Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

The table became lively after Jonathan Erling started speaking about Aniko Corvin. Jeremy noticed that everyone at the table and even the staff who served the dishes looked like they are seeing something miraculous.

Jerlina wasn't looking at others because she was listening to Jonathan. He had a lot of interesting tales to tell about her great-grandmother.

Apparently, she was two years older than Jonathan and she was the one who confessed first. Although her family didn't like her to be connected with the Erling family heir, she did what she pleased. She seemed to be unconventional and very progressive for those times but no one knew the real her.

Jonathan talked to her how Aniko was secretly attending school with the "others" in the town when she was supposedly to be home-schooled with the expensive tutors arranged for her. She also was mischievous.

Jonathan fondly remembered that day when she took him to their neighbour's orchard to steal their apples. He laughed until his eyes watered as he explained how the owner of the orchard thought that Aniko was lying to protect him when she confessed that she instigated him to steal the apples.

Jonathan was holding Jerlina's hand the whole time and his eyes never left her face as he reminisced his past with Aniko. Jerlina too found his stories interesting. For once, Jonathan seemed like a regular old man who likes to talk about the good old days.

Everyone in the table was listening to Jonathan although his sole focus was on Jerlina. Jeremy watched his wife enjoying her conversation with Jonathan and he was happy. It doesn't matter what the future holds, but his wife is a very simple person who is kind with everyone and he loved her for that.

It was then Gordon brought in a trolley. There was something covered in a silk cloth and Jerlina assumed it was a picture frame.

It probably has Aniko Corvin's picture?

Jerlina looked Jeremy who was equally intrigued and smiled.

"Behold! The portrait of Her Ladyship," Gordon bowed with a flare.

The silk cloth slipped down and Jerlina looked at the picture with her eyes wide. "That's…" she couldn't say a word and she looked at Jeremy and he was astonished too.

She looks so much like me… except she is prettier and graceful!

Jerlina couldn't take her eyes off that picture. Since it was a colorized version of a black and white photograph, she didn't know how true to original colors everything were, but it seemed like her great-grandmother had the same shade of blonde hair as natural her and the color and the shape of her eyes were too similar to that of her. Or rather, it should be that she resembles her great-grandmother with the same eyes and hair.

Other than that, even the facial structure had some resemblance. Their hairlines were very similar and even the shape of the chin was the same.

If one is not nit-picking they can safely say that she is twinning with her great-grandmother.

Except that her great-grandmother looked young like she was sixteen or seventeen in this picture.

"See…" Jonathan patted her hand. Jerlina looked at Jonathan and he had a 'I told you so' face. "I was not lying when I said that you look like her," he looked at her.

His lips were slightly parted, his cheeks were trembling out of excitement and his eyes were wide and expectant of her reply.

"Yeah…" Jerlina smiled. Even she was a lot stupefied by how similar she looked like Aniko Corvin and she couldn't refuse the old man. "I do look a lot like her."

Jerlina turned to look at Jeremy and he smiled at her. He was amazed too. To think there could be two people who look the same who are generations apart... Genetics is amazing!

And no one can even doubt if she is truly related to that woman in the photograph.

Jeremy's eyes turned back to Samuel and his family to observe them. This sudden appearance of an heir who is adored by the patriarch at the near-end of his life will definitely cause ripples in any family.

Matilda won't be the one who want to hurt her now and so he needs to be alert to find out the intentions of other family members.

For now, he couldn't sense any malice from Samuel or his children's demeanor. They could be hiding their true intentions but for now they all seemed to be happy to see their patriarch happy and lively.

The dinner was over and the desserts were served. Jonathan seemed to not let go of Jerlina's hand he was holding. They were brought to another room where they were served drinks.

Although Jerlina was listening to Jonathan, she didn't fail to notice Jeremy from time to time. She was relieved when Jeremy was served simple dinner that is good for his recovery and he refused the cake for dessert and so no one forced him to eat.

And so when he got the glass of whiskey, she glared at him.

"I am not drinking," Jeremy raised his glass with a smile. "Oof, sorry," he placed the glass back on the tray. "I cannot go against the wife," he said casually.

"Of course, you're a good husband to listen to your wife, Mr. Fitzgerald," Portia smiled. "Samuel on the other hand…" she playfully glared at her husband and he shook his head and raised his hands up high,

"Allow one drink for me, please, dear… The couch is not comfortable…" he said in a pleading tone.

"You're making my son sleep on the couch?" Jonathan caught up on their conversation and asked.

"Why did you…" Portia's face went pale as she looked at her husband.

Jerlina who thought of that as banter between couples didn't know what made Portia go pale. It took her some time to realize that a wife "punishing" her husband for not listening to her won't be considered as an agreeable act in a patriarchal society.

But this is the twenty first century!

The room went silent and even Samuel looked regretful for saying what he did. He looked apologetic towards his wife and Jerlina saw it in his eyes.

Before she decided what to say, Jonathan started laughing.

"What happened? Why did you all go silent?" he laughed. "Come on, Jerlina, let me tell you more about Aniko…" he pointed at the chair beside him and started telling her another story.

Jerlina saw Portia sighing and Samuel went to her side and rubbed her back to make her compose. He even poured a big glass of wine for her. Then they started chatting with Jeremy.

Gordon reminded of Jonathan of his bedtime after giving him tens of pills. But Jonathan didn't want to go to bed. Jerlina checked the time and it was almost ten and she was a little tired too.

"We can talk in the morning, Great-grandpa," Jerlina smiled. "I am staying here for the night, remember?" she asked.

Gordon winced. The Grandsire doesn't like when someone tells him to remember ever since he started to forget stuff.

What will happen?