He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 77

Despite Ethan’s usual cockiness, he couldn’t hold up in front of Vivian’s father. His youthful arrogance faltered as a ripple of fear tightened in his chest.

Flustered, he quickly defended himself. “Dad, I didn’t really want to break up with Vivian. I just couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to give her the cold shoulder for a few days… hoping she’d fix her bad temper.”

Vivian’s father let his anger fade and returned to his calm, cultured demeanor, though his sigh was laced with disappointment. “That’s ridiculous. You’re about to be parents—you can’t keep fighting every other day. A peaceful home brings prosperity.”

Ethan lowered his head, sullen. “I understand, Dad.”

Seizing the moment, Vivian’s father pressed further. “Vivian’s due date is approaching fast. It’s time to schedule the wedding. Make it official.”

Ethan mumbled, “Yes, I’ll ask my mom to meet with the Brown family soon… to talk about the dowry.”

He was like a lifeless puppet under Vivian’s father’s control—told to go east, he went east; told to go west, he followed without question.

And he hated it.

The old man gathered his sons and grandsons for a formal announcement regarding the upcoming birthday celebration.

“This year,” he began crisply, “I’ve decided to use the event to challenge the younger generation. You four branches have done well expanding the family, but few of your children are married. After much consideration, I’ve decided to hand the planning of the banquet to my legitimate grandson, Houston, and his wife.”

The moment he spoke, his sons and daughters-in-law stirred restlessly.

“What? You’re giving the birthday celebration to Houston?” someone blurted.

Sarah, from the ever-competitive second branch, immediately objected. “Father, didn’t you say the task would go to a married grandchild? Houston doesn’t even have a girlfriend—he’s clearly not qualified.”

The old man gave a sly smile.

“Who said Houston isn’t married? That boy secretly tied the knot. He chose to keep it low-key, and fooled us all.”

A wave of gasps passed through the room. It felt like a loud slap from Houston himself. Everyone’s expressions turned hostile.

Melinda jumped in quickly. “Father, none of us have ever even heard of Houston dating, and now suddenly he has a wife? That boy’s too clever by half. What if he married some random girl just to get his hands on the birthday planning? Once he’s reaped the benefits, who’s to say he won’t dump her?”

The old man countered calmly, “Don’t judge a gentleman by a scoundrel’s standards. Houston married in secret long before I made this decision. This arrangement wasn’t premeditated.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify