Chapter 3

Shirley pinched the black lace material, held it up, and said doubtfully, "Can this thing be worn?" Wouldn't it be much more efficient just to jump on Samuel? Janine rolled her eyes. "You don't know anything! Men like this tantalizing kind of thing. This is what makes things fun for married couples." Nancy Wright smiled lightly. "Just listen to us, and you won't go wrong." "Really?" Shirley looked at the flimsy material she was holding, and a lewd image popped up in her mind. She blushed lightly. Tonight, she would become Samuel's wife. There was a loud commotion downstairs. "I'll take a look," Janine said, walking over to the balcony. Soon, she came back, looking serious. "Shirley, Samuel left." The blood drained from Shirley's face at once, and even her makeup could not cover how pale she looked. Was that dream coming true? "The wedding's off." Samuel's words had landed like a bomb among the Weiss family, catching everyone off guard. They only reacted after a moment. The groom was calling the wedding off! The crowd finally reacted, and Owen shot out through the gates as fast as he could. He stood in front of Samuel's car. The engine was already running. "Samuel, what are you doing?" It was a convertible sports car, and everything inside the vehicle could be seen very clearly. Samuel looked coldly at Owen as he said in a tone that brooked no argument, "The wedding's off, and all the deals we made are null and void." "What did you say?" Owen turned as pale as a sheet. Samuel's lip curled as he smiled sardonically. "You should have foreseen this result when you imprisoned Sophia, don't you think?" There was a flash of panic in Owen's eyes. What he had been worried about was happening! Three months ago, Aaron had been backed into a corner by Samuel, so he had brought Sophia to Owen and asked Owen to help him escape from Elderstone. That was when Owen found out about Sophia's existence. Sophia's looks could not compare with the striking beauty of Shirley, but she had a certain charm that made men inevitably want to protect her. She was innocent and looked delicate, evoking tenderness in anyone who saw her. After Owen saw Sophia, he was afraid that the relationship between Shirley and Samuel would change, so he hid Sophia and began to urge Shirley and Samuel to get married. Owen had been planning to come clean to Samuel after the wedding, but Sophia had gone missing the night before, and no one knew where she was. Owen had only wanted the wedding that day to go smoothly without any unexpected occurrences. If they could get safely through the day, he would tell Samuel everything. However, the things he had been worried about had happened. "Samuel, listen to me. I'll explain this to you, but this is a joyful day for you and Shirley. Don't hurt Shirley's feelings with your impulsiveness," he said. "I told you that the wedding is canceled." Samuel was unmoved, and he looked angrily at Owen. "Go away." Three months! Owen had imprisoned Sophia for three whole months, and he had been kept completely in the dark. He had thought that Sophia really was dead, and he had even been forced to agree to this marriage. Now that he thought about it, Owen had started urging them to get married exactly three months ago. That was when Sophia had fallen into his hands. Did the Weisses really think that he was an idiot? When he recalled Sophia's injuries, he was filled with hatred for Owen. If his men hadn't discovered Sophia and rescued her on time, she would have been violated by those thugs. How could Samuel just accept that? Owen was anxious and angry. "Samuel, calm down. Our family and friends are all here, and Shirley's waiting for you inside. Are you really going to let her become the laughingstock of the entire city?" "You brought this on yourself. Owen, starting from today, I will no longer have anything to do with your family." He would cut off ties with the Weisses starting from that day. When Shirley ran out, she was just in time to hear what Samuel had said. She froze on the spot and stared at the man in the sports car in a daze. Samuel had seen her, too. They were only a few feet apart, and he could see that she had gone so pale that she almost seemed like a ghost. She had always been brilliant, and now that she was all dressed up, she looked even more striking. Her white wedding gown accentuated her beauty and elegance perfectly. She had amazed him once more. A fleeting thought crossed Samuel's mind. If Shirley had never met him, she would be the most beautiful and happiest bride in the entire world. However, her bright and beautiful eyes had lost their sparkles because of him. Samuel felt a little guilty. He had still ended up disappointing her. However, Shirley was so much luckier than Sophia. Samuel looked away and turned a cold gaze on Owen. He backed the car several feet away and said