Chapter 17

"Where are we going?"

James asked Wendy while he glanced at the rearview mirror seemingly inadvertently.

The white van had been following them for a while. It was obvious that whoever was in the van was up to no good. He sneered in his heart.

Wendy hesitated for a while before she said, "Let’s not head into the office today. Let's go to my place."

"Today is your grandpa's birthday, right?"

Wendy remained silent when faced with James' question. She kept her gaze outside the car window. She was considering whether to bring James home.

Half an hour later, with the directions provided by Wendy, James parked the car in a mid-range community. This was Wendy's parents' home.

Before getting out of the car, James turned his head and looked at the white van that was following them from far away. This car was definitely acting suspicious.

James followed Wendy into a small high-rise building.

Ding dong!

Wendy hesitated at the entrance and finally rang the doorbell.

After a while, the security gate opened.

When Charlotte Lawrence saw her daughter, she was a little taken aback. Then, she said happily, "My dear daughter, you finally came back!"

"Well, it’s Grandfather's 70th birthday today. I’ll be attending his birthday celebration with the both of you." Wendy's eyes were tearing up.

Wendy became pregnant before she got married, and despite the strong objections from her family, she insisted on giving birth to Bella. That made things uncomfortable at home, so she rarely went back.

"This is?"

Charlotte was curious and looked at James who was smiling brightly.

Wendy blushed. She was just about to speak, but James hurriedly said, "Hello Mother-in-law, I’m Wendy's husband and Bella's father."

"What?!” Charlotte's expression changed, and her mouth opened wide in astonishment.

She stared at James as anger stirred within her. Was this the guy who impregnated her daughter?

Obviously, Charlotte had misunderstood the situation.

"Who is it?"

The voice of a middle-aged man came from inside the house.

Charlotte hesitated for a while before saying sternly, "Come in!"

Wendy and James followed her into the house and sat down on the sofa.

His mother-in-law, Charlotte, was muttering with James' father-in-law, Mateo Summer, at the corner. The two of them kept staring at James with dismal expressions.

Their expressions were cold and made it seem like they would swallow him whole there and then, but James reacted by grinning and remained calm.

Wendy was flushed. Although she had anticipated the potential outcome of her parents meeting James, she was still at a loss.

At that moment, Mateo walked over to James and asked him coldly, "What’s your name? What do you do?"

"James Murphy, I’m working as a security guard in Wendy's company."

James answered Mateo respectfully.

Upon hearing that, Mateo snorted and said, "It really is you! You still dare to come to our house?"

The ambiance immediately became solemn and awkward.

Wendy was surprised. "Dad, what are you talking about?"

"Go away, there’s no place for you to speak here. Do you know that both the Fuller and Larson families are targeting the Summer family? James used to be the son-in-law of the Fuller family, and he made a big fuss at the Fuller family’s celebration dinner. Neither the Fuller family nor the Larson family will let him off just like that."

Mateo pointed at his daughter and roared angrily, "The Summer family is just a declining medical family. We can’t afford to offend these wealthy families! Furthermore, the Fuller family is the richest family in York City, owning assets worth tens of billions of dollars."

He was exasperated. "Daughter! I didn't expect you to be involved with James… Sigh, you’ve brought misfortune upon the Summer family!"

James frowned and was just about to speak, but Wendy had a hot temper and opened her mouth before he could say anything. "Dad and Mom, James and I got registered after he got divorced. How does it have anything to do with the Fuller family? Regarding the point on how he offended the Larson family, that was because of me and Bella. James saved me, you’ve misunderstood James!"

Following that, Wendy shared in detail about how Hugh Larson, the second young master of the Larson family, had pestered her and hired someone to kidnap her. Mateo was speechless as soon as he heard.

The room was quiet and the ambiance was dull.

"Okay."

After a long while, Mateo nodded and asked James gruffly, "You’re not related to the Fuller family anymore?"

"Yes."

James nodded.

"You’re just a security guard?"

James shrugged disapprovingly. "What about it? I’m self-reliant and not ashamed."

Mateo questioned him further. "What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to make money? Are you planning on working as a security guard in my daughter's company for the rest of your life?"

James smiled and shook his head. "For the time being, I think it's not the worst thing in the world to be working as a security guard in Siren Pharmaceutical, so I have no other plans yet."

"Hahahahaha..."

Mateo sneered and said, "You made a big fuss at the Fuller family celebration dinner and offended the Fuller family! You even offended the Larson family! You married into the Fuller family and worked as a security guard, and now you’re married to my daughter and working as a security guard at her company. Are you a man? What’s the difference between you and trash?!"

That was very harsh. James frowned. His father-in-law was indeed a little unreasonable.

"Dad, that’s enough."

Wendy was not in the best of moods. She felt that her father was being too mean and rude.

She gently touched James' leg with her knee, signaling at him to bear with her father. After all, blood was thicker than water.

James turned his head and smiled. He swallowed the words that he wanted to spew out.

As Wendy watched James endure the humiliation from her father, she did not know how to feel.

Mateo did shut up, but Charlotte continued, "James, you have caused my daughter much shame. Moreover, you’ve brought misfortune to the Summer family. Today is my father's 70th birthday, it won’t be easy for you."

Charlotte went over, put her arms around her daughter's shoulders, and said, "Wendy, your dad has your best interests in mind. James may not be able to give you the life you want. Moreover, he is on bad terms with the Fuller and Larson families. They can easily squash us. Your grandfather is worried sick.

"James, it's not that we look down on you, but it is what it is. If you have no money or power, you’ll be looked down upon. You’re not worthy of our daughter."

The air in the room seemed to be frozen and silent when such heavy words came out from Charlotte.

James just smiled and kept his mouth shut.

Wendy took a deep breath and said resolutely, "Dad, Mom, I firmly disagree with what you said."

Seeing their daughter's firm stance, Mateo and Charlotte looked at each other. Their expressions darkened.

They understood that their daughter was a stubborn bull whose head cannot be pulled!

Otherwise, she would not have risked being kicked out of the Summer family house to give birth to Bella without getting married first.

After being silent for a while, Mateo finally gave in. "Daughter, we’re just being realistic. Life is so cruel and ruthless. Since you have your heart set on this man, then we will give him a chance."