The Raise of James Morrison.

Chapter 11

Upon hearing her grandmother’s suggestion, Emily fell silent.

She stood there as though someone had suddenly taken away her voice. Everything was happening too quickly. Her family was pressuring her to divorce James, Marcus was offering himself as a replacement, and the mysterious Morrison family had appeared with gifts so extravagant that the entire family was desperate to uncover their purpose.

But Emily could not make sense of any of it.

Why would a family so powerful take an interest in the family? The two families were not even on the same level, why had the Morrisons sent these gifts?

At that moment Emily’s eyes drifted toward the items arranged throughout the meeting room. The expensive television, the rare medicinal herbs, the diamond necklace, the jade ornaments, the imported wine, and the other valuables were dazzling beneath the bright lights.

No one would send such an astonishing collection of gifts without a reason.

But if that was truly the reason, they want something, then Emily had no place in the matter. She was already married. Worse still, she was married to James, the man her family considered useless, shameful, and unworthy of standing beside her.

Emily lowered her gaze, she should have been relieved, for more than three years, she had endured the humiliation of being tied to James. She had imagined more than once what her life might become after their divorce. She had told herself that leaving him would allow her to start over and escape the family’s ridicule.

Yet now that everyone was forcing her to make that choice, she discovered that she did not want to leave him.

James had never given her wealth or influence. He had never made her proud in front of the family. But he had also never betrayed her or deliberately caused her trouble. For three years, he had endured every insult in silence, shouldered the family’s dirty work, and continued caring for her despite her coldness.

She had never realized how deeply she had grown accustomed to his presence.

Now, surrounded by pressure and expectations, Emily felt utterly lost.

At that moment Anderson soon grew impatient with her silence.

“What are you still thinking about?” she demanded.

Emily raised her head.

Madame Anderson tapped her cane against the floor and stared at her sternly.

“Do you want all your sisters to have good lives while you remain trapped with that useless man?” she asked. “Is that what you want? To watch them marry into respectable families and enjoy comfortable lives while you stay stuck with someone who has no future?”

“Grandmother, I…”

“This is not something you should be thinking about for so long,” Madame Anderson interrupted. “You should make your decision immediately, before the Morrison family reveals its purpose.”

Her gaze moved toward the gifts.

“Look at everything they have sent. Do you truly believe these presents were delivered merely because of my birthday? Do you think a family would give away so many expensive things without an important reason?”

The room grew quiet.

Madame Anderson’s voice became more forceful.

“The Morrison family has clearly come with a purpose. They are not sending these gifts as empty compliments. They want something from the Tang family, and whatever it is, it will be important. Before they state their intentions, you must decide whether you want to remain tied to James or free yourself from him.”

Emily’s face tightened.

“If you continue hesitating, you may lose your opportunity,” Madame Anderson added. “Divorce him now. At least then, you will still have a chance to compete with your sisters.”

Emily’s hands slowly curled into fists.

The gifts made her uneasy. Their sudden arrival, their enormous value, and the messenger’s refusal to explain anything all felt wrong.

Then She turned her head and looked at James.

At that exact moment, James looked back at her.

Emily’s expression was filled with conflict, but James understood the truth immediately. Madame Anderson was not pressuring Emily for her happiness. She was using the Morrison family’s arrival to force her into a decision before the real reason behind the gifts became known.

She knew the gifts had not been sent simply to celebrate her birthday.

She knew they represented something important.

And she was trying to push Emily toward divorce so that the family could seize whatever opportunity the Morrisons had brought to their door.

Immediately Emily opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, James cleared his throat.

All eyes immediately turned toward him.

He glanced at the gifts, then faced Madame Anderson and said, “I’m afraid, but these gifts need to be returned to the Morrison family immediately.”