A thunderclap exploded in the indigo sky, and Clarissa felt as if the thunder had struck her right on the forehead. Her diamond–studded crown, already unsteady on her head, plopped
down.
Rain, which was held back all morning, began to drizzle down. The crowd dispersed, leaving Clarissa standing on the rooftop like a stone, gazing despairingly at Marc’s departing figure. Marc did not look back, leaving with great determination and without any reluctance.
Marc, who used to shield her from any storm, was no longer offering her his umbrella.
She now realized just how wrong her decision to break up with him had been. She also became acutely aware that her chaotic life during those three years abroad was finally catching up with her.
A wedding that had turned almost into a farce came to an end in a downpour.
Although the guests did not get to witness a picture–perfect romantic wedding, they did witness quite a spectacle, making them feel attending the event had been worthwhile.
The Males family members did not feel embarrassed. In fact, they hoped the wedding would not go smoothly. As long as Marc did not bring the Santos family’s daughter into their home, it was a good thing for them. They did not care about what others might say. After all, those people would not dare speak ill of them in front of them.
Moreover, Pearl had returned, and for them, that was a reason to celebrate.
The Santos family, however, was not taking it so well.
The series of incidents during the wedding turned Clarissa into a spectacle. It also made the Santos family the laughingstock of Machodean’s elite circles, causing them to lose.
face.
“This is ridiculous! Absurd! We, the Santos family, are an illustrious clan. How could I raise a daughter like this? How could I face others from now on? How can your mother and show ourselves in public?” Matt Santos, Clarissa’s father, paced angrily in the room, pointing an accusing finger at his daughter. His gold–framed glasses were crooked, but he
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was too furious to adjust them.
Clarissa sat on the edge of the bed, crying non–stop. She was still wearing her wedding gown, which was now stained. It was as if she had gone from being a blank canvas in Marc’s eyes to becoming a piece of discarded paper.
“Alright, enough already. It’s not Clarissa’s fault.” Lana Santos, Clarissa’s mother, tried to calm things down.
Matt snorted coldly, “It’s all your fault! Your parenting methods are flawed! You used to say that we had to be careful with our daughter and spend money on her upbringing. How much money have we spent on her? And now, she can’t even marry into a wealthy family. What was the point of spending all that money?”
Lana, after being blamed, also became temperamental. “Oh, so, now you’re blaming me? Did I tell you to spoil her like this? It’s not my fault. It’s Lisa, your sister, who kept talking about marrying into a wealthy family. Clarissa was corrupted by Lisa!”
“Enough!”
Clarissa screamed, covering her ears. “I’m already in enough pain. Can you two please
stop arguing?”
Matt was about to say more when suddenly his phone rang, displaying “Lisa” on the
screen.
“It’s Lisa calling!”
After a brief exchange with Lisa, Matt handed the phone to Clarissa. Clarissa choked back tears and called out, “Aunt,” before hearing a voice on the other end that sounded cold and disdainful despite its languid tone. “Why are you crying? This minor setback has your collapsing? You want to give up so easily?”
“What can I do now?” Clarissa said in despair. “He blames me for deceiving him. He doesn’t trust me anymore, and he thinks I’m promiscuous. He doesn’t want me.”
Lisa chuckled. “Even if a woman is promiscuous, can she be more promiscuous than a man? These things don’t matter. As long as you can captivate him, he’ll surely want to
marry you.”
7
Chapter 27
“Aunt, what should I do now?” Clarissa had lost all sense of direction. In the past, every smile and gesture she made could influence Marc, but now, none of it worked, and Marc was on the verge of leaving her for good.
“Don’t worry too much for now,” Lisa reassured her. “Marc is definitely angry at the moment. Wait until he cools down, and then, you can explain things to him. As for his ex- wife Pearl, it seems we underestimated her. Rest assured, I’ll help you settle this score!”
Pearl felt that since she had come to help Phoenix, she should see it through to the end. Pearl personally accompanied Phoenix back, and on the way back, she sat in the flower- adorned wedding car, feeling somewhat ironic.
As Marc’s ex–wife, she felt she had already done a lot by coming to help him. After all, they were divorced, and she was still assisting Marc.
The car was a stretch Lincoln limousine with plenty of seats. Amanda and Caleb also got in. Caleb, as soon as he got in, could not stop bombarding Pearl with questions.
“Pearl, where have you been all these days? We searched everywhere for you. Marc even checked all the surveillance cameras within a hundred miles but could not find a trace of
you.
“Pearl, was that helicopter really your own? You actually know how to fly a plane! When did you learn? Why didn’t you tell us? Can you take me flying in the sky?”
Pearl smiled faintly. “Sure, we can do that. But it’s raining today, so we can’t fly. Mayber another day.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Pearl! You’re the best!”
Marc, watching Caleb excitedly dancing in his seat, could not help but silently berate him. for being so foolish. He raised his hand and patted Caleb’s backside, saying, “Sit properly!”
Caleb received a light smack and, upon seeing Marc’s stern gaze, immediately behaved.
met
Marc sat in the second row and discreetly glanced toward the back row. Pearl’s. She sat upright, with an air of composure, next to Phoenix, and surprisingly, she did not look any less imposing:
is eyes
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Chapter 27
His brow furrowed. Marc could not shake the feeling that Pearl had transformed into an
entirely different person since their divorce, with a demeanor that was completely different from before.
The way she looked at him was no longer timid or expectant as if she were gazing at a
stranger.
This caused an uncomfortable, mysterious discomfort in his heart, a lingering unease.
Phoenix and Amanda also had a lot of questions they wanted to ask Pearl. Pearl said, “I’ll explain everything when we get home.” After hiding her identity for three years, it was finally time for her to come clean.
The Males family members gathered together, their collective gaze fixed on Pearl, awaiting her confession. Pearl stood in the center of the hall, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. She appeared calm and composed, her posture upright.
“First of all, I want to apologize to everyone,” she began. “My real name is Pearl Woolery, and I am from Nanston.”
She bowed to express her apology, but her demeanor remained dignified.
The elders were seated, while the younger generation stood.
Marc stood not far from Pearl, watching her profile as she honestly revealed her true identity. Even though he had known this for a while, he still felt a sense of surprise at the moment she said it..
His surprise was nothing compared to the shock that the Males family members, who had been kept in the dark, were experiencing.
“Nanston?” Jacob Males, the second son of Brooke Males, could not contain himself. He looked at Pearl with an expression of astonishment and suspicion. “You wouldn’t happen to be from the Woolery family of Nanston, would you?”
Although Woolery was not an uncommon surname, mentioning Nanston often led people to think of the Woolery family.
Pearl nodded and confirmed, “Yes. I am from the Woolery family. Ken Woolery is my
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