Chapter 2

Seeing me cry so sadly, my mother said, "Zane, we can put pressure on the Winters family if you still want to marry her. Celia will come and apologize to you."

However, I knew Celia would come and apologize to me even if my parents did not put pressure on the Winters family. I shook my head. "Mom, I'm sorry I've embarrassed you both. I won't be with Celia anymore. I’ve dumped her."

"It's good that you won't marry her. We don't want a woman like her," My mother said nothing more after that and just rubbed my hair.

My parents knew I was unhappy. Thus, we arranged a family trip that very night after getting home.

I chose Iceland out of selfish motives. We went to see the northern lights together.

It was the most beautiful scenery to me all these years because I had saved Celia right here. We used to snuggle up together to watch the northern lights, so I chose to end everything here now.

I let go of those eight years in just one week.

However, I did not expect public opinion to be directed against me upon my return.

Shane's fans maliciously edited and reposted my statement at the wedding. My original words were twisted into: "Since you like Shane, marry him. I'm not marrying you."

They knew nothing about the wedding; they just thought that I dragged Shane into it.

Furthermore, the Winters family did not clarify the situation, leading Shane's fans to manipulate the online narrative and insult me viciously.

My funeral portrait was widely circulating online within just one week.

However, both my parents and I knew that public opinion could never have escalated to this extent without manipulation. Even my family's public relations team could not suppress it.

My first thought was that it had something to do with Celia.

I heard Shane's voice when I called her.

I asked, "Celia, don't you have anything to say to me about the online rumors?"

Celia's voice on the other end of the line sounded utterly indifferent, seemingly unaffected by the wedding chaos. "Zane, if you apologize to Shane now, our wedding can be rescheduled. I'll still register our marriage."

I despised myself for having secretly hoped for a change in her attitude. I was so mad I almost laughed. "Celia, I also wanted to ask Shane if you both have any sense of shame. The online uproar is so huge, yet you expect me to apologize instead of explaining."

"Shane wouldn't have almost lost his job if it weren't for you. Those insults are well-deserved." She was as condescending as ever.

I hung up without further hesitation. Later, I turned to my parents and said with a chuckle, "Dad, cut off the Winters family's funding. A woman like her doesn't deserve it."