Chapter 8

The moment Grayson's voice came through, Vivian unleashed a torrent of scolding.

Watching this scene, I sighed inwardly. Before we were married in my past life, Vivian had always protected me too. I thought she was a good person who genuinely cared about me, so even though Grayson was lacking, I was willing to marry him.

I even believed that marriage was about choosing the right in-laws, and that a kind mother-in-law could make anything bearable. Slowly, I discovered I was wrong. She kept telling me to 'endure', and life gradually lost all meaning.

A mother-in-law would always be her son's mother above all else. In small matters, she might put on a show of supporting me, but when it came to anything important, she would always side with her son and criticize my faults.

"Look at what you've done to Calla!" Vivian was so distressed that she wiped away tears.

Through the video call, Grayson saw my hand wrapped in bandages. His expression froze for a moment.

Then, the sound of Maeve coughing came from beside him. Grayson snapped back to attention and scoffed coldly.

"Calla, you put Maeve in the hospital, and I haven't even come after you for it. Yet here you are, turning the tables and tattling to my mother! Besides, I barely pushed you. It's not like I stabbed you with a knife. Why are you acting like you're seriously injured?

"I get it now. You saw me taking care of Maeve while she's sick, so you're faking an injury to copy her. You think that'll make me feel sorry for you? Dream on! All you're doing is making me despise you even more.

"I was willing to look past everything and go through with the wedding, but since you're the kind of woman who makes a scene just to compete for attention, we're not having a wedding anymore.

"In seven days, once Maeve is discharged, I'll force myself to accompany you to get our marriage certificate."

With that, he hung up.

Vivian looked at me awkwardly. "That boy has been spoiled rotten by me. Don't worry, Calla. I'll go talk some sense into him.

"How can we not have a wedding? Our family may have fallen on hard times, and it's true that we can't give you a grand ceremony, but the basics are still a must. You're going to be his wife for life. We can't shortchange you."

She hurried off without giving me a chance to speak. I shook my head silently. They had no idea that in seven days, I would be getting engaged to Emmett.

My injuries looked severe, but they were all superficial. I could recover just fine at home.

The next few days, I was busy with preparations for my engagement ceremony. I had no time to worry about Grayson and Maeve.

Ironically, Grayson, who used to ignore me, kept messaging me constantly. Not with sweet words, though. Instead, he kept finding new ways to pressure me into apologizing to Maeve.

I ignored all of it.

The night before my engagement, he sent another angry text.

[Calla Finley, your avoidance is really pissing me off. I'm informing you now that we're moving our marriage registration to the afternoon. Consider it your punishment.]

I laughed and did not bother reading the rest. I turned off my phone and went to sleep.

Tomorrow was my big engagement day. It would be broadcast on the big screens around the city. I could not afford to look tired.

…

The next day, my engagement ceremony began flawlessly. Media reporters sat below, capturing my most beautiful moments.

Meanwhile, that afternoon, Grayson drove himself to the city hall with Maeve, who had insisted on coming along. Their car drove past a bustling commercial building.

At that moment, the giant screen on the building displayed my and Emmett's wedding photo.