Chapter 416 Gone Too Far
“You can go keep Tony company in the bedroom if you’d like. He misses you so much that he has been throwing tantrums throughout the past few days. You should go spend some time with him,” Amelia suggested.
Kurt nodded. “All right, I’ll head upstairs, then.”
Amelia whipped out her phone after Kurt went upstairs. She was planning on calling Tiffany to ask how things were going over at the Hissons, but stopped herself as she didn’t want to risk interrupting her conversation with the elders.
Meanwhile, Tiffany’s heart was racing from the stress as she looked at the huge group of people before her. All of Derrick’s relatives, both paternal and maternal, were gathered around in the living room. Tiffany did not expect Derrick to have that many relatives. She had only seen family gatherings of such a scale in movies.
The fact that everyone was staring intensely at her only made her even more stressed than she already was. Even the most confident of individuals would probably get chills if they were being watched by that many people like a circus animal.
“Why do you have so many relatives?” she whispered while tugging on Derrick’s sleeve.
“The ones over here are my uncles and cousins. Those over there are just distant relatives. I didn’t think my mom would deliberately invite this many people. Don’t worry; I’m here with you,” Derrick replied softly.
Mom must’ve invited everyone in order to intimidate Tiffany and scare her off. I can’t believe she’d do something so childish! Huh… I should’ve sorted things out with my family before bringing Tiffany over…
“I need to use the bathroom, Derrick,” Tiffany whispered. She didn’t eat much earlier, but she drank a lot of water out of nervousness, so she really needed to pee very badly.
Derrick took Tiffany’s hand and stood in front of his relatives who were still staring at them. “I need to use the bathroom, so I’ll excuse myself for a bit. In the meantime, why don’t we all take a short break? You guys can play cards or just chit-chat for a bit if you’re bored,” he said with a smile.
Kate saw Derrick holding Tiffany’s hand and said, “You can go use the bathroom if you want, but Tiffany stays. I want to talk to my future daughter-in-law a little bit more so I can get to know her better. You don’t have to be so protective toward her, you know?”
Tiffany brushed Derrick’s hand off and told him with a smile, “You can go on ahead, Derrick. I’ll stay and chat with Mrs. Hisson.”
To her surprise, Derrick wrapped an arm around Tiffany’s waist and said, “Mom, I have this weird habit of chatting with Tiffany while I’m using the bathroom. You know how she just came back from Beshya, right? We’ve been in a long-distance relationship for two years now. I can’t help but want to spend as much time around her as possible!”
Kate’s expression changed instantly. She looked like she was about to lose her temper, but managed to hold herself back in the end.
“All right, go ahead, but be quick about it. Don’t keep all of us waiting here.”
So, you want to be a part of the Hissons, huh? Fine, I’ll grant you that wish. However, life in a wealthy family isn’t going to be easy! Let’s see you suffer from all the strict and complicated rules of this household! Kate thought to herself as she watched them leave.
One of the women who was fashionably dressed waited until they were gone before asking with a frown, “Kate, Derrick’s girlfriend is clearly not good enough for him! Why would you even approve of their relationship?” That woman was Derrick’s third aunt, Rosalind, who also came from a wealthy family. Although she wasn’t exceptionally pretty, she had great fashion sense. That was probably why she looked like she was in her early thirties despite being over forty-five.
Kate shot her a glance and replied with a snort, “Hmph! There’s no way I would ever accept her, but I don’t want Derrick to hate me for tearing them apart. If she wants to go from rags to riches by being a part of our family, then I’ll make her quit by showing her just how hard it is. I have tons of methods at my disposal, so she can try all she wants, but she won’t succeed!”
“You’re as domineering as ever, Kate!” Rosalind replied.
The relationship between the sisters-in-law was relatively good. Although no one knew for sure how things were behind closed doors, at the very least, things looked peaceful between them in public.
“By the way, Kate, where’s Dad? His precious grandson Derrick is bringing his girlfriend home, so why isn’t he here to meet her?” Rosalind asked.
