Ruin My Mother's Life, Now I Ruin Yours

My father, Harlan Lowe, suffers from severe face blindness. To him, every woman in the world looks the same. 40 years ago, he was drugged by a business rival and spent one fateful night with the woman who would later become my mother. Unable to recognize her afterward, he mistakenly marries Mildred Roberts, the opportunistic woman who steals her place and claims the credit that is never hers. In time, Harlan and Mildred become one of the city's most celebrated power couples, admired by everyone. Meanwhile, my mother is left to bear the consequences alone. Pregnant and unmarried, she is branded a promiscuous woman, shunned by society, and never marries. Years of humiliation and loneliness eventually drive her into depression and lead her to take her own life. 40 years later, I am now a man who has built a life through brilliance and relentless determination. I end up marrying Bella Harrison, the beloved daughter of the wealthiest dynasty in the country. We share a loving marriage and a happy family. The peace ends the day my daughter, Josie Gardner, brings her boyfriend home. Seated at the head of the family table, I study the young man. Arrogant, confident, and unmistakably spoiled, he carries himself like someone who has never known hardship. I know immediately that he is Simon Lowe, the grandson of Harlan and Mildred. Looking at Simon's face, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Harlan's, I ignore the gift he offers me. "You want to marry my daughter? In your wildest dreams." Chapter 1 "Dad, this is Simon, my boyfriend. I figured it was time for you two to meet." I averted my attention to Simon Lowe. Sure, he ticked all the boxes of a proper man, but I couldn't ignore the air of arrogance that came with being spoiled rotten. He presented me with a gift, his hands outstretched, his voice bright. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Gardner. This is a little something from me." I didn't take it. An awkward silence dawned upon the vast living room. My daughter, Josie Gardner, looked at me, then at Simon. She cooed, "Dad?" I glanced at her. "Josie, why don't you head upstairs first? I'd like to talk to Simon in private." She hesitated briefly before nodding. "Okay." With that, only Simon and I remained in the living room. Once Josie was gone, the layer of civility on Simon's smile peeled immediately. He tossed the gift to the coffee table and sized me up and down rudely. "Mr. Gardner," he said, still in the same even tone, though it now dripped with superiority. "Did you just send your daughter away so you could throw your weight around?" I stayed silent. "Fine," he huffed. "We'll have a conversation man-to-man. I heard you came from a small town with no connections in Crownyork. The only reason you managed to marry the eldest daughter of the Harrisons was that you got lucky." He continued, "I know all about men like you. You claw your way up from nothing and get jealous of people like me, who were born with a silver spoon. You're afraid that if I marry Josie, you'll lose your standing in the Harrison family. "Deep down, you know it, too. The Harrisons may have never said it outright, but you're nothing more than a live-in son-in-law who married into the family. Don't tell me you actually think you call the shots in the richest family in the country!" Simon looked down at me pompously. "But I'm different. My grandpa is the head of the Lowe family, one of the most powerful families in Crownyork. I grew up surrounded by the city's most elite circles. "Josie and I are a perfect match. We're equals in every sense. You're just a man who married into his wife's family, so you don't get a say in this!" He paused deliberately, as if giving me time to absorb everything he had said. "I looked into your background, Mr. Gardner. Your parents passed away years ago, didn't they? There's no one left to back you up. You only got into the Harrison family because their daughter fell for you. "But feelings don't last forever. There are plenty of men out there who are younger and better-looking than you. What makes you think you can compete with all those fresh-faced men out there? "I'm nothing like you. I have the Lowes behind me. Even if things don't work out between Josie and me someday, I'll still be the eldest grandson of my family. No one would dare lay a finger on me. "And you? Once you lose your place as their live-in son-in-law, you'll have nothing left. Am I right?" Simon looked at me as if I were someone to be pitied. "Be realistic, Mr. Gardner. If I want to marry Josie, there's nothing you can do to stop me. Instead of making things ugly between us, why not do me a favor now? Once I become part of the family, I might still show you some respect." Chapter 2 I didn't show the slightest change in expression. I simply set my porcelain cup down on the table, the sharp clink echoing through the room. "Are you done?" Simon's smile faltered. I looked straight at him. "You said you're the most beloved eldest grandson of the Lowe family. But do you know how your grandmother married into the family back then?" He frowned. "What are you talking about?" I smiled. "You want to marry my daughter? In your wildest dreams." Simon shot to his feet. "Mr. Gardner, you'd better think twice. With how you treated me today, if I do become part of the Harrison family in the future, there's no way we'll ever get along!" My voice remained calm. "Don't worry. As long as I'm around, you'll never marry my daughter." He turned and walked away. "You'll regret this!" Regret? The thing I regretted most in my life was that, while Mom was still alive, I didn't make those who wronged her apologize for everything they had done. Even if Mom wasn't around to see it anymore, it was fine. I would still make them pay. I would let her know that justice was finally served. … The next day, the housekeeper came in to announce, "Sir, the Lowes are here." I set down the book in my hands. The housekeeper led a woman inside, someone whose face I would recognize even if she had been reduced to ashes. Mildred Roberts, the mistress who had stolen Mom's life-saving kindness all those years ago, was now Mrs. Lowe Senior. She donned a custom-made gray dress, with a Patek Philippe watch on her wrist. Every detail about her screamed luxury and extravagance. