Chapter 5

Stella had fantasized countless times about her wedding. When she was four or five years old, she got lost due to her elders' negligence. She wandered with human traffickers for a year before being rescued by the perceptive Natalie and taken to an orphanage. Although it was an orphanage, the director was very kind to the children. When she was in her teens, she and Natalie would secretly chat under the covers, each with their own aspirations for a future family. Natalie said she wanted to walk down the aisle in a wedding dress she designed herself, while Stella wanted to buy a big house for her family. The decoration didn't need to be luxurious, but it had to feel like home. The two often teased each other, and then laughed together. Their wishes were simple back then: get into college, work hard, have the ability to start their own families. Then, like the older brothers and sisters who left the orphanage, they would support the children there to continue their education. Later, Stella was taken back to the Carlson family and became the "rich girl" in the eyes of the children from the orphanage. Many of her goals were achieved in an instant. However, when she was ten years old, her parents tragically died in a car accident while looking for her, leaving only her grandfather as her true family. She still longed for a complete family, and she looked forward to a wedding of her own. But she never expected that the wedding she had hoped for for years would become so absurd. Scenes from the orphanage, where she was accompanied by Natalie, seemed like just yesterday, yet in the blink of an eye, she was wearing the wedding dress designed by Natalie herself, standing behind the door leading to the hotel banquet hall. She lowered her head and caught a glimpse of the sparkling light from the scattered diamonds in the pure white veil. Every pearl on the wedding dress was sewn by Natalie herself, dreamlike and surreal. They represented Natalie's sincerest blessings. Stella remembered the first time she put on a wedding dress. Natalie held her, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to catch her breath, pointing at Aaron and making him promise to treat her well for the rest of his life. With a slight bitterness in her eyes, she took a deep breath, her face devoid of emotion, but silently straightened her back. Just a door away from the banquet hall, the voices of the guests, their discussions neither too loud nor too soft, clearly reached her ears. "Mr. Malone jilted the wedding, yet Stella doesn't cancel it. Isn't she just making herself a laughingstock?" "Poor girl. She followed Aaron for so many years, endured hardships with him, and ended up in such a humiliating situation." "Avery is really something. Mr. Malone left the city for her back then, and now he's running away from the wedding for her. That's some deep affection." "It's just that Mr. Malone's father is too traditional. Otherwise, with Aaron's feelings for Avery, she would have married into the Malone family years ago." Many people knew that when Aaron and Avery were dating, there were rumors that Aaron's father wanted to change the engagement candidate from the Carlson family to Avery. "Avery is lucky. Even though she's Stella's cousin, with Stella's parents gone, it's that stepfather of Avery who holds the power now. The Carlson family will change their name to Fletcher sooner or later." "Stella's efforts were all in vain. In the end, she was abandoned by Aaron, losing her capital to compete with Dean. Even if Mr. Malone refused to let her marry into the family, Aaron wouldn't go against her and Dean." ... Ignoring the chatter around her, Stella closed her eyes. With a server on each side, they slowly pushed open the heavy door in front of her. Inside the banquet hall, the lights dimmed suddenly, and the casual conversations came to a sudden halt. The venue was decorated romantically and dreamily, with soft curves of colorful lights adorning the flower beds, resembling stars in the sky, and as radiant as fireflies. The flowers were fresh and vibrant, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air, like being in a forest at night. The gentle spotlights illuminated the stage, softening Ethan's features as he stood elegantly at the end of the guests' line of sight in a dark-colored suit. The doors of the corridor had been opened, and Stella looked at the groom standing outside the line, taking step by step forward. This scene resembled the dream she had longed for years. Two flower children, dressed in neat little suits and dresses, walked ahead, scattering flower petals. They were the twins brought by Layla from her aunt. After being covered in flowers by the cute children, Jimmy, who was leaning against the stage, was the first to snap out of his daze and muttered in confusion, "Oh, why is there still a groom? Am I seeing things? Isn't that Ethan?!" "Tsk, today it's like a game between the Carlson and Malone families, huh? The groom heartlessly runs away, but unexpectedly the bride is even more ruthless, just swapping out