He Pushed Me to Marry an Old Man, Then Cried When I Said Yes Chapter 04

He Pushed Me to Marry an Old Man, Then Cried When I Said Yes Chapter 04

“Miss, once the bride is in the wedding limo, we don’t stop until we reach the destination.”

Only then did I remember that Ethan had already paid off the driver.

They were determined to deliver me to the Lancaster estate.

Ethan’s car was right behind mine, but I had no way to confront him face-to-face.

With trembling hands, I called him.

“Ethan,” I said, forcing myself to steady my voice as I questioned him coldly, “what right did you have to give my mother’s bangle to Vivian? That belongs to me.”

“Harper, it’s just a bangle.”

On the other end of the line, Ethan sounded dismissive. “Vivian likes it, so just let her have it. Whatever kind of bangle you want, I can buy you one later—”

“She likes it, so I have to give her everything that belongs to me?” I cut him off. “My bridal heels, my bangle, the man who was supposed to be my husband, and even my place as the one being sent to marry an old man?”

Ethan froze.

“You know?”

After a brief silence, he lowered his voice and tried to coax me. “Harper, that old man from the Lancaster family is already ninety. He’s too far gone to be capable of sex. He won’t do anything to you. You’re only going there to go through the motions.”

“Vivian saved my life. She’s still so young. I can’t just stand by and watch her life get destroyed.”

Saved his life?

“Harper, Vivian and I only got legally married to stop her parents from using her to pay off their debts.”

Ethan explained, “Once the mess with her family settles down and the old man dies, I’ll bring you back. I’ll put everything back the way it was. Trust me, okay?”

“I don’t need you to bring me back!” I could no longer hold back my fury. “Ethan, I want my mother’s keepsake. Give my mother’s keepsake back to me—”

Before I could finish, Ethan hung up.

As the dead tone buzzed in my ear, my heart seemed to sink straight to the bottom.

Claire was crying with rage. “Ethan has gone too far. How dare he do this to you? That bastard is going to pay for this…”

A crash cut her off.

Up ahead, a truck suddenly overturned and triggered a chain-reaction pileup.

Our wedding limo was crushed between two vehicles.

Claire and I were pinned in our seats, unable to move.

The truck ahead suddenly caught fire, and the flames were spreading toward us fast.

When Ethan saw what had happened, he threw open his car door and ran toward me.

But just then, Vivian screamed from behind him, “Ethan! I hurt my head. There’s so much blood!”

Ethan’s steps halted.

Without hesitation, he turned back.

“Ethan Shaw!”

I forced my hoarse voice out and called after him. “If you choose her now, everything between us after more than a decade together is over for good!”

Ethan hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he still turned away.

“Harper,” he said, “Vivian is fragile. I have to take her to the hospital first.”

Ten years ago, under the moonlight, he had sworn to me, “Harper, no matter what happens, you will always be my first choice.”

Ten years later, he said, “Vivian is fragile. I have to take her to the hospital first.”

More than a decade of growing up side by side could not compare to Vivian, who had appeared halfway through our story.

As I watched him leave without looking back, I suddenly realized something.

No matter where I ended up, it would be better than staying with Ethan.

…

Vivian had a mild concussion and stayed at the hospital for observation.

Ethan stayed with her all night.

When he woke the next morning, a dull pain pulsed through his lower back.

Out of habit, he called, “Harper, my back hurts again. Come help me up.”

Only after he said it did he remember that Harper was not there.

One of his friends told him that the Lancasters had rescued Harper from the crash yesterday and brought her safely to the Lancaster estate.

For some reason, Ethan felt hollow inside.

When he heard that the Lancaster family was visiting the family cemetery that day to pay their respects, he could not stop worrying and decided to follow them in secret.

At the cemetery, he saw Harper from a distance.

She was not making a scene. She stood quietly among the Lancaster family, waiting on Old Mr. Lancaster in his wheelchair and making sure he had everything he needed.

The sight left Ethan with a bitter ache in his chest.

He decided silently that once the old man died, he would bring Harper back.

From then on, he would never let anyone hurt her again.

On his way back from the cemetery, he accidentally overheard two Lancaster housekeepers talking.

“The new Mrs. Lancaster was crying out in the honeymoon suite all night. I was embarrassed just hearing it from the hallway. Newlyweds really have no restraint.”

Ethan froze where he stood, unable to believe what he had heard.

Crying out all night?

A ninety-year-old man could still have sex?

As he stood there in a daze, a tall young man brushed past him.

Ethan could not help turning back to look at him. For some reason, the man looked vaguely familiar, as if Ethan had seen him somewhere before.

Then Ethan caught sight of something on the man’s wrist, and his entire body went rigid.

“Wait!”