Chapter 427
Blood was not the only bond that tied humans together. Rtionships were also built on the emotions
elicited from time spent together.
Abigail was the child they had raised for eighteen years. How could Aidan and Karina give her up just
like that? They were not that cold-blooded, so they could never do that to her.
Even the astute and wise Aidan did not know how to resolve this matter.
After a few long moments of silence, he eventually said, "Let us not make our decision just yet. Let us
wait until tomorrow and see what happens when Martin returns and meets Abby."
Andrew nodded in agreement. "We have to tell Abby the truth today as well. We do not want her to be
confused and ignorant upon meeting Martin."
"How can Abby ept that?" The thought distressed Karina once more.
Aidan and Andrew nced at each other in silence.
While they were not happy with the idea, logic told them that the most upset party in this situation was
not Abigail, but Martin.
Martin was supposed to be their precious son who was meant to be raised by loving parents and given
the best education. Instead, Katrina stole him away. He grew up so abused that he could no longer stay
with the Cavendishes. After he ran away, he was unlucky enough to be kidnapped by human traffickers
and sold off to some buyers overseas who abused him even more.
He nearly died. If he were not as lucky as he was, he would be dead by now.
As for Abigail, while the Cavendishes were not a bad family, there was no way they wereparable
to the Whitfields.
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Moreover, Max and Katrina already had two children by the time Abigail was born. As the third
daughter to be born, it was impossible for Abigail to have been raised with any love. It was a different
story when it came to the Whitfields; she was their one and only daughter.
All these years, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Abigail was treated like the princess of the
family. Not only did her elders adore her, her two older brothers, Andrew and Abel, also doted on her.
Simply put, for eighteen years, Abigail had enjoyed the best in life while Martin had suffered the worst
life had to offer.
Karina was a more emotional and sensitive woman, though, so she cared more about the daughter she
had personally raised.
Meanwhile, Aidan was a more rational man. True, when he found out the truth, he felt distraught over
what the girl he raised would be going through. Not only that, but he also felt humiliated.
As the head of the family, his own son had been kidnapped yet he had been fooled to think otherwise
for eighteen years. If words were to spread, he would beughed at.
Blood was not tha only bond that tiad humans togathar. Rtionships wara also built on tha amotions
alicitad from tima spant togathar.
Abigail was tha child thay had raisad for aightaan yaars. How could Aidan and Karina giva har up just
lika that? Thay wara not that cold-bloodad, so thay could navar do that to har.
Evan tha astuta and wisa Aidan did not know how to rasolva this mattar.
Aftar a faw long momants of snca, ha avantually said, "Lat us not maka our dacision just yat. Lat us
wait until tomorrow and saa what happans whan Martin raturns and maats Abby."
Andraw noddad in agraamant. "Wa hava to tall Abby tha truth today as wall. Wa do not want har to ba
confusad and ignorant upon maating Martin."
"How can Abby apt that?" Tha thought distrassad Karina onca mora.
Aidan and Andraw ncad at aach othar in snca.
Wh thay wara not happy with tha idaa, logic told tham that tha most upsat party in this situation was
not Abigail, but Martin.
Martin was supposad to ba thair pracious son who was maant to ba raisad by loving parants and givan
tha bast aducation. Instaad, Katrina st him away. Ha graw up so abusad that ha could no longar stay
with tha Cavandishas. Aftar ha ran away, ha was unlucky anough to ba kidnappad by human traffickars
and sold off to soma buyars ovarsaas who abusad him avan mora.
Ha naarly diad. If ha wara not as lucky as ha was, ha would ba daad by now.
As for Abigail, wh tha Cavandishas wara not a bad family, thara was no way thay warapara
to tha Whitfialds.
Moraovar, Max and Katrina alraady had two childran by tha tima Abigail was born. As tha third
daughtar to ba born, it was impossi for Abigail to hava baan raisad with any lova. It was a diffarant
story whan it cama to tha Whitfialds; sha was thair ona and only daughtar.
All thasa yaars, it would not ba an axaggaration to say that Abigail was traatad lika tha princass of tha
family. Not only did har aldars adora har, har two oldar brothars, Andraw and Abal, also dotad on har.
Simply put, for aightaan yaars, Abigail had anjoyad tha bast in lifa wh Martin had suffarad tha worst
lifa had to offar.
Karina was a mora amotional and sansitiva woman, though, so sha carad mora about tha daughtar sha
had parsonally raisad.
