Never Judge

Below the stage Emilio Reyes, Priscilla Reyes, James Abad, Victoria Abad, Raphael Chan, and Lucy Chan were casually chatting and catching up as they waited for their children to finish their business.

On the side Veronica, Nicole, and Ram were talking as well. The Mor Co. employees had already left to take a tour of their new office building, while Eric's fans also left as soon as they saw their idol leave the stage. Many of them were actually waiting near the car parking, hoping that he would leave that way.

"Where's your husband?" Nicole asked her sister-in-law.

"With Eric and Cedric. They're probably plotting something." Veronica said, with an eyeroll. As the event finished she went out to go join Miguel and her family when she bumped into him as she entered the backstage. 

"Have you spoken to mom and dad since you got married?" Ram asked his younger sister as he looked up at their parents who were casually chatting with their friends.

"We spoke during Ayanna and Ray's announcement, but we didn't really get to talk about anything serious. They just asked how I was doing and if Miguel was treating me well." Veronica replied. "They haven't been pestering you to get married too have they? I mean isn't it enough that one of us got married to their planned spouse recently." 

"Well…" Ram said, scratching his head.

"Who?" Nicole asked in an innocent voice.

"They haven't exactly found a good match. But I know they have someone in mind. And Veronica, Miguel isn't that bad, he actually loves you." Ram told the girls.

"Don't tell me it's that b**ch Calathea!" Nicole said angrily, as Katerina's friend and Eric's sister she really hated the woman.

"No, they haven't reached the point where they want psycho in the family." Ram laughed. "After what she tried to do to Eric she stopped becoming an option." Even if the media and the public were unaware of what Calathea had tried to do, their parents at least knew.

"Please don't mention that woman, especially not around Katerina." Eric said as he approached his siblings and their friends.

"I thought you were scheming with Cedric?" Veronica asked Miguel. 

"The siblings sent us away." Miguel said with a shrug as he stood beside his wife. He was aware that they were visible to bystanders and some employees who were still hanging around so Miguel moved to pull Veronica to him by the waist. 

"Stop it." Veronica said, not making any motion to send him away since the public could see. 

"V, we're in public. Do you really want people to think there are problems with our marriage?" Miguel whispered in her ear.

Veronica sighed in surrender and allowed Miguel to continue holding her in his arms. They were playing the role of a couple still in their honeymoon phase.

"Ram, why don't you say no to mom and dad?" Veronica asked. She knew that her brother hated the arranged marriage conditions and he, unlike her, was able to avoid it so far because he used his work at Lights as an excuse. 

"Veronica, even you weren't able to escape it." Ram told his sister in a grim tone.

"We should really say hi to our parents." Miguel told Veronica. Unlike his wife, Miguel knew why Ram would never have a say in the matter. He was an adopted child, he had to do as his adopted parents had said or risk losing everything. Not just the money or the company, but people he considered to be his family and friends as well. On top of that, the Abads relied heavily on Ram's business ability to run Lights Entertainment, he knew that Ram couldn't bear to see his father lifting the burden of managing the two companies on his own again.

Although Veronica and Ram had many cousins that could take Ram's place, none of them were as competent as Ram. It could even be said that Lights Entertainment had grown to the size it was today because of him. It also didn't hurt that he was friends with Eric Chan and Eric would never sign with a different company.

Veronica didn't see anything wrong with Miguel's suggestion, she simply sighed and nodded to her husband. Miguel pulled his wife toward the direction of the chatting parents.

"Oh Veronica, your work is amazing!" Priscilla Reyes greeted as she saw the young couple approaching.

"Thanks auntie, I'm just glad that Cedric didn't have any demanding specifics for the build." Veronica said with a smile. Cedric was her easiest client, he didn't have a spending limit and he told her clearly what he wanted. 

"Veronica, do you mind if we had a word with you?" James Abad asked his daughter. Veronica was surprised to hear her father call her Veronica. He had always called her Anna, her birth name.

Veronica squeezed Miguel's hand. She didn't want to admit it, but she had come to depend a lot on him emotionally. 

"I'll go with you if you want." Miguel whispered to her ear. Taking advantage of her dependency, he placed a gentle kiss on her ear making Veronica blush.

"No. I'll talk to mom and dad on my own. Stay with your parents." Veronica said as she let go of his hand.

Veronica and her parents went to a secluded side of the venue to talk. 

"Anna, no Veronica, we're sorry about forcing you into this marriage." James told his daughter.

"Dad, it's done. Let's move on from it." Veronica didn't want to push the issue anymore. Everyone was right after all, Miguel wasn't bad. He loved her, she couldn't say that she loved him just yet, but it wasn't impossible.

"Veronica, we need to tell you the truth." Her mother, Victoria Bernasconi - Abad said with a sad look. "We know it might be too late, but you deserve to know the whole truth."

Veronica didn't know what to say. She was confused and lost with what her parents were saying.

She sighed and nodded.

"You know that we don't have full control of the company. We still report to the elders when it comes to transferring shares." James Abad began.

"Dad, you know I wouldn't have cared about those shares." Veronica said with a sigh. She had made it repeatedly clear that she wasn't after her family's money, she was already building a name for herself. "If it's the family reputation you are worried about I wouldn't have married someone bad either. And if I had married someone unacceptable I could have kept my identity as Anna Abad a secret."

"Veronica, it wasn't you that we were worried about." Victoria gently said. Veronica noticed that her mom was looking behind her. She then turned to see Ram standing alone.

"Mom, dad. You shouldn't have. Veronica shouldn't have to suffer because of me." Ram had heard what his parents and sister were talking about. 

"What? Why did mom and dad need to do it for you?" Veronica asked her older brother. His eyes were downcast and he wouldn't look her in the eye.

Veronica approached her brother and asked again. "Ram, what are you and mom and dad not telling me?" 

"Veronica, we didn't mean to keep it a secret. It just felt like it didn't matter." Victoria Abad told her daughter.

"Veronica, I'm adopted." Ram said with a sigh. "You're really the person meant to inherit Lights Entertainment and Abad Network. I never wanted to take it from you." Ram explained to Veronica.

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