October 28, 2024. One chapter only. The next update will be tomorrow.
Renee was brimming with tears, overwhelmed with happiness. She looked around and saw Riley to her left with Adrian and the rest of the family. Yes, Raelyn and Charles had also come from Dowel to witness Anthony’s proposal. Linda was also present, as were the caretakers of Anthony’s mansion. Some of Adrian’s business partners also came. “Say yes, Aunt Renee.” Turning behind her, Renee saw Zia clapping her hands. The most surprising part was that their therapists and doctors were also present. “Oh, my god,” Renee said. Returning her attention to Anthony, she smiled and said, “Yes, I would love to marry you.”Anthony’s handsome face formed a smile. He removed the ring from the velvet box and placed it on Renee’s finger. Then, he stood up, embraced her tightly, and said, “Thank you. I love you so much.”“I love you too,” Renee answered before pulling away. They shared a brief yet sweet kiss before Anthony turned to everyone and said, “Say hello to my fiance, everyone!”“Congratulation
The wedding in Las Vegas was easy to accomplish. Renee and Anthony acquired their marriage licenses before booking their nuptials, and they attended not one but two express weddings. For their first wedding, they booked a drive-through ceremony. Renee was dressed in a simple white gown, while Anthony was driving a luxury sedan, clad in a suit. They went through a beautiful tunnel of love with paintings on the ceiling before having the ceremony through a drive-through window. They saved the Elvis wedding for last, and Renee found the whole experience endlessly amusing. Elvis himself walked her down the four-meter aisle, sang every song—from the wedding march to the finale—and even acted as the officiant and event organizer. Luckily, there was a separate photographer to capture the moments, but beyond that, Elvis took care of everything himself.Renee and Anthony exchanged vows the Elvis way. They each posed like Elvis, simulating the words and even a Southern accent.Elvis Officiant:
“Excuse me?” Renee asked, utterly shocked by Danica’s behavior. “I don’t mean to be rude, but when I saw you watching my husband, I just made an assumption,” Danica chuckled, slipping her arms around Harvey’s. “Harvey and I have been married for twenty-five years, and his success as Vice President of HN Supermarket has drawn unnecessary attention from women. I’m just protecting what’s mine.”“That’s not true,” Harvey objected. “Margaret, I’m sorry -”“Of course it is!” Danica reacted. “Okay.” Renee had a complicated expression on her face as she replied, “Go ahead and do that. Protect what’s yours, but don’t jump to conclusions based on a mere few seconds of encounter between me and your husband.”“Sure, okay,” Danica answered. “It just looked that way to me. After all, I remember how you were so in love with Harvey that you stalked him.”Danica laughed at the recollection, which prompted her husband to warn her, “Danica? That was a long time ago.”“Harvey is right. That was a long t
Renee was used to Anthony’s good looks, but perhaps her old friend’s reaction made him appear more attractive. As Anthony walked, he looked confident. He was impeccably dressed. His suit was tailored precisely, fitting him like a second skin. His Rolex watch added an understated opulence to his presence. He radiated a natural charisma and poise that made him both intriguing and undeniably attractive. “Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Margaret’s hottie husband is here,” Jana said, looking like she was hyperventilating. “Jana, stop it! You are fucking married! Haha!” Sarah scolded her friend. “What?” Danica reacted. Her eyes shone in envy as she studied Anthony. She looked past him, searching for someone else, saying, “That can’t be him.”Alice was about to speak, but they soon heard Anthony talking to the mayor. He said, “Mayor Lawson, I’m eager for you to meet my wife, Renee.” Anthony looked like he was about to extend his hand to Renee when Danica laughed her heart out. She said, “See! Hi
It could not be helped. Anthony excused himself to make the call. Renee remained in her seat, watching him from afar. Danica suddenly asked, “What is your husband doing?”“He is, um, probably calling Kyle Wright, you know, the CEO of the Wright Diamond Corporation,” Renee said. At first, Danica frowned. Harvey had the same reaction, but eventually, Danica laughed again. She voiced, “Nice try. Haha. You and the Wrights must be that close. Pfft! Haha!”“Me? Not really. They are good friends with my daughter,” Renee said. Sometimes, she still called Riley her daughter because it felt like it. Nothing has truly changed between them. Again, Danica stilled. Harvey was starting to look pale. However, Danica continued to look down on her, saying, “You know what? I will tell my aunt that someone like you is using the name of the Wrights, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”Danica called her aunt on the phone, rolling her eyes while she was at it. While talking to her aunt, she snapped at
“Hello, Aunt?” Danica answered the call.“Danica! What did you do? The CEO of the Wright Diamond Corporation himself called me,” her aunt said on the other line. “We are in trouble.”Glancing sideways at Margaret, Danica caught her eyeing her as if she was eavesdropping on her conversation. Her brows met, and she rose from her seat, taking the call elsewhere. As she strode, her aunt revealed, “I did not know all the company’s business partners, and apparently, the Diamond Hotels collaborated with the King family of Halliport! The CEO said you had offended them, Danica!”At those words, Danica froze in her tracks. She realized that Margaret had not been bluffing when she said her husband was calling Kyle Wright!“Oh, my god,” Danica said, taking deep breaths as she found the venue’s exit. “I can’t breathe.”“Mr. Wright found out that I had hired a family member as a consultant, who lived cities away! He said it was unreasonable and costly because we are also paying for your travel expe
Harvey mostly stayed the same. He was still handsome. His brown hair, touched with streaks of gray, suggested he had matured nicely. Looking into Renee’s eyes, he revealed, “It’s true, I searched for you.”“You probably did not know this, but even after we broke up, I still checked on you,” Harvey said. “I don’t know why at the beginning. It took me a long time to realize I regretted leaving you.”“You and Danica were so different,” Harvey shared. “At first, it was exciting. Danica was stylish and knew how to get along with my friends, but I discovered she was self-absorbed. It was always about her. Then, she was always paranoid too. She was constantly checking my phone and calling my office. It was suffocating -”“Why did you marry her then,” Renee curiously asked. “My parents preferred her and -” Harvey looked down, admitting, “I got her pregnant.”“When you disappeared, it made me panic,” Harvey disclosed. “There was this uneasiness within me after learning I could no longer see yo
“Peach,” Renee named what was under Riley’s covered plate. She pointed to Liza’s plate and said, “Blue cheese. It’s so obvious.”“What about mine?” Raelyn asked. She took a peek at what she had covered before smirking at Renee. “Make a wild guess.”Renee sniffed the hell out of what was on Raelyn’s plate. She smirked and revealed, “It’s coffee, either beans or powder.”Raelyn gasped and uncovered her plate. Everyone around the table was astonished! Renee’s friend, Alice, said, “You have developed superpowers!”“Okay, what about mine?” Alice asked as she looked down at her plate. It had already been covered by another plate. Renee was seated next to her friend, Alice, so it was easy to say what it was. She said, “I ate that earlier. It’s the bacon-wrapped asparagus!”Yet again, after Alice revealed the food under her plate, everyone’s eyes rounded. Riley echoed, “Indeed, superpowers!”Zia, who was seated next to Riley, chuckled. She did not say anything but glanced at Renee meaningfull