Serena served him some food. “Eat first.”
Zack felt overwhelmed by favor. “I’ll do it myself, honey. Your hand is injured. I should be the one taking care of you.”
“I injured my left hand. It doesn’t affect my right hand from taking food. Eat. You’ve been busy the whole time since coming back. You need to eat more.”
She put more food on his plate as she spoke.
Zack was nervous.
The better she treated him, the more nervous and scared he was. He did not know what awaited him.
After the meal, Zack went ahead and washed the dishes.
He deliberately dawdled and spent another hour cleaning up before walking over to sit across from Serena.
With a serious expression like an elementary school student in class, he said, “Give me your verdict, Seren. I’m ready.”
Serena was speechless. “I just want to talk with you. You make it sound like I’m sending you to the guillotine.”
He looked at her deeply and said, “To me, this moment feels exactly like that.”
“I was really angry when I first found out that you lied to me… Forget it. Let’s put that aside for now. Look at yourself. It’s like your hair is standing on end. I’m still angry, and I haven’t calmed down yet, but everyone is speaking up for you and pleading your case.”
Even her best friend, who was on her side, spoke up for him.
“You have the right to be angry, Seren. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have concealed it from you for so long. I couldn’t even confess to you in person and chose another way to let you find out… It was Remy who suggested that!”
If Remy were here, he would say, “You were the one who came to me for advice.”
After a moment of silence, Serena said, “In the end, it’s because you don’t trust me enough.”
“Seren, I admit that I used to distrust you and guard against you. I thought you were after my money. Now, I absolutely believe in your character.”
Serena was silent again and looked up at him. With a heart split between hesitance and certainty, she asked, “Zack, can we sign another contract?”
Before Zack could speak, she continued, “I got angry after finding out your true identity, but that anger is secondary now. What I should consider more is the gap. between us. You’re the eldest young master of the York family. You’re someone who was born into a family that has assets worth billions, but I’m just an ordinary woman with no parents. My relatives are all sorry excuses for humans too. I have no skills, and I’m completely mismatched with you in every aspect.”
“Serena!” Zack interjected solemnly.
you! I
He said grimly, “No matter what your status is, I’ve decided that it has to be don’t look down on you. As long as I think you’re a match for me, then you are. Don’t put yourself down like that.”
“I’m not putting myself down. I’m just stating the facts.”
Serena had never been one to belittle herself.
“Seren, I don’t need you to have any skills. It’s enough if I’m capable. I can support a family. I support you. In the future, I can also afford to raise our children. With the money I earn, I can support all of us even if we give birth to a soccer team.
“You don’t need to put pressure on yourself. I don’t need you to support the family.
I’m completely fine with keeping the status quo.”
Zack had earned more money than he could spend. He could support the entire family single–handedly, so there was no need for Serena to have any skills, nor did she need to earn money to share the burden. She just needed to stay by his side and not think about divorce.
“Seren, you might not know this, but everyone in our family receives an allowance from the family trust fund every month. You’re the eldest missus of the York family, so yours amount to 600,000 each month.
“That’s just from the family fund. I can also give you pocket money every month. Nana and my mom will definitely give you too. You don’t have to worry about money at all.”
As Zack spoke, he took out his wallet and pulled out a black card, placing it in front of Serena.
“In our small home, you’re in charge. Everything you say is law. This is my black card, but you keep it. Use it however you want. In short, with me around, you never have to worry about money.”
Serena glanced at the black card and then looked at him.
Did he think she was worried about money?
“Zack, if our marriage is to continue, do you want me to be a canary you keep in a cage, or do you want me to stand and walk beside you?”
Zack stared at her in silence.
“What I mean is, give me a little time. I’ll try to see if I can fit into your world. If I can’t, I won’t force myself, and you shouldn’t force me either. An unequal marriage won’t last.
“You just fell in love with me, so your feelings are especially strong now. You think you can accept everything about me, and you don’t care what my status is.
“As time passes, you’ll feel that I can’t help you with anything. We have nothing in common. I won’t understand if you talk about finance, stocks, and investment. If you take me to socialize with your friends, other ladies will be able to make conversation easily with you all, but what can I talk about to you?
“Do I talk about the weather? Or ask what you had for lunch?
“Eventually, you’ll feel that I’m a disgrace, and that I’m not as good as your friends‘ wives. It’s because they’re on the same level as you with similar social circles, so they share similar insights and conversation topics.
“You can say that no one will dare do anything to me with you around, but I’ll feel inferior. I don’t want to be a canary in a cage whose only job is to be clothed and fed by you. I want to be the woman who walks alongside you.
“However, your starting point is so high up that I can’t even catch up with you. That’s why I think we have to start over. Give me the chance to at least try.”
Zack’s expression was dark. “Why do you care that much about how others see you? I told you that I can support you and raise a family. You just need to keep the status quo and not care about what people say. They’re just jealous that you can marry into the York family and be my wife..
“My friends won’t look down on you. When we get together, I’ll remind them in advance not to talk about topics that you’re not well–versed in. We’ll just chat about everyday life. We’ll talk about what we ate and where we went to have fun, okay? I can do all that for you.
“Seren, I know your sister’s failed marriage had a great impact on you. You’re afraid I’ll become a scumbag like Hank, right? Don’t worry, I promise you that I won’t! Even if you turn fat in the future, I won’t dislike you.
“I love you as a person. Be it your strengths or flaws, I can accept all of them.
“What contract do you want us to sign? Are you going to terminate our marriage if you can’t fit into my circle? You’re just putting up a front. In truth, you just want to leave me. You’re still angry at me for lying to you.”
Serena almost lost her temper several times, but she held back.
She desperately told herself, ‘Endure, Seren. Endure!‘
His domineeringness and stubbornness were not something she could change with just a few words.
He did not think that far. He only knew that he was the eldest young master of the York family. With him around, she could do whatever she wanted in Wiltspoon.
He only thought about how he had enough money to raise her and their family. All she had to do was continue being his wife. There was no need for her to worry about anything else.
She was being treated like a canary kept in a gilded cage.
Nevertheless, Serena admitted that her sister’s failed marriage had greatly affected her.
Hank and her sister met twelve years ago, were in love for seven years, and married for more than three years. They had been together longer than Zack and Serena knew each other. Hank had treated her sister extremely well before. Everything that Zack was saying now, Hank said the same to Liberty.
He said he could afford to support her and their little family.
In the end?
They exchanged vows to be with each other till death do them part, but they ended up divorcing just seven years in.
Serena also admitted that her in–laws were very good people. However, she could tell that her mother–in–law was not too satisfied with her.
There was no conflict yet between Serena and her mother–in–law, but as they spend more time together in the future, would she experience the same thing her aunt did in her youth?
What Serena wanted was to be truly acknowledged by her in–laws!
“Let’s leave it at this, Zack. It’s late now. You should rest early. I’m going back.”
Serena suppressed her anger and did not quarrel with Zack. She could not convince him, and he could not understand what it was that she wanted.
It was a waste of breath to continue the discussion.
Serena felt powerless.
She felt that if they continued talking, they would just end up quarreling again. In fact, the fight would most likely escalate and worsen their relationship further.
She came here to settle their issues, not to fight with him.
Zack stood up and grabbed her arm, saying in a low voice, “Serena, I won’t sign any contract with you. We’re already married. In this life, we’re husband and wife.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.