icily, "I'll say it one more time. Go away." Owen thought of how happy Shirley had been just now, and his heart twisted painfully when he looked at how cold and ruthless Samuel was. He would not let anyone hurt his precious daughter, especially Samuel. He knew very well how much Shirley loved Samuel. He threw caution to the winds and said furiously to Samuel, "Samuel, if you're determined to leave, then run me over." Samuel stared menacingly at Owen for a moment and suddenly drove the car straight at him. "No!" A scream burst out of Shirley's throat. Just as everyone thought that Owen would be sent flying, the car swerved slightly and brushed past him. Owen stumbled and immediately began running after the car. "Come back! Come back, you asshole!" That asshole Samuel had actually left and dumped Shirley here. Shirley wanted to call out to Owen and tell him to stop chasing the car. Since Samuel had been ruthless enough to just dump her there, she knew his heart was not with her. What would be the point of forcing someone whose heart wasn't in it to come back? However, Shirley could not make a single sound. She could only watch silently as they got further and further away. At the intersection ahead, the car suddenly turned, and another car rushed forward. Owen was exposed and did not have time to dodge before the vehicle crashed into him. "Dad… No…." "No! Owen!" "Mrs. Weiss! Ma'am! Oh, my… She's bleeding so much! Hurry! Call the ambulance!" To Shirley at that moment, the sky looked gray, despite its actual color. … Outside the operating theater, Shirley was still wearing her expensive strapless wedding gown as she sat outside, trembling. She looked like a lifeless puppet, and she did not move at all. Her gown had been as white as snow, but now, it was stained with spots of blood. Her skin had been fair, to begin with, but the contrast of the blood made her seem as white as a sheet. The blood stained her gown and skin, appearing like bright red roses blooming. They made her beauty look frail and bewitching. Owen had just been pushed into the operating theater for emergency treatment, while Rachel had been pushed into another operating theater to induce labor. All the friends and family of the Weisses who had come with her were filled with indignance. However, they did not have the heart to say anything when they saw Shirley sitting on the chair, looking completely drained of blood. Samuel had done a terrible thing. Shirley stared dazedly at her hands, which were stained with blood. All she could think of was how Owen had been run over. She could not get rid of the memories, which kept replying in her mind. Samuel had seen it happen. He had seen Owen get run over. However, his car had only stopped momentarily before he left. He had chosen to ignore Owen's accident and just abandoned them. Who could tell Shirley what had happened? Why had Samuel changed so suddenly? Today was supposed to have been their happiest day! Before today, they had had a very good relationship. They had never fought with each other. Why did this happen? Shirley thought of that dream. Was it because of Sophia? Had she come back? What had Owen and Samuel hidden from her? Rachel was bleeding heavily, but luckily, both she and the baby girl were safe. Owen was rescued in the end, but he was in a coma because of heavy trauma to the head. The doctor comforted Rachel and Shirley. As long as Owen woke up, things would improve. However, he didn't tell them when Owen would wake up. When things had stabilized, Shirley sent their friends and family off and gave the housekeepers instructions. Throughout the entire thing, she looked unusually calm, and she was very meticulous. The housekeepers went home and brought back clean clothes for Shirley to change into. When she carried the newborn baby in her arms, tears blurred her eyes, which was unusual for her. She had never been the weepy type. After a long time, she put her little sister down and said hoarsely, "Carol, I'm going to go out for a while. Take care of them for me." Rachel had been dozing off, but she was suddenly wide awake. She looked weakly but angrily at Shirley and said, "Are you still going to see him after everything that's happened?" Shirley forced a smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I just want an answer. I'll be back very soon." She then turned and left the hospital. The moment she stepped out of the hospital, a tall and refined-looking man walked over to her, looking worried. "Shirley." It was Brook Gray. He was Samuel's good friend. Shirley looked impassively at him and said in a hoarse voice, "Why haven't you gone home?" Brook said, "I was worried about you. Are you planning to go to Moore Manor?" Shirley nodded. He said, "I'll take you there." Shirley did not refuse and got into Brook's car. When she was inside, she took out her phone. Since