Married the Sick Uncle – Just Waiting to Inherit His Fortune

It was the only way she could maintain some semblance of control.

That’s what had given her the idea of finding a partner.

She looked at Nathan Fawcett’s handsome face in the lamplight. ”Didn’t you say that Nathan also wanted me to be with someone else?”

Nathan Fawcett had never tried to stop her.

After all, their original agreement was only for her to have his child.

She had stayed with the Fawcett family all these years only because she couldn’t stand seeing Charles Prescott lording over everyone as he did now.

Anne Sutton’s retort left Nathan Fawcett speechless.

He stared at her and said, ”It seems you really are interested in Justin Shields! Fine. Do whatever you want! Just don’t come crying to me when you get hurt.”

With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him in a fit of anger.

Anne Sutton stood frozen, startled by his outburst as she watched him leave.

Back in the study, Nathan Fawcett sat down. The butler came in with a glass of water, saw his angry expression, and asked, ”What’s wrong, sir?”

Nathan Fawcett rubbed his temples. He didn’t know why he was so furious.

’I must be losing my mind!’

Before, when she wasn’t around, he always thought he wouldn’t care who she ended up with.

’But now, why does the mere thought of her with another man make my stomach turn?’

’How can I let a woman like her make me lose all reason?’

’She wants to be with someone else, so why should I even care?’

Nathan Fawcett said, ”Anne Sutton wants to be with Justin Shields.”

The butler froze when he heard that. He looked at Nathan Fawcett; no wonder he was so furious.

The butler said, ”Madam is unaware of your true identity, sir. If you would just explain things to her, she wouldn’t be acting this way.”

”She wouldn’t?” Nathan Fawcett looked at the butler. ”Don’t tell me you’re naive enough to believe that woman actually loves me? She never did. She only got together with me to get her hands on the Fawcett family’s assets. If she had cared about me in the slightest, she wouldn’t have abandoned Ian.”

”Actually, I think Madam dotes on young master Ian. And she’s always been heartbroken about leaving the child. From what I’ve seen, losing him has made these past few years very hard on her.”

”She’s had a hard time not because of the child, but because Charles Prescott didn’t give her everything she wanted. You don’t need to make excuses for her or paint her in such a good light. Just look at her now... isn’t she in a rush to marry someone else?”

”Then what should be done?” the butler asked. ”Are we just going to stand by and watch her get together with Mr. Shields?”

”...If that’s what she wants, let her. I’m not going to stop her.”

The butler nodded, but as he looked at Nathan Fawcett, he didn’t believe a word he said.

He had a feeling his master wouldn’t be able to restrain himself at all.

After all...

He had only seen Anne Sutton that one time, and he’d been entangled with her ever since, even chasing her all the way to Westhaven.

He could have just ignored a drunk Anne Sutton back then.

If he hadn’t gotten involved, their paths never would have crossed again after he’d taken on a new identity, and he wouldn’t be in this predicament now.

...

Anne Sutton finished blow-drying her hair. Realizing she hadn’t seen Ian all day, she went out and headed to his room.

But when she got to the door, she found Justin Shields inside, keeping Ian company.

Ian asked, ”Uncle Justin, is Stella really my mommy?”

Justin Shields was a little surprised to hear this. ”Where did you hear that?”

Ian said, ”Everyone’s saying it.”

Justin Shields said, ”That’s right, she’s your mother.”

’If Stella Shields were to marry Ethan Linden, wouldn’t that make her Ian’s mother? But... the biggest complication now is Anne Sutton. They were all worried that after seeing Anne Sutton, Nathan Fawcett would no longer want to go through with the planned marriage between Ethan Linden and Stella Shields.’

Ian looked at Justin Shields and asked, ”Does that mean I’ll have to call you Uncle?”

’Uncle?’

Anne Sutton froze for a second. ’So... Justin Shields is Stella Shields’s brother.’

She remembered hearing back when Stella Shields used to visit the Fawcett Estate that Stella’s brother was a classmate of Nathan Fawcett.

’Then how could he also be a classmate of Ethan Linden? After all, Ethan Linden had always been in Veridia; he’d never even come back. His life path was completely different from Nathan Fawcett’s, so it was impossible for them to have gone to school together. Otherwise, someone like Miles Prescott, who had lived with the Fawcett family for years, would have known he existed.’

This revelation struck Anne Sutton as odd.

Since Justin Shields was with Ian, she felt it would be awkward to go in.

Even though both of their mothers had expressed their hope for her and Justin Shields to get together, she couldn’t just brazenly create opportunities to spend time with him.

Anne Sutton was about to turn and leave when she ran right into Nathan Fawcett.

She looked up at him, only to see Nathan Fawcett staring at her coldly. ”What are you doing?”

His tone made her flinch. She said, ”I was just coming to see Ian, but... he’s with his uncle, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”

’Uncle...’

The word made Nathan Fawcett’s brow furrow.

’She’s certainly quick to build these family connections. Not only has she found a new mother for Ian, she’s already got the uncle lined up too.’

Anne Sutton looked at Nathan Fawcett, remembering how he’d stormed out earlier. She wondered if he was still angry.

She happened to have a question for him. ”Can I ask you something?”

Nathan Fawcett looked at her. ”What is it?”

”Let’s talk over there,” Anne Sutton said, pointing at the balcony.

Nathan Fawcett followed behind her.

A breeze blew across the balcony, lifting Anne Sutton’s freshly washed hair. ”I just remembered something. Justin is Stella Shields’s brother. I’d heard before that Stella’s brother was a classmate of Nathan. So how did he end up being your classmate too?”

Nathan Fawcett said, ”The person Stella Shields always liked was Ethan Linden; she just mistook him for someone else back then. She and Ethan Linden are the actual childhood sweethearts. Nathan and Justin Shields were not classmates.”

Anne Sutton looked at Nathan Fawcett. ”So, you and Stella Shields are close?”

Nathan Fawcett: ”...”

Anne Sutton said, ”That’s strange. If you and Stella Shields are childhood sweethearts, why aren’t you married, especially since you two even have a child together?”

”...”

Nathan Fawcett was stumped by her question.

’After all, there was no way to answer that without explaining everything. Unless he told her he was Nathan Fawcett, not Ethan Linden, any story he concocted would be full of holes.’

He looked at Anne Sutton and said, ”What do my personal affairs have to do with you?”

Anne Sutton looked at the man before her. ”I was just thinking about what happened between us in Veridia... and I suddenly feel like love is completely meaningless. You and Ms. Shields had such a great relationship, yet it still ended up like this. And you... you still came on to me...”

The memory of his indecent advances made Anne Sutton incredibly frustrated.

Anne Sutton concluded, ”It seems all well-off men are scumbags. Just like you, and just like Charles Prescott. You’re all the same!”

”You’re comparing me to Charles Prescott?”

’She’s the only woman I’ve ever had!’