Chapter 14

Tom's thin lips pressed tightly together as he lowered his deep gaze to me. Before he could say a word, Dawn, who was behind me, suddenly grabbed my arm and handed me her phone. "Grace, Mandy and Gavin's scandal just started trending online!" she said angrily. I instinctively grabbed her phone, and I saw Mandy's scandal was now in the top three spots of the trending charts online. #RumoredBoyfriendofMandyGreen (Explosive) #MandyGreenandGavinGould (Explosive) #GavinGouldCancelledHisWeddingandElopedwithMandy (Explosive) I felt like I was going to pass out. I never thought that this would explode on social media first! However, this is not the time to dwell on it. I immediately clutched the hem of my wedding gown and ran toward my mother who was below the stage. "Grace, what's wrong? What happened?" My mother looked uneasy. It was obvious that she had overheard some gossip from the guests around her. "I… I heard people saying that Gavin ditched the wedding? Is this some misunderstanding? Where's Gavin?" My heart sank. In the end, I still could not hide it from my mother. "No, Mom. Don't listen to their nonsense. Gavin just went out to pick someone up. He'll be back soon." My mother shook her head. "I don't believe them. Give Gavin a call, I want him to explain to me…" "Mom…" "If you don't call him, I will," she said. She quickly took out her phone and started scrolling for Gavin's number. Seeing this, I quickly grabbed her hand. "Fine, I'll call him." I knew that I couldn't dissuade her, so I reluctantly called Gavin. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered. Seeing my mother's anxious expression, I grew increasingly frantic as well. Damn it, Gavin, answer the call! It was like Gavin could hear my pleas. Finally, the call connected! But it wasn't Gavin's voice on the other end. "Ouch! Gavin, get up! You're pressing on my hair!" I could clearly hear Mandy's teasing voice during the call. My mother froze in shock. She could not believe her ears. Her bloodshot eyes were in stark contrast to her deathly pale face. At this moment, a rustling sound came from the phone. It sounded like clothing brushing against each other. My eyes widened in disbelief. At this point, the rustling sounds from the phone were like an unsheathed dagger that stabbed into my chest, again and again. Every stab drew blood from my wound! "Shut up!" Gavin's voice snapped sharply. Suddenly, he shifted his tone. "Stop rushing me. I'll be there soon." "Gavin, I can't reach the back. Can you help me zip it up…" My mother instinctively moved her lips as if she was about to say something, but her breath caught in her throat. Even her fingers were trembling. "Mom…" I hung up the call hastily and I anxiously held her. "It's not what it sounds like. It's a misunderstanding…" Before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly heard a loud gurgle, and a red mist sprayed into the air before my eyes. "Mrs. Summers!" I could hear Dawn's screams, but my mind went blank as a faint buzzing rang out in my ears. The scene before my eyes froze in place as if someone had pressed pause on it. "Mom!" Snapping out of it, I rushed to catch her in my arms. Her face was deathly pale, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth down to her chin where it steadily dripped onto the floor. At that point, tears were streaming down my face, and my entire body was trembling. "Get her to the hospital immediately!" Right then, Tom bent down and scooped my mother into his arms. He turned around and sprinted out the door. I was still in a daze as I tried to chase after him, but my heels accidentally tripped me up and I tumbled. "Grace!" Dawn swiftly caught me in her arms, her face still in a state of shock. "Are you okay?" I shook my head. There was an excruciating pain in my ankle, but I was numb to it as I took off my shoes and hobbled after Tom. Tom's car tore through the streets, not even stopping for any red lights. When he arrived at the hospital's entrance, the medical staff who had received his call earlier swiftly took my mother into the emergency room. When the red light above the operating room turned on, I dejectedly stood outside the door. At that moment, I could feel an overwhelming sense of exhaustion spread through my entire body until I could hardly breathe. "How's the leg?" Tom glanced at my swollen ankle with a worried frown on his face. "Where are your shoes?" I did not reply, as if I could not hear him. I could only stare blankly at the red light above the operating room. Tom's thin lips pressed together and he bent down to scoop me up in his arms. He strode to a nearby bench. "I'm fine." I saw Tom take off his own leather shoes. He kneeled on the floor and put his shoes on my feet, and that was when I snapped back to reality and retracted my legs. "Don't move. Your ankle is injured, don't let it get cold." Tom looked up at me. His tone was firm yet gentle. The shoes were still warm from being worn by Tom, and the warmth slowly spread across my feet. It was precisely this tiny bit of warmth that made me sob uncontrollably, tears rolling down my face. I instinctively tried to hold my breath to stop the tears, but the tension that had built up within me for so long snapped like a rubber band that had been stretched too tight, and I lost all control of myself. I buried my face in my hands and bawled, as if I was trying to release all my fear, pain, and helplessness at once. I didn't know how long I cried. I only realized that after I had released all my pent-up emotions and came to my senses, Tom's firm hands were holding my head against his chest. He was gently stroking my hair in silent comfort. "I'm sorry." I hurriedly got free from Tom's embrace. "Thank you," I said quickly. He gazed at me deeply. "Don't worry. Dr. Greg Hill is here. He's a good doctor. Your mother will be fine." I had already stopped crying, and I nodded at his words. I subconsciously repeated his words, trying to comfort myself. "Mmm. Mom will be fine," I mumbled. Tom stopped talking and silently sat next to me while we waited. The corridor was quiet. Only the occasional footsteps of passing nurses broke the silence. This peaceful stillness was short-lived. My phone suddenly buzzed in my hand. It was Gavin. When I saw his name appear on my phone, the calmness in me was shaken abruptly. I never imagined a day would come when my love for him would turn into hatred. The phone kept buzzing. I took a deep breath and answered the call. "Grace, where are you? Everyone's waiting for you! Are you trying to cancel this wedding?" Gavin's sharp voice sliced through the air like a blade, his accusations painfully cutting deep into me as they entered my ears. "Yes," I said softly in a calm voice. "Let's cancel the wedding."