On Friday after work, Adaline, her mother, and her aunt were picked up by a luxurious car that immediately took them to Quirino Ev. A beautiful receptionist even deliberately escorted them to the top floor of the hotel, where a Presidential Suite room was located.
"Oh my God, Ada..." Emma exclaimed in amazement as they entered the room. "Is this a hotel or a palace? So luxurious. In all my life, this is the first time I've entered such a nice hotel," the middle-aged woman said as she walked into each room in the suite.
Located on the top floor of the hotel with a beautiful view of the capital city, Adaline knew that this was not a cheap hotel. Even the hotel room had its own swimming pool that offered a beautiful view.
Although Adaline had saved up money all her life, she would hesitate to spend it just to spend one night in this place. It would be better for her to use it to buy a house or even start a business.
But now, considering her status as the prospective daughter-in-law of the hotel owner, of course, it wasn't difficult for her. Just a flick of the wrist like Aladdin's genie, she could get anything she wanted. At least that's what people said.
Adaline glanced at her mother, who sat lost in thought. She didn't seem as enthusiastic as Emma, who was still bustling around. Her mother sat on the sofa, staring blankly out of the room.
"Mom..." Adaline sat on the floor beside her mother's feet, deliberately resting her head on the lap of the middle-aged woman. "What are you thinking?" she asked softly. Her mother wiped the tears that fell from her cheek, revealing a thin smile on her wrinkled face.
"Wasn't yesterday supposed to be a happy day because I'm getting married? Why do you look sad now?" it seemed like Emma heard the question. She eventually walked into the room and sat on one of the square sofas at the end of the table.
"It's all because of your uncle," Emma said, her once cheerful expression now turned sad. "Your uncle came to the house earlier and got angry. He threw your wedding invitation while yelling in front of everyone."
Adaline's back straightened. She raised her head, looking at her mother who looked increasingly sad, her tears flowing continuously.
"What's wrong with uncle, Mom?" her mother only shook her head in response. Adaline turned to look at Emma, silently asking her to tell everything.
Flashback On
That evening, Adaline's house was crowded with guests who came to congratulate her and say that they couldn't come to her reception the next Sunday. Some claimed they already had plans. Others felt it was inappropriate to come to the luxury hotel where the event was held.
When Adaline's mother distributed gifts to the guests as a token of appreciation for their prayers for Adaline and Altezza's wedding, Adaline's uncle-her father's younger brother-came with his wife and their only daughter while being furious. This made the attending guests startled in their places.
"What is this?!" the middle-aged man shouted moments after entering the living room. His eyes darted around, scanning the entire area. "Do you really no longer consider me as family? Do you want to insult and humiliate me?
"Just because that adopted child is marrying a wealthy man, you equate me with a stranger?" The man threw the wedding invitation right at Adaline's mother's face. The thick invitation made a loud sound as it hit Violet's forehead. The guests present in the room were startled to see it.
"Where is your daughter?! Tell her to come out!" he demanded roughly.
At the same time, Altezza, who had just returned from his trip to Japan, came to the house with Delila Quirino at his mother's request.
"Adaline is still at work. She hasn't come home yet," Violet replied politely, seemingly unaware of Altezza's and his future father-in-law's presence.
"Lies! No bride-to-be is still working before getting married. Especially if she's marrying a wealthy man. Can't her future husband provide for her until she gets married? Or is she forced to work to contribute to her own wedding expenses?" he asked mockingly. Altezza, who wanted to enter the house and respond to his future uncle-in-law's rant, had to restrain himself as Delila Quirino held him back.
"It's not like that. Adaline is still working because she wants to. And we didn't mean to insult or humiliate you," Violet replied softly.
"Then why did you inform about the wedding through an invitation like this, as if inviting a stranger? If not to humiliate me, then what's the reason?
"Look at my wife, she's being humiliated by our neighbors because they knew about that damn child's wedding before us, who you 'consider' family.
"Where should I put my face now, huh!
"You intentionally want to humiliate us because you hold a grudge against us for not being able to help you when you needed money for surgery, right?"
