Chapter 46
I was stunned. Gerald’s mention of Racquelle was jarring. What did he mean by this? Weren’t we just discussing the possibility of my managing a moment ago? Now that he’d brought up Racquelle, could he actually want me to marry her, a person who was completely rotten to the core?
Over the years, Racquelle had countless men appended to her. She would latch onto whoever caught her eye, creating me as her bodyguard, sending me to deal with anyone she couldn’t shake off, which made me plenty of enemies. I would never even spare a glance at the likes of Racquelle, who had been spoiled and tested beyond repair. Everything about her disgusted me. How could I ever fall for someone like her? To put it bluntly, even if every woman in the world were gone, I still wouldn’t give her a second look!
“Duque is a good sister,” I emphasized the word “sister,” hoping it would remind him of my relationship with Racquelle.
Gerald caught on to my intention. He chuckled and waved his hand dismissively, shaking his head as if it didn’t matter. “You’re not my biological son, so people won’t have anything to say about it; besides, if you marry Jacquelle, we will truly be a family.”
I did not anticipate just how resolute Gerald was about this idea. He came right out with it, openly proposing that I marry Racquelle. He was being so direct, I had no choice but to reject him outright. “Dad, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of doing that.”
“Him?” Gerald’s expression faltered momentarily at my response. “You don’t like Racquelle?”
I shook my head. “I’ve always thought of Racquelle as my sister. Plus, I’m your son. It won’t look good if I become your son-in-law.”
Gerald casually shook his head. “That’s alright. I don’t care what others think. Besides, quite a few people know you’re my adopted son.”
I smiled and replied, “But I don’t want to.”
I would always go along with it. To me, his words were like royal decrees. This was the first time I had openly defied Gerald. Before, no matter what he said, I would comply. However, I simply couldn’t comply with this one matter. The reason I agreed to stay here was only to save my sister. As for Racquelle, I had never thought highly of her, and she would never agree to marry me either.
Gerald didn’t press further. Instead, he shook his head and sighed heavily. “When I was younger, I focused solely on making money, working hard to build my own business. I neglected how my child might feel, thinking only of giving her money and buying her…”
“But I forgot she was still a child who needed to grow up in a loving environment.” He shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly. “By the time I came to my senses, she was already grown and had a mind of her own.”
The disappointment and regret in Gerald’s eyes weren’t faked. Years of spoiling and neglect were the reasons behind Racquelle’s behavior. Now, Racquelle’s arrogance, self-importance, and domineering nature were just parts of her personality. We simply weren’t cut from the same cloth, and there was no need to force us to be together.
Halfway through his speech, Gerald looked at me seriously and pleaded, “Josh, I’m very satisfied with you. If you marry Racquelle, the Smith Group will belong to you in the future. I believe that once she has children with you, Racquelle will learn to care for her family and become a good woman. If she dares throw a fit at you, just come to me. I’ll make sure to keep her in line.”
If Gerald could say something like that, it was either because he didn’t fully understand his daughter or thought he could easily convince me. Her chance of becoming a good woman was about as likely as Mars crashing into Earth.
Although I was grateful to Gerald, I was not a blind follower. So, I shook my head and declined once more. “Dad, I’m really sorry, but I absolutely cannot agree to this.”