Chapter 4
With those final words, I was done.
"I'll see you in court."
The last bit of light in Eric's eyes vanished completely.
He slumped over, like a snake whose backbone had been ripped out.
But right behind him, Marjorie went off like a firecracker, she exploded instantly.
"What? Court?!" she shrieked, her voice full of disbelief and fury.
"You bitch! You want to destroy the Grant Family! I'll fight you to the death!"
She lunged at me like a madwoman.
Her face, caked in thick foundation, twisted with rage, contorting into something monstrous.
Her nails were long and sharp, painted bright red, like ten venomous claws, slashing straight for my face.
I instinctively took a step back.
But the heavy wedding dress tangled around my feet.
I stumbled, nearly falling.
Just then, a tall figure shielded me.
It was my dad.
I didn't even notice when he'd rushed onto the stage.
He shoved Marjorie aside, shielding me behind him.
His chest heaved, his eyes blazing with fury.
"What do you think you're doing?"
My dad's voice was filled with a rage I'd never heard before.
He was like a lion protecting his cub, fierce and unyielding.
"You really want to hit her in front of everyone?"
Marjorie stumbled, nearly falling.
Richard quickly caught her.
"Hey, in-law! What are you doing?"
Richard Grant tried to sound tough, but his voice was clearly rattled.
"Your daughter has brought shame to our family! We haven't even dealt with her yet!"
"Shame? Really?"
My dad let out a bitter laugh.
"Your whole family conspired to steal my daughter's inheritance, and you still have the nerve to talk about shame?"
"The daughter we worked so hard to raise, is she supposed to marry into your family just to be your personal ATM?"
"You pull this kind of dirty stunt, and you expect my daughter to just suck it up and go along with your little show?"
"Let me tell you, that's never going to happen!"
My dad jabbed a finger at Eric, almost poking him in the nose.
"And you, Eric!"
"My daughter spent three years with you, giving you her heart and soul, pouring every dollar she had into your family!"
"She didn't ask for anything else, she just wanted you to treat her right!"
"But what did you do in return?"
"You trapped her at your own wedding, in front of everyone, just to make her submit!"
"Do you even call yourself a man?!"
Every word my dad said landed like a stinging slap, humiliating the Grant Family right in front of everyone.
Eric hung his head in shame, unable to meet anyone's eyes after that scolding.
He was trembling all over, his face as pale as a sheet.
Marjorie was still making a scene, refusing to back down.
"I don't care! We spent a lot on her, so she's stuck with it!"
"You spent a lot?" My dad scoffed.
"We'll return all 62,000 dollars, not a penny less!"
"But what about the more than 300 thousand dollars my daughter poured into your family? You'd better cough up every single cent!"
"And this house! My daughter put up most of the money, so why is it only in your son's name?"
"This isn't over!"
The stage erupted into chaos.
The guests below had finally seen the farce for what it was.
Glares of contempt, pity, and gloating pierced the Grant Family like a thousand needles.
The Grant Family's relatives just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Meanwhile, my own relatives all stood up, their faces burning with anger as they glared at the stage.
My hot-tempered uncle, my mom's brother, was already rolling up his sleeves, ready for a fight.
"Damn it! You think you can push the Brooks Family around?"
The host and a few hotel security guards hovered by the stage, completely at a loss, not knowing how to handle the chaos.
I hid behind my dad's broad back, feeling a sense of safety I'd never known before.
Tears finally streamed down my face, I just couldn't stop them.
It wasn't because I was upset.
It was because I was touched.
My mom joined me, grabbing my hand, her eyes full of tears.
"Julia, don't be afraid. We are right here with you."
I nodded, wiping away my tears.
I couldn't let myself cry and make my parents worry any more.
And I sure as hell wasn't going to let those bastards see me break down.
I stepped out from behind my dad.
My gaze turned steely and cold.
"Eric, I'm officially telling you now."
"First, this wedding is off."
"Second, we'll handle the house in court."
"Third, make a list of every dollar I spent on your family and be ready to pay it back."
"Fourth, from now on, don't call me, don't come looking for me. If you want to talk, go through my lawyer."
With that, I turned away, not sparing him another glance.
I took my mom's hand.
"Dad, Mom, let's go."
"You think you can just walk away?"
Marjorie came at me again, wild and rabid like a mad dog.
"Don't you dare leave without clearing things up!"
This time, my two uncles stormed onto the stage, one on each side, grabbing Marjorie and pinning her between them like a pair of fierce gatekeepers.
"Watch your mouth, lady!"
My uncle shot her a murderous glare.
Richard tried to step in, but my cousins blocked him.
The scene was utter chaos now, completely out of control.
I didn't look back.
I gathered up the heavy skirt of my wedding dress.
To me, that pure white fabric was nothing but a bitter mockery now.
I ripped it apart with everything I had.
The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the room.
I tore a gaping hole in the side of that pricey custom wedding dress.
The crowd was left speechless.
I kicked off those torturous crystal stilettos and flung them to the floor.
My bare feet pressed against the icy stage floor.
I grabbed my mom's hand, and with my dad guarding us, we moved slowly toward the edge of the stage.
Behind me, Eric's desperate screams rang out, filling the air.
Eric shouted, "Julia! Don't go! Julia!"
And Marjorie's shrill curses followed after us.
"Julia Brooks, you bitch! You'll die a miserable death!" Marjorie shrieked.
Richard, beside himself with rage, let out a furious roar.
"You've all lost your minds! This is mutiny!"
I didn't look back.
I stood my ground.
I stepped off the stage, weaving through the crowd as people pointed and gossiped about me.
I could feel countless eyes burning into my back.
But I didn't care.
All I wanted was to escape this suffocating place as quickly as I could.
The hotel doors were right in front of me.
The grand, glittering doors felt like a gilded cage to me.
Finally, I walked out.
The sky was heavy and gray, like it was about to pour.
The cold wind hit my face, messing up my hair.
The wind carried away the last tear clinging to the corner of my eye.
My dad flagged down a taxi.
The three of us climbed in together.
The taxi pulled away from the curb.
I looked back at the grand, glittering hotel behind me.
That place was the grave of three years of my youth.
And the love I once thought would last forever.
Goodbye, Eric.
Goodbye, My foolish past.