Emily decided to intervene, knowing her son would start throwing a tantrum when he was scolded.
"Whoa! Did my son get out of the wrong side of the bed? Hahaha! Yes, I know the answer to my question, but Aiden... I was merely having a polite conversation with you. Do you understand?"
Her voice was soft and understanding, with a hint of laughter.
After hearing what his Mother said, a smile sprang on his cute, tiny, loving lips. "Okay, I got it."
He then sat beside his Mother and waited for Mrs. Hernandez to place food on his plate.
As Aiden ate, Emily realized that Mrs. Hernandez had not joined them.
"Aunty Ofelia, why are you still standing? Please sit down, and let's eat. Where is Uncle Earl?" She had told Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez that from the day forward, she would address them as Aunty and Uncle so the other household members would not treat them differently than she and Aidan.
Mrs. Hernandez remained where she was and continued, in her motherly voice, " Emily, thank you for thinking of us as your family; however, this is not our home, and I don't think the other household employees would like seeing Uncle Earl and me sitting at the Master's table."
Emily was taken aback for a moment. Mrs. Hernandez had a point. However, they were her sole family, and she would not treat them the same regardless of where they resided.
However, Mrs. Hernandez is correct. This is not their home, and she cannot act arrogantly and carry out what she wants without the approval of Mr. Lewis, the housemaster.
Emily is conflicted about their current predicament. They had been living together as a family for the past four years, and Aided had become accustomed to Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez eating at the same table.
As a result, he began throwing temper tantrums when Mrs. Hernandez refused to sit with them for breakfast. No matter how Mrs. Hernandez explained and coaxed him, he wouldn't listen.
When he realized he couldn't get his way, he turned his attention to his Mother and complained.
"But, Mommy, why can't Grandma Ofelia eat with us?" Uncle Jake isn't home, anyway. The master of the house is not here, so..." His eyes filled with tiny teardrops.
Emily was astonished to hear Aiden begin calling Mrs. Hernandez's Grandma Ofelia and Mr. Lewis' Uncle Jake. Aiden adjusts to his surroundings quickly.
Just as she was ready to respond to Aiden's query, she heard a voice from behind.
"If you're concerned about me, don't worry; I won't be dining at home often. I would only be joining if we had a family occasionally visiting us. The clearest example is my grandfather, who I'm sure is already coming here after hearing you arrived."
Jake was almost at his office when Grandfather Lewis called, informing him he was visiting his home to see his granddaughter-in-law.
Jake could only turn back and warn Emily to ensure she recalled what they had agreed upon.
"Emily, come into my study. There's something we need to discuss before my grandfather comes." He then went to his study without waiting for Emily.
"Aiden, keep eating, okay? If our visitor arrives before we finish talking, please welcome Grandfather Lewis graciously and respectfully. Remember what I taught you, okay?
"Yes, mommy! Don't worry, I know what to do. Take your time; if you haven't done, I'll welcome Grandfather." She caressed Aiden's hair affectionately, making him flush and whine.
"Mom!!! You're messing up my hair, and a visitor is coming. Hmpt!" He then pouted his lips and turned away from Emily.
She could only shake her head as she stood and went to Mr. Lewis' study.
Emily could only hope he was in a good mood. She intends to ask him to design a living trust for Aiden, Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez and to be their benefactor.
When she arrived, Jake was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, tapping his finger anxiously. His expression was impenetrable when she stepped in and sat on the couch before him.
"It was about time you showed up. You knew Grandpa Lewis was coming, and you'd taken your sweet time to come." His voice sounded annoyed.
She didn't say anything, even though Emily was furious inside. She needed to remain calm because she needed him to do her a favor.
"Here! Keep this with you and show it to him as proof." Jake handed her a folder with furrowed brows, emitting a dark aura.
"What is the deal with this jerk? Why does he usually seem dissatisfied when he speaks with me? Do I appear so repulsive that simply seeing me makes him angry?" She murmurs incoherently.
Taking the folder, she opened it to see what was inside. To her amazement, a copy of the marriage certificate was right at the front.
She studied the names, dates, and other information written down, and sure enough, her and his names were listed as husband and wife.
Then she saw the date and became confused. The date was her 21st birthday four years prior.
She then examined the signature—sure enough, it was her own. That blew her mind; she couldn't believe how efficient technology is nowadays.
How did they create a phony one so quickly that everything appears genuine?
Another thing is how he gets her signature. Then she remembered that she had signed a contract with her thumb mark the night before. He probably got it from there.
"This sure looks authentic. Whoever made it is a genius. I would never guess in a million years that it's fraudulent, " she said calmly while skimming through the documents inside the folder.
She was so engrossed, and her head was down, that she didn't see Jake wickedly grinning from ear to ear.
When she was almost through all the documents, she was momentarily stunned and looked up.
"This...-what does it mean?" She was waving a piece of paper before Jake, her eyes as wide as the saucer. Shocked!~~~