Chapter 76: Chapter 76: To Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
The moment Mrs. Donovan saw Arabella’s reaction, she knew her ploy had worked.
She teased with a wry smile, "Why are you so jumpy, just like your aunt? Have your father get you a new pair."
Mr. Donovan shot up and hurried to the kitchen, terrified that even a second’s delay would cause him to miss the juicy details and leave him full of regret.
Luckily, the kitchen wasn’t far away. Mr. Donovan had just grabbed what he needed and was heading back when he heard his youngest daughter’s internal groundhog scream.
’Julian? My aunt’s husband is named Julian? Don’t tell me, by some rotten luck, his last name also happens to be Croft!’
This thoroughly piqued everyone’s curiosity. His last name *was* Croft, wasn’t it? So what in the world was this all about? They were desperate for her to just spit it out!
’If it’s really him, then that man is more than just a wolf in sheep’s clothing!’
A wolf in sheep’s clothing?!
All eyes instantly snapped to Julian Croft. Startled, he reflexively touched his face. "Is there something on my face? Why is everyone staring at me?"
"Ahem, it’s nothing. Don’t just eat; have some soup. This was made with high-quality Ginseng, slow-cooked for hours. It’s great for your vitality and strength. Please, have some more."
Hearing her husband, Mrs. Donovan quickly ladled a bowl for Lillian Donovan. ’She needs to build up her strength now. She’ll need it to withstand the blow that’s coming.’
Lillian Donovan, understanding her sister-in-law’s intention, was speechless. ’Oh, thank you *so* much!’
Still, Arabella’s appraisal of Julian Croft had truly piqued everyone’s curiosity. After all, in the past decade or so, no one had ever associated such a label with him.
Especially judging by Arabella’s tone, it was clear she meant "wolf in sheep’s clothing" in its most literal sense, with no hint of playful teasing.
So, what kind of monstrous act could he have possibly committed to deserve such a label?
Julian Croft’s story was, in truth, a classic cliché: a man from a poor background who makes it in the city meets a beautiful, wealthy urbanite. He falls for her at first sight, pursues her relentlessly, and finally achieves a higher social status by marrying into her rich family.
Yet, after achieving success, he came to view the memory of unscrupulously climbing the social ladder as a source of deep shame. By extension, the beautiful, wealthy wife he had moved heaven and earth to win over was twisted in his mind into a living symbol of that shame—both a witness and an accomplice to his humiliation.
’When he was chasing her money, he found her ’full of personality’ and ’beautiful.’ He gladly endured her spoiled little temper, because, after all, she was a *genuine* heiress. But once the money was in his hands, he started looking down his nose at her, convincing himself that she was using her wealth to humiliate him, that she didn’t even see him as a person.’
’He really wants to have it both ways! To put it bluntly, he’s just a leech who wants her family’s money without paying the price. He expects to be handed everything on a silver platter, and if he isn’t, he secretly resents them. If he had any real guts, he wouldn’t have relied on his wife’s family’s money and connections. He would have built his own empire and rejected what he now calls ’charity.’ Wanting to have your cake and eat it too... what a hypocrite. Ugh~’
The expressions on the faces of the Donovan family members grew complicated, and Lillian Donovan’s breath caught in her throat.
She could never have imagined that her husband, who had been so attentive and doting all these years, secretly thought of her and her father in such a way!
’Julian Croft’s scumminess isn’t just directed at my aunt and their two kids; he’s not much better to his other wife. Theirs is just a case of one being willing to abuse and the other willing to take it. Strictly speaking, she’s his accomplice. All I can say is, more power to you. I hope you two are locked together forever. Just stay away from my family.’
Hearing Arabella refer to them as "my family," Lillian and her two children froze, a complex emotion stirring in their hearts.
Right now, however, they were more preoccupied with the identity of the "other wife" Arabella had mentioned. Lillian had spent more than a decade with Julian, day in and day out; she thought she knew every woman who had ever been in his orbit.
But even now, she couldn’t fathom who this person could be—this woman who had started an affair with Julian right under her nose and allegedly even had his child.
’Then again, you can’t blame my aunt for being unable to see what was right under her nose. The man’s other wife is his so-called sister, Willow Croft.’
"What?" In her shock, Lillian Donovan’s hand slipped, knocking over the bowl of Ginseng soup at her side. The others stared, their eyes wide with astonishment, but their reactions were largely overshadowed by Lillian’s, making them seem less conspicuous.
Julian Croft was also taken aback by his wife’s sudden, drastic reaction. As soon as he snapped out of it, he immediately began to clean the table for her, not forgetting to ask with concern, "What happened?"
Lillian Donovan looked at the man beside her, a man whose eyes seemed to contain nothing but her, and she almost lost control, the questions nearly bursting from her lips.
Fortunately, a final shred of reason stopped her. She still hadn’t figured out what was truly going on with Julian and his sister. She couldn’t have a total falling-out with him now, and more importantly, she couldn’t arouse Arabella’s suspicion!
Lillian Donovan steeled her heart and bit down hard on her own tongue. The sharp pain forced her to calm down. "I was eating too fast and bit my tongue."
"You bit your tongue?" Julian Croft asked, his face a mask of concern. "Open your mouth, let me see. How could you be so careless...?"
Julian Croft kept fussing, gently scolding Lillian for her carelessness as he had someone bring medicine.
His performance was so flawless and dedicated that even Arabella couldn’t help but marvel at his masterful acting.
’They say the true masters are hidden in plain sight. A handsome man whose world seems to revolve around you—who wouldn’t get swept off their feet? It’s true, anyone who can deceive a wealthy heiress and marry into her family is no simple character. If I hadn’t gotten the script ahead of time, with a little help from the heavens to cheat, I might have been fooled by him just like my aunt and the others.’
The story between Julian Croft and Willow Croft wasn’t actually that complicated.
They were both born in a small, remote mountain village in the Province of Draxler. The area was backward in many ways, and the local culture was extremely patriarchal, with a strong preference for sons over daughters.
Years ago, Julian Croft’s father had sustained an injury that affected his fertility. He and his wife were married for many years but were unable to conceive a child.
As they grew older, the couple eventually gave up hope. On the advice of a relative, they decided to adopt a child from the area to care for them in their old age.
However, in a place so deeply ingrained with a preference for male heirs, adopting a boy was practically impossible.
With no other option, they eventually adopted a baby girl that another family had cast aside—Willow Croft.
But then, something dramatic happened. Three years after adopting Willow Croft, Mrs. Croft suddenly fell pregnant.
The couple was overjoyed. After their son was born, they even hired the village fortune-teller to do a reading for the baby.
The fortune-teller, perhaps meaning well and fearing the couple might abandon Willow Croft now that they had a biological child, told them that it was all because of her. He said she was a lucky child, destined to have a brother, and that she had brought this son to them.
On top of that, Mrs. Croft’s sister-in-law also advised her. She pointed out that they had already raised the girl for several years, and she would soon be old enough to help with chores. Furthermore, the local custom of raising a *tongyangxi*, or child bride, was still practiced back then. They could keep her as a future wife for their son, or they could marry her off for a hefty bride price that could then be used to find their son another wife. Either way, it was a good bargain.
Mr. and Mrs. Croft were convinced. They decided not to send Willow Croft away, instead keeping her in the family to be raised as a child bride.
