Chapter 3
“Then let me handle everything else besides the wedding dress. Even though time is tight, I will not let you feel wronged. Eliza, I promise I’ll give you the best.”
I hesitated a little. “Jason, don’t you think we’re getting married too quickly?”
“I only think it’s long overdue. Eliza, it’s been ten years…and you finally said yes.”
That’s the difference between Jason and Edward.
A couple of years ago, when my mom was seriously ill, her biggest wish was to see me get married.
So I often hinted at it to Edward, but he always brushed me off, using his excuse that his younger foster sister still needed him to take care of her.
Before she passed away, my mother never got to see me get married. But she left behind a wedding dress she had sewn by hand.
While making it, she pricked all ten of her fingers.
At the time, my mom was already in the late stages of her illness. Her health was deteriorating day by day, yet she endured for three whole months just to finish that dress.
She didn’t live to see me in a wedding gown, but her handmade dress was still here, like she was
still with me somehow.
A few days ago, when Edward ditched me at the altar, I sent that wedding dress back to the bridal shop for safekeeping.
Now at the bridal shop, I asked the store manager to bring out the dress my mother had made for me with her own hands, but the manager kept hesitating and stammering.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen to the wedding dress I stored here?”
The store manager looked troubled, as if there was something he couldn’t say out loud. “Miss Robert… the wedding dress might not be available to take right now.”
“Why not? That dress was only stored here. It doesn’t belong to your shop! Why can’t I take it? | already paid the storage fee. Are you trying to charge me extra now?”
Cold sweat beaded on the manager’s forehead as he tried to come up with a response.
But before he could speak, I heard a crisp female voice from the fitting room inside.
“Edward, do I look good?”
Edward’s voice followed. “You look beautiful. It suits you very well.”
“Am I the one who looks good, or Eliza?”
Edward replied without hesitation. “You look better.”
I immediately pushed past the store manager and rushed in, only to see Olive in my mother’s handmade wedding dress.
She was wearing the wedding dress my mother had sewn for me, striking various poses in front of the mirror.
As soon as Edward saw me, his expression immediately darkened. “Eliza, you followed us here again? Haven’t you done enough wrong already? Do you really need to keep this up? If you keep
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acting like this, I won’t be able to marry you!”
I didn’t even look at him. I walked straight up to Olive and ordered coldly. “Take it off!”
“Olive’s just trying on your wedding dress. It’s not like she’ll ruin it. Why are you being so petty? Edward grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away.
I shook off his hand fiercely, my entire body trembling with anger. “That’s a keepsake from my mother! You don’t deserve to wear it! Take it off, now!”
Seeing me losing control, he frowned. “Eliza, was that necessary? Can’t you talk like a normal person?”
“Yes, it was necessary! Are you taking it off or not?” I shouted at Olive.
Startled by my outburst, Olive took a few steps back. But she tripped over the hem of the dress and fell to the ground.
The once–pure white wedding dress was now covered in black footprints and had a huge tear in the fabric.
Olive’s face was full of panic. “Eliza, I… I didn’t do it on purpose. I… I’ll figure out a way to clear the wedding dress and fix the tear…”
As she spoke, she bent down to pick up the hem of the dress. But then, her face suddenly turned pale and she collapsed backward.
Edward caught her in time. “Olive just gave birth recently. Her body is still very weak! And you still insist on tormenting her like this? It’s just a wedding dress! For our wedding, I’ll hire a designer from París and have a new one custom–made for you, isn’t that enough?”
The look in his eyes as he stared at me was cold, full of disgust.
I let out a cold laugh, tears streaming down my face. “No need. Edward, I’m officially calling off our engagement! I won’t marry you! You’ve been tainted and I don’t want you anymore!”
A flicker of panic flashed across Edward’s eyes.
But Olive spoke first. She covered her mouth in shock. “Eliza, I was the one who did wrong. Why are you taking it out on my brother? I’ll admit everything, it’s all my fault. Please don’t break off the engagement with my brother, okay? You’re the one my brother loves most. You’re my future sister–in–law. Eliza, this was all my fault…”
I let out a cold snort and stared at Olive calmly as she put on her little act. “Olive, save your performance. That routine doesn’t work on me anymore. You stained and even ruined the wedding dress my mother hand–stitched for me. I will settle this score with you.”
Upon hearing this, her face flushed red. She began to cry again, turning away and covering her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Edward, I’m sorry… it’s all my fault. I dragged you into this. I ruined your relationship with Eliza…”
She was crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain, looking utterly pitiful.
The hint of panic in Edward’s eyes was quickly overwhelmed by fury.
It was as if he had just heard the world’s biggest joke. He looked at me coldly and said, “What a fine breakup! What a fine engagement cancellation! Eliza, did you ever ask for my consent?”
The commotion we caused was so loud that even the bridal shop staff couldn’t help but gather
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The manager tried to disperse the onlookers, but unfortunately, gossiping was in people’s nature
Not only that, but other customers who were originally in the shop also came over, whispering among themselves.
“What’s going on? The woman in the wedding dress calls the man so affectionately, as if she is the real fiancée?”
“Isn’t that the mistress? The mistress is quite arrogant. She even dares to wear the wedding
dress of the real fiancee. How shameless!”
“But what’s with that guy? Why is he defending the mistress at every turn? What a scumbag Good for her for breaking up with him. Serves him right!”
The gossip reached Olive’s ears and she started to feel overwhelmed.
“What mistress? I am not a mistress! I’m his sister, his rightful, legitimate sister!”
“You people don’t know the truth, so stop making wild assumptions! That’s not what happenec
at all!”
Seeing Olive lose control of her emotions, Edward’s expression grew even darker and more grim.
“Eliza, was this your goal? To have Olive humiliated in public, under everyone’s watchful eyes? I’m telling you, if there’s going to be a breakup, it should be me who says it!”
With that, he supported Olive and tried to leave the bridal shop.
Olive was still wearing the wedding dress my mother had sewn by hand. I couldn’t let her just walk away with it.
I blocked their path. “Fine, you can leave. But the dress stays!”
“Eliza, are you done yet? It’s just a wedding dress, do you really need it that badly? Even if Olive refuses to take it off, what can you do about it?”
He reached out and shoved me forcefully.
I wasn’t prepared for it and staggered back, falling hard to the ground.
My forehead hit the floor directly, swelling up instantly and starting to bleed.
Edward froze when he saw the blood trickling from my forehead. For a moment, he was flustered
and unsure of what to do.
“Are… are you okay? I… I didn’t mean to…”
But behind him, Olive interrupted coldly, “Eliza, at a time like this, do you really need to fake a fal just to get Edward’s attention? I’ll return the wedding dress to you later, okay?”
Edward had just reached out, ready to help me up, but at her words, he abruptly pulled his hand back.
“Eliza, you’re truly hopeless!”
He turned to leave, supporting Olive. There was a smug, triumphant smile on her face. And as she passed by me, she deliberately kicked me.
A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. My vision went black. I collapsed backward uncontrollably.
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“Who gave you the guts to touch my wife?!” Just then, a pair of warm arms caught me from behind.
Jason’s voice came from over my shoulder, “Sorry, Eliza… I’m late.”
