Chapter 110 Reconsidering the Marriage
After the birthday party, Byron was still worried about Molly, so he called his private doctor to check on her. Only after confirming everything was fine did Byron relax.
In the hallway, Edward and Eric leaned against the windowsill.
Edward asked Eric for a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. The orange glow flickered, smoke swirling around them.
"Lily, whose real name is Evelyn, is Charlie's daughter?!" Eric still felt like he was dreaming. "It's just too surreal!"
"Yeah." Edward's fingers trembled slightly as he flicked the ash.
Eric's large hand landed heavily on his shoulder. "You accidentally became Charlie's ex-son-in-law. If you hadn't divorced Evelyn, wouldn't you be richer now? With the Taylor family's support, wouldn't Patrick and Tiffany have to bow to you? Wouldn't the entire Wellington family be at your beck and call?"
"Even without Evelyn, the Wellington family is still in my hands," Edward said, exhaling a smoke ring. "Do you think I rely on women to get ahead?"
"Not at all, you're a bona fide workaholic," Eric sighed.
Edward stayed silent.
"I just think it's a pity. With her help, you could've saved yourself ten years of hard work!" Eric sighed deeply.
Edward stubbed out his cigarette, feeling a sense of emptiness and regret, different from what Eric was talking about.
"I don't understand why she married me back then," Edward muttered.
"I don't get it either. Marrying you was worse than marrying me," Eric said bluntly.
"Eric, do you think Charlie would even look at you? Do you think you're worthy of Evelyn?" Edward's eyes deepened, feeling an urge to strangle Eric.
"At least I'm not as petty as you, questioning her character just because you saw her with another man. Just for that, I think I'd score higher with Evelyn than you."
Eric laughed. "Remember how you used to give her a hard time every day because she was close to Landon, and you said many nasty things. Looking back now, do you regret it?"
"She hid her identity from me and didn't explain things clearly," Edward fumed, his anger rising.
"The marriage is over; she has no reason to tell you anything now. Besides, if you had trusted her even a little back then, you wouldn't have done what you did. That's why you two could never have lasted. You had no feelings, no sense of responsibility, and no trust for Evelyn. She stayed married to you for three years. I can only admire her willpower. If it were me, I couldn't have lasted a day."
As an outsider, Eric had a clear view, playing the role of a relationship guru, exposing Edward's dark inner world.
Edward's thin lips were tightly pressed together, and the veins on his clenched fists bulged.
Eric squeezed his broad shoulder, smiling confidently. "I've learned my lesson from you. I'll never make the same mistakes. Whether she's Lily or Evelyn, I'll definitely win her over. Wish me luck!"
"Get lost."
If looks could kill, Edward would have already skinned Eric alive.
"I'm leaving!"
Just before leaving, Eric paused and squinted his eyes meaningfully. "You're not planning to just let tonight's incident slide, right?"
"Tiffany and Debra won't escape from me," Edward's voice was as deep as thunder. "Even if I have evidence, Patrick will suppress it because family scandals can't be exposed. I'll have to find other ways to teach them a lesson."
Eric said, "That's because Ms. Taylor is fine. If something had happened to her, it would be a different story."
Edward said, "If something had happened to her, Tiffany and Debra would have been the ones taken away by the police tonight!"
Eric gasped.
At that moment, just thinking about it made Edward feel like a weapon soaked in malice. 'If Evelyn had really been harmed, I would have left them with nothing!'
A sense of crisis suddenly surged.
"What about your fiancée? When Ms. Taylor was in trouble, she was the first to jump out and make a scene in front of Mr. Taylor. Don't you suspect her?" Eric added.
Edward's handsome brows furrowed, a mix of frustration and suspicion gnawing at his heart.
He never believed in coincidences.
But when it came to Nicole, he instinctively hoped that all of this was just a coincidence.
"Edward!"
Bart rushed over, out of breath, handing his phone to Edward with both hands. "Here's the surveillance footage you asked for, showing all the movements of Tiffany, Debra, and Ms. Adams tonight. I've compiled it all for you to review!"
