Chapter 9

Jennifer's words were like a bomb—the entire dining table was plunged into a tense atmosphere. Lillian and Marlee immediately pressed Jennifer for answers about her cryptic comment. Knowing she couldn't keep it under wraps any longer, she turned to Bernard and said, "Bring it over." Only Genevieve remained calm at the table, enjoying her meal as if Tristan's marital affairs had nothing to do with her. Soon, Bernard returned with two certificates. "Mr. Burtman, these are your marriage certificates—fresh from the courthouse." Tristan didn't even glance at them at first, chuckling in disbelief. "Grandma, even if you don't want me marrying Harper, there's no need for such an elaborate joke." Jennifer's expression remained serious. "It's not a joke. If you don't believe me, you can check." "Check what? I haven't even stepped into the courthouse. How could I be married—" Wait. Courthouse? His eyes narrowed as they darted to Genevieve. After snatching the documents from Bernard, he flipped one open. And there it was—his name, her name, and their photos. "Genevieve!" he roared. Startled by his outburst, her hand shook, and her cutleries fell onto the table. "W-What's wrong?" she stammered, looking at the furious man in confusion. He grabbed her arm, dragging her upstairs like a storm. "You planned all of this from the start, didn't you?" Tristan threw the marriage certificate at her face as he kicked the nearby coffee table in rage. Completely baffled, she bent down to pick up the document. She took one look and froze in shock. "How? This isn't right—I married your uncle. I—" "Why are you still pretending?" he barked, his glare so sharp it could pierce through her. Genevieve gulped, trying to stay composed. "Calm down. If this bothers you so much, we'll just get a divorce." "Enough!" He grabbed her by the collar, his gaze sharp and piercing as he sneered and growled, "This marriage is something you schemed so hard to achieve. Do you really have the heart to leave it behind?" "Yes! I want nothing more than to leave!" she said firmly. She never wanted to marry into the Burtman family, and it seemed Tristan loathed the idea of marrying her just as much. Ending this absurd marriage would be better for both of them. Tristan's eyes slowly narrowed as he studied the determined seriousness in her expression. Suddenly, he shoved her away without warning, and she fell to the ground with a thud. "Stop playing games. You're coming with me to the courthouse. Now." Genevieve quickly got up from the ground. "Fine. Let's go right now." Her willingness was almost too eager. His brows furrowed as doubt crept in. Was this a reverse psychology ploy or a trap? Just then, the phone in his pocket began to ring. He picked up the call. "Mr. Burtman, it's me, Harper." His expression softened slightly. "What's the matter?" "Can you come over? My parents want to discuss our wedding plans." "Alright. I'll head over now." Genevieve lowered her gaze in silence. Tristan and Harper were truly in love with each other. In that case, she needed to end their marriage as soon as possible so they could become free individuals. Watching him head for the door, she quickly followed. "Let's finalize the divorce first," she said. "Why are you in such a rush? Playing coy, are we?" he mocked. Her patience thinned. "Let's go now! Whoever doesn't finalize the divorce today is a coward!" Her defiant words earned a low, amused chuckle from him. He sneered, "Fine, you wait for me here. I'll go out for a while, and when I come back, I'll take you to the courthouse." "You don't need to make an extra trip. I'll go there and wait for you. But you better hurry. You better not show up after working hours!" she added as she watched his retreating figure, earning a mocking laugh. She turned and returned to her room, picking up the marriage certificate, feeling utterly confused. How did she end up with a marriage certificate with Tristan? Could it have been an error on the part of the staff? It was impossible. At that time, it was made very clear that he was just the proxy. "Genevieve." At that moment, Jennifer walked into the room. Genevieve hurriedly helped her sit down on the couch. Although she had no affection for Tristan, she genuinely felt that Jennifer was warm and kind. "Genevieve, I overheard you talking about divorcing Tristan just now." Genevieve held up the certificate. "You knew about this from the start, didn't you?" When Jennifer took out the marriage certificate, she was not surprised. She must have known from the beginning that Tristan had registered the marriage with her. As expected, she nodded. "Yes, the marriage was my doing." "Why?" Genevieve asked, confused. "Weren't you asking me to marry his uncle to bring good fortune?" Patting her shoulder, Jennifer explained, "Quinton may never wake up. You're a good child—I couldn't bear the thought of you being trapped in such a fate. "Tristan has a good heart despite his sharp tongue. He wouldn't even hurt a chicken. If you two spend enough time together, you'll come to care for each other." Genevieve didn't know whether they would develop feelings for each other. However, she recalled a news article about a socialite who had drunkenly stumbled into Tristan's arms, only for her to disappear from Jasfield the very next day. Her family business also went bankrupt overnight. Since then, no one dared to provoke him. Women who had thoughts about him only dared to fantasize; none of them would actually dare to climb into his bed. This was why, when she realized that the man she had slept with that day was him, she panicked and got scared. A woman had only leaned into his embrace once, and he had destroyed her family business, leaving her nowhere to return. If he discovered she had accidentally slept with him that night, she doubted he would let her off so easily. Previously, the media had spread rumors that he had issues with his sexual orientation or that his heart belonged to his childhood sweetheart and he was remaining pure for this lady. Now, seeing him propose to Harper confirmed the media's latter theory. She snapped back to reality and said to Jennifer, "He already has someone he likes. This marriage has to be annulled." "You're worried he'll pressure you? Don't be. As long as I'm here, the marriage won't end," she assured Genevieve. Genevieve laughed in surprise. It seemed that Jennifer had misunderstood her. She quickly explained, "What I mean is, he has someone he likes, and I don't want to marry him. So, getting a divorce is the best option for both of us." Upon seeing the firm expression on Genevieve's face, Jennifer sighed deeply and then pulled out an agreement from her pocket. "Take a look at this before making your decision." After saying that, Jennifer left the room. Genevieve, puzzled, opened the agreement, and her expression changed immediately. … Meanwhile, at the Taylor residence, Ethan and the Taylor family were discussing the wedding details. "Let's hold the wedding at the largest farmhouse in Jasfield." "Okay. I'll leave the arrangements to you." "As for the wedding arrangements and the wedding gift…" "Mr. Taylor, rest assured, the Burtman family will give Harper the world's most grand and unparalleled wedding." Throughout the discussion, Ethan answered all the questions from the Taylor family. On the other hand, Tristan kept glancing at his wristwatch as if in a hurry. The Taylors noticed but did not dare speak up. Harper pursed her lips, sitting beside him and wrapping her arm around him. "We should go take wedding photos in the next few days." "Mm." He brushed her hand away and said to Ethan, "Take Ms. Taylor to the bridal shop tomorrow. She can choose any gown she likes or have one custom-made." He said to Gilbert and Miley, "I have something to attend to, so I'll leave now. If there are any requests, just let Ethan know." They opened their mouths but didn't speak, their displeasure obvious. Ethan quickly explained, "Mr. Burtman has an urgent business, so please understand." "What could be more important than the wedding? It seems he doesn't care about Harper at all," Miley muttered. Ethan remained silent. Ultimately, Gilbert feared offending the Burtman family, so he tugged at Miley and urged her to keep quiet. Harper bit her lip, her expression full of grievance. Meanwhile, Genevieve paced nervously in her room. The courthouse would close in half an hour. She could only pray that Tristan would get busy with his other matters and forget about the divorce. But things didn't go as planned. Bernard suddenly walked in, holding a phone. "Mrs. Burtman, Mr. Burtman is looking for you."