<b>Chapter </b><b>746 </b>
Glynnis‘ caustic remarks stripped Mari’s face of all color, her slender frame trembling even more violently. She clenched her eyes shut, mangling the small teddy bear in her grip.
It was the only way she could force herself not to recall those horrifying memories.
“<b>So </b>you can’t snag a spot as Mrs. Fairhaven, but hey, looks like you mightnd a cozy spot with Mr. Bartley’s son. Congrats in advance.” Glynnis flipped her hair arrogantly – a clear mimic of Elspeth’s flirtatious antics, “But sadly, I don’t have any wedding gift for you.”
Thaddeus‘ brows were knitted in anger, his eyes searing with crimson fury, “Say that one more time, and I’ll make sure your right ear hears nothing ever again.”
“Can’t handle the truth? She’s heading straight into the Bartley family’s arms, and your scowling won’t change a thing!”
Like a tiger Thaddeus advanced towards her with menacing steps.
Glynnis threw her hands up in dramatic despair, “Help! Dad! Save me! Thaddeus is out for blood!”
<b>“</b>Enough! What is all this racket?!” Frederic stood on the staircase, ring down at the feuding pair, his voice thunderous.
“Dad! <b>Thaddeus </b>is going to hit me. He only knows how to hit women!”
Glynnis sobbed exaggeratedly, “He might as well just kill me!”
“That’s enough!” Frederic pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience worn <b>thin </b>by the shrill noise, “Dennis, take her <b>to </b>the <b>airport</b><b>, </b>now!”
“Yes<b>, </b>Mr. Frederic Abernathy.”
<b>Dennis </b>nced <b>coldly </b>at Glynnis, “After you.”
Gritting her teeth, <b>Glynnis </b>hauled her hefty suitcase towards <b>the </b>door. Frederic<b>, </b>not entirely heartless, <bmanded </b><b>sternly</b><b>, </b>“<b>Help </b>her with that, will you<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“Yes<b>, </b>sir<b>,</b><b>” </b>Dennis <b>had </b>toply, <b>lifting </b>the <b>suitcase</b><b>. </b>
<b>“</b>Thank <b>you</b><b>, </b><b>Dad</b><b>! </b>Bye, <b>Dad</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>Glynnis put on <b>a </b>pitiful act <b>as </b>she bid her <b>father </b>farewell, <b>but </b>deep down, she <b>harbored </b><b>a sliver </b><b>of </b>hope<b>. </b>
Her <b>father </b><b>had always </b><b>shown </b>her <b>mercy</b><b>. </b><b>She </b><b>would </b>be back!
With <b>Glynnis </b><b>gone</b><b>, </b><b>Thaddeus </b><b>approached </b><b>Frederic</b>, struggling to suppress the turbulent rage within him, <b>“</b><b>Glynnis </b><b>mentioned </b><b>the </b><b>Bartleys </b><b>came </b>proposing for Mari. <b>Is </b><b>that </b><b>true</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
Frederic looked down <b>at </b>him <b>with </b><b>disdain</b><b>, </b><b>“</b><b>Of </b><b>course</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
His son’s brows furrowed<b>, </b><b>“</b>Mr. <b>Bartley’s </b>son wants <b>to marry </b>Mari<b>? </b>And you agreed<b>?</b><b>” </b>
<b>The </b>match is <b>socially </b><b>suitable</b><b>, </b><b>the </b><b>Bartley </b>family <b>hold </b>sway in politics, <b>and </b>I’ve <b>met </b>Mr. Bartley’s son <b>-a </b>gentleman of <b>distinction</b><b>, </b>far superior <b>to </b><b>Jareth</b>.”
Frederic’s lips curved <b>mockingly</b>, same gesture as what Thaddeus <b>would </b>usually <b>do</b>, <b>“</b><b>At </b><b>the </b>very least<b>, </b>His is not a womanizer. <b>And </b>his parents <b>don’t </b><b>mind </b>Mari’s illness. <b>They’re </b><b>willing </b><b>to </b><b>ept </b>her. <b>Tell </b>me, why would I refuse such an advantageous alliance?<b>” </b>
Maritia hid behind Thaddeus, her face pale, damp <b>with </b>sweat, tears welling <b>up </b>in her red eyes.
Back in school. Alston never hit or insulted her like Edith <b>did</b>, but the psychological shadows he inflicted were <b>far </b>worse than any physical torment.
She could still recall how Alston always stood watch while Edith’s clique tormented her, sometimes smirking from the shadows.