the groom, impressive." Sitting next to Jimmy, Tom Brock widened his eyes and chuckled lightly. "How did the Carlson family manage to get someone like Ethan?" Tom slapped Jimmy's head and said, "What kind of person? Even the Malone family doesn't dare to confront this lunatic. Do you dare to offend him? Ethan isn't the same as he was mocked five years ago. Be careful what you say." Jimmy rubbed his head in pain and said, "No, I mean how did someone like Ethan end up here and become the groom?!" Tom looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Can't figure it out?" Jimmy shook his head blankly and said, "Can't figure it out." Tom sighed, "How can I have such a dumb brother like you? Have you forgotten about Ethan and Aaron's grudge? When Ethan was five, he knocked out one of Aaron's front teeth with a stone, and his grandfather whipped him with a chicken feather duster for half a month." Jimmy frowned, thinking that was ancient history. What did that have to do with their current situation? Though he thought that, he dared to ask, "Even if they had issues, so what?" Tom looked secretive, motioning for Jimmy to lean closer, his tone unusually solemn. "He... came... to... take... away... the... bride! Don't dare offend Ethan, you see, he actually held a grudge for twenty years for being whipped with a chicken feather duster! If you give him a beating now, he'll come for your wife twenty years later. That's how aggressive he is!" Jimmy suddenly understood, nodding emphatically, "Alright, Ethan seems untouchable, and Stella--" "I mean, are you still not getting it? She just says 'I'm out' to a man she's loved for seven or eight years, and then at the wedding, she switches groom, making the Malone family embarrassed, and completely cutting off any chance with Aaron. How ruthless can a woman be who can cut ties so decisively?" He smirked and continued after a pause, "What's even more ruthless is that she's marrying Ethan. Think about how terrible their relationship was back then? Well, why can't she see sense? She could have considered me." He felt embarrassed to admit that he had secretly admired Stella in the past. Actually, Stella was quite pretty, and there were quite a few guys who liked her in high school. But she was too obedient, and with her identity as Aaron's fiancée and her feud with Ethan, some couldn't figure out Aaron's intentions, and others were afraid of being targeted by Ethan, so no one dared to confess. Jimmy completely missed his friend's subtle hints and spoke earnestly, "You're right. A woman who can top the class must be sharp. Back then, I thought she was no ordinary person! Look at us, second and third from the bottom, clearly not sharp enough!" Tom retorted, "Get lost!!!" Watching Stella in her wedding dress, Natalie had been feeling a bit complicated, but now she couldn't help but laugh at the "Two Idiots." She lifted her glass and took a sip, glancing at the woman beside her, "Miss Connelly, don't wear such a sour expression. While you and Avery may play tricks, do you expect others not to retaliate?" Grace Connelly had a good relationship with Avery, or rather, she felt that the position of Mrs. Malone was ultimately in the Fletcher family's pocket, so she had made early investments to please Avery. She came over here probably because she wanted to see what Stella was up to for her friend. The Connelly family kicked Ethan when he was down. Back then, Ethan's father was imprisoned, and later, when he made a comeback, they started to feel uneasy. After that, the Connelly family had been trying their best to get Grace to cozy up to Ethan, hoping to bury the hatchet, and Grace had been quite proactive about it. But Ethan had never paid attention to the Connelly family's intentions. While Grace was thinking about Ethan, she was also keeping her client on the side as a backup, and just now, she was subtly provoking to see Stella's embarrassment. That was just too much. So Natalie smirked, hinting at something as she gestured towards the seemingly well-matched groom and bride on stage. "Well, who's the real joke here? Stella told me that Mr. Powers is planning to take action against the Connelly family." While thoughts varied among the audience below, the event on stage smoothly transitioned to the VCR segment. Due to a last-minute arrangement by Aurora, the host briefly skimmed over the groom's part. On the flickering screen, Stella's memories and old photos were being rotated. There were only a few left from the orphanage, mostly taken after she was brought back to the Carlson family. The short film had already been prepared, and even though there were some last-minute cuts, it inevitably included glimpses of Aaron. Perhaps it was the photos capturing memories, or maybe the background music was too soothing and moving, but suddenly, vivid scenes began to surface in Stella's mind. She recalled the day she first arrived at the Carlson family's home. The teenage boy, wearing his school uniform, looked kind of naive. The afternoon sunlight gently bathed him as he turned his head, his