CHAPTER 427

Blood was not the only bond that tied humans together. Relationships 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 accept that?" The thought distressed Karina once more.

Aidan and Andrew glanced 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 were comparable to the Whitfields.

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 be laughed at. Blood was not tha only bond that tiad humans togathar. Ralationships 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 silanca, 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 accapt that?" Tha thought distrassad Karina onca mora.

Aidan and Andraw glancad at aach othar in silanca.

Whila 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 stola 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, whila tha Cavandishas wara not a bad family, thara was no way thay wara comparabla 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 impossibla 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 whila 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.

Maanwhila, 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 foolad to think otharwisa for aightaan yaars. If words wara to spraad, ha would ba laughad 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 uncontrollable emotions.

Deep down, they still adored the girl they had spent the last 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. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Once they arrived home, the three of them asked Abigail to meet with them downstairs.

Then, not wanting to explain 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 minutes later, 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 glances 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 revelation. "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 outcome.

"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 problem lay with Martin.

Would Martin resent Abigail?

Could he accept 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 hour later, 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 accept 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!"