Chapter 2 Call Off The Engagement

"Mr. Murray He, do you take Miss Mary Gu as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

the emcee said calmly.

Mary could feel her heart pounding. She couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that nagged her in her chest as if something wrong was going to happen.

Murray stood in front of her, clad in his crisp suit and leather shoes, his eyes filled with nothing but love and affection for her.

"I..."

Before he could finish, the events of yesterday at the hotel played on the huge screen of the wedding hall.

The reporter's voice resounded in her hears.

"On the eve of Miss Mary Gu's wedding, she was staying in a hotel room with another man."

The happiness in Murray's eyes shattered like a glass breaking into a thousand pieces. His eyes turned into ice blades as he gazed at her in utter bewilderment.

Pointing at the screen, he asked, "Mary! What's going on?"

"It's not true. It's just a misunderstanding!" Mary stammered as she explained, her voice laced in anxiety.

As the screen continued to display photos, it stopped at a photo that showed her face clearly.

Mary's face instantly turned white as a sheet. She didn't know how to explain herself.

Murray gritted his teeth as he glowered at her. "What? Isn't that you in the photo?"

"It's me." Panic welled in Mary's chest. "Murray, let me explain!"

Murray sneered at her. "What else is there to explain? Isn't that you in the photo?"

"Yes." Mary nodded.

While it was true that the woman in the photo was Mary, it still didn't tell the entire story.

Murray sniggered. "Weren't you at the hotel yesterday?"

"Yes," Mary said. "But I only went there because..."

"Because of what?"

What could Mary say? That she was there because someone texted her that Murray was cheating on her? That she went there because she wanted to catch him in the act?

The smile on Murray's face froze. "What else do you want to say? Tell me to my face that you didn't cheat on me."

Mary vigorously shook her head. "I didn't!"

She really didn't!

However, Murray didn't seem to be interested in listening to her explanation. "That's enough! I don't want to hear it! Let's call it a day! The wedding is cancelled!"

With that, Murray turned around and left without even looking back, his footsteps never faltering.

"No! Murray! No..."

Mary stretched out her hand in an attempt to stop him but to no avail. Her hand froze in midair as she drowned in despair and helplessness.

In the Gu mansion

Dark clouds had gathered in the sky as the thunder rumbled.

Mike Gu stood in the hall with his back to the door. The aura around him was intimidating and cold.

"Grandpa, you were looking for me?" Mary had already taken off her wedding dress. After the events of today, she looked visibly worn out as the color in her face had drained out.

"Kneel down!"

She widened her eyes, confused.

Mike Gu turned around as he slammed his crutch on the floor with a resounding bang. "Bastard! Get on your knees!"

'Even Grandpa doesn't believe me?'

Sorrow filled her inside as she gritted her teeth and stared her grandpa, looking resolute.

"Grandpa, I didn't do it! Trust me!"

In his anger, Mike Gu walked towards Mary and roughly waved his crutch.

Mary felt a sharp pain in her knees as she leaned forward.

Thump!

Her knees hit the floor hard.

Tears trickled from her eyes—she couldn't tell if it was from the pain in her knees or from the hurt of being distrusted by her own family.

"How could our family have such a vulgar descendant like you?" Mike Gu was seething. He held his crutch so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

'He doesn't believe me!'

Mary raised her head and looked at her grandpa in the eye. He used to love her so much. "Grandpa, please believe me. I didn't do anything."

"Do you take me as a fool? It's everywhere! They reported it in the papers! Do I not know my own granddaughter?" As he spoke, he grabbed the newspaper on the table and threw it on Mary's face.

As it hit her face, she felt as if she had been stabbed in the guts.

"Grandpa, trust me, okay?" She lowered her eyes as tears gushed out like an endless stream. The tears wouldn't stop coming as they stained her pale and hollow face.

It was Mike Gu who had raised her yet she turned out like this—shunned by everyone like a rat on the streets. How come her own grandfather refused to take her side?

Mike Gu heaved a deep sigh. "How could I trust you? The He family publicly called off the engagement. Such a scandal has been made already. Who would even dare marry you in the future?"

Mike Gu often doted on her. They were family after all. Even though he was scolding her now, he was only doing it for her own good.

"Grandpa, someone set me up. I received a message yesterday..."

Suddenly, she was interrupted by Serena Gu, who had just appeared. She knelt down next to Mary and asked in seeming concern, "Mary, are you okay? Why are you kneeling on the floor? The floor is so cold. You can get sick. Get up!"

Serena Gu was the daughter of her stepmother and she was a year younger than Mary. The two had never gotten along. This must be a trap—Serena Gu was pretending to defend Mary so she could get on Mike Gu's good side.

Mary pushed her away in disgust. "It's none of your business!"

Serena Gu froze as her eyes gleamed of malice for the briefest second.

She then turned to Mike and pleaded, "Grandpa, please don't punish Mary. Perhaps she just wanted to say goodbye to her lover. She didn't expect that the reporters would be there."

Mary knew Serena Gu was up to no good. She was only adding insult to injury—she didn't even attempt to deny that Mary did it!

"Serena Gu! Stop talking nonsense and framing me!" In Mary's anger, she slightly pushed Serena who then dramatically fell over.