The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 404 Meeting For A Wedding (Part Three)

"Mom, I can understand you are just worried about me." Isla smiled reassuringly and said, "But you should also have faith on Aron. I know, he will never let me down."

The reassuring words of Isla came as a soothing balm on the wounded heart of her mother. Yet it took Jina a few minutes to gather herself. After she calmed down, Joanna spoke, "It is our family's responsibility to prepare for the wedding. You can just give the list of guests to us. Moreover, if you have any customs need to be complied with, please let us know. We are going to become a family very soon. Please don't hesitate to tell us if you replace anything inappropriate on our part."

"Okay." Finally, there was a satisfying smile on Jina's face. The situation became cheerful once again. All the people at the table began talking harmoniously with each other. The wedding was a much awaited auspicious moment not just for Isla and Aron but for both the families.

Amidst all the cheers and niceties that were being shared among everyone, one soul that was still extremely distressed was that of Fiona. No matter how hard she tried to get along with the happy tide that flowed in the party, she could not stop worrying about the probable outcome of the marriage on her and her son's future. Mike promised a big gift to Aron on his wedding. Fiona guessed that the gift must be Mike's share of the company. Hence she tried with all her might to stop Aron from marrying.

The very thought of Aron living a happy life was unbearable for her.

"Jina, our family can take care of almost everything but... we have no idea about your local customs. We don't want anything to fall short in our attempt to prepare for your family. I have discussed it with Aron and plan to give you 8.88 million dollars. If you think it is not enough, we can give more. So how do you think about it?" Joanna had discussed it for a long time and chose such a lucky number as the price for Isla's gift. Isla was a very good girl for Aron. The money was just a token to show Aron and his family's respect for her. And she deserved the money.

"Mom, are you kidding?" Fiona let out a scream out of shock, "How could you give her so much money?"

Indeed, 8.88 billion dollars was a great amount of money for Isla's family. They lived in a poor country and had never seen so much money before. When they heard this number, even they were shocked. But they decided not to accept it all because they didn't need so much.

"Shut up!" Albert pulled Fiona and said in a low voice, "Did you forget what father told us?"

"Let me go!" Fiona disentangled herself from Albert's hand and said, "If I don't say anything, your parents will give all they have to Aron. So I won't listen to you!"

Then she turned to Joanna, "They are so poor. How could you give them so much money? They will never see so much money if you don't give them. Coming from such a poor family, even Isla doesn't deserve so much money. I think... it's enough to give her eighty-eight thousand."

"Shut up!" Joanna was enraged by her words and refuted, "Isla will be my grandson's wife soon, I will not allow you to say such inappropriate words to hurt her feelings!"

"Mom..." Fiona frowned and said, "I am saying this only for our family's wellbeing! The people like Isla and her family do not need so much money! It looks like we are making a business deal with their family and we buy their daughter in such a hefty price."

Mike was angered beyond words hearing such demeaning words from his daughter-in-law. He threw his chopsticks to the ground out of rage. He shouted at Fiona, "Get out of here. Now! I don't want to see you again!"

"No, I won't!" Fiona sneered, "You once showered all your love and concerns on Colin. But everything has changed ever since Aron came back to this family. You withdrew all your affection from Colin and gave to Aron. You have never treated Colin fairly all these years! Albert stopped me from saying these things to you and I listened to him."

Then she added, "But now both of them have grown up and come to the marriageable age. The money you are going to use for Aron's wedding belongs to Chen family and Colin! How could you use his money without his permission?!"

Fiona insisted that Colin was the rightful heir to all the money that belonged to Mike and Joanna while Aron had no rights to use it.

"Nonsense!" Enraged by her selfish words, Mike screamed at her. Deeply disappointed, he dismissed her opinion and said, "Both Colin and Aron are my grandsons and I have never treated them unfairly! I have given Colin everything he wanted. Even the apartment you bought recently! You are just too selfish!"

"Colin is your grandson and he deserves that apartment!" Fiona sneered and said, "In a word, I won't allow you to give Isla so much money! That's it."

"I don't need your permission." Mike added, "This is my gift for Isla. It has nothing to do with you."

"I..." Fiona wanted to say more but was interrupted by Mike and Joanna, "Albert, if you still take us as your parents, just take her out of here. I don't want to see her."

Albert looked at Fiona and then at his parents. He fell into a strange dilemma.

He was accustomed to listening to Fiona's opinion on every matter, but he didn't dare do anything against Mike's will especially when Mike was angry. After a long time of consideration, he said to Fiona, "Let's go."

He never wanted to come to this place to begin with. He came along only because Fiona insisted on doing so.

He didn't think Aron's wedding had anything to do with his or his son's future.

Fiona was utterly disappointed with Albert's cowardness. She accused him, "Coward! What have you done for me since I married you? Nothing! I did all these only for your son! If I don't say anything, your parents will leave all their fortune to Aron. Then you will lose everything!"

"Are you talking about how to divide my property after my death? Remember I'm still alive!" Mike sneered and said to Fiona, "Mark my words to be my last warning to you. If you don't leave right now, I will give nothing to Colin after I die!"

"Grandpa." Colin was distressed by the words of his grandfather. 8.8 million was a meagre amount for the Chen family and he was willing to give it to Isla as long as Mike changed his mind.

He walked up towards Mike and helped him to sit down. Then he gave Mike a glass of water and said, "Sorry grandpa, don't be angry. It's bad for your health."

When Mike calmed down, Colin said to Fiona, "Mom, please stop talking. It's your fault to enrage grandpa!"

"But I did that only for you..." Colin's words hit her with a hard blow on her chest. Hurt and broken, she stammered, "Nobody in this family understands me! Nobody thanked me for what I did for this family!"

"Enough now, just stop talking." Colin added, "Grandparents care more about Aron only because his parents are not alive and he needs more concern. But they treat me well and give me everything I want. It's unfair to judge them in this way."