Chapter 976
Chapter 977
Jessica’s explanation only intensified Oscar’s fear. “Jessica, she’s well-connected. If we hire a few troublemakers, it won’t go unnoticed. Her relatives are wealthy and powerful—people we shouldn’t mess with p>
“Didn’t you mention that her brother-in-law is the heir to the wealthiest York family? That’s even more reason to steer clear of them. You know how the Yorks are; even in our rural area, we’ve heard about them. Forget it—a hundred thousand dollars isn’t worth the risk p>
Jessica grimaced. “I’m your sister, Oscar. Are you really going to let it slide while someone makes my life miserable p>
Oscar retorted, “How is she making your life miserable? You lied to us. Hank had a wife and a son while he was with you; you became his mistress and tore his family apart. You hid this from us, and we thought you had found a good man p>
“You think I don’t know you well? I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re the one bullying the Liberty girl. You were the homewrecker, and you should feel ashamed instead of trying to get revenge on her p>
“It’s tough enough for a single mother to manage a business, but you want to take away her only source of income. I’d support you if she actually bullied you, but did she p>
“The large settlement she received from the divorce is between her and Hank. The Brown family isn’t to blame for Hank’s refusal to give us over seven hundred thousand dollars. You’re only looking out for Hank, not wanting to spend money on me and Jack to fix our houses and buy new cars p>
At the end of the day, Oscar felt that his sister only provided him with scraps. Whatever assistance he received from her was not worth the risk of offending the York and Stone families. Initially, the Yates family was unaware of Hank’s wife and son. It was only after Hank’s divorce and his discussions about marrying Jessica that they discovered she had become a homewrecker.
The Yateses were displeased with this situation; Hank was a divorcee while Jessica was young and had never been married before. Although Hank was only thirty-one years old, he seemed to be getting the better end of the deal. He owned a house and a car, with his property valued in the millions. Given that Hank also earned a million dollars annually, the Yateses made an exorbitant request of $777,777 as a wedding gift.
This amount was astronomical for Wiltspoon, particularly for a wedding not associated with the wealthy. Typical families would only ask for tens of thousands, if not just thousands, in financial gifts. Requesting $777,777 was enough to deter any family from considering marriage. As Mrs. Brown told her daughter, Jessica was not made of gold.
Furthermore, the Yateses were not planning to return gifts of equal value. Their family intended to give items like bedding, while any money received from the Browns was meant for the Yates brothers rather than for the newlyweds. Unsurprisingly, the Browns were dissatisfied with this exchange.
Jessica also found the situation troubling, feeling as though her family was selling her off for their own benefit. Since her parents did not have her best interests at heart, Jessica decided to marry Hank in secret. Now that the marriage was finalized, her parents had no leverage to demand the money.
“It’s not that you can’t do it. You have the ability to earn enough to buy a house in the city. My husband and I…
We are currently unemployed and need funds for the wedding, the reception, our home renovation, and other expenses. Money is a concern for us at the moment.