Chapter 4 A Gift Wrapped in Ruin

I smiled faintly and replied smoothly, "Your appearance will be the biggest surprise for him."

After confirming the final timing with my father, I stayed at the hotel and took the time to clear my mind.

On the night before the wedding, the hospital sent over Ethan's premarital medical report—primary azoospermia and HIV positive.

The corner of my lips tugged into a smile that was filled with schadenfreude. Honestly, I found the results almost laughable. I casually took a screenshot of the azoospermia page and sent it to Ethan.

My phone rang nary a second later.

Ethan's furious roar blasted through the speaker, "Nicole! The wedding is tomorrow! What are you trying to pull with this fake report you photoshopped?"

My silence stretched on.

On the other end, Ethan let out a weary sigh. "I understand how you feel, but what's done is done. Throwing a tantrum now won't change anything. Be a good girl and stop this."

I took a deep breath before parting my lips to speak once more. However, he hung up on me.

I scoffed in derision, staring at the HIV diagnosis report that had gone unsent on my screen. I closed my eyes and swallowed down the chill rising in my throat.

I had given him a chance. Since he chose not to believe it, he could deal with the consequences.

…

The next day, St. Alban's Cathedral was decorated in extravagant luxury, flowers covering the vaulted ceiling. Ethan stood under the lights in a custom suit, while Daisy leaned against him with her belly slightly protruding, her face full of bashful happiness.

As I was dressed in a faded set of old clothes, I stood out rather sharply among the elegantly dressed guests.

Mabel spotted me immediately. She was linking arms with a wealthy woman as she strode over and pointed at me without restraint. "You lowly food truck vendor! How dare you show up dressed in this kind of pathetic outfit!"

I could feel disdainful gazes falling upon me, but I ignored them all. Instead, I walked straight to the main table and took a seat with a cold expression.

As the wedding march began, Ethan held Daisy's hand and walked onto the stage beneath the spotlight.

Then, he picked up the microphone and declared emotionally, "Thank you all for being here. Daisy is terminally ill, yet she was willing to use her life to carry on the Taylor family line. For this immense sacrifice, I, Ethan Taylor, can only repay her with a lifetime of commitment."

Thunderous applause filled the hall. Just then, several reporters in the front row suddenly stood up, firing questions one after another.

"Mr. Taylor! There are rumors that Ms. Campbell interfered in your marriage! Is that true?"

"Ms. Spencer supported you through hardship and even lost her ability to have children, yet you cast her aside. Do you have any comments, Mr. Taylor?"

The entire venue erupted.

Daisy's face turned pale. She clutched her belly as she looked at me with tearful grievance. "Nicole… I know you hate me, but why would you bring reporters to make a scene like this? You're dragging our reputation through the mud!"

Ethan's expression darkened. He grabbed my wrist and lowered his voice in warning as he growled, "Nicole Spencer! Get on stage right now and explain yourself! Tell them that our breakup has nothing to do with Daisy!"

I looked at him and shook his hand off. "You want me to explain? Fine. I'll give you the perfect explanation."

With that, I strode onto the stage, snatched the microphone, and faced the crowd. "As you can all see, Ethan cheated on me during our marriage. So, Daisy is nothing less than a homewrecker. But that's not all! I've got an even bigger scoop for all of you."

I bared my lips into a smile as I flung the reports and the divorce agreement straight at his face. "Allow me to also congratulate Mr. Taylor for being cuckolded and for testing positive for HIV. You two are truly a perfect match."

Sheets of paper were scattered across the floor. The reporters went into a frenzy, cameras flashing nonstop as whispers rippled through the crowd.

A flicker of panic crossed Daisy's face, but she quickly returned to her weak, tearful act. "Nicole, please… just let us go…"

Ethan snapped out of his shock, snatching up the reports and tearing them in half.

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "Have you lost your mind, Nicole?! You're going to destroy me since you can't have me, is that it? Security! Take this lunatic away and lock her in a psychiatric hospital!"

Security rushed forward at his command, trying to restrain me. However, the cathedral's heavy wooden doors were flung open the very next second. Soon, hundreds of armed men in black flooded in, sealing off every exit.

A chilling, oppressive silence swept over the hall. The terrified guests didn't dare make a sound.

The moment people recognized the man at the front, a collective gasp broke out. "T-That's Dominic Spencer… the king of the capital's underworld… What is he doing here?"

A middle-aged man in a black suit, who radiated absolute authority, approached me under countless stunned gazes. His bodyguards never left him as he stopped before me.

His eyes softened with undisguised concern as he took off his coat and draped it carefully over my shoulders. "Nicole, it's been hard on you. I'm here to take you home."

The next second, he turned sharply, his gaze turning cold and lethal as it landed on the frozen Ethan. "You want to send my daughter to a psychiatric hospital, huh?"