Chapter 6
Early the next morning, Charles's lawyer arrived at the Rivers Residence.
He came carrying three official-looking documents.
There was a pregnancy care agreement, a supplementary property division contract, and a proposal for joint management of Rainleaf Tea House.
The titles all sounded so dignified, but every clause inside felt like another rope tightening around me.
I wasn't allowed to go out alone.
I wasn't allowed to hang out with anyone from my past who could mess with my mood.
I wasn't allowed to make any decisions about Rainleaf Tea House without permission.
Before the baby was born, Charles had the final say on which doctors I saw and where I lived.
I set the documents back on the table.
"I'm not signing," I said.
The lawyer adjusted his glasses.
"Ms. Wynn, Mr. Rivers is only concerned about you. Last night, you had an emotional outburst in public. There are plenty of people who can attest to that," he said.
Charles sat by the window.
"Sign it, and Lily will hand over the seal," he said.
I shot back, "You're holding my own stuff hostage just to bargain with me?"
Lily walked in, still looking pale from her illness, a bowl of soup in her hands.
"Summer, please don't be upset with Charles. He was up all night worrying about you and the baby," she said softly.
I eyed the bowl of soup.
"You made this yourself?" I asked, my tone cool.
She nodded.
"It's to help with the pregnancy," she said.
I pushed the bowl toward the lawyer.
"Go ahead, take the first sip," I said.
The lawyer's expression stiffened.
Lily's tears spilled over instantly.
"Summer, do you really think I'm that kind of person?" she choked, voice trembling.
"I just want to see if your soup is good enough to drink," I replied, my tone icy.
Charles walked over and took the bowl away.
"Summer, don't make this any uglier," he said, his voice low and warning.
I stared at him.
"The origin of last night's tea was questionable, and you didn't even bother to check. She's parading around with my seal, and you don't care.
"Now she brings soup into my room, and you still won't investigate. Charles, how blind was I to ever think you'd protect me?" I shot back.
His expression shifted, a mix of emotions flickering across his face.
Lily suddenly dropped to her knees.
"Summer, I'm returning it to you," she said, her voice trembling.
She took the seal out of her bag and offered it to me with both hands.
"I just wanted to help the Wynn family. If you really can't stand me, I'll go," she said, her voice breaking.
My mother burst in from outside.
"Lily, why are you kneeling before her?" she demanded.
She helped Lily up, then turned and pointed at me.
"Summer, are you satisfied now? Since the day you came back, this house hasn't known a single moment of peace," she snapped.
I took the seal from her.
There was fresh seal paste clinging to the bottom.
It had already been used.
"Where did you stamp it?" I asked.
Lily avoided my gaze.
My mother cut in.
"It's just a seal—where else would she use it? Enough already," she snapped.
Charles noticed something was wrong.
"Lily?" he asked.
Lily bit her lip.
"I just used it for the registration form at yesterday's tea party," she said.
Simone pushed the door open and walked in, holding a stack of copies.
"It's not the registration form. It's the letter of intent to transfer Rainleaf Tea House," she said.
My mother's face went pale.
My father stormed in after her, his voice full of rage. "Who let you into the Rivers Residence?"
Simone slapped the copies down on the table.
"Mr. Wynn, you were busy haggling with buyers last night. Did you forget the tea house still has an accountant?" he said.
I flipped to the first page.
The transfer price was laughably low.
The buyer was the Rivers family's brand-new tea company.
The signature was my name, and my seal was stamped right there.
The handwriting wasn't really mine, but it looked a lot like Lily's.
Charles's face darkened as he read through it.
"I never saw this before," Charles said, his voice tight.
"But the buyer is the Rivers family," I shot back.
Charles turned to Lily, his gaze sharp.
"Who told you to use the seal?" he demanded.
Lily trembled, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I only did what Mom and Dad asked. I thought you'd be okay with it. If the tea house is with the Rivers family, the baby will be taken care of," she choked out.
My mother immediately cut in. "That's right, everything we're doing is for the baby."
I scooped up the copies and held them tight.
"So, all for the baby, huh? That means the first thing to go is the mother's property?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
My father forced himself to stay calm.
"Don't make it sound so harsh. The Wynn family took care of you all these years. Doesn't that at least pay for one rundown tea house?" he said.
I looked at him.
"Six years of raising me, and you sold off everything my grandma spent her whole life working for," I shot back.
Charles's lawyer cleared his throat.
"If there's any dispute over the signature, I suggest we put this on hold for now," he said.
My father shot him a glare.
"Are you going to take it or not?" he demanded.
Charles didn't answer.
Lily clung to his sleeve.
"Charles, please say something. Summer's just letting outsiders get in her head. She has no idea what the Wynn family is going through," she pleaded, her voice trembling.
Charles stared at me for a long moment.
"Summer, we can put the transfer on hold. But you'll have to move back to the Rivers Residence, and I'll be the one to arrange your doctors," he said.
I let out a cold laugh.
"So you still want to keep me under your thumb first?" I shot back.
"I'm doing this for the baby," he said.
Joe's voice came from the doorway.
"No one even knows if the baby will have your last name, Mr. Rivers. Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?"
Charles whipped his head around.
"What did you just say?" he snapped.
Joe didn't even look at him. He was staring right at me.
"Summer, Mr. Chandler just arrived. He says the inheritance papers late Mrs. Wyatt left are missing the most crucial page," he said.
Lily's hand slipped from Charles's sleeve.
I gripped the seal tightly in my palm.
"Which page?" I asked.
Joe said, "The one that decides who really owns Rainleaf Tea House—and who gets to take care of your baby."