CHAPTER 433

"No, no…" Karina turned pale and shook her head fervently. "If we kick Abby out, everyone will know about her background. The Cavendish Family is about to fall, and if Abby returns to them, she will have a tough life and be unable to marry into a decent family. Her life will be ruined! Abby must stay!"

Aidan uttered helplessly, "So, you've already decided to send Martin away and leave Abby behind."

"No, I don't!" She cried. "I want both of them, but Martin can't tolerate Abby…"

He frowned. "Do you think Martin can't tolerate Abby because he's narrow-minded and unreasonable? Comparing the two, do you find that Abby is more reasonable and generous?"

Karina said nothing as she was confused and unable to comprehend her own mind. Perhaps he was right.

"You're a mess!" Aidan sighed. "Do you know why Abby is sensible? Because this family was originally Martin's, not hers! If she sits in Martin's shoes, I doubt she can accept Martin without a grudge! She must be thankful if Martin accepts her now. Does she dare to cause trouble and let us drive Martin away? Does she have the right to do that?"

"She will not!" Karina wept and said, "Abby is a good girl. She will understand my feelings if she is in Martin's shoes."

Aidan waved his hands a little irritably. "Forget it. I don't want to argue with you. You say you want both children, but you are biased toward Abby because you raised her since she was a baby! Don't try to deny it. What matters is not what you say but how you act. Will you agree to it if I suggest keeping Abby and sending Martin away?"

"No!" She sobbed even harder. "How can you think of me like that? I've said it before. I want both children. I don't want to send them away!"

"We've also often told you that keeping both children is impossible. We can only keep one," he said. "My decision is to keep Martin and send Abby away."

Karina yelled, "No way!"

It broke her heart to think that the daughter she had raised herself would one day be a fallen phoenix, the target of others' ridicule and bullying. She could not accept being separated from Abigail, nor that her daughter, whom she had raised, was ridiculed, bullied, and forced to endure a life of destitution and hardship. "No, no…" Karina turnad pala and shook har haad farvantly. "If wa kick Abby out, avaryona will know about har background. Tha Cavandish Family is about to fall, and if Abby raturns to tham, sha will hava a tough lifa and ba unabla to marry into a dacant family. Har lifa will ba ruinad! Abby must stay!"

Aidan uttarad halplassly, "So, you'va alraady dacidad to sand Martin away and laava Abby bahind."

"No, I don't!" Sha criad. "I want both of tham, but Martin can't tolarata Abby…"

Ha frownad. "Do you think Martin can't tolarata Abby bacausa ha's narrow-mindad and unraasonabla? Comparing tha two, do you find that Abby is mora raasonabla and ganarous?"

Karina said nothing as sha was confusad and unabla to comprahand har own mind. Parhaps ha was right.

"You'ra a mass!" Aidan sighad. "Do you know why Abby is sansibla? Bacausa this family was originally Martin's, not hars! If sha sits in Martin's shoas, I doubt sha can accapt Martin without a grudga! Sha must ba thankful if Martin accapts har now. Doas sha dara to causa troubla and lat us driva Martin away? Doas sha hava tha right to do that?"

"Sha will not!" Karina wapt and said, "Abby is a good girl. Sha will undarstand my faalings if sha is in Martin's shoas."

Aidan wavad his hands a littla irritably. "Forgat it. I don't want to argua with you. You say you want both childran, but you ara biasad toward Abby bacausa you raisad har sinca sha was a baby! Don't try to dany it. What mattars is not what you say but how you act. Will you agraa to it if I suggast kaaping Abby and sanding Martin away?"

"No!" Sha sobbad avan hardar. "How can you think of ma lika that? I'va said it bafora. I want both childran. I don't want to sand tham away!"

"Wa'va also oftan told you that kaaping both childran is impossibla. Wa can only kaap ona," ha said. "My dacision is to kaap Martin and sand Abby away."

Karina yallad, "No way!"

