The next day, I put on a neat dress, getting ready to leave this place.
The real estate agency had already given me a clear answer. In three more days, this villa would be completely handed over to someone else.
I took hold of my suitcase, raised my head, and prepared to leave.
But my son’s girlfriend, Eulalie, suddenly showed up, looking at me with clear displeasure. “Aunt, the wedding is about to begin. Why are you still here? Is the gift ready? I’m going to open it right there later.”
While she talked, she ignored my struggles and dragged me straight to the wedding area.
When I saw the seat arranged for me at the wedding site, and Eulalie’s expression that allowed no refusal, I fought against it again and again, but in the end, I still remained.
After today, I would never see Jaxon again. A mother not missing her child’s wedding might have been the last gift I could give him.
With this thought, I began searching for a wedding gift I could hand to them.
Just then, a pair of hands suddenly pulled me up.
“What are you doing here?”
I jolted, and when I looked up, it was my son’s angry face.
He dragged me away from the seat and shouted, “This seat wasn’t set aside for you! How can you sit wherever you like? Why are you here? I don’t remember inviting you to my wedding!”
“I…” My voice quivered as I pointed at the card on the table that read “Mother.”
“Isn’t this seat for me? Am I not your mother?”
My son released a cold, sharp laugh.
“You already divorced my dad. This seat is for Aunt Gwynne. My mother now is, of course, Aunt Gwynne!”
I felt my whole body freeze.
“I took care of you for more than twenty years,” I said in a soft, strained voice.
“But you divorced my dad,” he said again, as if the moment I ended things with Ezekiel, I lost the right to call myself his mother.
“I was the one who raised you, I was the one who gave birth to you!”
I yelled without thinking, my body shaking all over.
My son stared at me like I was acting out for no reason.
Then I heard footsteps behind him as Ezekiel came closer with Gwynne holding a bunch of gifts.
“Heather? What are you doing here?” Ezekiel frowned.
“Forget it. Since she’s here, son, give her a seat. That spot over there is fine.”
Ezekiel motioned toward a corner chair like he was offering me a leftover place.
Gwynne nodded as well, as though she thought this was some sort of big honor for me.
“The wedding is starting soon,” she said gently, “older sister, don’t create trouble at a time like this.”
When I looked at all of them, my heart went entirely cold.
“No need,” I replied evenly. “I’m not so sad that I must attend a wedding where no one welcomes me.”
After speaking, I pushed my numb legs forward and tried to leave.
But Gwynne held onto me without stopping. She pulled at my clothes with force while frowning.
“Heather, stop now. I’ll hand you my seat.”
I tried with all the strength I had, but my power wasn’t equal to hers.
In our struggle, the dress I wore made a loud tearing noise.
The next moment, the dress ripped open fully, leaving me exposed in front of everyone.
“Ah!” I screamed, covering myself.
But Gwynne acted guilty and said, “Heather, I didn’t mean to.”
Ezekiel and my son looked at me with disgust, and at that moment, my older brothers rushed over.
“Enough! Heather, are you trying to ruin your son’s wedding completely? Get out right now!”
Ezekiel seized my arm with clear dislike, as though seeing me would infect him, and he tossed me out.
People around started pointing at me.
Ezekiel and my son even slammed the wedding doors shut, just to make sure I could not enter again.
It felt like my feet were on knives as I walked back to the villa, dazed.
