Chapter 119: Dada
"If Mr. Lucas isn’t willing to, then I would rather not..." Yonina would not let herself be embarrassed like this. As she turned to leave, Winnie stopped her.
Jake was a distance away and with the commotion from the other guests, he could not hear their exchange. However, he did notice that Michael had touched Yonina’s hand.
With a balled fist, he angrily said, "How can you be having a good time with another woman behind my mummy’s back!"
Jake did not recognize Michael as his father. However, that did not mean that he would sit back to watch Michael get together with another woman. In Jake’s eyes, Michael had betrayed his Mummy by doing so. He was not going to let Michael have his way with someone else.
With this thought, Jake hurried towards Michael and tugged at his clothes. Looking up with the most innocent and adorable smile he could manage, he said, "Dada, I’ve found you! I’ve been looking for you for a long while!"
It was the first time that Michael had heard Jake addressing him as his father.
Thinking that he had heard it wrong, he bent down. With anticipation filling his gaze, he looked upon his son’s small frame and probed, "What did you call me?"
"Dada." Jake confidently repeated himself as he looked up, wide-eyed. "Your grandmother is Jake’s great-grandmother, so you should be Jake’s Dada."
This was a perfectly logical statement.
However, with Jake addressing Michael as his ’Dada,’ some would be in celebration, while others would be left in concern.
A surprised Yonina asked, mouth agape, "What’s happening here?"
She knew that Michael had been married before.
After all, Michael had made a public announcement of Wendy’s status as his wife five years ago. She also knew that Wendy had fallen into the sea and was rumored to be dead.
However, she had not heard of Michael fathering any children. Since she was abroad so often, she was not familiar with the ins and outs of what had been happening locally.
She had only returned because of how much she liked Michael and because Winnie had informed her about Grandmother’s eightieth birthday celebration. Yonina knew what Winnie had meant by that and had taken time out to be back in town for the banquet.
She had the impression that Michael did like her too but seldom contacted her because of his schedule, based on what Winnie had been telling her. However, a child that Michael had fathered had unexpectedly appeared! If Wendy had passed away five years ago, perhaps this child was fathered by Michael with another woman.
All it took was for Jake to call Michael as his ’Dada’, and Yonina’s dream of getting together with Michael was shattered.
Seeing the disappointment and confusion that was written all over Yonina’s face, Winnie took her hand hurriedly and explained, "Yonina, don’t believe the nonsense that a child spouts. Michael is single, he has no children."
Winnie had always been dissatisfied with Wendy. She was dissatisfied five years ago, and things had not changed five years later today.
In her eyes, a lady who was good enough for her son was someone like Yonina Collins. Wendy, on the other hand, had nothing to her family name. Winnie refused to believe that the child Wendy brought with her five years later was a member of the Lucas family. After all, when Wendy was been pregnant five years ago, that pregnancy had been problematic. Winnie had been initially excited about having a grandchild. However, Michael had blown his top when he’d found out about the child.
Her son was now being hoodwinked by Wendy’s claims and was willing to accept this child.
However, that had no relation to whether she, as Michael’s mother, would embrace this child as her grandson.
"Grandmother, how could you say that..." Jake asked, biting his lip as though he was now suffering an injustice. "Great-grandmother was the one who told me that he is my Dada. I didn’t claim so on my own."
Despite being a child, Jake was a great actor. The way he behaved like he had been wronged tugged strongly at one’s heartstrings.
Unfortunately, Winnie’s heartstrings were not easily tugged by Jake. She suspected that Jack was not Michael’s child, and even if he was, she would not show any hint of favor to the child of Wendy, whom she despised.
A daughter-in-law of her preference would be someone like Yonina who came from a reputable family. Someone who was beautiful, of a reputable lineage, and who did well in her line of work. She would be a suitable candidate for Michael’s wife.
"Didn’t you claim that your father was dead?" Winnie sneered, "You said yourself that your father had drowned in the sea back in the hall. Now, you’re calling him your father? Aren’t you doing these things on purpose?"
"I didn’t do it on purpose," Jake whimpered as tears welled up in his eyes. He walked to Winnie and looked up, repeating, "Grandmother, I didn’t do it on purpose!"
"Go away! I’m not your grandmother!" Winnie bellowed, putting no effort into hiding her repulsion.
When Jake walked closer and tugged at her sleeve, she reached down and flung Jake away Jake’s small frame tumbled to the ground thanks to Winnie’s strong push.
Michael hurried over and lifted Jake to his feet. Glaring at Winnie, he questioned, "Mom, what on earth are you doing! How could you act out like this against a child?"
"I... didn’t..." Winnie looked over at Yonina who also looked at her with disapproval. She hurriedly explained, "I didn’t mean to do that, I just pushed him away accidentally!"
Winnie reached over to hold Yonina’s hand. Panicking about being labeled as a mean in-law, she struggled to explain, "Yonina, you know me, I’m not someone like that."
Although Yonina did not have many interactions with Winnie, it seemed to her that Winnie had always been very kind. So Yonina nodded, taking in Winnie’s words.
