?Characters:(1) Shen Qiao - Nick"s mother / Li Hong"s first wife
(2) Alissa Jiang - chosen wife for Nick/ex- gf of Gavin
(3) Li Hong - Nick and Gavin"s father
(4) w.a.n.g Yiren - Li Hong"s 2nd wife
(5) Anthony Chen - Nick"s cousin
(6) Bai Xiao Wen - Nick"s right-hand man
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July 18, 20xx
Piraeus, Athens
✳
Nick got off the elevator and walked to his father"s hospital suite. Twenty minutes earlier, his cousin Anthony called him and recounted what happened in the Li Mansion.
It was great to know that his grandparents stood up for him and Blythe especially upon learning that his grandmother told his father that she accepted Blythe already. Even if he heard the news through another person, he knew his grandmother meant those words. She"s not the kind who says and acts differently.
Hence, he called Trinette on his way to the hospital.
~~~FLASHBACK~~~
"Grandma, thank you." he sincerely uttered.
The old woman was quiet on the line. Before she spoke, "To be honest, I am unhappy with her. She"s the most unlikely person to be your wife. You needed someone who will support you from behind."
"Blythe is a wonderful woman grandma."
"I know that. How can she not when you are very much smitten with her?"
Hearing her sigh, he was unable to hold his smile.
"Will you dine with us tonight?"
He answered with a short "En." before adding, "I am on my way to see Father."
All Nick heard was her heavy breathing and later, she begged, "Do what you needed to do. But forgive him, Nick."
He swallowed back whatever he intended to say and simply said goodbye.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forgiveness isn"t something he can easily give his father. But for his grandmother, he"ll be considerate as long as Li Hong won"t touch his bottomline.
Inside the VIP room, he found four people. His father on the bed, w.a.n.g Yiren and Alissa sitting on the sofa while Anthony Chen occupied the plastic chair next to the window.
All eyes fell to him when he entered.
Alissa stood to meet him halfway but Nick avoided her approaching figure and headed straight to the foot of his father"s bed.
"I need to talk to Father," he announced with no one in particular.
"Alone," he added the next second when Alissa walked to his side.
There was an obvious disappointment on the woman"s face when she a.s.sisted w.a.n.g Yiren to leave. Nick found his stepmother to be funny. It"s strange to find her weak-looking when most of the time, she gave the impression of being fierce.
He disdained that pretentious face of her. She appeared to be genuinely caring but in truth, it"s the opposite. Her greed, jealousy and wanting to be better than anyone else were the reasons why she probably married Li Hong.
w.a.n.g Yiren was born to a poor family from a small village in Guizhou(a). But due to her intelligence, her parents sold whatever they have in possession and sent her to school. She worked hard and became a successful divorce lawyer. That is how she met Li Hong.
When Nick"s mother, Shen Qiao filed for divorce, w.a.n.g Yiren came highly recommend and she became her lawyer.
Prior to the divorce, the couple fought a lot because of Li Hong"s cheating, abusive personality, and alcoholic problems. But he blamed his wife for this. For always being in social functions and he suspected she was seeing someone else.
Shen Qiao wasn"t. She was busy running committees and helping her mother-in-law with the New Hope Foundation.
One time, he saw her dining with a high ranking government official and he was enraged. This started all the fights and they decided to separate.
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w.a.n.g Yiren breached the trust by providing all Shen Qiao"s recorded statements to Li Hong. On top of that, it was too late for her to realize that the lawyer"s bits of pieces of advice favored more the opposition.
Hence, Li Hong got away and has not parted any cent even if he was the one who cheated.
Another reason why the first wife hated w.a.n.g Yiren.
The divorce lawyer and Li Hong got married an hour after the judge"s decision came down and moved to their home when Nick was 7. In front of everyone, she pretended to be a good person but behind doors, there"s the wicked stepmother syndrome in her. Her way of words easily triggered Li Hong"s anger so punished his son frequently.
Not wanting to think back of those years, Nick reminded himself to shut it off.
With clenched fist, he faced his father who was on a reclining position now.
"I won"t divorce my wife, Father."
Seeing those familiar unswerving eyes Nick had always given him when he was young, something in him snapped. Li Hong"s nostrils flared in anger and yelled, "There"s only one woman who"s going to be your wife!"
At this point, Nick realized that talking it out with his father is pointless. A bitter smile rose his lips.
He opened his mouth and retorted, "That is correct and her name is Blythe Ricci."
He saw a flash of something in his father"s eyes that made Nick warn him, "Lay a finger on her and you"ll regret it."
His son"s statement made him shrink bank and silent as he watched him walk away.
Li Hong took his phone and called his lawyer.
✳✳✳
Once outside, Nick let out all those pent-up frustrations. His father will never change. He"s manipulative and cunning. The extent of his greediness is something he can never understand.
Hence, he needed to deal with him now before it gets worst.
He dialed Bai Xiao Wen"s number and instructed, "Issue this order. Any law firm that will cooperate with my father"s hideous idea, shut it down."
It"s not only his marriage that he"s threatening. He might even go after his wife.
" and call back the four."
Bai Xiao Wen obeyed and called the four guards his boss sent to Shen Wei"s training ground. Nick seldom uses them, unless he feels threatened. Just listening to his icy tone, he knew his boss had been provoked.
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? Tidbit of Info:
(a) Guizhou is a mountainous province in southwest China. It is frequented by tourist for its
traditional, rural villages. Spring is the best time to visit this place. At this time, it"s the rice planting season and it will show the verdant rice terraces and mountains.