“Dad’s meeting up with an old friend of his that just came back from overseas. They haven’t seen each other for many years. Since Derrick’s girlfriend isn’t Crystal, it’s better that Dad isn’t around to meet her. Did you see how timid and restrained she was? It irritates me just looking at her!” Kate replied.
“You’re absolutely right, Kate! The Hissons isn’t an ordinary family, after all! What’s the point of having all these rules if anyone can just waltz right in?” Rosalind said with a chuckle.
Having heard all that, the other relatives present could clearly see that Kate disapproved of Tiffany. They also interpreted Terrence’s absence as a sign of disapproval toward Tiffany and lost interest in befriending her as a result.
That was why they stopped staring at Tiffany and Derrick by the time they returned.
Kate continued to size her up, and Tiffany couldn’t help but be amazed by how beautiful she looked.
Da*n, the Hissons sure have some great genes! Putting aside the elders, the younger ones are all really good-looking! Of course, they’re still nothing compared to Derrick and his mom, though.
Kate looked so stunning that her beauty filled Tiffany with a sense of inferiority. Putting herself in Kate’s shoes, Tiffany felt like she too would disapprove of a daughter-in-law like herself. That was simply how things were in a realistic world where people prioritized aesthetics over everything else.
“Thank you all for coming over for lunch. Should you feel tired, just let the maids know and they’ll show you to our guest rooms upstairs where you can rest,” Kate announced.
Those relatives were smart and knew she was indirectly asking them to leave the place, so they did as told and followed the maids upstairs.
Moments later, only the women of the Hissons remained in the living room as the men left to discuss business in the study.
“Ms. Winters,” Kate greeted her with a smile, but the look in her eyes was as cold as ice.
“You can just call me ‘Tiffany,’ Mrs. Hisson,” Tiffany responded with a neutral smile.
“I think I’ll stick to ‘Ms. Winters’ as you and I aren’t that close just yet. Since you and Derrick have been dating for two years, it’s about time you two prepare for marriage. However, before that, I must brief you on the rules of this household. Despite the glamorous and modern appearance, we’re actually a very traditional family with a lot of strict rules to follow. If you are to marry Derrick, then you must stay here and learn the rules from me. This is a rite of passage that all women who marry into this family must go through. I hope you won’t find it old-fashioned.” Kate’s voice sounded really pleasant, but Tiffany found it incredibly terrifying.
Tiffany paused and instinctively glanced at Derrick in response. “Stop scaring her, Mom!” he protested angrily with a frown.
“But isn’t that the truth, Derrick?”
Derrick paused, much to Tiffany’s horror as that meant Kate’s words were true.
“I’m not trying to make things difficult for you, Ms. Winters. I just need to inform you of the rules in this household before you marry Derrick.”
“Tiff and I are going to be staying in an apartment in the city, Mom,” Derrick said.
Kate shot him a glance and warned him sternly, “Derrick! Are you going against me right now? According to the Hisson family rules, she must stay here with us after you two get married! You will either follow the rules of this household or forget about marrying her!”
Derrick fell silent immediately.
Not wanting Derrick to get into a fight with his mother over her, Tiffany gave his arm a squeeze and said, “Please tell me the rules, Mrs. Hisson. If Derrick and I do get married, then it would be perfectly reasonable for me to stay here with all of you.”
“I knew you would understand, Ms. Winters. I’m sure you’ll get used to these rules soon enough. Rule number one, you must get up early in the morning to make breakfast for all of us. You are only allowed to eat after we start eating. Rule number two, you are not allowed to interrupt your elders when they are speaking. You must make no sound, including chewing and drinking noises. Rule number three, you are to wash my feet and massage my shoulders daily.
You may only sleep after I do. Rule number four, you are not allowed to talk back to me. Whatever I say, goes. Rule number five, you are to obey and serve your husband unconditionally. You will not cause a scene even if he flirts around or has a mistress. Rule number six, your main task after marrying into the Hisson family is to help continue the family lineage by giving birth to at least three sons. Rule number seven…”
“You’ve gone too far, Mom! I’ve never even heard of those rules before! I am taking her hand in marriage so I can shower her with my love and affection, not to have her serve us like a maid!” Derrick interrupted her with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
