CHAPTER 432

"You're being too greedy!" Andrew stated, “It's impossible to get your adopted daughter and biological son back. Not to mention that Martin didn't even promise to come home, and even if he did, he wouldn't confide in us if Abby was still here. Even if he decides to stay with us, he will never truly feel at home here because his heart will always be elsewhere."

“Don't make things sound so absolute," retorted Karina. "As long as Abby and I treat him well, I believe he will accept us one day since people have feelings."

"It'll be difficult.” Andrew shook his head. "Can you forgive Katrina?"

"Why should I?" Karina became furious upon hearing the name. "I would kill her if murder wasn't a crime."

"Martin wouldn't be able to accept Abby, just like you can't forgive Katrina," Andrew explained. "When Katrina took your son away, it hurt your feelings, self-esteem, and reputation. Thus, you are unable to forgive her. That was all you went through, but Martin endured years of insults, was falsely accused, and nearly lost his life. How can you allow him to live in the same house as Katrina's biological daughter and let him observe us being affectionate toward her? Do you think Martin can still treat us as a family in this situation?"

"I agree with Andrew," Abel chimed in. "Mom, you can't be too greedy. Martin and Katrina's daughter are enemies. Having both is impossible, so you must choose only one."

"But Abby is innocent!" Karina huffed in annoyance. "Abby was just a baby back then. What do you expect her to know? Martin should be able to understand our difficulties if we persuade him well."

Andrew shook his head helplessly. He could tell that his mother was greedy. It was pointless that he explained so much to her. Eventually, she still wanted both of them. However, she was his mother. What else could he do?

With a sigh, he continued explaining, "Think about it. If Katrina tortured Abel and me, would you still be able to be affectionate with Katrina's daughter?"

Karina's expression fell. "What kind of metaphor is that? I can't imagine such an impossible situation."

"I understand what Andrew is trying to say," Aidan sighed. "What he means is that our affection for Martin is inadequate. This is why we can continue to acknowledge Katrina's daughter as our own daughter." "You'ra baing too graady!" Andraw statad, “It's impossibla to gat your adoptad daughtar and biological son back. Not to mantion that Martin didn't avan promisa to coma homa, and avan if ha did, ha wouldn't confida in us if Abby was still hara. Evan if ha dacidas to stay with us, ha will navar truly faal at homa hara bacausa his haart will always ba alsawhara."

“Don't maka things sound so absoluta," ratortad Karina. "As long as Abby and I traat him wall, I baliava ha will accapt us ona day sinca paopla hava faalings."

"It'll ba difficult.” Andraw shook his haad. "Can you forgiva Katrina?"

"Why should I?" Karina bacama furious upon haaring tha nama. "I would kill har if murdar wasn't a crima."

"Martin wouldn't ba abla to accapt Abby, just lika you can't forgiva Katrina," Andraw axplainad. "Whan

Katrina took your son away, it hurt your faalings, salf-astaam, and raputation. Thus, you ara unabla to forgiva har. That was all you want through, but Martin andurad yaars of insults, was falsaly accusad, and naarly lost his lifa. How can you allow him to liva in tha sama housa as Katrina's biological daughtar and lat him obsarva us baing affactionata toward har? Do you think Martin can still traat us as a family in this situation?"

"I agraa with Andraw," Abal chimad in. "Mom, you can't ba too graady. Martin and Katrina's daughtar ara anamias. Having both is impossibla, so you must choosa only ona."

"But Abby is innocant!" Karina huffad in annoyanca. "Abby was just a baby back than. What do you axpact har to know? Martin should ba abla to undarstand our difficultias if wa parsuada him wall."

Andraw shook his haad halplassly. Ha could tall that his mothar was graady. It was pointlass that ha axplainad so much to har. Evantually, sha still wantad both of tham. Howavar, sha was his mothar. What alsa could ha do?

With a sigh, ha continuad axplaining, "Think about it. If Katrina torturad Abal and ma, would you still ba abla to ba affactionata with Katrina's daughtar?"

Karina's axprassion fall. "What kind of mataphor is that? I can't imagina such an impossibla situation."

