Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 142: Child Betrothal Is a Feudal Remnant
"I can’t worry about all that right now. I’ve been going crazy missing you, and I feel miserable if I don’t see you for even a few days! Damien, darling, let’s go upstairs. I have so much I’ve been dying to tell you..."
Having made a habit of acting shamelessly in front of Damien Vaughn and Cecelia Archer, Zeke Walton had absolutely no regard for his image. As he spoke, he clambered into Damien’s arms, wrapped his own around his neck, and demanded to be carried upstairs.
Damien Vaughn looked as if he’d just been smeared with dog crap, shoving Zeke away in disgust.
Just as they were struggling, the voices of Ms. Lewis and Simone Vaughn drifted over.
"Zeke, what on earth are you doing?"
’She hadn’t seen him in days. Whenever she called and invited him to dinner, he either wouldn’t text back or just wouldn’t pick up. To think she’d run into him here at Damien’s place today.’
’A grown man, putting on that mincing, high-pitched voice like some court eunuch, writhing around in Damien’s arms... What was that supposed to be?’
Ms. Lewis was already unhappy with him, and seeing him act this way, her expression grew even more stern.
"Zeke, I don’t mean to lecture you, but you’re a grown man now. A real man. What is this behavior? Look at Damien—his child is already several years old. Isn’t it time you matured a little?"
"I’ve adored you since you were a boy. I have only one precious daughter, and she was promised to you in childhood..."
Zeke knew what was coming next before she even finished her sentence.
’What century is this? She’s still using words like "promised." Who is she trying to scare?’
"Ms. Lewis, you’re so young and beautiful, why are your ideas so old-fashioned? What era are we in? How can you use the standards from your generation to judge young people today?"
"How old am I? I graduated from college less than two years ago. I barely have any real-world experience, and I can hardly support myself. Why the rush to get married and have kids? That would just be ruining someone’s life, wouldn’t it?"
"Besides, these childhood betrothals are just feudal relics. They can’t be taken seriously. Veridia is full of talented young men, plenty of them way better than me. If you’re really in such a hurry, you should let Simone get out there and meet people. Otherwise, it’s not fair to her."
Ms. Lewis: "..."
’So, this punk was publicly rejecting her Simone?’
Who was Simone Vaughn? She was the only girl in the Vaughn Family! A genuine, bona fide heiress!
’She had the family background, the looks, and the figure. In what way was she not good enough for him?’ freewebnσvel.cøm
’The childhood engagement between their families was set so many years ago, and both sets of parents acknowledged it. But now *he* was refusing to?’
"What are you trying to say? Have you found someone else? Are you trying to back out of this? Telling Simone to find someone else? Do your parents feel this way too? Zeke Walton, get this straight! It’s not that our Simone can’t live without you. It’s that we, the Vaughn Family, are people of honor and integrity. Since our elders made an agreement, we have always abided by it. Even if you are immature, you should know there are some things you just don’t say!"
Zeke had wanted to clear the air about him and Simone for a long time. Now that the topic was broached, he couldn’t be bothered to think about the consequences.
"This has nothing to do with my parents. These are my own words. I think Simone and I are too young to be making such a final decision. I want to give her the chance to find greater happiness."
Ms. Lewis was practically apoplectic.
’For years, she and Zeke’s mother had joked about it. Everyone knew Simone had been promised to Zeke since they were children.’
’And now he was rejecting her in public?!’
’If he never intended to marry Simone, why didn’t he say something sooner?’
’And Zeke’s parents, what was their act all about? Were they just playing the Vaughns for fools?’
"You... Fine! Since you’ve put it that way, call your parents right now! Tell them to stop claiming Simone is their future daughter-in-law! The Vaughn Family and the Walton Family are through! We’ll cut all ties! Now get the hell out of our house! And I had better never see you again!"
’So what if things between him and Simone didn’t work out? How did Damien get dragged into this?’
’What right did she have to ban him from the Vaughn estate? It wasn’t like she owned the place.’
Zeke neither left nor made the call. He slid off Damien, his expression turning cold as he sat down to one side.
Seeing his defiant look only stoked Ms. Lewis’s fury.
She snatched the box of ginseng he’d brought for the old man from Simone’s hands and, with a CLANG, hurled it at Zeke.
"I told you to get out! Are you deaf? What are you still doing, lingering here? I’ve met shameless people before, but I’ve never met anyone as utterly shameless as you! The Vaughn Family must have been blind to ever let a creature like you through our doors!"
’There’s a saying: even if a deal falls through, goodwill should remain. Just because he didn’t want to marry her daughter, she was resorting to insults and violence, even escalating to personal attacks. Was there any need for this?’
The box hit Zeke. While it didn’t injure him, it still hurt, and his own temper began to flare.
"Ms. Lewis, out of respect for your age, I’m trying not to stoop to your level. But don’t push it!"
"What do you mean? What do you mean, *I’m* pushing it? Zeke Walton, you’ve got some nerve! It looks like you want to hit me, is that it? Go on! Hit me! I dare you! What right do you have to raise a hand to me? If you’ve got the guts, then strike me dead right here! Come on!"
As she spoke, Ms. Lewis rushed toward him and tried to ram her head into his chest.
How would Zeke dare actually strike her? He desperately dodged aside, but Ms. Lewis was relentless, pursuing him wherever he went.
While the two were causing a scene, Mrs. Vaughn returned home, physically and mentally refreshed after a day out.
"What’s all this, then?"
Zeke hadn’t seen Mrs. Vaughn in ages. Spotting her at such a critical moment, he was overjoyed and immediately rushed over to her.
"Ms. Bell? You’re back! Your timing is perfect! Help me! I told her Simone and I aren’t a good match and can’t get married, and Ms. Lewis went ballistic! Quick, help me talk some sense into her!"
Zeke had been a handsome, clever boy who did well in school. Plus, the Walton Family’s business had been growing steadily for years. Having secured such a good match for her daughter so early on, Ms. Lewis had always been quite smug, gloating about it to Mrs. Vaughn at every opportunity.
When Cecelia Archer had suddenly appeared with a child a few days ago, Ms. Lewis had been secretly messaging Mrs. Vaughn, stirring the pot and gloating over the drama. Mrs. Vaughn was already sick of her.
’And to think, before she’d even had a chance to put her in her place, this juicy bit of comedy had landed right in her lap.’
"Still going on about you and Simone? What century are we in? The fact that people still believe in things like childhood betrothals is just laughable, isn’t it?"
"My dear sister-in-law, it’s not my place to criticize, but Zeke is doing the right thing. He’s being responsible. Marriage affects a person’s entire life; it’s not something to be trifled with. If you turn this into a feud with the Walton Family, you’ll become the laughingstock of the town."
’Ms. Lewis couldn’t believe her bad luck at Mrs. Vaughn’s timing.’
’What the hell did her daughter’s marriage have to do with Mrs. Vaughn?’
’Did she think I was a fool? She was probably hoping Simone would marry down. It’s not enough that my own children can’t compare to her precious Damien!’
’Here to "persuade" me? Bah!’
"This is between him and me, Sister-in-law. You should focus on your own son and daughter-in-law. This doesn’t need to concern you."
’At least I was trying to be civil. But for her to be so blatant, to dare talk back to me like that?’
Mrs. Vaughn’s temper flared.
"Like it or not, I’m the woman of this house, second only to Father. I can’t just stand by and watch you make a complete fool of yourself. And what if, my dear sister-in-law, I *insist* on making this my concern?"
