Chapter 4

At the gate of the small courtyard, several people came into view. Timothy looked over and saw that the person in front was a woman. A few men followed her closely.

The woman was tall and slender, with delicate features and an outstanding bearing. She would be a standout beauty in any crowd. However, she wore an exceptionally cold expression on her pretty face.

Timothy smiled lightly. It seemed Remy hadn't tricked him. She was indeed a top-notch beauty.

Upon entering the courtyard, the woman stood in the center and surveyed her surroundings. Her gaze lingered on the pile of trash in the corner, and she frowned.

Joseph and Cora were stunned at the sight of her. They had never expected their daughter-in-law to be so beautiful and elegant.

Overjoyed and tongue-tied, Cora exclaimed, "Timothy, is this the young lady you're engaged to? She's so gorgeous! I can't believe my daughter-in-law is so stunning."

Joseph was equally pleased. He added, "Good job! You've really brought honor to our family. Finding yourself such an outstanding wife is truly a blessing."

Timothy laughed and said, "Dad, Mom, what did I say? I can have any pick when it comes to finding a wife."

The tensed wrinkles on Cora's face smoothed out as she beamed with joy. She whispered to Joseph,

"Dear, let's get a chair for her to sit on. I'll get her some water."

Joseph slapped his forehead while exclaiming, "I almost forgot!"

He hurried to fetch a chair while Cora set it down and handed the woman a cup of water, smiling warmly. "You must be tired from standing. Have a seat and drink some water."

The woman glanced at Cora with a frigid expression and said nothing.

Cora realized the young woman was reluctant to sit on the old wooden chair. She quickly bent down and meticulously wiped it with her sleeve.

With a slightly embarrassed smile, she said, "I've cleaned the chair, young lady. You can sit down now."

The woman looked down at the chair and then at Cora judgmentally. She then said, "I won't sit on it. It's dirty. And did you call me your daughter-in-law just now? Look at yourself. Are you even worthy?"

With that, she slapped the mug from Cora's hand. It fell to the ground and smashed into pieces, spilling water everywhere.

With a look of disgust, she said, "Get away from me. You're filthy!"

Cora's smile froze as she stared at the broken mug on the ground.

The woman then turned her icy gaze to Timothy, her voice devoid of warmth, "Are you Timothy Yeager?"

Timothy's smile slowly faded. He looked at the woman and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, what about it?"

The woman tossed an annulment request paper at him and said coldly, "Nothing much. I'm here to inform you that our engagement is nullified. The marriage contract is void. I, Isabelle Barton, hereby cancel our engagement."

The courtyard fell into dead silence as Isabelle's words echoed in the air.

Then, her icy voice broke the silence again. "I can give you five million dollars as compensation. You can collect it from my family. My only demand is that you sign this annulment paper and never mention our engagement to anyone. It's a disgrace to me!"

She glanced at Timothy with disdain. She was the eldest young miss of the Barton family, one of the Six Great Families in Lomford City. Meanwhile, he was the son of an elderly couple who picked up trash for a living.

They were from two different worlds. How could she be his fiancée and even marry him? That was simply impossible.

The annulment paper lay at Timothy's feet. He looked down at the dirtied paper and frowned.

An annulment paper? And did she say she was canceling their engagement?

Timothy felt a deep sense of irony. This morning, he had been scorned by one woman. Now, one of his fiancées was here to break off their engagement. He felt like a clown at that moment.

Joseph and Cora were completely taken aback by this development. They had eagerly awaited their daughter-in-law's first visit, but she came to annul the engagement.

After a moment of silence, Cora put on a forced, subservient smile and pleaded, "Young lady, we can talk this over. There's no need to cancel the engagement. I know you come from a wealthy family that is much better than ours, but my son is honest, hardworking—"

"Honest? Hardworking?" Isabelle scoffed and cut her off. "That means nothing to me. I don't care about that. What I care about is your family's worth!

"Look at your house! Look at yourselves! How dare a trash-picking family dream of marrying someone from the Barton family?"

With that, Isabelle rolled her eyes and glanced at Cora with a mocking smile. "How shameless! And how dare you call me your daughter-in-law! Take a look at yourselves. Disgusting!"

Isabelle waved her hand in front of her nose as if repelled by a foul odor. Then, she looked at Cora with disdain. "Stay away from me. You reek all over. Your whole family are filthy beggars."

Cora's face became flushed for a moment before blanching. Isabelle's words stabbed into her heart like knives. Yet, Cora didn't retaliate. Instead, she continued to smile obsequiously.

She said, "You're right, young lady. I am a beggar… but… but my son Timothy is not. He's a good man who's very outstanding… Please give him a chance. Please don't annul the engagement…"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

Isabelle was beautiful and exceptional, but she looked down on them. They were holding their son back. Cora felt a deep pain as tears brimmed in her eyes. She was sad, ashamed, and aggrieved.

Cora hoped Isabelle would stay and not abandon Timothy because of their poverty. No matter how much she was humiliated, it was all worth it as long as Isabelle didn't annul her engagement with Timothy.

Upon seeing Cora beg without a shred of dignity, Timothy felt a pang in his heart. This was his mother! For his sake, she humbled herself so much.

His gaze turned icy as he looked at Isabelle. "Who are you calling beggars?"

Isabelle crossed her arms, her face full of disdain. "So what if I call you filthy beggars? Not only you, but your parents too. You're nothing but a family of filthy beggars!"

Instantly, a terrifying, icy air burst forth from Timothy.

What were the words to describe the exact feeling he gave off? Bloody, gloomy, cold, hollow, dark, sinful…

Timothy's eyes reflected the depths of hell at that moment. "Insult my parents, and you'll pay with your life!"

A fierce, sinister light flashed in Timothy's eyes as he surged forward menacingly, ready to strike!