Violet Scott shook her head, her eyes filled with panic. "No, it's not like that. Adaline and I came to your house to inform you about her wedding, which was arranged at short notice. And your daughter said that you weren't home." Violet looked at her nephew for support, but he turned his face away, making Violet realize that her nephew was the mastermind behind this misunderstanding.
"When? Don't try to pit my family against each other. My wife and I didn't go anywhere over the weekend. Don't expect me to be her companion to the altar." He said in a mocking tone. "Ohh... or maybe you haven't told that wealthy family that Adaline isn't my brother's biological child? That she's just an adopted child with an unclear origin? According to you, if those wealthy people knew the origin of your daughter, would they still want to accept her as their daughter-in-law?"
"Roby!" Violet shouted, losing her patience. "Why are you bringing that up again? Adaline is not an adopted child. She's not a child with an unclear origin. She's mine and Gregory's, your brother's, child."
"Gregory is sterile. He can't give you a child. Don't you ever say that that disrespectful and ignorant child is his. And you, you're a failure as a woman because you couldn't raise her properly. If you really consider me family, if she sees me as her uncle, she shouldn't embarrass me in front of people like this."
"Isn't it you who's embarrassing yourself, Sir?" The baritone voice made all the eyes that were focused on Adaline's uncle's family turn towards the door where the voice came from.
Altezza, with his above-average height, unshaven stubble, and tired face from just returning from a long trip, looked alternately at Adaline's uncle's family. His eyes glared sharply with anger. Clearly, he disliked seeing his fiancée and future mother-in-law being insulted in such a manner.
"Who are you?! How dare you interfere in my affairs!" he said, still with a raised voice.
"If you read the invitation you threw earlier, my name is written in gold ink there," Altezza said casually. "And I apologize for not introducing myself formally earlier, as I've been too busy with my work to remember that Adaline has a family that I shouldn't visit." Altezza's tone was flat, but it managed to make Adaline's uncle's face turn red with anger, while his daughter and wife looked at Altezza in awe. Even with an unkempt appearance, Altezza still appeared impressive in their eyes.
"And what did you say earlier? 'Disrespectful child'?" Altezza shook his head with a sigh. "I've never known a girl as polite, kind-hearted, and of course, as beautiful as Adaline. And clearly, all of that is the result of her mother's upbringing and love, even though Adaline is not her biological daughter.
"Do you think I don't know that Adaline is adopted? Of course, I know. And you don't need to worry that I'll leave her because of such trivial facts," he retorted sharply.
"Having good parents' background doesn't necessarily produce a perfect child. So, in my opinion, it's better to marry a child without a background but with a good personality than to marry a child from a good family background but with a bad personality."
Altezza bowed and picked up the invitation that Adaline's uncle had thrown, smiling cynically. "And because you willingly returned this invitation to us, I am pleased to say that I don't expect your presence at our wedding."
"So with all due respect, I hope you leave this house and never come back here for any reason," Roby's face turned red instantly. He looked at Violet with a hateful gaze and pulled his wife and daughter's hands to leave the house.
Flashback Off
Adaline was stunned. She climbed onto the sofa and hugged her mother's frail body, resting her forehead on her mother's right shoulder. Tears flowed freely from her eyes due to the pain her mother had endured.
"I'm sorry, Mom," she said sorrowfully. "It's all because of me."
"What's because of you, dear? It's all clearly because of your crazy uncle," Emma replied vehemently. "Thank goodness Altezza was there at that time. Otherwise, I don't know what would have happened."
Unlike Emma, who seemed emotional, Violet Scott instead comforted Adaline by hugging her. She stroked her hair and kissed her head.
"It's not your fault, dear. It's not anyone's fault. You, Adaline Scott, will always be my daughter and your father's. I'm just worried, what if your future mother-in-law will have an issue with this in the future?" She asked with an increasingly evident fear.
"You heard Sir Altezza's response. For Mama, whatever Sir Altezza considers good, Mama will agree with it." Adaline tried to reassure her mother. Although in reality, she didn't care whether her future mother-in-law would accept her with the new fact she had learned, or would hate her for it. For Adaline, she only had to repay her debt to Altezza and make her mother happy. That's all, nothing more.
Even if she faces bitterness, humiliation, or other painful experiences in the future, she is confident she can handle it. As long as her mother is with her. Healthy. And always within her reach.