THE CRIPPLED BILLIONAIRE'S Wife

Chapter 5

Cindy knocked loudly on the door before opening it. She entered Adam’s room and saw him sitting in his wheelchair, busy reading some papers.

“What do you need?” he asked her in a cold voice.

“I heard you didn’t eat lunch, so I brought you food.”

She set the tray of food on the table and walked over to his wheelchair. Without asking permission, she pushed it toward the table.

“What are you doing? Did I tell you to push me? I’m busy with my work. I have no time to eat,” Adam protested sharply, his tone slightly annoyed. It was clear he was not used to having his decisions dictated to him.

“Your work will still be there, Mr. Aldana. But if you keep waiting to eat, the food might ‘get upset’ with you. Don’t you know it’s not good to keep food waiting? What if you get sick and die? Do you want me to inherit all the wealth you worked hard to build?” Cindy said with a smile.

“How dare you curse me. You want me to die?” Adam glared at her accusingly. This woman is shameless, he thought. She has no shame showing she’s after his money.

Cindy rolled her eyes. “That’s what will happen if you neglect yourself. Do you want me to feed you?”

“No need,” Adam snapped, his face sour. He clearly disliked her, but he didn’t understand why he picked up his spoon and fork and started eating. “Nana Dayay’s cooking skills have improved. This food tastes better than what she used to make,” he couldn’t help commenting as he chewed. Earlier, he had no appetite, but once he tasted the food Cindy brought, he suddenly felt hungry.

“I made this, not Nana Dayay,” Cindy said with a smile. Adam choked immediately when he heard his wife’s words. Cindy quickly handed him a glass of water. “Did the food suddenly change its taste and stop being delicious now that you know I cooked it?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You know how to cook?” Adam asked, but he was pleased that his wife had some household skills. He had thought Cindy was spoiled and only spent her uncle’s money. But from what he’d seen of how she interacted with the household staff, she didn’t seem spoiled at all.

Cindy had a ruined reputation because of her cousin’s actions. The only person who knew the rumors about her were not real was her best friend Kakai.

“Cooking isn’t the only thing I can do, Mr. Aldana. I can also wash clothes, clean the house, and do many other things.” Cindy saw this as a chance to change Adam’s opinion of her. She was sure that, like others, he had a poor view of her.

She couldn’t blame Adam for looking down on her. Those were the lies spread by her cousin and her cousin’s mother. She had let it slide as payback to her uncle, who had raised her and was Lucy’s father.

“But why do people say that you are—”

Adam didn’t finish his sentence because Cindy’s phone suddenly rang. She had set it on the table earlier when she placed the food tray down.

Cindy picked up her phone and answered the call. When she realized it was her uncle, she excused herself from Adam and hurried out of his room.

“Hello, Cindy. Let’s meet at the coffee shop near Adam’s house. Do you have time right now?” her uncle said on the other end of the line.

“Yes, Uncle. I have time right now.”

After they finished talking, Cindy did not return to Adam’s room. She left immediately to head to the coffee shop her uncle mentioned. She hated being late for their meetings, so she rushed over there.

Cindy had no idea Adam was nearby, listening in on her conversation with her uncle.

“We’ll see what you’re planning,” Adam said, clenching his fists tightly before calling his secretary, Crispin.

“Where are we going, Boss?” Crispin asked at once.

“Let’s follow the young madam. Let’s listen in on what she and her uncle are talking about. I want to know why Cindy agreed to marry a cripple like me,” Adam replied through gritted teeth.

A short while later, they were inside the coffee shop. They sat close to the table where three people were seated, and Cindy’s uncle was with his wife. Cindy didn’t notice them when they entered because her back was turned to them, while her two companions were only focused on her.

“What are we meeting about, Uncle Lando? Why did you ask to see me?” Cindy asked nervously, a feeling in her gut that he wanted her to do something favor related to Adam.

“We won’t beat around the bush and we’ll get straight to the point, Cindy. Now that you’re married to Adam, convince him to invest fifty million in your uncle’s company,” her aunt Aura said in a commanding tone.

“It’s only our first day living together, Aunt. It doesn’t seem right to bring this up to him now. He’ll definitely think I married him just for the investment your company needs,” Cindy argued against what her aunt wanted her to do.

“That is exactly why we let you marry Adam, Cindy,” Aura replied firmly. “If it weren’t for us, you would never have become the wife of the country’s richest man!”

“Lower your voice, Aura,” Lando scolded his wife sharply, she had spoken a bit too loudly while talking to Cindy.

“Lucy eloped with her boyfriend and ran away from her wedding to Adam. She didn’t want to marry a crippled man even though he’s extremely wealthy. That’s why I married Adam. I think you’re forgetting that, Aunt Aura,” Cindy replied firmly. It was the first time she had stood up to her.

Aura was furious at Cindy’s response, so she stood up and slapped her hard.

“You ungrateful girl! How dare you talk back to me! If it weren’t for us, you’d be begging for food on the streets right now!” she shouted angrily at Cindy, not caring that people were staring at them.

“Calm down, Aura. Don’t embarrass me in front of everyone,” Lando said irritably as he pulled his wife by the arm and made her sit down again. Then he turned to Cindy gently. “I’m sorry for what your aunt did, Cindy. But there’s no other way to save my company from bankruptcy except for Adam to invest fifty million.”

“But fifty million is a huge amount, Uncle Lando. Do you think Adam will agree to invest that much if I ask him? If I tell him, he might immediately slap divorce papers on my face,” Cindy said to her uncle. For his sake, she let the slap slide even if it hurts, not just her face but also her dignity.

Lando sighed deeply before speaking again. “Fine. If you can convince him to invest in my company, you’ll be free of all the expenses I spent on raising you and letting you stay in my house, Cindy. We are going to be even,” he added seriously.

Cindy was speechless for a moment. That meant she would finally be free of her debt of gratitude to her uncle’s family. She would no longer have to tolerate the bullying from his wife and children. She could pursue her own dreams. But how would she convince Adam to invest in her uncle’s company without him thinking she married him for his money?