Chapter 99 Too Far
He would feel sorry about sending Angie away before this. He would probably feel uneasy and guilty, but after all the stunts Angie pulled, his patience and guilt had run out. I owe her nothing. She keeps saying she loves us and the boys, but if she really cared about us, she would have given us some space and not trouble us even further. But no. Oh no.
First, she got Dad and Harriet to pressure us, and now she’s kneeling before Madeline right in front of Benjamin, Morgan, and their families. She acts like she’s the victim, but she’s the one who reaped the most benefits out of this. She stole my daughter’s life! What makes her think she has the right to beg and plead?
“Alright, enough!” He was finally enraged, and he announced, “It’s time to rectify the situation. Maddie is my daughter, and it’s only right that we get reunited. Angie has her own parents too, so she should be reunited with them.” He looked at Angie and the boys who were consoling her. “This is my decision, and Maddie has nothing to do with it. You will not blame her for this. Jonathan!” He looked at Jonathan.
“Here,” Jonathan answered and went over to his father.
“Take Angie to Dusktown and hand her to Xander,” Michael said. “Tell him about this whole story and ask him to take care of her.”
“Yes.” Jonathan nodded. “I understand, Dad,” he said.
“No! I won’t go! I won’t go! I don’t want to leave you, Dad! I love you!” Angie prostrated herself before Michael and held his calf. “Dad, please don’t send me away. You’re my father, and this is my home. I’m nothing without you. Dad, please don’t do this to me. I can’t live without you.”
Michael’s adamant attitude made Erin panic. Oh, I can’t let this happen. If she’s sent away, Michael’s family will return to their calm and peaceful life. But I want to mess Crystal’s life up. I can’t let him send her away. She went up and held Angie, then she looked up at Michael. “Michael, how could you send her away? That’s too cruel! We’ve thought of her as our own because we thought she’s your daughter. Jack and Nicholas love her like a sister. How are we supposed to accept it if you want to send her away?”
“Yes, Uncle.” Nicholas was beside Angie, holding her. He agreed, “Uncle, she’s the only girl in the family for more than twenty years, and all of us see her as a part of the family. We can’t just cut ties with her, not after we spent more than twenty years with her. We can’t accept you kicking her out all of a sudden. She’s the one we grew up with, and she’s my only cousin sister. I don’t care about anyone else. No one else can replace her.”
“I’ll say this one last time.” Michael looked at Angie and Nicholas. “My daughter is Madeline, and Angie is Xander’s daughter. Madeline will be my only daughter from now on, and Angie must leave this household.”
“Dad!” Angie never expected her father, who loved her the most, to be so cruel all of a sudden, and she broke into tears.
“That’s going too far, Michael!” Erin said angrily. “Angie is such a sweet, lovely, and smart girl. If you don’t want her, then I’ll take her! Get up, Angie.” She helped Angie up and wrapped her arm around Angie’s shoulder. “Come with me, Angie. Since your father doesn’t want you, I’ll take you in. You’ll stay with us. Nobody will chase you away.”
He’s not going to send her away. Not on my watch. I’m going to keep her. We live near each other, so if Angie stays with us, Crystal will see her if she’s out and about. And she’ll be annoyed every time she sees Angie. She was delighted by that thought. And the public will call her heartless for abandoning Angie after she found her own daughter, while they will call me kind for keeping someone who was chased out. She would get praises while Crystal would be condemned, and that was a chance Erin would not forgo.
“Yeah!” Nicholas supported his mother’s decision. “You’re right, Mom. If Uncle and Auntie are chasing Angie out, then we’ll take her in.”
Morgan thought it was a bit out of line. “Stop this nonsense, Erin. You too, Nicholas.”
Jack agreed, “Mom, this is Uncle’s private matter. We should let him decide.”
“This is not nonsense.” Erin held Angie in her embrace. “She’s such a sweet and gentle girl. I’ve always thought of her as my own. We’re all humans, and we all have compassion. I won’t let Michael chase her out and let her suffer! I’ve watched her grow up ever since she was a kid. I’m taking her in no matter what, and she’s my daughter now. Nobody can chase her away.”
“Erin—” Michael wanted to say something, but Madeline stopped him.
“Dad.” She smiled. “Since Auntie Erin loves her so much, just let her take Angie in, alright? Don’t stop her. If she wants to have a daughter in her household, who are we to stop them, right?”
Michel was surprised that Madeline would speak up for Angie. Madeline only smiled. She had her own plan, of course, for she noticed something interesting earlier.
Cedric and Nicholas were by Angie’s side, consoling her. Cedric was Angie’s brother, while Nicholas was her cousin, but Angie kept leaning toward Nicholas and giving him a look that was filled with agony and sorrow. I wonder why? Hmm, I guess she wants to hook up with Nicholas.
Cedric is Angie’s brother, but Nicholas isn’t related by blood to her in any way. That means she can’t marry Cedric, but she can marry Nicholas.
After everyone knows she’s Cameron’s daughter, it would be hard for her to marry into any rich family, and the Wendels are her best choice. Erin wants to take Angie in as her daughter, but Angie wants to marry her son. When they become a couple, let’s see if Erin can still act like she loves the ‘sweet and gentle’ Angie. Ooh, I can’t wait.