the accident, Samuel hadn't even sent a single message or called her at all. She lowered her eyes, and after a moment, she called Samuel's number. The call went through, but it was cut off after a few rings. Why wasn't he answering? "Brook, do you know why he wanted to leave today?" Shirley looked up at Brook. Brook knew who she was asking about, but her calm demeanor made him very uneasy. "I'm not sure. You should ask him personally about these things." Shirley could see her reflection clearly in Brook's eyes. She looked completely devoid of energy, and she was as pale as a ghost. She turned to look out of the window and did not say anything else. … An hour passed. Samuel was eating dinner with Billy and Sophia at Moore Manor. Sophia had woken up at noon, and she still looked very frail. She was overly pale and looked sick. She was pale because she hadn't been allowed to see the sun for many years. "Mr. Moore, Ms. Weiss is here." A housekeeper came in from outside and stopped beside Samuel. Samuel ignored him. He put more food on Sophia's plate. They were all her favorite foods from when they were children. Sophia smiled and looked as happy as a child. However, she still had a feminine allure to her, and she touched his heart. There was a fond look in Samuel's eyes. "Eat more of this if you like it." After a moment, the housekeeper said again, "Mr. Moore, Ms. Weiss is still outside." Samuel thought of what Owen had done and said icily, "I won't see her." He had just finished speaking when Shirley strode in. Behind her, Brook appeared, carrying two injured bodyguards. When Sophia saw the strangers, she immediately stood up in fright. Her pretty face turned white at once, and she looked like a frightened deer. Shirley stood there in a daze. It was really Sophia. She was back! Samuel glanced at Shirley and got up to take the frightened Sophia in his arms. He comforted her softly, "It's alright. Don't be scared. They're my friends." "Oh, they're your friends." Sophia gave Shirley a friendly smile. She looked innocent and naive, and her eyes were bright and clear. It stung Shirley to look at her. She had been with Samuel for so many years, but it was the first time she had ever felt so threatened by another woman. Sophia's beauty was pure and untainted by the world. She was like a white rose, with the kind of innocent beauty that could never be blasphemed. She was the kind of entity that every man had hidden in their hearts. What was laughable was that Shirley had not known when Sophia had returned. What kind of fiancée was she? "I'm sorry, Mr. Moore. We couldn't stop them." The bodyguards hung their heads in shame. Samuel glanced at Brook and looked back at Shirley once more. He was silent for a few seconds before he said to her, "Come with me." His voice was as warm and impassive as always, as if nothing had happened. Shirley did not move an inch. She pointed at Sophia. "You left our wedding because of her?" Perhaps he felt that she was being offensive to Sophia, as there was a cold note in Samuel's voice as he said, "Let's talk upstairs." "We'll talk here," Shirley said obstinately. Samuel looked calmly at her and said nothing for a long time. "Let's go, Soph." Billy led Sophia outside. The housekeepers and bodyguards withdrew tactfully, and soon, Shirley and Samuel were the only ones left in the living room. "You left our wedding because of her?" Shirley asked again when they had all gone. "Do you really not know?" Samuel stared fixedly at Shirley, and there was a scornful look in his eyes. "Your father imprisoned her for three months at the old Weiss mansion. All those injuries on her are thanks to you. How is it possible that you don't know who she is?" Owen had imprisoned Sophia? It was exactly like that dream, except that Samuel hadn't gone looking for anyone to violate her. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've never seen her." Shirley's face was open and honest. She did not know whether or not Owen had been keeping Sophia imprisoned, but it was true that she did not know anything about Sophia or what had happened to her. "Then, tell me. Why did my father imprison her?" She wasn't an idiot. If Samuel did not have any feelings for Sophia, why would Owen have imprisoned her for no reason? Samuel had told her back then that he only treated Sophia well because he saw her like a little sister. However, he had run away from their wedding today because of Sophia and abandoned their six-year relationship. Samuel's eyes were searching. "You really don't know?" Shirley laughed self-deprecatingly. Her voice was dry and hoarse. "Samuel, it seems that we've never truly known each other despite the long years we've been together." She had been so sure of him, and she had thought that she was the one who knew him best. It was only today that she realized how wrong she had been.