Clarissa was not the slightest bit shaken by Matthew’s unusual exasperation. She remained cool as ever as she gazed at him.
“I don’t have any intentions. I just feel like bringing Damian with me to keep Grandma company during Christmas. She’s already in her old age. To be honest, I can’t resist but feel uneasy at the thought that she might leave us forever at any moment. Thus, I just want to spend more time with her,” she explained placidly.
Matthew reacted coldly at her nonchalance. “And then?”
Clarissa hesitated for a while before she replied, “At the same time, we can grab the opportunity to cool our heads off as well.”
“Cool our heads off? I don’t see the need!” Matthew raised his voice uncontrollably. Gripping both Clarissa’s arms, he leaned closer to her. “Clare, I understand how you feel. How can I disregard how you are feeling? You feel that you’re humiliated by them, and you can’t accept the fact that they doubt you in a way. What’s more, you will fight them to the end for the sake of our son’s wellbeing. I remember every single word that you have mentioned. But I can’t let you and Damian leave now.”
“Huh! Since you understand how I feel, why did you give in to them?” Clarissa mocked in disappointment.
“Clare, as long as you are willing to give me some time, I will explain to you in detail.” Matthew tried to convince her.
Nonetheless, Clarissa shook her head and uttered resolutely, “Matthew, no matter what reasonable excuses you are giving, I won’t let Damian undergo a DNA test. You might have a point, yet we are never on the same stance on this. For me, that’s the line that you shouldn’t cross.”
“Mommy, Mommy…” They could hear Damian calling for her outside their room.
Clarissa reminded Matthew hastily, “If you really love Damian, try to tamp down your anger and don’t raise your voice in front of him. After all, I just plan to bring him back to celebrate Christmas with Grandma.”
Even though she sounded casual, Matthew could sense a hint of unmissable aloofness in her countenance. Is she telling the truth? She doesn’t look like one who is excited to be back in her hometown for the Christmas celebration!
When he was about to say something, Damian pushed open the door. He trotted into the room and lunged toward Clarissa at once. She wrapped her arms around him and carried him up. Rubbing his head against her cheeks affectionately, he was unusually quiet in her embrace, still rubbing his groggy eyes at times.
Clarissa patted his back and asked gently, “Damian, let’s go back to W City and celebrate Christmas together with great-grandma, okay?”
“Great-grandma?” Damian pondered for a while and replied, “Okay!”
“Let’s pack our luggage and set off today, okay? We will leave right after our lunch. Ah! Where’s your small luggage? I will help you pack the things that you want to bring along…”
As Clarissa carried him out of the room, Damian gradually came to himself and chimed in excitedly, “Mommy, I want to bring along my toys!”
“Alright, which are the toys you want to bring along?”
“Can I bring all of them?” Damian asked innocently.
“No, we can’t. Anyway, there is a lot of toys at home over there, isn’t it? Those should be more than enough for you, right?”
Damian was still hesitant and not that willing upon hearing her words. Even so, he finally gave in after a while. “Alright, but there are other things that I want to bring along… my books…”
As Damian’s sound faded away, Matthew rubbed his temples in weariness.
After packing the luggage, Clarissa stepped out of the house with Damian, who dressed warmly. Meanwhile, Matthew was waiting for them in his car.
She did not turn down his offer to give them a lift. Nevertheless, there was an indescribable tense atmosphere between them in the car. On the other hand, Damian was chattering along the way in excitement and did not sense anything awry between them.
When Matthew carried Damian in his arms at the airport, Damian asked curiously out of a sudden, “Daddy, are you not going with us?”
Matthew chuckled. “I can’t go with you as I’m still busy at work. Anyway, Christmas is just around the corner. I will go over and celebrate with you there later. It won’t be long before we meet again. Damian, remember to give me a call every day, okay?”
Damian pouted his lips and kissed him lovingly. “Daddy, I’m going to miss you.”
“I will surely miss you and Mommy too.” He planted a kiss on Damian’s cheek affectionately as well.
“It’s almost time. You’d better head for the office first. We will go in now,” Clarissa said coolly and did not spare another glance at him. She held Damian’s hand and walked away without turning back to wave at him.
Matthew glued his eyes on Clarissa till her figure was finally out of sight. He squinted his eyes and mocked inwardly. What a cold-hearted woman! She seems to feel nothing, although we won’t be seeing each other for quite some time. Well, I can only hope that distance will make the heart fonder.
When Clarissa was back at home in W City, she explained to Catherine that both Damian and her were back to celebrate Christmas with her. Even so, Catherine’s sixth sense told her that it was not as simple as that. Nonetheless, she did not express her doubt in front of Damian.
While Damian was having a nap in the afternoon, Clarissa was drafting a shopping list for Christmas in the living room. Catherine walked over and took the seat next to her.
“Grandma, I think Jenny has bought too much meat. How about we let her bring some home?”
Instead of replying, Catherine was straight to the point by asking her directly, “You had a conflict with him, didn’t you?”
Clarissa was stunned, yet she remained silent and continued to scribble on the list.
Catherine let out a deep sigh. “It’s common for couples to have arguments at times. Needless to say, I’m glad to have both you and Damian by my side. Yet, it’s Christmas soon. Are you sure it’s appropriate for you to celebrate it here?”
