Chapter 40 Sebastian’s Logic
“Because Madeline isn’t a b*stard. She’s Michael and Crystal’s biological daughter! Joel and Quincy aren’t b*stards either—they’re Madeline and Sebastian’s biological sons!” Nigel growled.
Phoebe was too stunned to speak. She had been leaning forward against the table, but now, she fell back onto her seat. “What did you just say, Nigel? A-Are you drunk? Did you go drinking? W-Why are you spitting nonsense?”
“I’m not saying nonsense. Everything that I’m telling you is true…” Nigel waved his hand around dejectedly. “I’m really tired, Phoebe… We’re different. You’re a housewife who enjoys the life of a wealthy woman, and all you do is eat, drink, and sleep. I have to work, and I’m really tired… I don’t expect you to take any of the burdens off my shoulders, but I just want you to stop causing trouble for me, okay? If you really want to get out, just give Madeline a call and beg her to put in a good word for you. You need to make sure she gives in and agrees so that you can get out of there soon. I can’t think of any more ideas apart from that.”
Phoebe glared at him in disbelief. That b*stard, Madeline, is actually Michael and Crystal’s daughter? Joel and Quincy are Sebastian’s sons? That whole bunch of people I look down on, and the people who I scold and beat up whenever I want to… are actually biologically related to the men of the Wendel and Hart Families?
After Dan’s brief explanation, Phoebe understood the sort of person Sebastian was. He was someone even Nigel couldn’t afford to mess with. Crystal, on the other hand, may seem gentle on the outside, but she was a feisty and strong woman. Nigel was fond of her, so Phoebe would often butter her up and avoid offending her in any way.
In the Taylor Family, Nigel, Richard, Crystal, Sam, and Dan were people she had to respect and act carefully around. Isabel—her and Nigel’s daughter—was someone she genuinely loved. So, Madeline, Quincy, and Joel were the only ones she could bully relentlessly. They were like her punching bags that she could pummel and step on anytime she wished to.
If she went out to bully others, people might scold or even sue her. The only person she could bully without facing any consequences was Madeline. Isabel and Phoebe were used to treating Madeline like a pet dog or cat instead of an actual human—they would order her around the house and criticize her whenever they wished to.
Madeline was the only person who could make Phoebe feel like she was actually in power. It gave Phoebe the taste of living life as an elegant, haughty, rich man’s wife! However, now that Nigel was telling her that Madeline was actually Crystal and Michael’s daughter and that Madeline was the biological child of the well-respected Taylor Family… If Michael and Crystal ever find out about all the times Isabel and I mistreated Madeline… I remember how we used to beat Madeline up really badly before Sam returned to the country.
When Phoebe thought about Crystal’s seemingly gentle yet secretly hateful and fierce personality, fear spread across her face as she shuddered. “No, no, no! This can’t be real!” She shook her head in panic. Madeline was supposed to be a b*stard that Isabel and Phoebe could bully and order around forever. How could the tables have turned so drastically? This can’t be true!
Phoebe turned to Dan with a hopeful look in her eyes. “This isn’t true, is it, Dan? Madeline is actually Cameron’s daughter, not your aunt’s! Joel and Quincy can’t be from the Hart Family either! Your dad got it wrong, didn’t he, Dan?”
“Dad didn’t get it wrong, but you shouldn’t be too worried, Phoebe.” Dan quickly comforted her when he saw the fear in her eyes. “Although Quincy and Joel are Sebastian’s sons, they are illegitimate sons who are looked down upon by the rest of Dusktown’s well-known families. I’m sure the Hart Family doesn’t really care about them. Furthermore, although there’s a possibility that Madeline is my uncle and aunt’s biological daughter, Cameron switched her away when she was born, so my uncle and aunt have never cared for her at all. They don’t have a strong relationship with each other. Your father, on the other hand, saved my life, so the Taylor Family is indebted to you.”
“On top of that, you didn’t know that Madeline was my uncle and aunt’s daughter. They can’t blame you for something you didn’t know. For the sake of my father, I’m sure my aunt and uncle wouldn’t put the blame on you for what you did to Madeline!”
“Do you think so?” Phoebe’s eyes lit up. “If it’s just a possibility that Madeline’s their biological child, there’s also a possibility that she isn’t, right? Dan, you guys must’ve been scammed by Madeline. Madeline can’t be your uncle and aunt’s daughter. She was born to suffer in this life! She—”
“That’s enough, Phoebe! You need to stop saying such things!” Even Dan’s face was turning sour at that point. “I’ve looked at some of the Wendel Family’s pictures of their older generations, and Madeline looks similar to one of my cousin’s grandmothers. Angie, on the other hand, looks nothing like the Wendel Family. We’re not sure that Madeline is my uncle and aunt’s daughter, but all we need is a DNA test to make sure. You need to stop saying that Madeline’s a b*stard—my uncle and aunt would be really angry if they heard it.”
Phoebe shuddered at the thought of Michael, who would seek revenge for the tiniest matters. She kept quiet after that. Dan pulled his phone out and keyed in Madeline’s number before handing the phone to Phoebe. “You should call Madeline now, Phoebe. You need to do it before the whole lawsuit starts. As long as Madeline is willing to drop the charges, you will be able to leave this place. If your lawsuit begins, you’re stuck here even if Madeline stops pressing charges.”
“No, no! I want to go out! I have to leave!” When she thought about her terrifying cell, she no longer cared about Madeline’s birth parents. With shaky hands, Phoebe held onto the phone and dialed Madeline’s number.
Madeline didn’t notice her phone ringing, as she was preparing to register her marriage with Sebastian at the Civil Affairs Bureau. There were a lot of people in the hall, and there was a long queue in front of the counter where people registered their marriages.
“Why are there so many people?” Madeline felt a little nervous. She looked around the place and attempted some small talk just to calm her nerves. As she spoke, she tried her best to sound light-hearted and carefree, as if she wasn’t nervous at all. “The more, the merrier. It shows that today is a good day to get married,” Sebastian said with a smirk. “We’re lucky, I guess.”
She didn’t know how to respond. I guess it makes sense!
Sebastian stayed beside Madeline as they queued up at the counter. This was rather surprising to Madeline, as she figured that someone as powerful as him could probably use his name to get an express pass to the front of the line. Alternatively, Sebastian could have told his assistant to arrange for someone to queue for them.
However, to her surprise, he stood beside her the whole time. Both of them shuffled their feet forward as the line moved. Sebastian wore a huge pair of sunglasses to cover half his face, and the people around him immediately assumed that he was some celebrity. They stole glances in his direction, and some of them even snapped photos until the Hart Family’s guards stepped forward to stop them. However, that only attracted more people to stare at them.