Now, Wendy walked over. Fuming, Winnie pointed an accusatory finger at Wendy, snidely remarking, "So that’s why a child like Jake would suddenly come and call Michael his father. You must be the instigator!"
Wendy had come over to look for Jake only because she had been concerned by how long he was taking. She had seen Winnie push him and had hurried over immediately.
Looking at the people present, she walked over to Jake and held her hand out. Instinctively, Jake reached over to hold her hand, loudly announcing what Winnie had done, "Mummy, she pushed me! I fell over and now my bum hurts."
This time, Jake did not address Winnie as Grandmother’. He knew that Wendy did not like him associating himself with the Lucas family.
"Wow, such a cunning child, saying it as though I’m the only one in the wrong!" Winnie stood proud with hands akimbo and continued, "You were the one who ran up to us and called Michael your ’Dada’. Who’s to blame for causing me to lose my cool!"
Wendy frowned as she scanned her surroundings. She paused for another second before recognizing Yonina.
Pointing at Jake, Winnie continued her tirade,
"You had better work on guiding your son properly. Otherwise, he might go around addressing random men as his father! The Lucas household will not accept strays as a family"
Winnie had said something to that extent before.
She was now saying it a second time. Wendy snickered, "Mrs. Lucas, you must be joking. You speak as though we want to be accepted into the Lucas family. I think that you should revisit how you guide your son, otherwise he might go around addressing random women as his wife!"
Although Wendy did not know what had happened earlier, she simply could not resist a jab at Winnie for behaving so outrageously.
"Who’s calling you his wife?" Winnie snapped back. "If not for you pestering Michael and bringing your son back, Michael wouldn’t even pay you any attention! He’s my son, after all, and has a long line of suitable ladies waiting."
With this, Wendy realized what was going on.
She could not help but take another glance at Yonina. It was now apparent that Winnie was trying to get Michael together with this woman.
Looking down, she noticed Jake with his head hung low. She knew that her son was someone who was bold, despite his young age. However, at the moment, she still could not figure out why Jake had come up to Michael to address him as his father.
"Am I pestering you, Mr. Lucas?" Wendy intentionally threw the ball at Michael. "Was I the one who brought Jake to the main house?"
Michael had intended to help Wendy, so he quickly responded, "No, of course not. I was the one who brought the child here. As he is my child, I wanted him to be recognized as such by everyone back here."
At this, Winnie was incensed. With an accusatory finger pointed at Michael, she demanded, "What did you say? How dare you"
Yonina shuffled uncomfortably at the scene unfolding before her, despite not making much sense of what was happening. Things were confusing-Winnie had denied Jake as her grandson, while Michael was insisting that Jake was his son. One couldn’t say for certain if Jake truly was Michael’s son.
Winnie and Wendy’s argument had now attracted a crowd of onlookers.
"Why is Corrine Swift arguing with Winnie?"
"I think I saw the child being pushed to the ground!"
"Is that so? How could anyone do that to a child?"
"I’m guessing that Corrine is in a heated discussion with Mrs. Lucas because of what happened to the child. Looks like Mrs. Lucas isn’t a very nice person."
"That lady at the side looks like Ms. Collins. How did she get dragged into this situation?"
"Tsk tsk, I guess things are going to get interesting."
Michael heaved a heavy sigh in frustration before turning to Winnie. "Mom, are you unhappy that you have a grandchild? Why are you kicking such a fuss!"
At these words, Winnie sneered in disbelief. "I’m only doing this for your own good, my child. How can you rebuke me and take someone else’s side?"
Overhearing the comments from the onlookers, Yonina grew increasingly displeased as she informed Winnie, "Mrs. Lucas, I have another appointment and I will have to make a move."
Hearing that Yonina was going to leave, Winnie no longer cared about what Michael had to say.
She quickly grasped at Yonina’s hand, pleading, "Yonina, don’t believe the nonsense that they’re saying. That Corrine Swift just looks like Wendy. She doesn’t have anything to do with Michael. The only lady I approve of is you."
"Is Mrs. Lucas trying to matchmake Miss Collins and Michael?"
"Looks like it. Mr. Lucas seems to be on Corrine and her son’s side, though. He doesn’t seem to really like Yonina very much either."
"For things to have come to this, does Yonina even have a place in his heart? Michael has even declared his stand. It’s impossible for Yonina to act coy and try to get between them at this point."
Hearing such a discussion from onlookers, Yonina felt humiliated. Her face was hot with embarrassment as she felt her blood drain from her face. She had never been the subject of such rumors before.
"It’s okay, Mrs. Lucas," Yonina responded with an uncomfortable smile before pushing Winnie’s hand away. "I’m sorry but I am in a rush."
With that, Yonina disappeared into the crowd.
Watching Yonina leaving, Winnie’s face flushed in indignation.
Looking over at Wendy, Jake and her disappointing son, she grunted. With the crowd present, she was not in a good position to truly speak her mind. Even if she did want to give them a piece of her mind, she needed to do so privately.
After all, the Lucas family had a reputation to keep and the last thing she wanted was for their good name to become a laughingstock.
