Chapter 137: More Than One At Fault
Wendy’s expression immediately hardened when she heard Winnie talk about a paternity test. That was the first time she was hearing those words since she returned to this country.
She thought that Michael would have insisted on one after she appeared with Jake, but he believed that the child was his right from the beginning.
Instead, it was Winnie who ended up being the first person to bring this matter up.
"The child is mine! Mum, can’t you see that Jake does resemble me?" Michael replied immediately. "I was mistaken back then, and I’ve already explained this to you before too. Christian was the one who switched the results back then."
"I don’t believe you at all! Besides, Wendy has entangled with that illegitimate child five years ago too! Is a child necessarily yours just because he looks like you? What if he’s Christian’s?" said Winnie. "You’re completely bewitched by Wendy and you can’t think for yourself anymore! You’re just listening to whatever Wendy is telling you. Even if you found out that this child isn’t yours, you’d end up acknowledging him because you want to gain Wendy’s favor. I really don’t know why you’ve become like this, but I’m not going to be fooled so easily. If you want Jake Stewart to be part of this family, then you’ve got to prove his parentage. Otherwise, I’ll never agree to let Wendy and Jake back into this family!"
Mrs. Lucas glanced at Wendy and didn’t say anything.
She had thought about doing a paternity test before, but she firmly believed in Wendy’s character, both five years ago and now. After Michael explained to her what happened five years ago, she had also believed what Michael said, and she still believed in Wendy. So she didn’t suspect that Jake could be anybody else’s child.
It was true that doing a paternity test would put everyone’s mind at ease. But at the same time, it Would hurt and insult Wendy.
She wasn’t sure whose side to stand on now. She wasn’t speaking up for Wendy not because she didn’t believe in Wendy, but because a paternity test would shut everyone else’s mouths up for life while Wendy would just have to suffer the insult for a while.
This was a tough decision.
"We’re talking about MY child and MY wife. Whether I acknowledge them or not is my own business and none of yours!" Michael could see that there was no way to persuade Winnie otherwise, so he gave up and made his stand clear. "I’ll be very happy if you supported me. But even if you don’t, I will not change my mind on this matter!"
"Michael Lucas! What do you mean by that?!" Winnie pointed a finger at him accusatorily. "Do you have no regard for your mother at all?!"
"Well, according to your logic, doesn’t that mean Grandmother should also get Dad and me to go through a paternity test?" said Michael coldly. "otherwise, you and I aren’t even fit to set foot into this house!"
"Why, you...."Winnie nearly choked after hearing what her son just said. "How dare you speak to me like this?! Your father’s relationship with you is clear while this boy’s relationship with you isn’t! Besides, don’t you know what happened between your father and me? He’s the one who let me down for crying out loud!"
Wendy didn’t want to say anything since they were arguing so fiercely.
She was really angry about what Winnie said, but when she heard Michael suggest to his mother that he should go for a paternity test as well, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Where did Michael learn to speak like that from?
She never knew he was capable of arguing like this. And if he really went to do a paternity test with Anthony, wouldn’t that be an insult to Winnie?
If others found out about this matter, Winnie Would become the greatest joke in the town.
This laugh from Wendy instantly drew everyone’s attention.
When she realized that everyone was looking at her, she cleared her throat and said a little awkwardly, "Go on, go on, don’t bother about me. She was more than happy to see this mother and son at each other’s throats."
The atmosphere suddenly quietened down as a result.
Mrs. Lucas looked at Wendy and asked, "Wendy, what do you think?"
She was the first one to ask Wendy for her opinion.
Winnie and Michael could quarrel all they wanted, but as long as Wendy didn’t give the go-ahead, nobody could do anything.
Michael didn’t really know Wendy inside out, but he knew well enough that if Wendy agreed to do this paternity test, it meant that she had completely given up on this family.
According to what he knew of her right now, he was pretty sure that she wouldn’t agree to it. That was why he kept defending her even though she hadn’t even said anything.
Winnie looked at Wendy and scoffed. "She wouldn’t dare to do this test! If this child were really a descendant of the Lucas family, she would have come running to us with a paternity test result by now!"
Everyone looked at Wendy.
Wendy slowly stood up with a faint smile on her face as she took Jake’s hand and said, "Jake is my child and he shares my surname. I don’t have to explain anything to anybody since he’s my own child. Mrs. Lucas..."
Wendy turned to look at Winnie and smiled even more brightly. "Mrs. Lucas, if you really want a grandson, I think you’d better look elsewhere. My child is, unfortunately, unable to enjoy this privilege."
Now Wendy made it sound like Winnie was desperate for a grandson, which made Winnie nearly faint in anger. But then again, she was the one who had brought the matter of a paternity test up in the first place.
Michael and Mrs. Lucas weren’t particularly surprised by Wendy’s answer. But Winnie wasn’t going to let this go just yet.
"Wendy Stewart, you’re saying all this because you don’t dare to let the boy undergo a paternity test, aren’t you? This boy isn’t Michael’s at all!"
Wendy snorted and looked back at Winnie as she asked in return, "Mrs. Lucas, when did l ever claim that Jake is a child of the Lucas family?"
