CHAPTER 371

"I'm not fooled by him." Lucas replied, "He's actually not a nasty man in general and he truly loves my mom. He sincerely intended to marry her in the past, but he duped her with a fake certificate because he didn't want her to be sad. He intended to sneak out with his ID and documents at a later stage to process an actual marriage certificate, but his father was guarded against him, so he didn't get the chance…"

"What about Martha, then?" Leigh responded, "Don't you dare forget that he married her and they conceived five daughters! If he truly loved your mom, then why did he have so many children with another woman?"

"He married Martha because his mother threatened him by slitting her wrists." He continued, "His parents insisted that he marry Martha and he refused. His mother ended up slitting her wrist and she nearly died, so he had no other option but to give in to her. However, before marrying Martha, he signed an agreement with his parents that once he produced a son for the Griffins, they would agree to him divorcing Martha and marrying my mother."

Leigh asked, "Did Martha agree to that?"

"She did." Lucas responded, “Martha has three other younger siblings and she was the oldest child. She has two younger sisters and a younger brother. She wasn't the most favorable child in the family, so she was destined to be subjected to a political marriage. She was the pawn for the Ford Family to gain family interest. Mario was the best candidate amongst the people she could choose to enter into a political marriage with."

Leigh continued to stare at him for quite some time before nodding. "Yeah, women do tend to go for the handsome ones. If Mario was a third as pretty as you are, then Martha would definitely have been

dazzled by his looks. I guess she must have decided to take a shot at the marriage since he might fall in love with her after their marriage and forget about your mom, right?"

He replied, "I'm a tall, strapping male, so it wouldn't be appropriate to describe me as 'pretty'."

"I don't find it inappropriate." She glanced at him and smiled while saying, "Anyone who's pretty, be it women or men, can be described as ravishing."

At that point, Lucas was rendered speechless. What's she on about? She's drunk indeed! Her words make no sense at all.

He felt a looming headache as he responded, "You must be tired. It's getting late now, so you should go to bed."

"I'm not sleepy." Leigh shook her head. "You haven't finished your story! You mentioned that… Mario signed an agreement with his parents and once he produced an heir for the Griffin Family, then Old Mr. Griffin would agree to him leaving the family to seek for your mom."

She blinked. "So that's why Martha ended up bearing five girls for Mario over so many years?"

"Yes." Lucas nodded. "They basically had one kid slightly past the one-year mark; they had five in eight years."

"Wow! That's awesome!" Leigh clicked her tongue. "It must have been tough on her."

Meanwhile, Lucas thought, So is it awesome, or did she have a tough time then?

"I guess that's how things were meant to end up." She lamented, "He wanted a son so badly, but he didn't succeed at all. It must have been fated."

Lucas found her words to be confusing, so he did not know how to respond to that.

She tilted her head and considered the situation for a moment. "Well… Now that you've told me this, Mario does sound like he has had an unlucky spate. What could he have done with such parents? If he disregarded his mother's life and left for your mom, then perhaps there would be a bunch of self- righteous people who would chide him for being heartless and inhumane to choose a woman after disregarding the life of his mother who brought him up."

Lucas nodded. "He made the mistake of getting entangled with my mom before obtaining his parents' approval. He should never have duped my mom with the fake marriage certificate too."

"He didn't expect things to turn out this way, did he?" She added, "Perhaps back then, he was confident that he would be able to convince his parents and marry your mom after a lavish wedding ceremony. He didn't consider the situation properly, so he clearly didn't expect things to turn out so dismally."

"What's wrong with you?" Lucas frowned as he looked at her. "I thought that you wanted me to keep my guards up against Mario and not to be fooled by him? Why are you standing up for him?"

"I'm not standing up for him, but I'm just trying to be fair and analyze the situation rationally." She explained, "Initially, I thought that Mario was a player who toyed with your mom's feelings and married Martha after making your mom fall for him. However, now that I found out his marriage with Martha was purely an agreement from both his parents and Martha, and that he could leave once they have a son, I no longer think that he's a player. He's not as despicable as I thought he was, but essentially, he is still

a horrible man!"

Meanwhile, Lucas thought to himself, She's going on and on in circles and I'm confused!

Leigh cupped her chin and looked up into the sky while engrossed in her thoughts. "Things between him and your mom ended up in such a dismal state because of specific reasons and it was probably also fated. Martha played a part in this too. Since it was just an agreement between him and Martha, then surely she should be aware that your mom was his only true love. Once Martha bears a son, then he will definitely leave the family to reunite with your mom. If that's the case, how dare she hire men to kick up a fuss at your grandparents' house!"

