Chapter 1104 by Marina Vittori
An Understated Dominance
âNo, no! Thatâs not true!ââ Sheila defended Dustin when they said he did something wrong. She shook her head and continued, â Heâs not a bad person. You canât simply accuse him!'â
âSilly girl, youâre pretty young. Some people hide their true selves really well, and you might not notice it. Only someone like your dad, who can tell things apart, can see it,â Caden said.
âYes, Sheila, Dustin definitely has ulterior motives. Donât let him fool you, âthe others chimed in and tried to persuade her.
âI donât believe it! Dustin would never hurt anyone!â Sheila pleaded and turned to Lily. âMom, please say something. You know Dustin saved me once and cured Dadâs illness, right?â
âCaden, is there a misunderstanding here?â Lily tried to mediate.
âNonsense!â Caden shouted. With a frown, he said, âSheila might not see it, but canât you? Iâve met all kinds of people over the years. Some folks will do anything to gain favor or move up in society. Iâve seen it happen.â
âBut-â
Lily wanted to say more, but Caden interrupted her. He asked, âDo you not believe my judgment?â
âThatâs not what I meant.â Lily felt embarrassed and didnât want to upset her husband. So, she stayed quiet instead of defending Dustin.
âDad! Mom! Why are you doing this?â Sheila was upset because Dustin had saved her fatherâs life, but now he was being treated unfairly.
âSheila, I know you care about Dustin, but donât let your feelings blind you,â Caden advised.
He added, âHe doesnât have money or a high social status. You two are very different, and it wonât work out.â
âDad, what are you saying?â Sheila felt embarrassed and angry.
âIâm saying this because I want the best for you. Your future husband should be successful and well-off. Dustin is from a different world. He doesnât fit the bill,â Caden said, disapproving of a country doctor being his son-in-law.
âListen to Uncle Caden, Sheila. Dustin and our family come from different backgrounds,â Jayden chimed in.
âYes, Sheila, you need to face reality. Dustin might be charming, but people like him can be quite cunning,â Vivian added.
âSheila, weâre just looking out for you. Consider our advice and maybe distance yourself from Dustin. Break ties with him if you can,â Evan advised.
âStop it, please!â Sheila covered her ears. She couldnât believe Dustin was a bad person, but she struggled with the obvious social gap between them. She wondered if she had the right to pick her friends.
âSheila, this is the truth,â Lily whispered.
âBeing friends with Dustin is fine, but donât get too involved. In this world, some people are meant to be leaders, and others arenât. Love alone canât bridge such a big gap.â
She appreciated Dustin for saving her husband and daughter but didnât support their relationship.
âThatâs enough⦠I wonât listen⦠youâre all wrong!â Sheila couldnât handle their criticism and left the room.
Her familyâs opposition and her friends advice hurt deeply. She wondered if her feelings for Dustin were a mistake.
âSheila!â
Lily wanted to follow, but Caden stopped her. âLet her be. She needs to grow up.â
âI hope sheâll come around,â Lily sighed quietly. In her experience, love often didnât lead to happiness. She had seen many wealthy young women give up everything for love and end up heartbroken.