Chapter 4

The whole hall erupted.

Every eye swung toward Olivia and Wayne.

Olivia was shaking with rage as she thrust a finger at me.

"Theodore, you bastard. You actually think the baby inside me isn't yours."

"We've been together five years. When have I ever done a single thing to wrong you?"

Wayne's face darkened. "Mr. Simmons, you can accuse me all you want, but you shouldn't drag Olivia into it. She truly loves you."

"Tch."

A cold laugh broke out of me.

My mother looked at me, then at Olivia and Wayne, at a loss for words.

My father asked in a low voice, "What proof do you have?"

Before I could speak, Muriel shrieked.

"What proof could he possibly have? He's just found someone new and is saying all this on purpose to ruin Olivia's name."

"Theodore, how has our Olivia ever wronged you? You'd disgrace her at her own wedding? How can your heart be this cruel?"

"Olivia, my poor, wretched daughter!"

"Mom!"

Mother and daughter clung to each other and sobbed.

The moment that scene played out, the guests who'd just started to doubt turned their fire back on me.

"Theodore, if you don't want to marry Olivia, just say so. Why ruin her name? Do you even call yourself a man?"

"Hmph, if you ask me, it's the thief crying thief. Olivia didn't wrong you. You wronged her."

"I kept saying it was only an hour late, so why make a scene about swapping brides? Turns out he'd already lined up his next one. Ugh, what a scumbag."

"..."

My face stayed blank.

But my parents' faces had gone very ugly.

Brendan spat at my father, "Mr. Simmons, if there's no accounting for this today, I will not let it rest."

"Your Simmons family is big and powerful, but the Norrises aren't so easy to push around either."

My father's expression shifted.

Before he could speak, I said flatly, "Since you want an accounting, I'll give you one."

"From today, the Simmons family cancels every investment in the Norris family. Every joint project is terminated."

"This accounting. Are you satisfied?"

Boom.

The place exploded.

The Norrises' relatives and friends all rounded on me, beside themselves, hurling words that were vicious.

"You—"

Brendan's shaking hand stayed pointed at me, too furious to get a word out.

My father said heavily, "Don't talk nonsense. Nothing's been cleared up. The partnership between our families can't be terminated, and the investment can't stop."

Hearing that, Brendan let out a breath of relief.

I shook my head. "Dad, it's already very clear."

Then I looked straight at Brendan and Muriel. "The thing between Olivia and Wayne, you two have known about it from start to finish, haven't you?"

Muriel screamed back, "Nonsense! What could we possibly know? Olivia has never done anything to wrong you!"

"Is that so?"

I gave a cold laugh.

"Then why did you keep pushing me and Olivia to register the marriage first and hold the wedding later?"

"And why did you keep pressing my father to increase the investment and deepen the partnership?"

"You—you're lying!" Muriel's voice was frantic. "What—what proof do you have?"

I let out a short laugh. "I knew you'd never admit it."

"You want proof, I'll show you proof."