They stood up. “Ms. Dickerson, if this is your singlehood wedding, then there's no reason for us to be here.”
Her fans erupted instantly.
“What's that supposed to mean? Sticking up for this pathetic clingy loser?”
Ruby turned her back to the crowd and grabbed at me. “Miles, if they leave, I'll be all over social media getting torn apart.”
Her fingers tugged at the hem of my jacket, shaking it back and forth.
But when her fans called me a pathetic loser, she didn't say a word.
I turned to the business partners who'd stood up for me：“Stay. Sit down. You didn't bring gift money for nothing. Today really is my wedding.”
Ruby pinched my arm hard. “That's not what this is! Do you have to marry me today? Come on, Miles.”
Sebastian suddenly stood. “Miles, a man's supposed to have some class. Since when are you this overbearing?”
I looked at him and smiled. Finally showing his true face.
My son had told me what happened after Ruby and Sebastian worked together to drain me dry. They didn't live happily ever after.
Sebastian only wanted to use her to steal my money.
Once he had it, he burned through everything—kept pretty actresses around, then married some young college girl on the side. Ruby and the child were swept out the door.
“You really think I'd love a woman Miles Henson already used up? Who even knows whose kid a slut like you is carrying.”
So now Sebastian was standing up for her. The only reason was simple: my money still wasn't in his pocket yet, but Ruby's influencer income—hundreds of thousands a month—was already landing in his account.
“Overbearing?”
I let out a cold laugh.
A large group of people swept through the hotel entrance. I smiled and greeted them.
Ruby went pale. “Why is your whole family here? I'm not joking around, Miles. I am not marrying you today.”
I waved my parents to their seats.
Ruby's fans lost it. “He's forcing her to marry him! Freeloader!”
Security was already asking them to vacate their seats. The fans refused. “What the hell is this? We're calling the cops!”
Ruby was seething. “Miles, do you have to cause a scene today? I'll make it up to you with a wedding later, all right?”
She shoved me back and screamed at the crowd below：“He's an obsessive pursuer who's been pressuring me to marry him! I never agreed, and now he's trying to force it!”
Her fans rallied behind her, some of them already shoving my family members.
My parents came up to me. “Miles, what……what's going on here?”
They glanced at Ruby a few times but didn't dare say anything.
My parents had met Ruby before. Every time, she'd been sweet, warm, attentive. Now she was pointing in their faces and screaming：“What kind of parents raised a son like this?!”
My parents were getting older. All they wanted was to see me married, to have grandchildren.
I steadied them. “Go sit back down.”
Ruby's fans wouldn't give up their seats, so my family ended up shuffled to other tables at the edges of the room. Dishes were brought out and set down in front of them there.
Sebastian came up onto the stage too. He leaned close to my ear.
“Miles, what's gotten into you today?”
I shook him off and gave him one long look.
“Funny. You're dressed just like the groom.”
His expression locked up. “What are you talking about? Ruby said I should come as her public rival. That way I can sit in the audience and the fans won't get suspicious.”
The emcee opened his mouth. “Welcome, everyone, to the wedding of Miles Henson.”
Ruby and Sebastian traded a look.
Down below, the fans exploded. Phones were already up, livestreaming the whole thing to tear me apart.
“This guy's a CEO and he pulls this? Disgusting. This is what money and power look like when they think they can buy a person.”
