Such was Carol's personality, and Calla couldn't do anything about it. Thus, she let Carol be. Just as she was thinking this, Calla felt a little nauseous. She was probably about to vomit again. Thus, she briefly gave Carol a heads-up and quickly got up to go to the bathroom.After retching for a while, she tidied herself up and left the bathroom. When she reached the banquet hall's entrance, Calla saw a large flower basket at the door. It had a ribbon that read, "Mercer Garland wishes the newlyweds a lifetime of joy".Seeing this flower basket, Calla couldn't help but be stunned. She was unable to recover from the shock for a while. Why would Mercer send a flower basket to Ethan and Eleanor? She lowered her head and thought for a moment. Mercer must have had some sort of interaction with them at work, so he sent a flower basket to congratulate them. As for attending the banquet, someone as high-profiled as him naturally wouldn't bother."Mrs. Garland, you're here too?"Cal
"Your daughters are all grown up now, alright? Stop using them as an excuse. I see you're deliberately trying to reconcile with Rudy. You're truly shameless," Jill accused Carol.Seeing Carol being bullied by Jill again, Calla couldn't bear it anymore. She rushed over and pointed at Jill, angrily rebuking, "You were a homewrecker back then. You broke our family. Now you have the nerve to speak ill of others? I think you're the most shameless one here.""Calla, you're much younger. How can you talk to your stepmom like this?" Rudy stepped forward to scold Calla. Seeing Rudy, who appeared so righteous at this moment, Calla sneered. "You're not my father anymore. Why would I have a stepmom? Don't make me feel nauseous. I have nothing to do with you shameless people.""You… you're really trying to upset me, aren't you?" Rudy clutched his chest with his left hand, pretending to be in pain. If Carol wasn't anxious before, she was now. She pulled Calla—who spoke up for her—and said, "C
At this critical moment, a figure appeared. The figure used his strong arm to push Peggy aside, causing her to stumble. Jill, on the other hand, ended up landing on the marble floor. She grimaced in pain as soon as she hit the ground.Calla not only avoided being hit but also heard a few ghostly cries in her ears. When she opened her eyes, she was astonished to find Mercer standing beside her. Jill and Peggy were in a sorry state. "Are you okay?" Mercer extended his arm to support the nervous Calla."I… I'm fine," Calla replied, still trying to recover from the shock.Why did he intervene? Wasn't he afraid of exposing their relationship? The agreement clearly stated that they were to be in a covert marriage. Carol saw the man supporting Calla, noticing his handsome and dignified appearance. She put two and two together, deducing that this man had to be her son-in-law.At the next moment, Carol ran up to him and smiled. "Mercer, you're back from your business trip?"Mercer di
Calla stared blankly at the so-called wedding ring in Mercer's hand. It was a silver ring with numerous diamonds embedded in it, shimmering like stars. Though it didn't have a single large centerpiece, she knew it was quite valuable."Let me help you put it on." Mercer affectionately took Calla's hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger. At that moment, Calla's heart raced. She looked up at the person holding her hand, only to see him curling his lips, giving her a gentle smile she had never seen before. Mercer had never been so gentle in front of her. Calla felt her goosebumps rise, but instantly pulled herself together. Right, they were just acting now. He was helping her retaliate against Peggy. She shouldn't be acting so foolishly.Soon, Calla's hand was intertwined with Mercer's. She playfully pouted as she said, "I thought I lost the ring. You scared me half to death.""It's my fault for not returning it to you earlier," Mercer said with a face full of tenderness. He wa
Calla knew she couldn't reason with Carol, so she turned and walked outside instead. Rudy still wore a smile as he said to Mercer, "Mercer, we should have a good chat next time.""Sure," Mercer nodded and turned to follow Calla.Calla and Carol both got into Mercer's Bentley. Simon was driving in the front, and Mercer sat in the passenger seat today. Calla and Carol sat side by side in the back.Carol glanced at the luxurious interior and smiled. She asked, "Mercer, this car is so luxurious. It must belong to your boss, right? Wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to ride your boss' car? We'd better take a cab back instead, so as to not affect your work."This puzzled Mercer. He looked at Calla in the rearview mirror. She was at a loss for words herself, not knowing how to explain things to Carol.Just then, Simon turned to Carol and said with a smile, "Madam, Mr. Garland is the boss. This car belongs to him. As such, you and Mrs. Garland can sit however you like."These words le
At once, Mercer and Carol tried to push the envelope into each other's hands. Upon seeing them, Calla decided to just take it and stuff it into Carol's hands while saying, "Mom, this is his gift to you. If you don't take it, it means you don't accept him as your son-in-law." When she heard Calla's explanation, Carol begrudgingly accepted it. She mumbled, "In that case, alright then." However, she belatedly realized that the envelope was extremely thick. She opened it to take a peak before asking incredulously, "This is 20 thousand, isn't it? No way, this is too much!" Calla had let her guard down. She hadn't expected Mercer to give Carol so much money. Still, she immediately wiped the shocked expression from her face and persuaded, "Mom, you've been kind enough by not asking him for a million dollars in exchange for my hand in marriage. Just take it!" Calla grimaced inwardly at the offer—20 thousand dollars for her dignity and the child in her belly. A cynical part of her c
Half an hour later, Calla walked out of the house with Mercer, carrying a simple bag. The second they stepped outside, Calla complained, "Hey, why didn't you ask me whether I was willing before you dragged me out of the house?" Mercer glanced at Calla's angry expression. He continued striding forward as he remarked, "You're my wife. Of course you should live with me." Observing his undeniable dominance and the lack of bargaining power she had, Calla decided to just follow him. Still, she couldn't help but warn, "I'm telling you in advance. I have many bad habits. Perhaps in time, you won't be able to stand me." Mercer was unfazed. "When I was studying, countless people ground their teeth, burped, and farted all day. I eventually got used to it. I don't think you'll be more unbearable than those boys, will you?" He suddenly turned to look at her. Calla hadn't expected him to turn around so suddenly. She didn't have time to react and stop in her tracks. Thus, she collided wit
Mercer suddenly said, "Since we're going to put on a show, we might as well go all out. Plus, you're a grown woman. You shouldn't worry your mom anymore." Calla couldn't help the bitter smile that appeared on her face. Although she was mocking herself internally, she maintained her composure and said to Mercer, "Thank you for being so considerate." In truth, all of the care and concern he exhibited were merely an act. Calla chastised herself for being so moved because of him. How could she have been so presumptuous and planned a life with him? "You're welcome. We're legally husband and wife now, so we should compromise with each other." Mercer spoke as though he was talking about one of his business projects. Calla raised her chin to make herself appear more confident. She responded, "You're right." They had already walked to the car where Simon had taken the luggage from Mercer. The two of them got into the car, and they drove off within seconds. As the car sped through t