‘Emily still wants to play the perfect innocent? Well, I’m going to tear down every last shred of her facade,’ Whitney thought, a cold smirk tugging at her lips.
The doors to the banquet hall swung open.
Klein Harris stepped inside, a half-smirk playing on his lips, his piercing gaze locked onto Whitney’s radiant face on stage, not wavering for a moment.
He walked closer, each step exuding barely contained excitement.
It didn’t take long before whispers circulated about Klein making an entrance at the wedding, his presence instantly shifting the atmosphere.
“Oh crap, this is a disaster! With Whitney causing such a scene, Klein’s gonna go ballistic for sure,” someone muttered, panic evident in their voice.
“Seriously, everyone knows Klein’s a stickler for the Harris family’s honor. He’s all about keeping up appearances. God knows how this whole wedding fiasco is gonna end,” another guest sighed, shaking their head.
Yet up on stage, Klein was unexpectedly warm and gracious.
His intense gaze swept across the crowd, and picking up a glass from somewhere, he raised it high.
“Let’s raise a glass to Carter and Emily. Here’s to a long, happy life together,” Klein announced, his voice resonating with ceremony.
Whitney stared at Klein in surprise, her eyes catching the subtle, indifferent curve of his lips.
‘A long, happy life? Please,’ Whitney thought, her mind steeped in sarcasm.
‘A long life in hell would be more like it.’
The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically, the air thick with a cacophony of voices and shocked gasps.
“What on earth is happening here?”
“Did that wedding just morph into a proposal? Are they really swapping brides?”
“Can you believe it? Carter’s got a crush on his own sister, huh? The Harris couple said they adopted a friend’s daughter, and now that daughter is set to be their daughter-in-law,” someone jeered, sarcasm dripping from their words.
“Did you even notice? Emily’s just sixteen in that video. I can’t even look at this,” another voice chimed in, filled with disbelief.
The whispers and murmurs swirled around James like a tempest, each word piercing through his consciousness, no matter how muted they tried to be.
James stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest, a sense of suffocation creeping in as he observed the chaos unfurling before him.
“You bastard, you’re driving me insane!” James roared, his frustration boiling over.
Lena, caught in the whirlwind of emotions, couldn’t decipher whether James was directing his ire at Carter or Klein.
With a quick glance at Whitney, she mentally cheered her on and, in a flash of instinct, pressed a heart pill into James’ mouth.
“Grandpa, please, don’t get so worked up. It’s not worth risking your health. Are you feeling alright? Should I call 911?” Lena asked, her voice laced with a forced concern.
But her words only served to exacerbate the tension in James’ forehead, his veins bulging ominously.
“Lena, did you know about this?” James grumbled, his face flushed with anger as he glared at her, the pill still lodged in his mouth.
She rushed to defend her innocence, “Absolutely not! Grandpa, this is all Carter’s fault. Don’t pin this on me!”
There was no way she would take the blame for Carter’s reckless actions.
Across the room, Emily stood pale and trembling, her lips pressed together in a nervous bite, unsure of her next move.
Sabrina was just a step away, and Emily cast a hesitant glance her way, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Mom.”
“Shut up!” Sabrina snapped, her glare sharp enough to cut through the tension, directed at her adopted daughter.
George and Sabrina found themselves utterly blindsided by the unfolding drama.
They had been aware of Whitney’s attempts to call off the wedding, yet hadn’t the Moore family assured them that everything would proceed as planned?
Now, with everything spiraling out of control, they were left grappling for a solution.
Especially concerning Klein’s so-called “blessing” for Carter and Emily, which blatantly laid bare the inappropriate relationship for all to witness.
What was supposed to be a grand celebration had devolved into a hasty, awkward conclusion in a mere thirty minutes.
Carter’s eyes blazed with disbelief and fury as he shot Whitney a venomous glare. “Is this what you wanted?”
Whitney’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile as she replied, “Absolutely! I’m thrilled with this disaster. What, you’re not feeling the joy?”
“You finally declared your feelings to the girl you’ve been obsessing over. Shouldn’t you be celebrating this moment?” she taunted, her words cutting through the air like a knife.
Every utterance stripped away the facade of their carefully hidden secrets, leaving everyone wishing for a way to vanish into thin air.
Not just the Harris family, but Whitney too felt the weight of their collective shame.
Carter was at a loss, unable to comprehend Whitney’s fierce determination and ruthless demeanor.
The Harris family’s reputation had taken a severe blow, but for Samuel, the fallout was even harder to digest.
He watched helplessly as his sure thing slipped away, compounded by the fact that his own daughter had publicly humiliated the Harris family, leaving them with no means to salvage their dignity.
It was clear that these two families were destined for enmity now.
Samuel’s complexion shifted from crimson to ashen as he clenched his jaw tightly and reprimanded, “Whitney, are you out of your mind?”
“Do you even realize the kind of place we’re in? Do you have any idea who you’re provoking right now?” he snapped, his voice laced with fury.
Whitney turned to confront the enraged man advancing towards her, a half-smirk playing on her lips. “Oh, I’m fully aware. Wasn’t it you who insisted I attend today? You even said you’d drag me here if necessary,” she retorted.
“Well, here I am. What’s the problem? Still not satisfied?” she shot back defiantly.
Samuel’s eyes turned icy, simmering with a rage that threatened to erupt.
He raised his hand, intent on delivering a reprimand, but before he could strike, a strong hand intercepted his motion midair.
The cuff of Klein’s shirt revealed a solid, muscular wrist, veins prominent beneath the skin.
Klein met Samuel’s furious gaze with a calm indifference. “Samuel, what do you think you’re doing?”
Though Samuel was twelve years Klein’s senior, they were often seen as equals within their social circle.
Yet, as Samuel felt the intimidating presence emanating from Klein, an involuntary shiver ran down his spine.
He hesitated, pulling his hand back, his voice dripping with irritation. “Can’t I even handle my own daughter?”
Klein’s lips were set in a frosty line as he replied, “Whitney’s the one who’s been wronged. Why would she need to be disciplined?”
Both families appeared even more rattled at that moment.
Klein’s words cut through the chaos, laying bare the entire debacle for what it truly was.
George stepped forward, a strained smile plastered on his face, and addressed Samuel. “Samuel, the Harris family owes you an explanation today. I’m not backing out of my promise.”
Every second of this was a torment for George, but he had no other choice.
Soon, the gossip mill would churn out tales of a Harris abandoning a Moore. In truth, Whitney was the genuine victim in this scenario.
He cast a complicated glance at Whitney, his gaze lingering on her rigid posture. “Whitney, I’m sorry you had to endure this chaos today.”
Whitney met his eyes, her expression cold and distant. “Mr. Harris, I’m fine. Just don’t blame me for any of this. I saw how distressed Carter was over his secret relationship, so I merely did him a favor.”
Her focus shifted to Emily, her expression inscrutable. “Congratulations, you finally got what you wanted. And thanks for visiting my grandma yesterday, despite your accident. I’ll inform you as soon as she wakes up.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.