Lucos gripped tightly on the wine bottle in his hond ond spoke in o low voice, "Yeoh…"

She heoved o sigh. "This sod story storted when Morio duped your mom with the foke morrioge certificote, but then things become irrevocoble when Mortho sent men to kick up o fuss ot your grondporents' house ond coused the deoth of your grondporents. Your grondporents possed owoy becouse of Morio ond their doughter, so from then on, your mom ond Morio's love story wos destined to be o BE."

Meonwhile, Lucos wos confused. "Whot does BE stond for?"

Leigh exploined, "Bod ending."

He thought, Does she seriously think thot my fomily trogedy is o fictionol story? Whot does she meon by bod ending? If it wos not becouse of Modeline, he would hove rolled up his sleeves ond beot her up.

"Well, both Mortho ond Morio hove suffered kormo!" Leigh smiled. "Mortho didn't end up hoving o son,Content is property © .

so thot's the biggest punishment they received. Oh! Old Mr. Griffin wos punished too. He must hove hoped for o grondson for his entire life, but Mortho never produced the heir he hoped for. I'm sure thot Old Mr. Griffin regretted his octions very much ofter thot. He should hove just ogreed to your mom morrying your dod becouse ot leost your mom produced o son. You were her first-born ond she produced such o toll, hondsome, ond copoble son. Right now, eoch time Old Mr. Griffin sees you, his heort must oche bodly. You're such o fine young mon ond you neorly become the eldest grondson of the Griffin Fomily, but he wos the one who cost you oside…"

She clicked her tongue. "I reckon thot it's such o mirocle thot he hosn't gone into depression ofter going through oll these."

In response, Lucos piped up, "I'll osk you one lost time, ore you tired? If you ore, then I'll send you bock home. If you oren't, then I'll get someone to keep you compony. I need to get some sleep now."

Initiolly, he intended to moke her drunk ond once she fell osleep in o drunken stupor, then he would send her bock. In the end, he wos close to getting drunk, but she seemed to be in greot spirits ond energized the more she spoke!

Leigh considered the situotion before nodding. "Okoy. Let's coll it o night…"

She rose to her feet ond stretched her bock before soying contentedly, "It's quite interesting to find out obout your gossip. I'm hoppy todoy. It's no wonder why everyone enjoys gossiping!"

Lucas gripped tightly on the wine bottle in his hand and spoke in a low voice, "Yeah…"

She heaved a sigh. "This sad story started when Mario duped your mom with the fake marriage

certificate, but then things became irrevocable when Martha sent men to kick up a fuss at your grandparents' house and caused the death of your grandparents. Your grandparents passed away because of Mario and their daughter, so from then on, your mom and Mario's love story was destined to be a BE."

Meanwhile, Lucas was confused. "What does BE stand for?"

Leigh explained, "Bad ending."

He thought, Does she seriously think that my family tragedy is a fictional story? What does she mean by bad ending? If it was not because of Madeline, he would have rolled up his sleeves and beat her up.

"Well, both Martha and Mario have suffered karma!" Leigh smiled. "Martha didn't end up having a son, so that's the biggest punishment they received. Oh! Old Mr. Griffin was punished too. He must have hoped for a grandson for his entire life, but Martha never produced the heir he hoped for. I'm sure that Old Mr. Griffin regretted his actions very much after that. He should have just agreed to your mom marrying your dad because at least your mom produced a son. You were her first-born and she produced such a tall, handsome, and capable son. Right now, each time Old Mr. Griffin sees you, his heart must ache badly. You're such a fine young man and you nearly became the eldest grandson of the Griffin Family, but he was the one who cast you aside…"

She clicked her tongue. "I reckon that it's such a miracle that he hasn't gone into depression after going through all these."

In response, Lucas piped up, "I'll ask you one last time, are you tired? If you are, then I'll send you back home. If you aren't, then I'll get someone to keep you company. I need to get some sleep now."

Initially, he intended to make her drunk and once she fell asleep in a drunken stupor, then he would send her back. In the end, he was close to getting drunk, but she seemed to be in great spirits and energized the more she spoke!

Leigh considered the situation before nodding. "Okay. Let's call it a night…"

She rose to her feet and stretched her back before saying contentedly, "It's quite interesting to find out about your gossip. I'm happy today. It's no wonder why everyone enjoys gossiping!"