now." Looking at Abigail's smug appearance, Annalise retorted in disdain, “As someone with a great upbringing, you're oddly proud of snatching another's boyfriend and getting pregnant before marriage when one would normally feel ashamed after doing these things." "You-" Abigail immediately exploded with fury. Annalise kept her calm. She stood up and said, "The engagement with the Parks family is your problem. I have nothing to do with it. It's getting late now, so I'll be turning in now." Annalise thought, "What a joke. They're unwilling to let Abigail marry an old man, yet they are so desperate to become associated with the Parks family from Jadeborough. How dare he suggest that I marry into the Parks family instead and with such conviction." At this moment, she even felt grateful that she was not raised by Kent. Otherwise, they would probably guilt-trip her into doing their bidding by telling her that they had brought her up. "Anna, no matter what, I have nurtured you to this age after your mother's passing," Kent piped up. Annalise was shocked to her core. She thought, "This is outrageous! How shameless is he to say something like this?" She gazed at him with a smile. "Did your way of nurturing me involve sending me to the countryside and allowing me to fend for myself? Bethany immediately attempted to lighten up the mood by chiming in cheerfully, "Anna, don't blame your uncle for that. We sent you to the countryside and provided our relatives with money to take good care of you. We were only informed of how they tormented you last year when-" "I'm going to bed first," Annalise interrupted her. She despised recounting those incidents that happened in her past, as she would become enraged whenever those thoughts came to her. Annalise was finally made aware of the reason behind her uncle's decision to keep her alive after meeting with her mother's lawyer. Her mother had included a condition in her will that if anything unfortunate happened to Annalise, all the assets and profits belonging to Moonlight Group would be donated to the South River Foundation. Her mother had left her not only 70% of Moonlight Group's shares but also the mansion her uncle's family was staying in. Annalise vowed to take back everything that belonged to her. "Anna, don't you want the shares that your mother left for you?" After Kent noticed Annalise's stubbornness, his tone was no longer as gentle as before. Annalise had arrived at the bottom of the stairs when she heard his voice. She turned to look at him. "Yes, of course, I want the things my mother left for me." She walked upstairs after that. Kent uttered firmly, "We will discuss your marriage when the members of the Parks family come tomorrow. I will return the shares your mother left you tomorrow if you marry into the Parks family." Annálise continued going upstairs without saying another word. She thought, "I will take back all the shares my mother left me. As for the Parks family, feel free to arrange someone among yourselves to marry into their family!" Before this, she had not resorted to harsher methods such as using legal means to deal with the matter out of concern. Kent was her mother's only brother. She had decided to take their blood ties into consideration. Now, it seemed that her concern was utterly unnecessary. Inside the living room, Bethany waited until Annalise went upstairs before she said in an undertone, "Hubby, do you think she agreed to our plan?" Kent replied barbarically, "She has to agree regardless of her will. Once we've finalized the marriage between our family and the Parks family, we'll render her unconscious and send her over if she's reluctant to follow. our plan." Abigail was excited. "That's right. That's the right way to go. She's the one who's forcing us to do things the hard way." Bethany whispered worriedly, "Are you really returning the 70% of shares of Moonlight Group to her?" Kent snorted. "In her dreams. She's just a dumb and inexperienced girl who grew up in the countryside. I'll talk to her nicely and coax her into signing a power of attorney to authorize me. In return, we'll give her an annual dividend of 150 thousand dollars." Abigail and Bethany looked at each other and smirked upon listening to him. The following day, before Annalise went downstairs, she heard the sound of car honks from outside the mansion. The living room turned lively afterward. At the same time, she received a WhatsApp message from Julian: "I'm here!" Annalise immediately changed into a T-shirt and jeans before heading downstairs. On the previous night, after she went upstairs, she had asked Julian about when he would be free to visit their family. He had informed her that he would be there with his grandfather, Samuel the next morning. Annalise was eager to observe the exciting turn of events after she found out that the patriarch of the Parks family would be tagging along with Julian. She had formulated a plan in her mind. She decided to take out her marriage certificate, embarrassing her uncle when he proposed to Old Mr. Parks to let her marry the eldest son of the Parks family. "Anna, hurry up and take a seat!" Kent and Bethany greeted her enthusiastically. "Uncle Kent, Aunt Bethany!" Annalise replied politely, wearing a grin. Then, she nodded courteously at Samuel and Julian. "Old Mr. Parks, is your eldest grandson not here today?" Kent asked after glancing at the two classy-looking young men standing beside Samuel. He thought, "Are these two young men his other grandsons? If that's the case, I should sound out if the Parks family favors them. If they do, I'll let Abbie choose to be with any one of them. After all, marrying into the Parks family from Jadeborough is always better than the Quigley family." Inside one of the rooms on the first floor, Abigail was peeking from the door gap at the scene in the living room. She shared her uncle's sentiment when she failed to see an old man in a wheelchair and instead saw the two fine young men. If those two remarkable young men were Samuel's grandsons and were coincidentally favored by the Parks family, she intended to select one of them to be with. At that thought, she instantaneously preened herself in front of the mirror and changed into a white dress. After putting on the dress, she twirled before the mirror, checking out her reflection before leaving the room in satisfaction. Abigail heard Samuel's resounding voice upon stepping out of the room. He said to Kent, "My eldest grandson is here. We are here to discuss his marriage today, so there's no way for him to be absent. Julian, where are your manners?" Speaking in a well-mannered yet distant tone, Julian greeted Kent and Bethany, "It's a pleasure to meet with you. I am the eldest son of the Parks family, Julian Parks."