"You..." Winnie was speechless. It was true that Wendy had never said this before.
"If you can tell me exactly when l made this claim, then I’ll agree to a paterníty test. How’s that?"
Wendy had turned the tables on Winnie with just a few words. Winnie was so furious that her hands were trembling.
"You’ve never said it out loud before, but everyone has been misled by you to think that this child belongs to the Lucas family," said Winnie.
"Since I’ve never said it out loud before, how could I mislead anybody?" Wendy laughed.
"We’re all adults here. Doesn’t everyone have the ability to think for themselves?" Winnie was running out of things to say, but Mrs. Lucas and Michael just watched on without any intention of helping her at all.
Both of them had already decided that Jake was indeed a Lucas. Only Winnie refused to believe it.
There was nothing wrong with Wendy refusing to do a paternity test. Anybody else would have done the same. And even if one eventually went through with it, the seeds of suspicion and distrust within the family would have already been sown.
Wendy wasn’t willing to reconcile with Michael yet, so the big fuss that Winnie was making now only made their relationship even more strained than before.
"Fine! I can’t outtalk you." Winnie’s face was red from her rage. "In any case, without a paternity test result, I’m never acknowledging Jake as my grandson."
"Are you saying that if you do eventually acknowledge him as your grandson, I have to be grateful to you?" Wendy kept a smile on as she turned to Mrs. Lucas and nodded slightly as her tone of voice became much more respectful, "The lotus cakes are ready, so I think it’s best that you eat them while they’re still warm. Jake and I will make a move first."
"It’s lunchtime, so why don’t you stay for lunch?" Mrs. Lucas wanted to say that she would get Michael to send her home after that but decided against it.
"Grandmother, thanks for the invitation, but we won’t be staying for lunch." Wendy took Jake’s hand and said, "Say bye-bye to everyone." Jake waved his little hand. "Bye-bye!"
This time, Mrs. Lucas didn’t insist that Wendy stay on.
If she stayed on, things would only become even more awkward. And if they actually sat down to have lunch together, Winnie was only going to make things even more difficult for Wendy.
Michael stood up when he saw Wendy walk towards the door with the intention of sending her home but decided not to after thinking about it.
Winnie sat down on the couch and scoffed as she grumbled quietly, "I don’t know how all of you have been bewitched by that Wendy Stewart. How could you simply believe anything she says..."
Mrs. Lucas slammed her palm against the table so hard that her hand felt numb. Her tone was especially stern as she said, "Winnie Quinn! Wendy was invited here by me, so she’s my guest. If something like this ever happens again I will not be so kind to you!"
"Mother..." Winnie wanted to say more but swallowed her words when her eyes met Mrs. Lucas’ furious gaze.
Mrs. Lucas turned to Michael. Her expression was grim and as she said quietly, "It was very hard to invite Wendy here today. After what happened just now, I don’t think she’d want to come here again."
"Who cares if she wants to come here or not..." grumbled Winnie under her breath.
She was certain that Wendy had refused to do the paternity test because she had a guilty conscience.
Both Mrs. Lucas and Michael were completely under Wendy’s spell now and spoke up for her again and again. But once they saw the paternity report and realized that Jake had nothing to do with Michael, none of them would side with Wendy anymore.
With that in mind, Winnie began to make plans. She glanced at Michael and suddenly started smiling.
"Michael, my dear boy..." she said as she approached him.
This sudden change in her demeanor made
Michael immediately suspicious. When Winnie reached him, he instinctively moved further away from her.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and said in a much gentler tone, "After thinking about it, I realized that my attitude wasn’t quite right. After all, Wendy Stewart was someone you had specially invited home. I was the one who had gone overboard..."
Her sudden apology made Michael frown. He didn’t think his mother would admit to her mistakes this easily. Besides, she liked Yonina so much. She wouldn’t just suddenly change her mind so quickly.
"Mum, you..." Before Michael could finish his sentence, Winnie’s hand had reached the back of his head.
"Oh my, why do you already have white hair?" She yanked hard at his hair. "There, I’ve pulled it out for you."
He felt a sharp pain and instinctively reached up to rub the sore spot. Then he put his mother’s actions and her words together and realized what she was trying to do.
His expression grew sullen as he warned Winnie, "Mum, stop thinking about doing a paternity test!"
"I’m not thinking about that. I’m just helping you to pull out any white hair you have," said Winnie as she continued to laugh it off.
"Let me see the white hair you plucked then." He held his hand out.
She quickly stuffed the hair into her pocket and. held her empty palms out. "I’ve already flung it aside. Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you wanted to see it?"
She didn’t dare to look him in the eye and just quietly looked elsewhere.
"Let’s eat! I’m so hungry" She immediately walked as fast as she could to the dining hall as Mrs. Lucas and Michael stared at her in disbelief.
"Your father had an affair precisely because she acts like this!" Mrs. Lucas sighed exasperatedly.
Of course, Mrs. Lucas was just saying this in a fit of anger. Extramarital affairs were a big no-no to her.
At the same time, sometimes it wasn’t only one party who was at fault.
