Facade of Love

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Madam Young Pressures for Divorce

The Youngs Old Manor.

The Youngs‘ empire was built single–handedly by Madam Young and Sir Young after the country’s economic reform and reopening nearly fifty years ago. Thus, it had a formidable legacy. Sir Young passed away a few years ago due to illness, so now the oldest living member of the Youngs was Madam Young. The rest were Idris‘ aunts and uncles, who were originally supposed to take over the family business.

However, after Sir Young passed away, Madam Young decisively handed the company over to Idris. Idris‘ father had apparently encountered some issues early on in his life and was said to have passed

away. Perhaps the Youngs were too heartbroken to talk about it, and as I was not overly curious, I never inquired further.

The Youngs Old Manor was located in the suburbs. Sir Young had bought quite a bit of land and mountains when the country’s economy was rising. He then built several ancient–style mansions

complete with mountains, waters, and gardens. After Sir Young passed away, Madam Young

continued living there, along with the other aunts and uncles.

After entering the old house with Mr. Zachary, I crossed the courtyard and the lake to reach Madam Young’s residence. She was in the pavilion of the courtyard, listening to opera performances with a few aunts and younger family members.

The Youngs had many rules. Since Madam Young had not spoken, I did not speak either, and instead stood quietly by her side watching the opera.

The performance on stage featured the opera song, “The Marriage of Figaro“. The lively and light melody made Madam Young hum along during the catchy parts.

Only after the opera show ended did Madam Young turn to me, her face as kind as ever. “You’re here, Yvette. Sit, sit.” Then, she looked at the younger family members around her and said, “Alright, you’ve accompanied this old woman for long enough. You may all leave and rest.”

After Madam Young gave the command to disperse, everyone left.

Only Madam Young and I remained in the pavilion. She looked at me, holding her rosary, and after a moment of silence, said, “Yvette, I received some things today. Would you like to see them?”

From the moment I arrived, I sensed that something was off. Although I did not know what was going on, I nodded and smiled. “What kind of things have you received, Grandma?”

She glanced outside, and Mr. Zachary entered and placed a leather bag in front of me.

Madam Young looked at me and said, “Open it and have a look.”

I hesitated for a few seconds before opening the bag. Inside were some photos and documents. As soon as I saw them, I froze. They were related to the events from five years ago…

Seeing my reaction, Madam Young asked, “Yvette, is all of this true?”

Her tone was calm, but the atmosphere had quickly gotten heavier.

“Ran away with someone at 18, sold to the border, and became a prostitute,” Madam Young said before I could speak. “If people knew the Youngs‘ daughter–in–law had such a past… Do you understand what this means for the Youngs, Yvette?”

Of course I knew. Dirty laundry like this could not be aired out. Madam Young valued the family’s honor above all. When I married Idris, aside from my family background, the most important factor was my clean past. If she had known about the events from five years ago, she would never have agreed to my marriage with Idris.

After all, which family elders would not want their descendants to marry clean and pure individuals?

She took a slight breath and looked at me, continuing, “Yvette, you married into the Youngs, and we have never mistreated you. Although I wanted great–grandchildren, I never pressured you. You’ve been married for two years and are still childless. Now this scandal has surfaced. Child, you shouldn’t deceive me like this!”

Her last sentence was spat out, each word forced through gritted teeth.

Madam Young had been through many obstacles in her life, and she had never lost to a man, whether in business or in life. How could such a proud person be willing to be deceived?

I stood in front of her, knowing that without evidence, any explanation for what happened back then would be seen as an excuse. After a brief pause, I finally said, “Grandma, marrying Idris while hiding my past was a desperate measure I was forced to take back then. Please don’t take it out on Scott

Corporation or my parents. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

She looked at me, fiddled with her rosary, and said, “I can let go of the past, but you can’t deny what happened to you. A daughter–in–law of the Youngs does not need to be exceptionally talented, but she must be clean. So, you know what you should do, right?”

I pursed my l*ps and nodded, “Yes, I will divorce Idris and sort everything out.”

She shook her head slightly, and said in a low voice, “No. Divorcing Idris is inevitable, but there’s one more thing you need to do.”