Ch58 - Wedding cancel

Because Marcus had been unusually quiet for weeks, his mother, Nora, finally decided to check on him. She’d tried calling, texting — no real reply. So she roped her husband, Richard, into driving over to their son’s place.

On the way, Nora was already scolding. “You see him every day at work and still don’t ask how he’s doing? You don’t even know if he and Allison sorted things out! He hasn’t answered a single one of my messages. I swear, you men—”

Richard sighed and set his tablet aside. “We talk about work at the office, Nora. That’s what we’re there for.”

She shot him a look. “And lunch? You couldn’t have lunch with your own son? Just to check if he’s… I don’t know, okay?”

Richard raised a brow, unfazed. “He’s been busy expanding the European market. I heard he even locks himself in his office during lunch.” 

There was almost a note of pride in his voice.

Nora wasn’t impressed.“He’s locking himself away and you think that means he’s fine? That he’s just working? You’re really gonna leave it at that?”

Richard exhaled and turned toward her, taking her hand. “Honey, I get that you’re worried. But Marcus is an adult. He’s got to learn to handle things on his own. We can’t hold his hand forever. That’s not love — that’s keeping him from growing up.”

His tone was firm but gentle, like a man trying to soothe his wife while convincing himself at the same time.

“But he’s my only son,” Nora murmured, frowning.

“He’s my son too,” Richard replied. “And because I love him, I don’t want him depending on us for everything.”

He’d never denied being a strict father. But lately, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something in his approach hadn’t worked. Marcus was capable, sure — but not in the way Richard had hoped.

“Promise me,” Nora said after a pause. “When we get there, we talk to him calmly. No lecturing. He’s under enough pressure already — the wedding’s so close.”

By the time they arrived, Marcus answered the door with a hollow expression — pale, tired, eyes rimmed red. He didn’t say much, just stepped aside to let them in.

Nora immediately sensed something off. The place looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in days. No sound of staff, no movement. The air felt… empty.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Didn’t you say you’d moved in here already? Where’s everyone — the housekeeper, the maids?”

Marcus sank into the couch, pressing a hand over his face. His voice came low, almost detached. 

“I’m not staying here anymore. Allison and I broke up.”

The words hung in the air — heavy and cold.

“WHAT?” Nora’s voice jumped an octave. “You what? Why? What happened this time? You told me after the hospital checkup that everything was fine, that we didn’t need to worry!”

Marcus kept his head down, eyes fixed on the floor. He’d never told her the truth about those medical results — and he wasn’t going to start now.

The silence grew tense, thick. 

Normally, Richard would’ve exploded by now — but this time, he surprised them both. He reached over, gently pulled Nora aside, and murmured, “Didn’t you just say we’d stay calm?”

Nora took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. She glanced at Marcus, still staring at the floor, then crossed the room to sit on the opposite sofa. Her voice came out softer, but tight with control.

“TELL me what happened. The wedding’s next week, Marcus. Guests are already arriving—and I haven’t heard a word from the Winthrops about any cancellation.”

Marcus dragged a hand down his face, searching for words that wouldn’t come. Everything between him and Allison had collapsed—too much said, too much broken. And yet, somewhere deep down, he still clung to a pathetic, impossible hope.

As long as there was no official announcement, no statement from her family, he could pretend it wasn’t over.

Maybe his friends had been right — maybe he just couldn’t face reality.

So he buried himself instead, hid in silence and avoidance, as if that could stop the truth from catching up to him.

He said nothing. Just sat there, stuck between denial and truth — because the moment he admitted it, there would be no turning back.

Marcus stayed silent long enough that Richard’s expression hardened. “Your mother is talking to you. What’s with the damn silence?”

Marcus slowly lifted his head, eyes unfocused, flickering. “I pissed her off. She doesn’t want to marry me anymore.”

His eyes were bloodshot, and Nora felt her heart twist. “You mean just a fight? Are you lying to protect her? She’s pregnant—she wouldn’t just walk away like that.”

“Pregnant?” Richard’s brow shot up. “And when were you two gonna tell me that?”

Nora froze. She suddenly realized she’d slipped.

She had meant to wait—wait until she saw the paternity report with her own eyes, wait until she confirmed the baby was truly Marcus’s—then tell Richard.

But the words had slipped out anyway.

A loud thud cracked through the room.

Marcus had slammed his fist on the coffee table.

His face darkened. “For the love of God, STOP mentioning that kid. She dumped me. And the baby has nothing to do with me.”

Nora felt her stomach drop. His expression, the bitterness in his voice…

He didn’t have to spell it out. She knew. She’d suspected it from the start. The baby wasn’t an Ashford.

Before she could speak, Richard lost what little patience he had left.

“YOU little shit. Is this what I raised you to be? Something happens and your first instinct is to run? You call yourself a man?”

Marcus lowered his head again, offering no defense.

Richard only got angrier.

“And you still think you’re fit for a board seat? Those old men already complain you’re useless, and now you’ve blown the Winthrop alliance on top of it? I’m—God, I’m so damn disappointed in you.”

“I’ll talk to them,” Marcus muttered. “I’ll take responsibility.”

Richard barked a laugh — humorless, sharp.

“‘Take responsibility’? How? Do you even understand how much money is wrapped up in this partnership? We put billions into this project. You think one sentence—‘I’ll explain’—is gonna fix it?”

His fingers trembled with anger. Nora wasn’t any calmer, though her fury came from someplace softer.

“It’s not all his fault,” she snapped. “Allison had a part in this too. She must feel guilty—that’s why she doesn’t wanna get married—”

“DON’T talk about her. Don’t bring her up again.” Marcus cut in sharply.

Nora gaped at him. “How are you still defending her at a time like this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about. We’re done.”

Richard’s voice dropped to a cold command. 

“I DON’T give a damn about the baby. I care about the outcome. You’re marching to the Winthrops tomorrow and apologizing. If you can’t fix this, don’t bother coming back to the company. There are plenty of people waiting for your job.”

“Richard—maybe it was Allison who betrayed him first—” Nora tugged his sleeve.

“Enough.”

Marcus’s eyes flashed with something close to fire, “YOU say one more thing about her, and I’m done talking to you. For good.”

Nora stared at him, stunned, unable to push out a single word.

“YOU don’t get to talk to your mother like that,” Richard snapped.

Marcus pressed his lips together and turned his face away.

“Forget it,” Nora muttered, forcing herself to swallow the hurt. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything when he’s already in this state.”

She stood and slipped her arm through her husband’s, “He’s miserable enough. Let’s go. Let him calm down.”

Before leaving, Richard shot Marcus a sharp, cutting look, “You’d better not show up at the office tomorrow looking like this pathetic mess.”