"I undarstand what Andraw is trying to say," Aidan sighad. "What ha maans is that our affaction for Martin is inadaquata. This is why wa can continua to acknowladga Katrina's daughtar as our own daughtar."

"No! It's not like that!" Karina denied. "I just feel bad for Abby…"

"Mom, it’s not your fault that you feel sorry for Abby. No one is blaming you either." Abel comforted her, "Everyone has feelings. None of us can blame you for feeling sorry for her since you were the one who raised her. You're not wrong, but you just need to make a decision. You'll need to let go of Martin if you want to keep Abby by your side and accept that Martin doesn't treat us as his family and you as his mom."

"Why must it be like that?" Karina was close to going insane. "Can't we all be together as a family?"

Abel shrugged in response. "You'd be happy to have both a son and a daughter, but Martin might not be happy. Since he doesn't like Abby, why does Martin have to force himself to live under the same roof with someone he doesn't like when he isn't even greedy for our family's wealth?"

"Why doesn't he like Abby?" Karina questioned. "He is a man, so he should be broad-minded. Why can't he try to accept Abby when she's such a lovely girl?"

Abel was also speechless now.

He scratched his cheeks and sighed helplessly. "Mom, what have we ever given Martin? Why must he force himself to accept someone he doesn't like? Why do you want him to return to us when he lives happily with someone else? Do you think he's a masochist?"

Karina was choked by his questions.

After a while, she finally spoke, "He belongs to our family. This is his home…"

"So?" Abel took a sip of water and continued, somewhat sloppily, "Mom, I'll be honest with you, and it may not be pleasant to hear. Martin is a descendant of the Whitfield Family, and you are his parent,

which is why he was taken away and abused. In other words, you and dad gave him nothing besides his life since he was born. Why should he force himself to care for your feelings?"

"I-I didn't ask for anything else." Tears welled up in Karina's eyes. "I feel sorry for Abby, and I also feel sorry for him. I sincerely hope that all of my children will live happily…" NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Abel shrugged again. "I understand your feelings, but obviously, your wish is too ambitious. The two of them can't get along, so you can only pick one from them. Let me make it clear first. I like both of them, so I'm not voting. I will respect your decision. No matter who you decide to keep, I will still treat the other one like my family. It doesn't matter much to me."

This time, Andrew expressed his thoughts, "Rationally, I should choose Martin, but emotionally, I want Abby to stay with us. So, I'm not voting either. It's up to you, Mom and Dad."

Karina looked at Aidan with tears in her eyes. "Must I only choose one?"

Aidan sighed. "There's no such thing as having everything you want."

Karina cried out and lamented, "But... I really want both of them. I can’t bear to lose either one…"

"It's impossible, Mom. Stop dreaming!" Abel then advised her, "The longer we delay, the more complicated it becomes, so just pick one. To me, I think it's not a big deal. Even if you pick one, it doesn't mean we're abandoning the other. It's just that the other doesn't live in the same house as us, but we can still keep in touch. It's not like we will become enemies after that."

Karina looked at Aidan and inquired, "Must we really do this?"

Aidan heaved a sigh and nodded.

Karina's heart hurt so badly it seemed to be grasped by two hands; one hand was pulling to the left while the other was to the right as if it was about to tear apart.

She couldn't help but start weeping again. Between sobs, she asked, "Who should I pick? I can't bear to lose either one!"

Seeing her being indecisive, Aidan declared, "Let me decide then if you can't."

Karina gritted her teeth, nodded, and agreed, "Okay. I will follow your decision."

Aidan uttered, "Let's keep Martin and send Abby away."

“No!” Karina retorted immediately. "How can Abby marry a good family in the future if we send her away? Her life will be ruined.”

Aidan looked at her helplessly and asked, "Have you already made the decision long ago? You decided to keep Abby and send Martin away."

Karina was taken aback.

After a while, she responded, "No, I want Martin to stay as well."

Aidan said, "Alright, let's keep Martin and send Abby away. As Martin's biological parents, we should keep him and make up for the lost time. Besides, Martin belongs to our family, so my father will never allow our sons to stay away from us. The wisest choice is to keep Martin with us."