“Seems like everything is over,” Amora thought, slumping weakly.
She tried to stifle her sobs by biting her lip hard. The decision just made by the head of the Walden family had left Amora in shock.
All she could do was silently mourn Kelvin Walden's words. Tears streamed down her cheeks once more.
Even though Kelvin had made his decision, Amora’s grandfather still tried to persuade him. Charlie couldn’t accept the decision just like that.
“Mr. Walden, let’s discuss this further. I know you and Mrs. Walden are very angry about this. I’m humiliated as well. However, we have already dispatched the invitations. How can we cancel it just like that?” Charlie Lysander pleaded.
As an elder, it was embarrassing for Charlie to bow his head to someone younger. However, he had no other choice because canceling the wedding would damage the family’s reputation.
Charlie, on the other hand, didn't want to lose a 'gold mine' like the Walden family. He had once thought of expanding his business by establishing kinship with them. Unfortunately, Amora had ruined the plans he had devised long ago.
“Then, what do you propose, Mr. Lysander? You don’t intend to force me to accept your granddaughter, who is no longer a virgin, as my daughter-in-law, do you?”
Kelvin stared directly at the head of the Lysander family. As a younger man, he still tried to respect the elders. However, if Charlie insisted, he would not hesitate to oppose him.
The Walden family would still face shame if they canceled the wedding, but that shame was nothing compared to the disgrace the Lysander family would face because of Amora’s actions.
Charlie fell silent. He had no good solution to cover up and make amends for his youngest granddaughter’s mistake. “I—"
“What if Bianca replaces Amora, Father?”
All eyes immediately turned to a middle-aged woman who had been sitting in the room all this time. She was Julia Brown, the only daughter-in-law of the Lysander family. A calm smile adorned Julia’s face as she saw everyone’s attention on her.
“What did you say, Julia?” asked Mario Lysander, Julia’s husband.
Mario was Charlie’s eldest son. He was shocked to hear his wife’s suggestion.
So was their daughter, Bianca Lysander. “Mom, why—”
Julia immediately pinched her daughter’s arm as a signal for her not to interfere. Julia glanced at Amora, who was staring at her in disbelief. However, Julia pretended not to see her and turned her attention to her father-in-law.
"The wedding will still take place. Only the bride will be changed, and at least, this can reduce the embarrassment compared to canceling the wedding. If Mr. and Mrs. Walden do not mind, I think this is a good decision for both families. Don’t you agree?" Julia said with a tone that sounded wise.
Hearing her aunt’s words, Amora was stunned. She couldn’t believe her uncle’s wife would use this opportunity to elevate her and her daughter’s status in the Walden family’s eyes.
Kelvin Walden seemed to consider the daughter-in-law’s words, then turned to his wife and said, “I think Mrs. Julia’s suggestion isn’t bad either, dear. What do you think?”
Cassandra’s eyes immediately shifted to Bianca. Julia’s daughter looked very confused by her mother’s actions.
Cassandra had heard about Bianca before. Bianca wasn’t as smart or beautiful as Amora. However, what mattered most to Cassandra was that Bianca was more obedient compared to Amora.
Slowly, Cassandra’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. She thought Bianca Lysander was more suitable to stand beside her son, as she fit her ideal daughter-in-law criteria all this time.
Kelvin Walden’s wife then said, “I agree. At least Bianca is much better than a woman who can’t keep her virginity.”
Amora was stunned by the sharp words of Cassandra, who had now turned into her former potential mother-in-law. Her heart felt deeply wounded. Cassandra was rubbing salt into her wounds.
But the pain didn’t compare to the betrayal her aunt had committed. Amora’s brow furrowed as she saw the triumphant smirk on her uncle’s wife’s face.
“Aunt Julia? Could it be that all of this ....”
Amora was startled by the thought that crossed her mind. Reflecting on everything that had happened, Amora was sure of one thing. Everything that had befallen her was part of her aunt’s cunning plan!
Though Julia always acted kind to her, Amora had always felt the hatred masked by her aunt’s fake smiles.
Amora had sensed Julia’s hatred long ago, but she thought she was just being overly worried. Now, Amora saw for herself how her uncle’s wife had destroyed her to the point where she had no right to speak in the family.Sadly, Amora couldn’t express her suspicions to anyone. She had no solid evidence. If she spoke wrongly, she could be accused of slandering Julia. She also had no standing to speak, as she was now considered a disgraceful woman.
A glimmer of hope seemed to light up Amora’s heart when she heard Chris say, “Mom, I can’t marry Bianca.”