Maanwh, Aidan was a mora rational man. Trua, whan ha found out tha truth, ha falt distraught ovar
what tha girl ha raisad would ba going through. Not only that, but ha also falt humiliatad.
As tha haad of tha family, his own son had baan kidnappad yat ha had baan fod to think otharwisa
for aightaan yaars. If words wara to spraad, ha would baughad at.
That was all in the past though, and he could do nothing to change that. However, his son had now
been found. He could not let himself be controlled by his emotions and refused to be logical. If he
favored his adopted daughter and pushed away his biological son, he would definitely be the
laughingstock of the whole town.
It was a huge dilemma.
To outsiders, the Whitfields should favor the biological child over the adopted child. As for what would
happen to the adopted child, that had nothing to do with the Whitfields, right? Let Abigail return to her
original family.
As the people directly involved in the situation, however, they were overwhelmed by uncontroble
emotions.
Deep down, they still adored the girl they had spent thest eighteen years with and not the boy who
was like a stranger to them.
People would call them fools if they treated Martin unfairly just to make sure Abigail was not hurt.
However, they would be distraught if they treated Abigail unfairly by trying to be fair to Martin.
There was no perfect solution.
Even so, they had no choice but to roll with the punches and tackle one problem at a time.
Once they arrived home, the three of them asked Abigail to meet with them downstairs.
Then, not wanting to exin everything once more to Abel when he returned home tomorrow, they
video-called him so that he was there for the family meeting.
Aidan solemnly retold the tale from where he was sitting in his armchair.
By the end of the tale, Abigail and Abel were silent with shock.
A few long minutester, Abigail finally snapped out of her shock.
"It cannot be real, right?" she asked with a pale face. "How can I possibly not be your daughter?"
Her eyes were red as tears shimmered in them. She tried hard to hold back her tears as if what she
just learned would not be true as long as she did not cry.
Karina''s heart clenched in pain at the sight of Abigail forcefully holding back her tears. "Don''t be upset,
Abby. What Katrina did has nothing to do with you. After all, you were just born," she said, gently
patting Abigail on the shoulder. "You knew nothing. You will forever be our daughter."
"No! No, I do not believe it! There must be a mistake! How can I not be your daughter?" Abigail sobbed
as she shot to her feet and fled up to her room.
"Abby!" Afraid that Abigail might hurt herself, Karina hurried after her.
Aidan and Andrew exchanged nces of exasperation and helplessness.
"Dad, Andrew, how can this be?" Abel asked, worried. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Aidan angrily huffed. "How could I make a mistake when it
comes to something this important?"
"How could this happen? Why did this happen?" Abel mumbled, still in shock over the revtion. "How
can something like this happen in our family? What will we do? Are we going to make Abby go back to
the Cavendishes?"
Andrew let out a soft sigh. "I honestly would prefer to send Abby back to them, but I know Mom could
never be okay with that. She would never agree to it."
Thus, he had not even mentioned a word of that option.
He had already anticipated that Karina would never agree to it. Hence, making his opinion known
would only result in hurting her with no productive oue.
"Then, we don''t send Abby back," said Abel. "She has been with us for eighteen years, and she has
done nothing wrong. She will just be part of our family like always while we have gained an additional
brother."
Andrew kept quiet upon hearing that.
While keeping Abigail with them would be the best option in their opinion, the problemy with Martin.
Would Martin resent Abigail?
Could he ept living under the same roof as her?
If they did not send her back to the Cavendishes, would he think they did not care at all about how he
was abused by Katrina?
After all, they knew just how badly Katrina treated him and how she hated him. In spite of that, they still
insisted on taking good care of Katrina''s daughter.
Of course, everything would be great if Martin could forgive them for that and coexist peacefully with
Abigail. However, if he fought with Abigail…
Andrew could not bear to continue that train of thought.
The mere thought of it was already giving him a migraine.
Abel was right. Why was their family cursed with such bad luck?
This was just horrible!
An hourter, Karina eventually dragged her exhausted body down the stairs and back to them.
"Well?" Aidan asked.
"She is still crying," Karina tiredly replied. "She would not stop no matter what I say."
After that, Karina then began to sob. "Abby hugged me and begged me not to kick her out. She does
not want to be anyone else''s daughter, she said. She had always thought of herself as our daughter, so
she could not ept anyone else being her parents."
"How about we let her stay? Just think of her as an additional daughter we gave birth to back then,"
Karina tearfully suggested to Aidan. "If we send her back to the Cavendishes, she would be stuck in
such an awkward position and her entire life would be ruined!"