Once Bitten, Twice Shy

In an instant, Samantha was the one looking condescendingly at Fabian.

Samantha smirked and said, “You’re quite the talker, Mr. Garvey...”

After Fabian got over the shock, a surge of uncontrollable anger rose at once.

The Gilligans used to be on par with the Garveys but the former’s old master passed away very early on. Although Athena’s father was very business-savvy, his love for his wife trumped his ambition. When Athena disappeared and Irene cried every day, he barely kept the company going until after he passed away a few years ago. That was when his eldest son Horace took charge of the company.

Horace achieved plenty in the past few years, but the Garveys had been accumulating capital and expanding its businesses without respite. Since then, their wealth and power had surpassed that of the Gilligans.

Had it not been for his grandfather’s insistence that he fulfill the agreement, Fabian would not have even looked twice at the Gilligans’ daughter, especially since she was a disfigured woman who had a child and did not seem to know her place!

Fabian crawled up from the ground and glared at her. “You’re courting death, Athena!”

Everyone had treated him respectfully ever since he was born, and even Irene was very polite to him. What kind of person did Athena think she was?

He raised his hand to slap Samantha.

The slap was intercepted as soon as he lifted his hand.

Fabian glanced over and saw that Horace had appeared out of nowhere.

Samantha turned around and saw her brother too.

His face was as cold as always and one could not see his emotions.

Fabian sneered and complained immediately. “My, your younger sister has quite the temper, Horace. She punched me for no reason. Is this the kind of upbringing your family has?”

“In any case, I expect an explanation from the Gilligans today, or else...I have no control over what my grandfather thinks if I go back with this injury!”

The Gilligans had a project that they sought to cooperate with the Garveys and it was already midway through. Fabian did not fear the Gilligans at all.

Although Samantha did not expect a petty person like him to have any conscience, she could not help but feel regret when she saw him twist the truth so blatantly.

She regretted not punching him a couple more times earlier.

Ever since she woke up, the Gilligans have been treating her very well and she did not want to cause them any trouble despite her not being fully integrated into the family yet.

“Horace, I-” Samantha wanted to explain what happened.

Horace stopped her coldly. “That’s enough.”

Samantha could not help but frown. Was Horace prepared to have her accede to Fabian regardless of what happened?

Augustine and Samson were both very kind to her, but her eldest brother...did not seem too friendly toward her ever since they met earlier.

It would be normal for him not to side with her, since-in his eyes-she was a stranger that he had just met for the first time.

Fabian smiled arrogantly once more.

Horace had a clear view of things at least!

He demanded openly, “For your sake, I won’t make things difficult for her. I’ll let it slide, but I want her to kneel, kowtow to me, and admit her fault! Our friendship won’t be affected.”

Horace replied without hesitation. “Okay.”

Samantha’s heart froze, but she saw Horace deliver a swift kick to Fabian’s knee a second later.

It was a strong kick and Samantha even heard a cracking sound.

Fabian let out a painful howl and fell to his knees. His expression became distorted and his face looked horrendous!

Samantha’s red lips opened slightly in surprise.

Horace did not turn to Samantha. He merely looked coldly at Fabian and said, “How dare you touch my family.”

Fabian was in so much pain that he could not speak. He could only shake his fingers and strain to speak, “You... Just you wait, Horace... I’ll- AGHH!”

Another figure rushed up to him and sent him rolling several times over on the ground with a single kick.

The remainder of his words got stuck in his throat and he could not even let out a shout.

Samantha looked at the person again and it turned out to be...her mild-mannered second brother, Augustine.

It was clear that he kicked Fabian with tremendous strength, but he did not show the slightest bit of hostility and had a very innocent look.

Samantha made her secret assessment that Augustine might be someone who...learned martial arts!

Augustine looked at Samantha all of a sudden and smiled gently. “You alright, Athena?”

Samantha nodded in a daze.

Fabian was the one who was not alright. He could not even get up from the ground.

Her third brother Samson was the last to arrive. He rolled up his sleeves elegantly to reveal two slender but muscular arms.

He stepped forward and lifted Fabian effortlessly by the collar like a little rag doll.

He turned to Samantha and said, “It’s cold outside, Little Sis. You should go back in with Horace and Augustine. I’m going to have a nice chat with this guy about his life and ideals. I’ll come back later.”

His posture did not seem to suggest that he was merely going to have a chat...

Her other two brothers did not give her a chance to say anything. Augustine took Samantha’s shoulders and walked her to the house, while Horace followed just a step behind them.

Samantha’s heart felt like it had been immersed in a hot spring.

She had experienced familial support for the first time.

It felt safe and warm...

She was curious as to why it felt like it was her first time experiencing that, especially since she ought to have had a family when she was lost all those years.

When they entered the house, Augustine reminded, “Don’t let Mom know about this. She’s old, so she gets worried easily.”

Samantha understood and nodded obediently.

...

She immediately thought of something and asked somewhat worriedly, “Horace, Augustine... Fabian doesn’t look like a good person. Will he-”

Augustine knew what she was going to ask and interrupted with a smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll be alright.”

In an unprecedented move, Horace said, “You don’t need to worry about this kind of stuff.”

Although his tone was stern, Samantha could hear that he was comforting her.

He was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

Samantha stopped worrying and said with a smile. “Okay. I’ll listen to the two of you.”

...

From that day onward, Fabian never showed up again and Irene no longer mentioned his name.

Samantha did not know how her three brothers explained it to Irene, but she was relieved to see that the engagement was over.

Fabian’s horrible character aside, she could not accept the sudden marriage contract and was glad that it finally ended.

Spring soon came and Samantha’s health improved by the day. Her child’s vigor was much better than before where he could at least address people despite not speaking much.

...

He would call out ‘Mom’, ‘Grandma’, ‘Uncle’, and so on.

Since she could not remember his name, Samantha gave him the Gilligan surname and called him Matthew.

She did not know if that name was somehow etched into her memories or whether it came randomly.

Whatever it was, the child’s name was now Matthew Gilligan.

Samantha was playing with Matthew in the yard when she suddenly heard Irene’s furious voice from inside the house. “That b*stard! How dare he!”

Matthew was so frightened that he shrank into Samantha’s arms.

Samantha hugged him tightly to comfort him and looked toward the house.

Irene had always been extremely gentle, even in the way she treated servants. What could possibly make her that angry?

Did something serious happen?