Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Farewell, My Love!
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Cloudian Grand Hotel in Porta.
Today was the grand occasion of a marital alliance forming between the Taylors, a third-tier familial power in Porta, and the Richards, who were more powerful than the Taylors.
However, this was hardly an alliance forged with equality in mind. One could say it was a one-sided wedding banquet held by the Richards—because except for the bride herself, no one from the Taylor family would be attending. Even the bridesmaids were hired from outside the family.
The reasons behind this strange phenomenon were not surprising to the guests who were attending the wedding. One reason was that the Taylors were not yet at the level to attend an occasion of this scale, and second, this was just another business deal.
The Richards had agreed to give ten million dollars in exchange for Brianne Taylor’s hand in marriage. All the Taylors had to do was deliver the girl to them. To both sides, it was like selling goods; once the money and goods exchanged hands, there was no need for further dealings with each other.
And Brianne Taylor agreed to this ridiculous deal because one, she wanted to fulfill her father’s last wish to be recognized by his ancestors, and two, she thought this would make Bruce White completely give up and leave this place of strife forever!
As early as several years ago, the Taylors had contacted her to tell her that Mark Richards, the son of the Richards family, had taken a fancy to her and had great desire to take her as his wife.
But she never agreed. Not until her father was brutally murdered for reopening Bruce White’s case did she decide to submit regarding this matter. After all, it was the only way to fulfill her father’s dying wish.
Of course, Bruce White was another factor. Naively, Brianne believed that if she was married, Bruce White would give up and finally leave this place and be free from danger forever.
When she thought of this, a deep sorrow crept over Brianne Taylor’s pretty face. At this time, there was less than half an hour before the wedding ceremony began.
However, today’s leading lady, Brianne Taylor, who was wearing a white wedding dress, could not let go of Bruce White in her heart.
She had been sitting in front of the dressing table for more than half an hour, but not a trace of makeup had yet found its way onto her face.
At the moment, Brianne’s heart could only be described as being drowned in sorrows.
Indeed, she felt like she was already dead. Since the moment she decided to give in to the Taylors, her battered heart had already died.
However, at this time, a group of angry people burst into the dressing room, a cheerless expression on their faces as they barged in with unimaginable rudeness.
“What are you doing here in a daze? The wedding will begin in less than half an hour and you still haven’t put on a lick of makeup ?? You better not renege!! Don’t forget, you Taylors have already taken the ten million dollars from us Richards!!”
The one who spoke was an ancient hag in her seventies. With one hand on her hip and the other pointed at Brianne’s nose, she looked aggressive and hostile.
She was a matron from the Richards family, sent here by the Richards to make sure Brianne Taylor complied.
When she saw Brianne Taylor still not reacting in any way, the old woman signaled the bridesmaids and ordered, “Girls, don’t just stand there!! Help her get ready now!”
The bridesmaids immediately surrounded Brianne Taylor when they heard the old woman’s command. Some pressed down on her shoulders, while others held her hands so she couldn’t resist.
“Stop it! Let go of me!”
Suddenly, Brianne Taylor cried out, tears in her eyes. Those big pretty eyes, sparkled with tears, glared at the old woman defiantly.
“What are you looking at? What do you have to be mad about?! You’re about to marry into the Richards family—you think those ghetto tricks of yours are going to work on us?? You want to start something now?”
The bellicose old hag walked over, slapped Brianne Taylor across the face without another word.
In an instant, Brianne’s pretty face had an additional hideous handprint.
The hag laughed coldly and gave Brianne another dirty look before she ordered the bridesmaids to apply makeup on Brianne Taylor’s face.
Ten minutes later, Brianne Taylor’s face was finally made up. Only, those delicate features of hers lacked the mirth befitting a bride on the happiest day of her life.
Soon, the music that signaled the beginning of the wedding ceremony drifted in from outside the room. The hag who had been watching Brianne Taylor in the dressing room immediately urged, “Hurry up, get her outside.”
After that, Brianne Taylor was surrounded by the bridesmaids like some hostage and walked into the ballroom of the Grand Hotel.
More than a dozen bridesmaids stood around her. Though they were called bridesmaids, they were, in fact, handlers sent over by the Taylors to prevent any last-minute attempts to escape and to make sure she made good on her end of the bargain.
Dum, dum-dum-dum...
The graceful and familiar music of the wedding march sounded, and the master of ceremonies used his most enthusiastic voice to enliven the atmosphere of the scene.
But Brianne Taylor didn’t hear a single word of it. There was not the slightest smile on her pretty face, and her eyes were red.
“Let us give the warmest applause to welcome our beautiful bride, Miss Brianne Taylor!”
As soon as the emcee’s voice faded, the spotlight instantly shone on the old lady and Brianne Taylor.
Although her face was expressionless, it did not diminish Brianne Taylor’s charm in the least. At this moment, she looked noble yet elegant. The white wedding dress that she wore accentuated her graceful figure, perfectly showing off her impeccable and attractive stature.
At this moment, numerous wedding attendees were fascinated by the sight in front of them. They were deeply enchanted by Brianne Taylor’s beauty, unable to extricate themselves.
Many of them thought that if it weren’t for Brianne Taylor growing abroad all these years, her beauty would have certainly earned her a place among the ranks of all the debutantes in Porta.
What a pity, this beauty was now in the mouth of a great fat pig like Mark Richards.
Indeed, Mark Richards, who was not much taller than five foot two, weighed nearly three hundred pounds and resembled a sizable piggy.
At this time, everyone couldn’t help but wonder —why was the tastiest cabbage always wasting on pigs in the end?
At this moment, the great fat pig that was Mark Richards, the secret laughingstock of the banquet, was standing center stage, smiling greedily, plainly expressing his desire for Brianne Taylor.
Finally, being pushed and shoved by everyone around her, Brianne Taylor made her way in front of Mark Richards. Brianne Taylor, who was a little over five foot five, now stood nearly at five foot nine in her high heels—a full head taller than Mark Richards.
But Mark Richards didn’t mind this at all. On the contrary, this height difference aroused his desire to conquer Brianne Taylor even more, a most naked and base desire!
“Tonight, I will make sure you experience ecstasy like never before!” Mark Richards said bluntly. Brianne Taylor’s loathing of him rose to a new height.
“Bruce, my love, farewell.”
Brianne Taylor chanted Bruce White’s name silently in her heart, her entire body trembling. Finally, two lines of tears fell from her sorrowful eyes.
All the bits and pieces of the past came over her all at once.
She remembered following Bruce White around when she was still a child, begging him to buy snacks for her.
She remembered that when she was bullied, Bruce White protected her even though he got beaten up and returned home with a bruised nose and a swollen face.
She also remembered that when she was a child, she told Bruce White whenever he had a lollipop in his hand that she would marry him, and she would follow him to the ends of the earth.
She remembered. She remembered. She remembered all of it. Everything.
At this moment, tears, like a broken dam, burst forth. Goodbye. She was about to bid adieu to the past. Oh Bruce, this love of mine, take care. I hope you will find someone who truly loves you.
At the same time, Bruce White showed up downstairs, at the lobby of the Grand Hotel. A pretty woman, who bore some resemblance to Brianne Taylor, had been waiting for quite a while.
Her name was Shauna Taylor, Brianne Taylor’s youngest aunt. Although she was technically Brianne Taylor’s elder, she was, in fact, not much older than Brianne.
Coupled with having a good self-care routine, she looked more like Brianne’s older sister than an aunt.
As soon as Shauna Taylor saw Bruce White, she immediately said to him anxiously, “Bruce! Quickly! The wedding has already begun! It’ll be too late if we don’t hurry up!”