Chris' words brought a sense of relief to Amora's heart. At least some affection remained in his heart for her, even if she no longer felt worthy of being by his side.On the other hand, Cassandra's face turned bitter. "Why? Do you still want to marry that filthy woman?" she snapped.Cassandra angrily pointed her finger at Amora, who felt cornered by her harsh words.A long sigh escaped Chris' lips. He tried to answer calmly, "It's not like that, Mom. I don't love Bianca. How could you ask me to marry her?""Love can grow later," Cassandra replied curtly.Chris' eyes widened at his mother's words. "Mom!"Cassandra was shocked for a few seconds as Chris's voice began to rise. However, she quickly resumed her threats, "If you don't want to see me die in front of you, you'd better do as I say."This time Chris seemed at a loss. His jaw tightened. Though he disliked his mother's arrangement, he no longer argued against it.Chris' eyes met Amora's, who looked at him with disappointment. Un
[Seven Years Later]"Hey, bastard!"A small, handsome boy stopped in his tracks as a chubby classmate blocked the entrance to his classroom. He stared directly at the boy with a blank expression.The handsome boy, named Rayden Lysander, sighed softly. It wasn't the first time his friend had called him that crude name. As usual, he decided to ignore his friend's taunt.Rayden started to move forward again, but the round-faced boy spread his arms wide, blocking Rayden's path."Didn't you hear me, bastard?!" shouted Benjamin Brown, the chubby boy."Are you talking to me, Ben?" Rayden asked innocently.Benjamin's face turned red, feeling mocked by Rayden. "Who else would be the bastard here if not you?" he said, jabbing his finger repeatedly into Rayden's chest.Rayden's eyebrows knitted together. He looked at Benjamin with disinterest. He had promised his mother to behave well at school and be someone she could be proud of. However, Benjamin's behavior toward him had become increasingly a
“Amora, please clean the floor in corridor four later!”A middle-aged woman called her subordinate, who was arranging some food in a display case. The young woman, dressed in a store clerk's uniform and named Amora Lysander, turned her head.“A kid spilled their drink earlier,” the woman continued. She was Della Houston, the manager of WW Mart, where Amora worked.“Sure, Mrs. Houston. I’ll head there right after this,” Amora replied.Della then continued to check other areas of the store for product completeness, cleanliness, and operational efficiency.A tired sigh escaped Amora’s lips. She had been working since five in the morning and hadn’t had a chance to take a sip of water. The convenience store she worked at was open 24 hours a day. Located in a busy area, it wasn’t surprising that many customers came to shop there.Despite her exhaustion, Amora couldn’t complain. Her
“Look, the stain is getting bigger!”The schoolgirl snatched her shoe from Amora’s hand, her face twisted in anger. Amora knew the girl was just looking for a reason to cause trouble.Amora didn’t understand why the girl was targeting her, but she decided to handle the situation calmly. She didn’t want to get riled up by this arrogant teenager.Amora sighed deeply. She acknowledged that the stain on the girl’s shoe had spread because she had rubbed it earlier.“If you want compensation, I can’t afford it,” Amora admitted. She took the shoe back from the girl and continued, “But if you give me some time, I can clean it at home later.”The girl looked frustrated, but she couldn’t push Amora any further with all the other customers watching her.The whispers from the onlookers about her behavior started to make her uncomfortable. Amora was willing to take responsibility, an
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."Amora had just arrived at her son's school. She entered the teachers' lounge, where she saw Rayden's homeroom teacher sitting with a woman who looked elite from head to toe.Unlike Amora, who arrived looking disheveled from dust and sweat clinging to her body. However, she still smiled confidently."It's okay, ma'am. Please have a seat."Daisy Miller, Rayden Lysander's homeroom teacher, invited Amora to sit with her. She then explained the issue involving the two students to the two women sitting in front of her in the room."That's the story, Mrs. Lysander. I've heard that Rayden started the fight," Daisy said, having received this information from her students.She didn't know that all these lies were born from the pressure Benjamin exerted on his classmates every day. Of course, Daisy was also pressured by Benjamin's biological mother before Amora arrived in the room.After listening to the homeroom teacher
“Showing off?”Amora chuckled softly at Lisa's remark. Lisa was taken aback by Amora's response to her arrogance.Amora knew that since she was cast out by her grandfather, she was nobody and had no right to show off in front of Lisa Taylor. Her entire life changed once she was deemed a disgrace to the Lysander family name.Unfortunately, Lisa underestimated her.Amora Lysander was no longer the naive girl who cried over her fate. She had become a resilient woman, ready to face any storm head-on. She did it all for her precious child, whom she always protected.The stain and humiliation she endured seven years ago profoundly changed her life. Amora had fallen deeply into despair, once considering ending her life due to the shame and mockery from the Lysander family and her social circle.But that pain paled in comparison to watching the man she loved marry her cousin.Amora's calm eyes gradually sharpened, making Lisa's ar
Amora's eyes narrowed sharply. She couldn't believe Lisa would casually expose her disgrace like this. She knew that woman was deliberately attacking her weakness with harsh words, unfiltered from her thick lips.Amora wasn't surprised at all by Lisa's words. Given their family history, it wasn't shocking that Lisa knew her disgrace.Even though her grandfather had tried his best to cover it up, a disgrace is still a disgrace. It was always prime fodder for gossip like Lisa. Without investigating, Amora was sure someone within the Lysander family had spread her disgrace without her grandfather's knowledge.Lisa thought Amora would be provoked by her words, but Amora had no intention of denying it."Why? The cat has your tongue now, huh? You should be aware of your place, Amora. You're no longer the Lysander family's prized young lady. Giving birth to a bastard child isn't something to be proud of," Lisa continued with a mocking tone.Before Amora c
“Mom, is your face okay?”Amora paused as she was fastening her son’s helmet. She could see the worry in her son’s eyes.His little hand gently touched Amora’s reddened right cheek. Not wanting to worry him, Amora gave him a broad smile.“I am fine, Ray. It doesn’t hurt at all. It seems like you’re in more pain than me,” Amora said, cupping her son’s face in both hands.Her heart ached to see the bruises and scratches on her beloved son’s face. “How dare those kids hurt my handsome boy. I should have taught them a harder lesson,” she muttered.Amora inspected Rayden’s knees and arms, her chest tightening when she found a bruise on his elbow. "Does it hurt, Ray?" she asked anxiously.Rayden didn’t answer; his head hung low. He looked very remorseful for involving his mother and causing her to be slapped by Benjamin’s mother.“I’m sorry, Mo