Chapter 3
Meanwhile, the Hudson Residence was ringing with cheers and laughter. Blessed with incredibly pretty looks, Amber was holding Jefferey's arm as she pleaded like a spoiled child, "Please buy me a Maserati, Dad. Our family received 10 million from the Burtons, so we don't have to worry about money anymore!"
Jefferey was sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper. Upon hearing her words, he turned his head and glared at her peevishly. "How could you have the cheek to ask for a luxury car? You refused to marry into the Burtons when you were asked to. I really have no idea what you were thinking about. The Burtons are so rich; would you not have whatever you wanted once you married into the family?"
Amber wrinkled her nose with a disdainful expression. "Dad! Justin Burton looks extremely ugly and is said to have an eccentric character. It disgusts me just to think about him, so I'll never agree to marry him! Rachel, that forsaken mute, married him in my stead, didn't she?" she protested before pausing for a moment. Then, she rolled her eyes and smiled slyly. "I would be willing to get married if I were to marry Julian Peters, though. He is said to be a Doctor of Medicine in France. He's such a handsome and promising young man, which is pretty close to my ideal type of person."
She's the apple of my eye, after all-I have spoiled her ever since she was a child. I can't force her to marry someone she dislikes, but she has become more and more unreasonable as I spoil her, Jefferey thought to himself. He poked Amber in the nose and replied, "Julian Peters is Sue Praham's son, not the heir of the Burton Family. What's so special about him? Besides, Justin Burton will not be made a fool of easily. Where was I supposed to find a substitute for you in a short time if it weren't for her?"
Amber raised her chin disdainfully. "Even if she wasn't there to substitute for me, there would be someone else. Perhaps she's only too eager to marry into the Burtons! A mute who cannot speak should simply be grateful for being able to marry into a wealthy family!"
Jefferey merely smiled without saying a word. Only he knew that he had forced Rachel to marry Justin using her grandmother's life-saving money, but there was no need for his little princess to worry about this. Even though Rachel was also his own daughter, a mute who had been left in a remote mountain village for many years before resuming her relationship with him had no comparability with a beloved daughter who had been spoiled and doted on since childhood. Moreover, unlike Amber, Rachel couldn't win glory for the Hudson Family.
As the father and daughter were chatting happily, the company suddenly called. After Jefferey answered the phone, his countenance changed all of a sudden. "What did you say? The funding from the Burton Family is empty? That's impossible!" Then, his face became increasingly grave as the person on the other end said something.
Amber was seated near Jefferey, and she turned ghastly pale when she heard that the money that should have come to their hands was gone. "What should we do, Dad?"
Jefferey knitted his brows as he thought of something. Then, he uttered bitterly between clenched teeth, "What a b*stard Justin Burton is! How dare he play tricks on me? How could he go back on his word after I married my daughter to him?"
"That ugly monster is simply too annoying!" Amber thanked her lucky stars. "It's lucky that I didn't marry him. It's crude for that sc*m to go back on his word!" Then, she looked at her father and asked hesitantly, "What should we do next, Dad?"
Jefferey collected himself and pondered for a moment. "Since he's being unkind to me, he shouldn't blame me for being treacherous. Don't forget that Rachel is now one of the Burtons."
Amber smiled instantly when she saw how her father appeared to have a card up his sleeve. She thought to herself, Dad has always been wise and resourceful. Well, Justin can only resign himself to getting ripped off!
In the meantime, Rachel was mopping the floor while Sue sat on the sofa and drank some tea, eyeing the other woman in a nitpicking manner. "Be sure to mop the floor clean. As the daughter-in-law of the Burton Family, you ought to manage your household with industry and thrift. You shall sweep and clean up the rooms every day from now on. Mrs. Duncan is an old servant of the Burtons, so we shouldn't keep overworking her. Share some of her burdens as you should since we Burtons don't want a lazy daughter-in-law," she said. She despised this mute, but she couldn't drive the latter away in a flagrant way. After all, it was mainly out of concern for the Burton Family's reputation that had lasted for 100 years. Therefore, she wanted to make Rachel back out and go away herself in the face of hardships. "Of course, if you feel wronged, you may leave the Burton Family. All right, I'll be having afternoon tea with someone else outside very soon. Hurry up and work, and don't be lazy!" After finishing her sentence, she picked up her handbag and went out.
Rachel watched until Sue had gone out before she heaved a long sigh. She thought to herself, Sue Parham is simply too difficult to deal with, and it's quite tiring to get along with her.