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Gardner. I'm Simon's grandmother. I'd like to talk to you about his relationship with Josie." She took a document out of her bag and placed it on the table. "This is the development rights to that piece of land we own in Neward. Your wife has wanted it for a long time, hasn't she? "Well, as long as you agree to their marriage, this land will be my gift to the Harrison family." I lowered my gaze to her hands, fair and delicate. On her ring finger sat an old mine-cut diamond ring larger than my thumbnail. One glance was enough to tell those hands had never done a day of housework. Mom's were nothing like that. Her hands had spent years soaked in water from cooking, washing clothes, and working the fields. There was always dirt trapped beneath her fingernails that no amount of scrubbing could remove. They stayed that way until the day she died. "Mrs. Lowe Senior, my daughter's marriage is none of an outsider's concern." Mildred's expression darkened. "Mr. Gardner, our family may not be as wealthy as the Harrisons, but Simon is the only grandson of the Lowes. He was raised like a precious treasure from the moment he was born. "Your daughter would be lucky to marry a man like him. You, a…" She paused, deliberately emphasizing her following words. "A man who only got into the Harrison family later on should know better than to be haughty!" Later on… How specific. "Is it because the money isn't enough? A lowly live-in son-in-law really is as greedy as people say," she spat out, her eyes flicking toward the envelope on the table. "Fine. Name your price." I looked at Mildred. "Mrs. Lowe Senior, when choosing a son-in-law, we value two things—upbringing and character. Unfortunately, neither the Lowe family nor your grandson seems to have either." "What did you just say?" Chapter 3 Mildred kept her eyes fixed on me. "Do you really think that just because you married into the Harrison family, you've become someone important?" She stood up and looked down at me with a condescending gaze. "You're just a man with no family background and connections. You know damn well how you got to where you are today." Her eyes swept over me from head to toe like a deadly knife. "My husband and I have spent 40 years building our foundation in Crownyork. The connections and influence we've accumulated aren't something a man like you can obtain. So, don't push your luck." I looked at Mildred calmly. For someone who had stolen another person's life, I wasn't surprised to see she had remained rotten to the core. No amount of expensive, custom-made dresses or gigantic diamond rings could erase the fact that she was wicked and cruel. "Are you done?" I asked, standing up, picked up the envelope from the table, and shoved it into her hands. "Please leave, Mrs. Lowe Senior. There's nothing more to discuss about your grandson." … That night, Josie knocked on my door. "Dad, can I come in?" She sat across from me and stayed silent for quite a while. "Dad, about Simon… I want to know why." I looked into her eyes. They were sincere, without anger or interrogation. She had always been like this since she was little—obedient, thoughtful, and never worrisome. "You must have your reasons for refusing to let me marry Simon, Dad. I just… want to know what they are." I sighed. It just wasn't time yet. "Josie, I can't tell you everything right now. But do you trust me?" She looked at me and replied without hesitation, "I do." Josie stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving, she turned around. "I've already told Simon that I won't bring him here again until you give us your blessing." The door closed behind her. I sat there, my eyes burning slightly. Josie had never made me worry for even a single day since she was a child. It wasn't that I wanted to tear her relationship apart, but she and Simon shared a grandfather. The Lowes were the very reason Mom had died. No matter how I looked at it, whether by emotion or by reason, I could never agree to this marriage. … The next day, the housekeeper walked in with a complicated look. "Sir, Mr. Lowe Senior is here." My hands curled into fists. "Let him in." The moment Harlan Lowe walked in, I confirmed he was the man Mom had spent decades longing for, my biological father. His hair was white as snow, but it was neatly combed back without a single strand out of place. He wore a black tailored suit with pure gold buttons at the cuffs that caught the light and almost hurt my eyes. Behind him were two men. One carried a briefcase, while the other held an insulated bottle. Quite the entrance, I had to say. Harlan stood at the doorway, his eyes sweeping over me without the slightest change in expression. He didn't recognize me. He had never known that he had another son, after all. "Mr. Gardner." He gave a slight nod. His voice was calm and unhurried, carrying the effortless composure of someone who had been treated with respect and