The rumors within the circle about Tyler's bad temper weren't baseless.Sure enough, Tyler's expression turned icy as he glanced at Cassandra and responded bluntly, "Who I'm with—and whether I'm with anyone—is my business. None of you has any say in it."Saying this in front of so many people was a clear slap in the face. The atmosphere instantly turned tense and awkward.Cassandra could feel it too. If this had happened in private, she might have just pretended she hadn't heard it. But now, with so many people watching, she couldn't just let it slide. If she said nothing, it would be incredibly embarrassing.William, already simmering with anger, completely lost it when he saw Tyler being so disrespectful to his mother."Tyler! You can say whatever you want to me, but talking to my mom like that—isn't that a bit much? Don't you know what it means to respect your elders?"Tyler snorted. There was an intimidating look in his eyes."William, you actually made a good point. I do be
William didn't dare confront Tyler directly, let alone oppose him. He could only try a more roundabout approach.He spoke gently, trying to persuade Tyler."Tyler, no matter how we argue, it's still a family matter. Why let outsiders laugh at us?"He even stepped forward and tried to tug Tyler's arm, but Tyler flung his hand off without any pretense."I don't like being touched."William forced an awkward smile."Tyler, are you really going to go against me just for this woman?"This time, Rachel didn't hold back. She stepped forward and questioned William head-on."William, think carefully. What can you offer Tyler? Performance? Projects? You've got nothing. Also, can you lull him to sleep at night? You can't, but I can. Take a second to think about it. How exactly are you better than me?"William was nearly speechless. "How can you even compare us like that?"Rachel lifted her chin and replied bluntly, "Then how do you want to compare?"William's expression turned sullen.
"Have you even considered how I feel?"Samantha was crying now. She looked pitiful.William was already frustrated. His biggest problems still hadn't been dealt with, and now, Samantha was piling on more emotional drama. The rage he had just barely managed to suppress flared up again in an instant."Samantha, you've changed. You never used to pressure me like this! When did you become so unreasonable? You—"Before William could finish, he caught sight of two familiar figures in the distance. His pupils contracted as he clenched his fists, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.Samantha immediately noticed something was off and instinctively followed his gaze. Her expression turned to shock.Rachel and Tyler were standing by the pond and kissing in broad daylight.Their boldness was almost unbelievable.Most people would've quietly looked away in this situation, but not Samantha. She deliberately walked forward and called out."Rachel!"Rachel froze the moment she heard Sama
Tyler didn't say much. He just let out a low hum, almost like he was going to make another joke."Go on, tell me what you're thinking. Though, I do know a little about the fire you were caught in back then."Rachel couldn't help but start recalling the past."I remember seeing someone in the fire, but I couldn't make out the face clearly, so I couldn't be sure it was William. And when I woke up, he was by my side, but there wasn't a single burn or scratch on him. That just seemed off."It had been a massive fire. How could someone walk away from it completely unharmed?If no one had rescued her, Rachel was certain she would've died in there. Yet William didn't have any injuries. It didn't make sense.He had claimed he was wearing protective gear, which helped shield him from the worst of the flames. It was why Rachel didn't question it at the time. Besides, it hadn't even occurred to her back then that something might be off.Who would lie about something like that?But after e
"How do we know Rachel getting close to your uncle isn't because of you? What if she's back for revenge? You never know."William nodded insistently. "That has to be it! I'm telling you, Rachel is doing this on purpose. I can guarantee it. She got close to Tyler just to get back at me. She was obsessed with me, and she never wanted the divorce. But you saw it. I'm already married to Samantha. She couldn't stand it, so this was the only way. If she's with Tyler, she'll always have an excuse to see me!"Jason, who had been listening nearby, finally couldn't take it anymore."So what you're saying is that Rachel's still hung up on you? That's weird, because I clearly remember she was the one who left the divorce papers and walked away."William's expression darkened. He knew Jason was on Tyler's side, and he didn't bother to hide his annoyance."What does any of this have to do with you, Jason? Maybe you've got too much free time on your hands."Jason casually shoved his hands in
As soon as Tyler spoke, William finally shut up.Rachel didn't even need to press further. She already understood what that meant.William had lied to her. The barbecue shop owner hadn't moved his stand for William's sake.It was all because of Tyler.Rachel clenched her fists, veins bulging slightly across the back of her hand.All these years, she had trusted William—and in the end, it had all been a lie.She took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with contempt as she looked at him."William, there are so many people here. Do you really feel no shame at all?"She didn't need any more proof. She was absolutely certain now that William had lied. The only thing she couldn't quite figure out was why Tyler had helped her back then. After all, they barely even knew each other at the time.But now wasn't the time for those questions.William's expression turned dark. With so many relatives watching, he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear.A few people tried