When he mentioned divorce, a hint of joy flashed across his face.
Looks like he’s been wanting this for a long time.
Huh? He dares to say he’s done enough for me?
Married to him for twenty–five years, I might as well have been a widow for twenty–five years.
When I was raising our child alone, he was off gallivanting with Brianna.
When I was fighting in the business world to uphold the Johnson family name, he was living it up in entertainment venues.
But he’s wrong about one thing – I didn’t marry him because I loved him like a fool.
Marrying him was just to get the status of Johnson family’s daughter–in–law and control Johnson Group.
Now, Johnson Group is completely under my control.
So, Gregory is of no use to me anymore!
“Divorce is fine, I shrugged indifferently,
“But there’s no need for a DNA test. I’m certain Xixi is my child.”
Xixi looked at me, her eyes determined. “Mom, I believe you.”
Gregory and Brianna immediately became anxious.
“Xixi, don’t you trust your father?”
Xixi ignored him, just sticking close to me.
9:01 AM
Just then, a young man who looked like a college student burst in.
He walked straight to Xixi, excitedly calling out, “Sister!”
Everyone in the room was stunned.
As if one extra mother wasn’t enough, now a brother had appeared out of nowhere?
4
Looking at the boy whose features resembled Brianna’s, I had a vague guess.
This must be Gregory and Brianna’s love child.
They had kept it well hidden for over twenty years, never letting me find out.
It seems this drama is even more interesting than I imagined.
My mother–in–law sat at the head of the room, looking at the boy with a stern expression. “Gregory, what’s going on?”
The atmosphere in the living room froze once again.
The boy looked like he was about to cry, his eyes red–rimmed.
“Sister, my name is George. I… I’ve always known about you.”
He spoke with a slight stutter, his voice low but trembling.
He glanced at me furtively, then quickly lowered his head, as if afraid I wo
scold him.
“My… my mom, she often told me about you, said you were very talented and beautiful…”
Brianna began to sob on cue, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders shaking.
“Xixi, my precious daughter, mommy has missed you so much all these years…”
a greating you
She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
“George… he’s always wanted to meet you too. We often secretly went to see you…”
George nodded eagerly, hastily adding,
“It’s true! Sister, I even enrolled in your school, just to… to be closer to you…”
He pulled out a stack of photos from his pocket and carefully handed them to Xixi.
“These are pictures of you. I… I took them secretly…”
Xixi took the stack of photos and flipped through them briefly. There were photos of her in her graduation gown, smiling brightly; exhausted after dance practice; engaged in a debate with classmates, looking vibrant and energetic…
Xixi felt goosebumps rising all over her body. For years, there had been a creepy stalker hiding near her, watching and secretly photographing
her!
Gregory wasn’t idle either. He walked up to his mother, pointing at George, his tone grave.
“Mom, this is the Johnson family’s grandson! All the elders are here to witness, please… please accept him!”
Gregory was quite clever. He knew that after his father’s passing, his mother was actually the one who had the final say in the Johnson family.
He invited all the relatives to pressure his mother into accepting this child.
He was certain that if his mother accepted George, I would have nothing to say about it.
5
9:01 AM
<
After all, in these twenty–five years, he had observed my obedience and filial piety towards his mother.
George was quick–witted. He immediately turned to my mother–in–law, respectfully calling out, “Grandma!”
My mother–in–law looked at George, then at me, her eyes complex. She didn’t immediately respond to George’s call.
I knew she cared for me.
Not wanting to put her in a difficult position, I spoke up to break the awkward silence,
“Gregory, your real purpose in having this illegitimate child recognized is to inherit the Johnson family business, isn’t it? Why drag Xixi into
this?”
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I turned to look at Xixi, exchanging a glance with her.
“Even if Xixi wasn’t my biological child, she’s still the only child under my name, Kaia Hansen.”
“All the assets under my name – properties, stocks, funds, including 20% of Johnson Group’s shares – I will leave entirely to her.”
“Xixi, if that’s the case, would you rather stay with me, or go with your father and this… supposed mother?”
My clever girl’s mind was working fast. Her eyes rolled, immediately understanding my intention.
She promptly threw herself into my arms, her little face nuzzling against my arm, chirping,
“Dad now has a brother, and he’s not leaving any assets to me, of course I’ll stay with mom!”
Good girl! As expected of the child I carefully raised! She directly stated the purpose using reverse psychology.
When Brianna heard that I was willing to give all my assets to Xixi, her eyes lit up brighter than a thousand–watt bulb.
She knew I had a lot of assets under my name. Just the jewelry and real estate alone was a considerable sum,
not to mention the 20% stake in Johnson Group, which was practically a mountain of gold!
Greed, naked greed, was undisguised on her face.
She leaned close to Gregory’s ear, whispering urgently.
“When the old man passed away, to keep each other in check, he divided his 60% stake in Johnson Group into four parts. 20% to Kaia, 20% to the old lady, 10% to Xixi, and you only got 10%. If Kaia transfers her shares to Xixi, and we later manage to get Xixi’s shares, you’ll have 40%!”
“The most urgent matter now is to make Kaia give up her shares and assets! Make her leave empty–handed, and then bring Xixi to our side!”
Gregory pondered for a moment, realizing Brianna had a point!
So he stepped forward, putting on a fatherly act towards Xixi,
“Xixi, your brother is a boy, he can make his own way in life and won’t compete with you for assets. I’m also willing to give all my assets to you!*