eyes clear and calm. Looking at her trying to appear calm but actually feeling uneasy, he smiled and reached out his hand with warm kindness. "So you must be Stella, right? I'm Aaron. Don't be afraid." ... Just after transferring schools, that was when she felt most suppressed. She put away all her edges and cautiously blended into her surroundings. But every comment with hidden meaning kept replaying in her ears. Hillbilly, country bumpkin. Some sympathized, while others looked down on her, but it all made her more silent. It was the boy's protection that cut off those comments, relieving her of a heavy burden. ... The first time she truly felt despair was in that cramped equipment room. She vividly remembered darkness slowly engulfing her, the gloomy chill feeling like insects crawling into her bones. Her breath became rapid, and just when she was about to lose hope, he hurriedly rushed back from a competition. ... Aaron seemed flawless with outstanding academic performance, noble status, gentle and courteous demeanor, and confidence. He was like an unreachable presence, a star far away in the sky. However, the once unattainable young man, after later clipping his proud wings, tightly held her in the basement and promised, "Stella, after we return to our city, we'll get married." ... Stella had once looked forward to life after returning to the city. But at that time, she didn't know that every disagreement between them after returning would drain all her energy. "You have too much bias against Avery." "Aiden said Avery is in a period of career growth and needs some scandals to maintain popularity. Don't take it too seriously." "Avery attended an event and there was a mistake with the jewelry from the jeweler. I gave her the set of jewelry from the auction. You don't like wearing jewelry, so it's not that important to you." "Avery's assistant said she was drugged, and that director had harassed her before. I need to go over there. We can celebrate Valentine's Day tomorrow, okay?" "Avery has already explained to you that we have nothing between us, why do you have to be so aggressive?" "Avery is your cousin, she cares a lot about your relationship too, do you really have to put me in such a difficult position?" "You changed. Why have you become so harsh?" The last argument occurred when she found out, on the eve of the wedding, that Aaron had actually given a job to Jack in Malone Group. During that argument, she didn't give in at all, while Aaron was full of disappointment towards her. ... Suddenly, a dull pain shot through her fingertips, halting the memories abruptly. A low voice echoed in her ears. "Stella," Ethan furrowed his brows, lowering his voice, "Look up, look at me." Stella snapped out of her daze, lifting her eyes to meet his deep gaze, her expression still somewhat dazed. "The expression on your face right now is uglier than crying. Regretting it, or admitting defeat?" Ethan's voice was indifferent, but faintly tinged with a cold mockery. The dazzling silver wedding ring was held by someone nearby. It should have been the moment for the bride and groom to exchange rings, but after Ethan held her hand, he kept one hand in his pocket, leaving the ring untouched. There were faint red marks on Stella's slender fingers. The man's gaze met hers, cold and indifferent, with an ambiguous meaning swirling in the depths of his profound eyes. She understood his implication. If she truly regretted it, this was the last moment she could back out. She could leave behind all the guests, ignore the gossip that would follow, and walk away without looking back— Disappear from the wedding like Aaron, and at the same time, concede defeat in this game. Ethan's expression at this moment was like silently asking her: Stella, so are you going to surrender? In an instant, she had made her decision. She took a deep breath, completely composed. She took the gleaming silver men's ring, a hint of provocation in her watery eyes. "Ethan, are you here to mock me?" "What do you think?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, watching her retaliate as she forcefully pushed the men's ring all the way down, then reverted to his usual nonchalant demeanor. Glancing at the ring on his own hand, he leisurely took the women's ring, lowering his head, slowly sliding it onto her ring finger. "Didn't you hear what that fool Tom said? I clearly sacrificed my reputation," Ethan paused, then raised his eyes with a light chuckle, "to marry you. I've reluctantly played the groom." "So what?" "I'm expensive, you have to play your part well." As if to affirm his words, the next moment he leaned in. His nice lips, slightly cool, brushed against the corner of her mouth. The warm palm of his hand supported the back of her head, the two of them too close for comfort. The tip of their noses carried a crisp and refreshing scent of pine. ... Stella's eyes widened slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, before she could react, he had already pulled away. "Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Powers."