“Grandma, the most important thing is you are happy with us around. If so, why bother about the others?” Clarissa refuted.
Catherine shook her head as she was at a loss for words. “You really have a temper!”
Clarissa continued to scribble on the shopping list casually. After a while, she murmured sorrowfully, ”Grandma, is it normal to have hiccups from time to time in marriage?”
Hannah heaved a sigh again before she replied analytically, “Yeah, it’s not just marriage. We can’t avoid encountering ups and downs in life as well. What’s more, the relationship between you and that man is still not approved by families of both sides. No doubt, I choose to turn a blind eye to that because of Damian. Be frank with me. His family still disapproves of your relationship with him, isn’t it?”
Even though Catherine was getting old, her sense was still as sharp as ever. She was apparently not far off.
“Huh! Do you think I will bother about that? I have sworn earlier and it’s definitely not out of my impulsiveness. After all, I’m married to Matthew, not the Tysons. I won’t cross paths with his family for the rest of my life again!” Clarissa blurted out the words, as though she was venting her frustration.
Catherine raised her brows and asked tactfully, “You’re married to him?”
It only struck Clarissa that Catherine must be unaware that both of them had gotten their marriage certificates. Since Catherine was clueless about online news, she might not know about the news on their marriage which had gone viral online.
Clarissa recalled how she was relieved at that time as it was almost impossible for Catherine to come across such news online. My goodness! I’m forgetful and have nearly spilled the beans myself!
Clarissa denied hastily, “Of course not. I mean in the future.”
Catherine continued to stare at her without uttering any words. Clarissa could not resist but feel a sense of guilt because of Catherine’s penetrating gaze.
She put on a fawning smile and asked jokingly, “Grandma, why are you staring at me like that? Have you lost your memory out of a sudden?”
Her heart skipped a beat when Catherine finally opened her mouth again. “Why? You think that I’m a dotard, don’t you? No doubt I have no idea about the internet, yet Jenny has no problem with that. Do you think that you can continue to keep mum after getting your marriage certificate three years ago?
On the instant, there were changes in Clarissa’s expression as another wave of guilt crept into her heart.
Catherine added, “I didn’t comment on anything as well, did I? It’s a blessing in a way that both of you had obtained your marriage certificate at that time. If not, Damian would be an illegitimate child.” That’s the point I’m concerned with the most!
Since Catherine mentioned that she was turning a blind eye to Clarissa’s relationship with Matthew, she was sort of in a dilemma. Even though she could not fully accept Matthew as her grandson-in-law, there was no way for her to disapprove of him at all as well. Anyway, nobody can predict what will happen in the future. Just see how things go then.
“What’s the main cause resulting in your conflict with him this round? Is it because of the rumor that you are having an affair with a secret lover?”
Oblivious to how Clarissa gaped at her, Catherine continued to say casually, “I have been reminding Jenny to double-check online every day if there is any news about you.”
Clarissa twitched her lips. My goodness! Since when did Grandma start to stay tuned to my news?
“Is it because he doesn’t trust you?” Catherine asked sternly with rising fury in her tone.
Clarissa shook her head. “No, it’s not him. It’s the Tysons’ problem.”
Upon hearing her words, Catherine knitted her brows and hit the ground with her cane. “I knew it! None of the Tysons is upright. Never expect that they will turn over a new leaf. Your mindset is right. You’re married to Matthew, and not his whole family. Bear in mind, have no truck with them. Just let him deal with his own family and get the matter resolved. If he is unable to sort things out, then it’s his own problem.”
She asked again as something crossed her mind. “So, is it because he doesn’t manage to sort things out this round?”
Clarissa decided to keep mum about how the Tysons requested Damian to undergo a DNA test. I myself am already boiling with anger because of that. If Grandma finds out that the apple of her eye was humiliated by the Tysons, I bet she would burst a blood vessel!
Thus, she made a long story short by making use of the reason that the Tysons requested Damian to visit Matthew’s father in hospital previously.
“I don’t allow Damian to go again, yet Matthew insists on letting him visit his father. Since he is recovering well, I guess Damian won’t have to go anymore. However, Matthew still insists that Damian should visit his parents from time to time. I’m reluctant, so that’s how we ended up having a conflict.” As expected, Catherine did not doubt it at all, as the excuse sounded reasonable.
Catherine softened and commented, “I see… you definitely have your point, yet he’s being not entirely in the wrong too.”
“Grandma, if you were me, would you give in and let Damian visit his parents frequently?” Clarissa asked curiously.
“Of course, I’m reluctant to let him go very often as well. Even so, it’s still acceptable for me if he only goes once a while or during festivals. As long as they treat Damian well, I won’t object.”
Clarissa could not help but snicker inwardly upon hearing Catherine’s words.
If Matthew were around, she would not think twice to mock him. Matthew, are you surprised by Grandma’s words? Undeniably, she can’t let go of her loathing toward your family. Yet, she’s still soft-heartened and agrees to let Damian visit your parents. How about your despicable parents who lack a sense of shame? How dare they claim that they are from the prestigious family of the upper-level society with such a malicious mind? They are not even comparable to my Grandma, who is from simple family background and uneducated.
Even so, Matthew was not around. Apart from that, she was down in the dumps at the moment and did not feel like seeing him again in the near future.