admiration for decades. "My apologies for the sudden visit. Nice to meet you. I'm Harlan Lowe." "Have a seat, Mr. Lowe Senior." Harlan sat down and looked at me. "Actually, Mr. Gardner, I came here today because of our children." He paused, then smiled faintly. "Simon is my grandson. He's been a little spoiled since young, but he's by no means a bad person. It's obvious that they love each other, and as their elders, we should support them if we can." He set down his insulated bottle, folded his hands together, and rested them on his knees. "I know that everything you have was earned through your own efforts. It must not have been easy. To have no family background and still marry Bella Harrison of all, that alone is an undeniable feat. "But it's precisely because you know how difficult it was to get here that I thought you'd understand one thing. Some opportunities, once missed, are gone for a lifetime." Chapter 4 Harlan pulled a document out of his briefcase and slid it across the table. "This is the strategic partnership framework between the Lowes and Harrisons for the next three years," he said. "As long as Simon and Josie's marriage is settled, this agreement will be effective starting tomorrow." He looked at me with absolute confidence, the kind only someone who had been admired all his life could possess, the certainty that he would always have the final say. I didn't budge. "Mr. Gardner." Harlan's tone remained calm and measured. "You're still young. The Harrisons may be the wealthiest family in the country, but their assets have little to do with you. Only with our support can your position in the family truly be secure." What he was telling me was simple. In his eyes, I was nothing more than a man who had married into the Harrison family, a man with no background and no backing. Therefore, I needed the Lowe family's support to hold on to my position. What he didn't know was that my wife, Bella, and I had married because we loved each other. I had never been some man clinging to her family for status. And he certainly didn't know that I was the son he had never known existed. 40 years ago, Harlan drove Mom out of Crownyork. 40 years later, he sat before me, looking down from his position of power, as he asked me to give his grandson a chance to marry my daughter. "Mr. Lowe Senior, my daughter's marriage is none of an outsider's concern." His brows twitched slightly. "Outsider?" His expression finally darkened. "Don't you think too highly of yourself, Mr. Gardner? I came here because I was showing you respect. In Crownyork, there are barely any people who can warrant a personal visit from me." He looked at me, his gaze turning cold. "But since you refuse to appreciate my goodwill… Remember this—you were the one who rejected me today. Whatever happens in the future is yours to face. Don't say I didn't warn you." After Harlan left, the elite circles in Crownyork buzzed with gossip about me, Edward Gardner. "He actually refused to let his daughter marry the Lowe family's grandson? Who does he think he is? He's nothing more than a leech." "Harlan Lowe personally went to his doorstep, and he still acted all high and mighty. How haughty!" I sat at home, scrolling through the messages on my phone one by one. Someone sent me an anonymous text. "Who do you think you are? Without the Harrisons, you are nothing." Another left a comment under Harrison Group's social media page. "Ms. Harrison, please keep your husband in check. Don't let him ruin the partnership with the Lowes." Hundreds of people echoed the same sentiment beneath every comment. I neither deleted nor responded to any of them. A week later, Crownyork's largest charity auction gala was held. The Lowe family was one of the organizers. Inside the grand hall, Simon stood beside Harlan, wearing a smug smile. When he saw Josie, his smile stiffened. He quickly walked over and grabbed her hand. "Josie, why haven't you answered any of my calls or texts?" Josie glanced at me before pulling her hand away. "Simon, until my dad agrees to our relationship, I think we should keep some distance." Simon's face turned pale. He whipped his head at me, the hatred in his eyes almost tangible. "Are you satisfied now, Mr. Gardner?" I ignored him. The gala dinner began. Harlan stepped onto the stage to give his speech. "Distinguished guests, thank you all for your support over the years. Today, besides the charity auction, I have another piece of great news to announce." The hall fell silent. "My grandson, Simon, and the daughter of the Harrison family, Josie, are deeply in love. Their wedding is just around the corner. The Lowe and Harrison families will soon become one through this wonderful union!" Applause thundered through the hall. Harlan looked at me with a smug, victorious smile, as if the entire Harrison family had become his to utilize. I stood up. "Mr. Lowe Senior." The applause stopped. All eyes were on me. I ascended the stage and stood before Harlan. "Who told you our families were becoming one through this union?" His smile stiffened. "They're both in love. As their elders, we—" I cut in, saying, "I do not condone this marriage!" The hall erupted into an uproar. Harlan's expression darkened. "Mr. Gardner, if you have something to say, we can discuss it privately. We're surrounded by prestigious guests today. Must you resort to such an embarrassing stunt?" I turned around and faced the hundreds of eyes watching from below. "Do you even know what you're doing, Harlan? Are you deliberately going against basic morality and letting the whole city make fun of us by arranging a marriage between your grandson and granddaughter?"