"That was quick!" Eric said, deciding to stick around to check out the footage too.
Edward focused on the screen, his breath tight.
"In the video, Ms. Adams was not only close with Tiffany tonight but also had private interactions with Debra. What's even more bizarre is Ms. Adams," Bart said, his eyes deepening. "I checked the surveillance before and after Mr. Taylor and Ms. Taylor entered the room. Ms. Adams was never in the vicinity."
"Now that's interesting," Eric smirked. "She never showed up there, so who tipped her off about Mr. Taylor and Ms. Taylor being alone together?"
Edward's brow furrowed deeply, as if struck by a sudden realization.
Meanwhile, the Wellington family members were gathered in the front hall, including Nicole.
Debra's face was ashen, claiming to feel unwell, but in reality, she was terrified by the night's events. Fortunately, Patrick unconditionally supported her, and Tiffany covered for her, helping her escape suspicion.
At this moment, Debra was glaring secretly at the innocent-looking Nicole, wishing she could scratch Nicole's deceitful face to pieces.
"I never expected the Wellington family to have a fraud among us," Tiffany said, holding Debra's shoulder as they sat on the sofa. The thought of Evelyn stealing the spotlight tonight made her furious.
"Exactly, she hid her true identity and was married to Edward for three years. Isn't that considered marriage fraud?" Nicole asked, feigning concern.
"Great performance. Why didn't you put on a show like this for my birthday?" Byron's sharp eyes scanned them, his cold smile unwavering.
Tiffany and Nicole's expressions froze instantly.
At that moment, Edward walked over with a stern face, having heard Byron's words clearly.
"You keep calling Ms. Taylor a fraud, so tell me, what did she deceive you about? Did she cheat you out of money, shares, or property? Ms. Taylor fulfilled her duties as Edward's wife. She respected her elders, was polite to Debra, and took good care of Molly. Even when Edward divorced her, she left without taking a penny from the Wellington family. So, what exactly did she deceive you about?"
Byron, though old, was sharp and clear-headed, his words cutting. "But all of you have tormented Ms. Taylor for three years. I may not live with you, but I'm well aware of everything that happens here!"
"Dad, we know what kind of person Ms. Taylor is. Tiffany is just concerned," Patrick said, trying to smooth things over.
"I think you only realized that when you found out she was the Taylor family's daughter," Byron leaned back, looking at Patrick's sour face with a mocking gaze. "But it's too late for regrets. You gave up the daughter of the Taylor family to take in a daughter-in-law from a family on the brink of bankruptcy and embroiled in lawsuits. Patrick, if you had allied with the Taylor family, your net worth would have multiplied several times over. Expanding your business into Hameen wouldn't be so difficult. This miscalculation cost you dearly, didn't it?"
Patrick gritted his teeth, his face flushing with shame.
Even Tiffany could see Patrick's regret over the marriage, which only made her more furious.
But Evelyn's status was too high; she was the only daughter of Charlie's first wife. The Adams family couldn't even compare to the Taylor family, and Nicole was no match for Evelyn. No wonder Patrick was upset.
Edward's pale lips parted, about to speak, but Nicole, her face flushed with indignation, interrupted, "Grandpa, I know you've always looked down on me and the Adams family, but how can you measure feelings with money? So what if the Taylor family is wealthy? Edward and I truly love each other. We grew up together, and I was there for him during his darkest days. Our bond is something Evelyn can never replace!"
Saying this, Nicole hurried to Edward, anxiously tugging at his sleeve. "Edward!"
Edward lowered his eyes weakly, looking at her with a coldness she had never seen before.
At that moment, he tried to recall the moments he had cherished with Nicole from their childhood.
But he found his mind blank. Those cherished memories slowly became distant, gradually fading, and finally turning into a gray void.
Finally, the light in his eyes extinguished, and his deep, hoarse voice was filled with exhaustion and disappointment.
"Nicole, let's put our wedding on hold."
