The Wedding

After one glance at Nathan, I silently pulled my chair away from him because I didn't want to talk with him. Nathan was annoying. "Tell me how you let me see Carroll last time. Holographic laser projection? Glass-free 3D monitor?" "Nathan, don't forget that I am a bumpkin, not Miss Odette. I don't know the high-techs you mentioned." I picked up a tray of fruits and moved close to Nathan. "Eat on if you like them. They are the offerings for your brother." "What? You're going to marry a dead man. Aren't you scared?" Nathan grabbed another handful of grapes and looked at me with interest. Of course. I felt scared. I had cried just now. However, I had Carroll's promise. I shook my head. "No. After the wedding, I will become your sister-in-law legally." Hearing this, Nathan flared up. He raised his hand to slap me. "How dare you!" "To be honest, I am looking forward to the wedding." Scared, I hid behind the door. Rose protected me with her body. I craned my head and said, "Do you want to slap me again? Aren't you afraid that Mr. Carroll will find you?" "Don't run away if you have the guts. Get lost, you fatty girl. If you insist, I will slap you too." Speaking, Nathan pulled Rose away. Why didn't I run away? I wasn't a fool! When I wanted to call the bodyguards for help, the familiar voice caused by the walking stick sounded again. "Oh, we have enemies on both sides. I am afraid that we will get slapped again." I whispered to Rose. Old Madame Brown was Carroll's grandmother anyway. Therefore, I didn't dare to fight back if she slapped me. "Madam, why don't we run away now?" Rose's arms, which were spread out to protect me, shivered. Rose began to work in Bamboo Pavilion right after her graduation from college. She was a rookie and didn't know what to do in such a situation. The dead, the posthumous marriage, and the farces. Rose had witnessed and experienced what I suffered. Tough luck! "What are you doing here? Why haven't you dressed up yet? How unruly." Old Madame Brown shot one glance at Nathan. "Nathan, there will be many guests tonight. She shouldn't appear in public with a red and swollen face." "There will be no slaps." I comforted Rose. "Grandma, that girl seems timid but is sly. She is sharp-tongued too. She isn't a fool as we thought." Nathan walked over and helped Old Madame Brown. They looked at me at the same time. Their gaze was as sharp as the blade of a knife. I had no place to hide myself. "I don't care what she is. She will die with Carroll. What are you waiting for? Go to dress up." "Then, see you around." I forced a smile and then left the dining room with Rose. The stylists had waited upstairs for a long time. I sat there like a puppet and let the stylists do whatever she wanted on me. I heard the stories about Old Madame Brown from the stylists. Old Madame Brown was the youngest daughter in her family. Her parents had given birth to seven daughters and abused Old Madame Brown. Kendra Wynne pulled through and married Archer Brown, the grandfather of Carroll. Then, Kendra gave birth to three sons, and Carroll was the son of her eldest son. Nathan's father was Kendra's second son. There was a man called Eldwin Brown, Kendra's grandson, and his father was Kendra's youngest son. Unfortunately, Kendra's three sons died young. Therefore, there were three grandsons and three daughters-in-law left. People teased that the Brown family was full of widows. When Carroll was 15 years old, he inherited most shares of the Brown Group and became the leader of the company. Then, everything changed. The Brown Group was now influential in Costsley because its business ranged widely. Because of Carroll, people didn't dare to laugh at the Brown family anymore. "Madam, what are you thinking about?" Rose came in with tea. Looking at me, who was in a daze, in the mirror, Rose was so shocked that she stammered, "My God, Madam, you are so beautiful!" "Er..." It was the first time that I had such a compliment, so blushes appeared on my cheeks. The stylist did a hairstyle for me, so my face was exposed without hair around. The make-up artist looked me in the mirror and said, "Yes, you can be a celebrity." I scrutinized myself in the mirror. There were a pair of watery eyes on the small face, and they became crescent moons when I smiled. Moreover, I had two deep dimples. This was a sweet face. Once, my family reproached me because of this face. As a result, I became self-abased. I even concluded that it was a sin to be good-looking. I didn't accept my face till I arrived at the Bamboo Pavilion. "Well, Madam, don't hide your face in the future. Such a beautiful face is pleasant to the eyes." Rose came over and took a photo with me. After a bang, the door of my bedroom was kicked open. Then, there came a tease. "Really? Is it so beautiful?" Through the mirror, I looked at the door. A man in a white suit was standing there casually, with mint green dental floss in his mouth. "This is Madam's bedroom. Please leave." Rose opened her arms and stood in front of me. The man pursed his lips, spat out the dental floss, and said after a snort, "Get out of my way." "I won't..." Before Rose finished her speech, the stranger pushed her aside. When the man approached me, I picked up the hairpin on the desk and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" "Me?" The man pointed at his nose. His hands were so thin that I could see his blood vessels on them. "I'm your husband's buddy, Peter." There wasn't a bit of affection for Carroll in his tone. I leaned against the dressing table and clutched my hairpin behind my back. "Well, thank you for coming to our wedding." There were thick dark circles under Peter's eyes. With fine facial features, Peter looked ill with a face as white as a sheet. He looked like he had just crawled out of a coffin. "No, don't thank me!" Then, Peter pulled out a silver army revolver. The cold muzzle was against my forehead. Only then did I find that Peter did not come alone because there were about five burly men in uniform at the door of my bedroom.