C189 Did you Ask For Our Approval

The dining room instantly fell silent. Kelvin had only just taken another sip of his juice when Sarah suddenly smiled. "My husband." Pffft! Kelvin almost choked. Ben, who had just lifted his own glass, froze halfway before slowly putting it back down. "...What?" He rubbed his ears as though he had heard wrongly. "What did you say?"

Sarah smiled sweetly. "My husband." Ben blinked repeatedly. "Since when are you married?" Sarah calmly took out a familiar red booklet before placing it on the dining table. "And not only am I married..." She gently rested a hand on her stomach. "...I'm also carrying his child." "Pffft!" This time it was Ben who spat out his juice. He stared at his younger sister as if she had suddenly become someone else. "Impossible!" "You're my little sister!" "Who allowed you to do something like this?"

Sarah wasn't offended. Instead, she chuckled softly. "Some actions have consequences..." "...and some consequences last forever." Her eyes slowly shifted toward Samantha, who was quietly carrying Monica in her arms. She smiled knowingly. "Am I wrong, Samantha?" Samantha lowered her head awkwardly. She didn't answer. She didn't need to. But she smiled faintly and nodded. Ben's face darkened. "Why do you always target me?" "Can't you just forgive me"

Sarah casually pushed the marriage certificate toward him. "Read it." Ben snatched it from the table. His confident expression disappeared almost immediately. His eyes widened. "...Christopher Chambers?" He quickly looked up. "Wait..." "You married Chris?" "He's the father of your child?" Sarah nodded calmly. "Yes." Ben stood up so abruptly that his chair slid backwards. "Have you all lost your minds?" "Can't any of you see the problem here?" "Chris is my biggest enemy's bestfriend!" "And now you're expecting me to sit at the same table as him?"

Sarah remained unusually composed. "You can choose who you consider your enemy." "You introduced Natalie to us today as your girlfriend without discussing anything with us." "So tell me..." "Why should I seek your approval for my own marriage?" Ben opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Unable to argue with Sarah, he turned toward Kelvin. "Dad!" "You actually approved this?" "Does anyone in this family even care what I think anymore?"

Before Kelvin could answer, Sarah spoke first. "Don't look at Dad." "You certainly didn't ask for his permission before bringing Natalie home." Ben clenched his fists. His anger was growing with every passing second. Kelvin finally spoke. His voice remained calm. "Son..." "A great deal has changed while you were away." He paused before continuing. "The incident in France..." "The wine you tampered with..." "It led to your sister becoming pregnant." "If there is anyone responsible for today's situation..." "...it is you."

Ben froze. His breathing became heavier. Then he suddenly looked toward Sarah. "You mean..." "He drank that wine..." "...and took advantage of my sister?" The room instantly became cold. Sarah slowly stood up. Tears had already begun forming in her eyes. She looked directly at Ben. "You said..." "He took advantage of me?" Her voice trembled. "Tell me, Brother..." "Do you really think Chris is the kind of man who would do something like that?"

She took another step forward. "Or..." "Are you simply judging him based on yourself?" Ben's expression stiffened. Sarah continued. "You..." "The man who drugged Samantha..." "The man who destroyed her future..." "The man who forced her into a marriage she never wanted..." "And today..." "...you dare accuse Chris?" Ben wanted to defend himself. He truly did. But no matter how hard he searched... No words came.

Every accusation Sarah had made... Was true. The silence became suffocating. Just then. Bang! Kelvin slammed his palm onto the dining table. Everyone instinctively fell silent. His sharp eyes swept across the room. "Enough." "No more." His commanding voice immediately stopped the argument. He looked at Sarah first. "Sarah." "I understand your anger." "But this is not the day to reopen old wounds." Then he turned toward Ben. "And you." "You made mistakes." "You paid for some of them." "But not all consequences end when a prison sentence does."

The room remained silent. Kelvin slowly continued. "What happened in France..." "Changed many people's lives." "You cannot undo that." "You cannot pretend it never happened." He looked toward Sarah. Then back at Ben. "Both families agreed not to pursue the matter any further." "You should be grateful." "Had they chosen differently..." "...you would not be sitting here today." Ben slowly lowered his head. He had nothing to say.

The atmosphere gradually calmed after Kelvin's words. No one spoke for several moments. Ben slowly sat back down. His earlier arrogance had disappeared, replaced by a complicated expression. Seeing that the tension had eased, Tracy smiled gently before breaking the silence. "Ben..." She looked at her son with motherly concern. "Although you are no longer the Director of Wood IT Company..." "...your shares are still yours." "You don't have to worry about your future."

Ben slowly raised his head. Tracy continued, "You can remain with the company as a shareholder." "If one day you decide to start your own business..." "...your father and I will support you." "As long as what you're doing is honest." Kelvin nodded. "That's right." "If you need capital..." "I'll help you." "But only if it's for something worthwhile." Ben remained quiet. His fingers lightly tapped the table as he thought.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Dad..." "What about Jack?" "I asked you earlier." "The bail procedures..." "Have they started?" The smile on Kelvin's face slowly disappeared. He leaned back in his chair before answering. "They haven't." Ben frowned. "Why?" Kelvin folded his arms. "Because I investigated him." The room immediately became quiet again.

Kelvin continued calmly, "The man you call Jack..." "...is not an ordinary prisoner." "He was arrested for murder." Ben's eyebrows knitted together. "Murder?" Kelvin nodded. "The police suspect that he murdered both of his parents." "The motive..." "Their pension money." Ben's pupils shrank. "No..." "That can't be the Jack I know."