SIX

Giselle appeared at the door, her face pale, and her eyes looked extremely angry. The knife in her hand made Glenn and Merrya scared.

"Are you trying to betray me?" Giselle asked, furious.

"Giselle, please... can you listen to me first? Don't be angry, darling. I can explain everything." Glenn panicked.

"Mother-in-law, do you want to separate me and Glenn after everything I've done for you? Do you think I'm a useless woman? HUH?!"

Giselle shouted angrily, then threw the knife at Merrya.

Merrya screamed in fear, but Glenn quickly pulled his mother away to keep the knife from hurting her.

"Giselle, listen to me, you just misunderstood. I won't follow what Mother says, I won't leave you. You have to trust me," Glenn said.

Giselle’s breath was uneven as she sobbed uncontrollably, her legs weakening as she collapsed onto the floor. She could swear, in her lifetime, she had never felt such sorrow and frustration.

Her mother’s death, her father’s affair happening right before her eyes, the business and the company almost falling apart due to her mother’s death. Everything in this world seemed to be toying with her.

The news of Athena's resurrection and her new family, along with the official announcement that Athena had officially become part of the Gilgareth family, certainly shattered Giselle's pride.

Giselle thought she should have been happy living with Glenn after getting rid of Athena. From the start, she had realized she was nobody in this family. Athena was the true heir of WILLOWSPOT, but jealousy drove Giselle to take everything from her half-sister, including Glenn.

"You won’t leave me, right?" Athena asked, sadly.

"I won’t, darling. I promise you."

Athena glanced at Merrya and then said, "Then... get that woman out of our house. I don’t want to see a destroyer between us, Glenn."

Merrya was shocked by Giselle’s words. “W-what do you mean? I’m your mother-in-law, Giselle. Don’t—"

"Enough, Mother," Glenn interrupted. "Sorry, Mother, but I have to take care of Giselle. Pack your things and leave this house."

"GLENN, YOU—"

"Please, don’t make Giselle suffer. She’s right, she has done so much for our family."

Merrya was speechless, her anger rising as she saw the sly smile on Giselle’s face. "YOU WRETCHED DAUGHTER-IN-LAW! I REGRET EXCHANGING YOU FOR ATHENA, WHO IS WORTH SO MUCH!"

Merrya left, her final words leaving Giselle’s pride in shambles.

"Don’t you love me, Glenn?" Giselle asked, almost pleading for validation.

"I love you, Giselle," Glenn replied.

"I’m afraid you’ll leave me. I have no one else in this world but you, Glenn. Mama’s gone, and my stepfather will probably find another woman, and maybe even throw me out someday," Giselle said.

This woman was right. Giselle could be thrown out of the Willow family at any time. She had no one left, and all her rights and wealth could be taken away whenever Ferdinand wanted to.

Moreover, that man didn’t seem to care about his wife’s death. He was busy having an affair, only showing sorrow in front of the media as if he were the most loyal man to his wife. Glenn understood Giselle’s feelings, and it all made sense.

"I’m afraid you’ll leave me after my mother said that Athena contacted her. Is that true, Glenn? Athena is not just anyone now, I’m afraid you’ll turn away from me because I—"

"Enough, Athena. Stop saying things like that! I love you, and I won’t bow down to Athena, no matter what happens."

Giselle smiled triumphantly. "Athena is much better than me, but I won’t let her win, Glenn. Can you do something to make her bow to us?"

Glenn furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Giselle took out her phone and showed a picture of a boy wearing a cowboy hat and a checkered shirt.

"He's your son, Glenn. You have a right to him. You can take that child and demand a ransom from Athena if she wants to meet her child," Giselle suggested.

Glenn shook his head. In his mind, his wife’s idea wasn’t a good course of action. Such an attempt would only tarnish the family’s name. The reputation of both families’ businesses could be destroyed due to such reckless behavior.

"Why don’t you want to do it? What are you waiting for, Glenn? You must take that child. He’s your son, his blood runs in your veins."

"Giselle, I’ll think about this carefully. For now, just rest. I don’t want you to overthink things."

***

Early the next morning, Glenn arrived at a kindergarten where Athena’s son was attending school. Glenn didn’t dare approach the school grounds because security was tight. He only observed from a distance, hoping to spot the boy from the picture Giselle had shown him.

The school bell rang, and one by one, the children came out, escorted by their teachers. Glenn straightened his back when he saw the figure he was looking for being escorted by a large man with a bald head.

"Athena even sent many guards just to protect that little boy who looks so much like me," Glenn muttered as he watched the numerous men in similar attire picking up the child.

Glenn started his car and slowly followed the car that was taking the child. The school wasn’t far from his destination. Glenn saw the car drive into the yard of a house, and the child ran to greet Athena, who was waiting at the door.

Wait...

Athena wasn’t alone. Glenn’s heart raced when he saw a man standing beside Athena, holding her son and kissing the boy’s cheek several times.

There was a feeling of discomfort in Glenn’s heart as he watched Athena so happy with the life she was now living, even though she was just a discarded child from the Gilgareth family. Athena had only been lucky after being thrown away; if she hadn’t met the top business family, she might have been dead by now.

"No wonder Giselle feels her pride is being overlooked. Athena is much better than her, and that’s also why Mother wants to divorce me from Giselle."

Glenn didn’t leave immediately. He observed the harmonious scene in front of the door, with a thousand questions hanging in his mind. About who the man was and what his face looked like. He looked mysterious, or maybe Glenn had never seen him before.

"Giselle is right, Athena can’t be happy. She must suffer forever, and whatever happens, our family cannot bow to her."

Glenn’s phone rang. Kurt’s name appeared on the screen. "Hello, Kurt?"

"Sir, are you busy right now?"

"What’s going on?"

"Mrs. Giselle is causing a scene at the office. She’s angry after learning that the Willowspot shareholders withdrew their shares and want the company to be acquired by Havallary," Kurt reported.

"WHAT?!" Glenn was shocked, his eyes instinctively looking toward the door where Athena was.

They were still there, in front of the house, and Athena wasn’t at the office even though today was the scheduled management meeting for Glenn’s company. Then, who was responsible for the chaos that happened this morning if Athena was still at home?