novelnext Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The assistant turned deathly pale.
He rushed off to track my movements.
The moment he disappeared, Ethan appeared.
His expression was as composed as ever—that perfect blend of icy detachment and false warmth.
He casually draped an arm over Lily’s shoulders.
"What’s wrong? Did something happen to Jack? I knew he’d be upset about me standing in for him at the wedding."
"But today is crucial for the Montgomery family. Half the industry’s CEOs are here, not to mention the Montgomery elders. No matter how unreasonable he is, he shouldn’t take it out on you now! Faking a plane crash? That’s beyond childish."
"Lily, you’ve indulged him too much. I know Jack. He has no one else here. Once he cools off, he’ll come crawling back. Don’t worry. Your parents are waiting for you to toast them."
In the past, Lily might have swallowed his words whole.
She would have waited obediently for me to return, head bowed in apology.
But this time, remembering my uncharacteristic defiance,
Her emotions churned like a storm.
After a long pause, she shrugged Ethan’s arm off with icy precision.
"Ethan, let me remind you one last time. You’re here as a stand-in. Jack is my husband in name. My parents are not yours to address so casually."
Beside her, Ethan’s eyes flickered with resentment.
Before he could respond, Sophia dashed up to them.
She tugged at Lily’s wedding gown with tiny hands.
"Mommy, Mommy! Grandpa and Grandma are calling you!"
"Let’s forget about that mean man, okay? Sophia wants to see you and Daddy together."
At the words "mean man,"
Lily’s expression darkened further.
She whipped around to face Ethan.
"Did you put those words in her mouth?"
"Ethan, she’s a child. What exactly have you been teaching her?"
"If you can’t raise her properly, I’ll have my parents take over. Stay out of it."
Without giving him a chance to defend himself,
She turned on her heel and strode into the grand hall.
Her phone screen still glowed with the news of the crash.
A vein pulsed at Lily’s temple.
As she walked from the entrance to the front,
Whispers slithered around her like snakes.
"I heard Mr. Bennett is just a placeholder. Ms. Montgomery wouldn’t actually marry that cripple from the Harrison family, would she?"
"Of course not. The Harrisons left the country years ago. Jack doesn’t have a single relative here. Not one person from his side showed up for the wedding. Ms. Montgomery clearly still has feelings for Mr. Bennett. This was all planned! Look at how extravagant this wedding is—you think she didn’t arrange this?"
"Poor Mr. Harrison. First the accident left him crippled, now he’s sterile. He’s finished. The only heir of the Harrison family, reduced to this..."
With every word, Lily’s face grew stormier.
How had things spiraled so far out of control?
She’d ordered everyone to keep Jack’s accident a secret.
The culprit wouldn’t have talked.
Once the wedding was over, Jack would be her husband in name.
They’d live quietly together.
Watch Sophia grow up.
She’d shield him from the scorn his injuries invited.
So why had the news leaked?
She hadn’t seen Jack in days. What had happened in that time?
Had these people said these things to his face?
Had anyone dared to bully him?
Questions swarmed her mind like angry wasps.