Chapter 4

Troy furrowed his brows, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the cold, arrogant tone in the woman's voice.

Just as he was about to speak, May stood up beside him, her eyes filled with excitement and tears. "Troy, is this really our daughter-in-law? She's absolutely gorgeous!"

Gordon's face lit up with a proud smile, his eyes reddening slightly. "Troy, we're blessed! Finding a woman like this... The rest of the family is going to be so proud!"

May wiped away her tears, quickly turning to Gordon. "Honey, go get some water for the lady. I'll bring out the chairs."

Gordon, with effort, leaned on his cane and made his way toward the house, his face beaming with joy.

May hurried inside, grabbed a few chairs, and rushed back to where the woman stood. With a polite, almost fawning smile, she said, "Sweetheart, I found you a chair. Please, sit down."

The woman gave May a long, cold stare, her eyes narrowing as she scanned May from head to toe. Without saying a word, her face grew increasingly colder, her brow furrowing deeper.

May, feeling a bit flustered, quickly wiped off the seat with her sleeve, smiling even more ingratiatingly.

"I've cleaned the chairs, dear. You can sit. Don't stand for too long."

Before she could say more, the woman shot her a look of utter disdain, voice sharp and biting.

"Take this filthy thing away. It reeks!"

The entire courtyard fell into stunned silence.

May's smile instantly froze on her face. Gordon, who was holding the water, stopped in his tracks, equally stunned.

May's face flushed with embarrassment, shifting from red to white. She forced a smile and tried to explain, "Sweetheart, I promise I cleaned it. It's not dirty."

The woman's icy glare shifted to Gordon, her expression hardening as she stretched out her hand and slapped the water right out of his grasp. It shattered on the ground with a loud crash.

Then, she coldly addressed them both.

"Who gave you the right to call me your 'dear' or 'sweetheart'? You overestimated yourselves! You should take a good look in the mirror sometime. Do you see how pathetic you are? Poor, dirty, and disgusting—you're so shameless!"

Gordon and May stood frozen, speechless, their eyes beginning to water at the cruel words.

The woman then turned her icy gaze to Troy, her face as cold as ever.

"You're Troy?"

Troy's smile, which had been present only moments before, faded without a trace, replaced by an icy, chilling demeanor.

His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, his vision blurring with rage as he rasped, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

The woman looked Troy up and down, a mocking smile curling on her lips.

"Wow, I've really been fooled these past couple of years! I thought you were someone important, but you're just a useless punk. A complete waste of space."

She pulled out a marriage contract from her bag, and with a flick of her wrist, threw it at Troy's face.

"This is for you. By the way, I'm Hannah Pierpoint, and I'm here to break the engagement."

The courtyard fell into pin-drop silence. Everyone was stunned.

The woman shot Troy a disgusted glance, her voice as cold as ice.

"Don't blame me. You have no one to blame but yourself! We did some checking on the way here. You've got no background. You're just some lowlife, a worthless nobody. If I had known, I never would've agreed to the engagement in the first place. I'll give you some money as compensation, but you have to keep this quiet. It's a disgrace for me, and I'd rather forget this whole thing ever happened."

The courtyard remained eerily still. Troy stood there, his fists tightening around the contract in his hand.

It was a slap in the face—so sharp, so cruel.

"So, she came all the way here just to break the engagement... This whole family really thought she wanted to marry Troy?"

"Yeah, exactly! You can tell she'd never fall for someone like Troy. My son's a graduate of a prestigious college, and even he can't find a girl. Why would she want him?"

"Look at them now! They were bragging earlier, and now their true colors are showing. They deserved it!"

"Honestly, it's a little sad for Troy. He's a good kid, but he really doesn't have much to offer. No wonder she doesn't want him."

The neighbors' voices began to rise with judgment, but Troy stood still with his fists tightened, his nails digging into his palm.

May and Gordon lowered their heads, tears welling in their eyes.

Their son hadn't lied to them. He had a fiancée.

The harsh truth was, the woman didn't want anything to do with them because they were poor.

May's eyes, already filled with tears, grew blurry as she trembled. Without warning, she sank to her knees.

Troy's heart clenched in pain, his eyes filled with fiery anguish. "Mom, what are you doing? Get up, please!"

May, still kneeling, looked up at Hannah with tearful eyes. "Please, I beg you. Don't break the engagement. Troy may not have money, but he's a good kid. He's honest, hardworking, and will treat you right. Please, don't break off the engagement."

"Mom, please, get up!"

Troy tried to help May up, but she wiped her tears, still speaking through her sobs.

"Troy, this is our fault. If your father and I were more capable, this wouldn't have happened. It's our fault she doesn't want you."

Troy's heart was breaking.

His eyes were red, and with a hoarse voice, he whispered, "Mom, it's not your fault. Please, just get up."

May, still kneeling before Hannah, grabbed her hand desperately. "Please, I beg you... Give my son a chance. Please."

Hannah recoiled, her face twisted with disgust. She violently jerked her hand away from May. "Get away from me, you filthy old hag! You stink! Have some dignity!"

Troy's eyes turned ice-cold, and he locked his gaze on Hannah. "Who are you calling an old hag?"

Hannah shivered under his stare, struck by a sudden wave of fear. His eyes were like ice, chilling her to the bone. Her face paled, but she stood her ground, sneering.

"I'm talking about your mother. Not only is she old, but she's also a filthy beggar! All of you are disgusting—poor and miserable!"

The moment those words left her lips, Troy's expression twisted with rage. An overwhelming, suffocating coldness surrounded him. The very air seemed to have turned to ice.

His anger erupted like a storm. In an instant, he was right in front of Hannah, his hand reaching for her throat with terrifying speed.

"How dare you insult my parents! You're asking for it!"