Chapter 159 Divorce?
Chapter 159 Divorce?
Mrs. Allen carefully watched Poppy's expression.
Poppy quickly presented herself as a fierce figure. "Who are you to spout such nonsense? Miss Isla is the daughter of the Olsen family. How could she possibly be my daughter?!"
Yet, Mrs. Allen sensitively caught a flash of panic in her eyes.
She stepped forward and said, "You're so protective of Isla but so hateful toward Keira. What kind of mother would act like this toward her biological daughter?"
A fierce look flashed through Poppy's eyes, and then she lifted her head with a cold laugh. "What's wrong with hating her? It was so difficult to get pregnant, and when I did, it turned out not to be a boy, which ruined my chance of gaining status through my child! A losing proposition, I was generous not to drown her right then and there. I was kind enough to raise her! As for Miss Isla, Taylor loves her so much, and only by currying favor with Miss Isla can I have a good life in the Olsen family! What do you know, meddling in our affairs!"
That attitude was the epitome of a woman who favored sons over daughters and was selfish to the core.
Mrs. Allen narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"
"What else?" Poppy sneered. "If I could have given birth to a child like Miss Isla, who Taylor fondly adores, what a blessing that would be!"
After saying that, she disdainfully glanced at Mrs. Allen. "Why am I even telling you this? Keira Olsen, you catastrophe! Come out here! I am your birth mother!..."
She continued cursing toward the doorway.
Mrs. Allen turned around and walked toward the car with Mr. Allen.
Mr. Allen frowned. "It sounds like what she said makes sense."
"Indeed, it does."
Mr. Allen sighed. "Am I overthinking?"
"On the contrary, I think your speculation is even more accurate," said Mrs. Allen.
Mr. Allen was startled. "Why?"
Mrs. Allen looked at Poppy. "She acts really convincingly, but have you ever seen a shrew speak so logically? And patiently explaining so much to us? When a woman explains too much, there's only one thing it may indicate."
"What is it?"
"She's covering something up."
Mrs. Allen smiled. "I used to think it was all your wild imagination, but now I feel that your conjecture is mostly true!"
...
When Keira returned to the living room after seeing off guests with Lewis at the door, she found the atmosphere inside the banquet hall a bit odd.
Old Mrs. Horton was currently in confrontation with Nathan.
The old lady's eyes widened. "I don't care, I recognize only this granddaughter-in-law, no one else!"
Upon seeing them walk over, she turned to Lewis. "Brat, you've arrived just in time! Your dad is going to be the death of me!"
Keira looked at Lewis and, as expected, saw his brow furrow as he gave Nathan a cold look.
Then, she noticed Nathan's disdainful glance at her, followed by a command. "Lewis, I want you to divorce her immediately!"
Lewis frowned. "Why?"
"Why?" Nathan laughed coldly. "Do you even know who this woman beside you is? She's not even as good as Isla but just an illegitimate daughter of the Olsen family! How can someone like that become the hostess of the Horton family?!"
Oliver also chimed in. "Lewis, Dad isn't trying to make things difficult for you. Didn't you hear how everyone was discussing your wife just now?"
Keira lowered her gaze and clenched her jaw.
But the man beside her took her hand and said in a deep voice, "I didn't hear it."
"..."
Oliver choked for a moment, then spoke up, "That's because you have long been in a high position, and those people don't dare to be presumptuous in front of you, but what they say behind your back is really nasty! Jake, come and repeat to your uncle what you've heard."
Jake immediately stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Keira as he relayed the unpleasant words
"They say, 'The Olsen Family's illegitimate daughter is truly capable. Who knows by what means she's managed to marry into the Horton Family!'
"And that you've been so charmed by her, marrying her is even worse than marrying some commoner with a clean background. It's so embarrassing!
"Furthermore, 'If the Horton family's future matriarch is an illegitimate daughter, how would they even host events in the future? Do they expect to elevate an illegitimate daughter above everyone else?'
"And there are even more disgusting things being said, things I simply can't bring myself to repeat. In short, everyone is laughing at you, Uncle!"
Jake's expression was icy as his gaze swept over Keira, a flash of madness sparked by unrequited desire and destruction flickering in his eyes, along with an indescribable wicked flame.
He looked at Keira and slowly said, "Uncle, Keira is indeed a natural beauty. I even courted her for four years in college, but all that time, she hid from me the fact that she was an illegitimate daughter! After finding out, I immediately chose to let go, because I'm well aware that families like ours cannot possibly take an illegitimate daughter as a wife! How embarrassing would that be if it got out? It's just like now, with you, Uncle, being pointed at and talked about...."
Before he could finish, Lewis suddenly interjected, "When they were pointing and gossiping, what were you doing?"
Jake was dumbfounded. "What?"
Lewis, with a frosty gaze, stared at him. "The Horton family's matriarch is insulted, and you have no reaction? Is this how you uphold the dignity of the Horton family?"
Jake immediately swallowed.
Oliver took a step forward. "Lewis, you can't say that. Today is the Horton family's birthday feast, after all. Do you really want to cause trouble at old Mrs. Horton's party?"
"Is discussing the Horton family's matriarch behind her back their idea of manners?"
Lewis looked straight at Jake. "If you're too cowardly to defend the Horton family's honor, then give me a list of those who've been gossiping, and I'll go find them one by one."
Jake was stunned; how could he possibly produce such a list?!
Doing so would offend the rich second-generation cliques of Oceanion!
Seeing him too frightened to speak, Keira glanced at him.
It was this disdainful glance that triggered a sudden collapse in Jake's mentality, and he blurted out, "Uncle, is she really worth it? You may not know, but although you've been married for two years, these past two years, Keira has been leading me on at college, even almost agreeing to my confession of love! She's such a flirtatious woman and is toying with people all the time! If it weren't for the fact that she's an illegitimate daughter, I would have almost ended up with her!"
"Bang!"
Lewis kicked him away without hesitation.
Jake went soaring through the air from the kick, then crashed heavily to the ground, in so much pain that he couldn't even pick himself up. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Oliver's eyes darkened. "Lewis, what are you doing? We're just talking. How can you get violent?!"
"Oliver, he disrespected his elder. If you didn't teach him well, then it's up to me!" Lewis's gaze was icy as he stared unyielding at Jake. "If I ever hear you disrespecting your aunt again, don't blame me for enforcing family discipline!"
Jake shuddered under the reprimand.
Oliver, shaking with anger, pointed at him, his finger trembling. "Lewis, you, you've gone too far! Dad..."
"Snap!"
Nathan was enraged and commanded, "Lewis Horton, you only have two choices today! Either divorce this illegitimate daughter or resign as CEO of Horton Group!"
Upon hearing this, Lewis let out a cold laugh.
Just then, the butler entered carefully, "Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Allen from the Allen family have come back... They said they have something to discuss with you and Miss... I mean, Mrs. Horton."