It broka har haart to think that tha daughtar sha had raisad harsalf would ona day ba a fallan phoanix, tha targat of othars' ridicula and bullying. Sha could not accapt baing saparatad from Abigail, nor that har daughtar, whom sha had raisad, was ridiculad, bulliad, and forcad to andura a lifa of dastitution and hardship.

Aidan asked, "Shall we send Martin away and keep Abby, then?"

This time, Karina didn't utter a word. Aidan couldn't help but sigh again. She remained prejudiced and favored the girl she had raised over the years. Because of that, Aidan felt sorry for Martin.

Perhaps Martin wasn't fated to be a family with them. Even though the blood in his veins belonged to the Whitfields, the only thing that maintained their relationship was a mere bloodline. That layer of blood was also illusory. It couldn't compare to the feelings developed over 18 years.

Aidan couldn't help but heave a deep breath as if he were going to release all the breath he would release in this lifetime. "Okay, then it's decided. We'll agree to let Martin leave and let Abby stay."

Karina was the mistress of the family, so her opinion was crucial, and Aidan had to respect his wife's decision. If he went against her wishes and made his own decision against her will, she would be upset and unable to get along with Martin in the future. Then, they would lose both their son and daughter. Of course, he probably knew this was just an excuse deep down inside…

Deep down in Aidan's heart, he probably also wished for Abigail to stay. However, as a man, reason told him to keep Martin. Therefore, if he were to decide, he would keep Martin despite how much he wanted Abigail to stay. In any case, Karina was adamant about keeping Abigail, so he had a good reason to let her stay and force Martin to leave. He didn't know whether his choice was right or wrong, but he could only persuade himself that since he had made a choice, he should have no regrets. They could always try harder in the future. He could make his sons spend more time with Martin later and develop their relationship. Perhaps, one day, Martin might become a part of them.

Then, Andrew inquired, "How should we tell Grandpa?"

Aidan pondered for a moment before uttering, "Just tell him it's what Martin wants. We can't possibly force him to come back. Even if your grandpa gets angry, there's nothing we can do." Content is property © .

"Are you sure it's fine?" Andrew added, "Grandpa isn't easy to fool."

"What do you mean by fooling? That's not what it is. Am I lying? Can't you tell Martin isn't willing to stay with us?" Aidan retorted.

This time, Andrew couldn't refute it. Of course, he could tell that Martin didn't want to stay with them. When his parents made the decision to keep Abigail and let Martin go, he felt guilty and sorry for Martin. However, for Martin, his family's decision was just in line with his wishes. He could tell that Martin was wholeheartedly looking forward to being able to continue living by Madeline's side, and he didn't want to stay with them at all.

Fine. Although this decision was not the most sensible, it was in line with everyone's wishes.

"Don't worry, Mom and Dad. I think Abby needs to stay, and Martin needs to go," Abel reassured them. "No matter where Martin goes, he is still a part of us. It's difficult to cut off a blood-related relationship. Perhaps once we've spent enough time together and developed feelings, he may return to us, but if Abby leaves, there will be no turning back."

Karina was glad to hear that.

She immediately nodded in agreement and said, "Yes! Abel is right! No matter where Martin goes, he's still a part of us. It doesn't matter if he doesn't live at home. We can just visit him more often in the future. If Abby leaves us, other people will suspect that she isn't being well treated by our family and will be looked down upon or bullied. Only by staying in our family can she keep her status and marry

into a good family."

Aidan smiled bitterly. "I hope we've made the right decision! Since we are all in agreement, it will be a decision that we as a family make together. No matter what happens in the future, let's not regret it or blame each other for it."

"We won't." Karina instantly felt more relaxed, knowing that her beloved daughter could stay. "Not staying with us is what Martin asked for. In any case, even though he does not live with us, we will not treat him as though he does not belong to us. We will still accept him and love him as he is. What else could happen?"

"Hopefully, it'll turn out that way." Aidan still maintained a bitter smile.

Somehow, he wasn't as optimistic as his wife. He felt this would be the most regretful decision he had ever made.