173
One summer in the second year of junior high, after receiving new school uniforms, Edith, jealous of how
Mari looked, dragged her into the equipment room and drenched her in dirty water, ruining her new uniform; satisfied, she then left.
Curling up in the musty corner, she couldn’t help shivering at the height of summer. At that moment, Alston, who had been silent before, approached and draped his coat over her shoulders.
Before she could utter a word of thanks, she saw his gaze fixed on her drenched chest. Her small, budding figure was embarrassingly visible beneath the soaked blouse.
In a panic, she screamed, her arms instinctively crossing her chest.
“Mari, let me touch them, just once, okay? No one will ever know,” Alston had whispered, his voice deceptively sincere yetced with raunchy depravity.
Even now, the memory still sent chills through Mari’s body.
“I know why you’re so eager to marry Mari off.” Thaddeus‘ hands became white through tight clenching, “You’re upset with me and want tosh out. But you can’t use your daughter’s happiness as a pawn in your petty games!”
“Thaddeus<b>, </b>now you’re taking lessons from the Ashbourne girl in how to insult people? You’re assuming the worst of me.” Frederic shot back furiously, “Mari is my daughter. Do you think I’d harm her? Every decision I
make is for her best interest!<b>” </b>
Thaddeus let out a coldugh, “Or maybe it’s for the best interest of your career. An alliance with the Bartley family would benefit both the Abernathy Group and yourself.”
The air between them dropped to a frosty silence. Frederic’s face turned from red to white as his son unabashedly stripped away his pretenses, fueling his anger even more.
“Still<b>, </b>better than the man you found for Mari!” He roared.
<b>Mari</b><b>, </b><b>tears </b>welling up, closed her eyes tightly.
“Now<b>, </b>the whole of Elmsworth knows of Mari and Jareth’s scandal. My daughter has suffered enough, bing the talk of <b>the </b>town and the subject of whispers and stares<b>. </b>This is the ‘fine match‘ you’ve arranged for <b>her</b><b>, </b>the <b>‘</b>noble deeds‘ <b>of </b>your dear <b>friend </b><b>and </b>his family!”
Thaddeus‘ <b>handsome face </b>was an icy mask, knowing all too well his father would use this to strike at him ruthlessly.
Jareth and Mari were <b>deeply </b>in <b>love</b><b>, </b>and he was innocent<b>; </b>he’d done nothing wrong. But the sinsmitted <b>by </b><b>the </b>Fairhaven Group <b>couldn’t </b>be erased or argued away.
“To send my own <b>daughter</b><b>, </b><b>your </b>most <b>tender</b>–<b>hearted </b><b>sister</b><b>, </b><b>into </b>the wolves‘ den of the Fairhaven Group, only to <b>be </b>preyed <b>upon </b><b>with </b>schemes and humiliation <b>before </b>she even walked down <b>the </b>aisle! Is your sister <b>so </b>worthless <b>to </b><b>you</b>? What’s <b>so </b><b>bad </b><b>about </b>a union with <b>the </b><b>Bartley </b>family<b>? </b>She wouldn’t <b>be </b>shortchanged! At the very least<b>, </b><b>the </b><b>Bartley </b><b>family </b>is <b>influential </b>and respected, <b>unlike </b><b>the </b>Fairhaven Group, who <b>are </b><b>nothing </b>but thugs from <b>top </b><b>to </b><b>bottom</b>. <b>Barry Fairhaven</b><b>, </b>a roughneck who wed <b>his </b>way <b>up </b>from the streets, what good <b>can </be from <b>him</b><b>? </b>I <b>say </b><b>Jareth </b><b>is </b><b>just </b>like him<b>!</b>” Frederic spewed his <b>words </b>without <b>a </b><b>filter</b>, unable <b>to </b><b>contain </b>his anger<b>. </b>
“Dad‘ Enough. Please, <b>stop </b><b>talking </b><b>about </b>Jareth<b>!</b><b>” </b>
Mari, unable to bear it any <b>longer</b><b>, </b><b>burst </b><b>into </b>tears, <b>“</b><b>Jareth’s </b>always been <b>good </b><b>to </b>me<b>; </b>he never mistreated me! We’ve broken <b>up</b><b>, </b>I’m not with him anymore. Please <b>stop </b>saying these things about him<b>!</b><b>” </b>
“Marills.” Thaddeus felt a <b>sharp </b>pain in his heart, rendered speechless.
Mani and Jareth, after weathering so many storms <b>to </b>be together, were on the verge <b>of </b>happiness when everything suddenly reset to square one,
Why did fate mock these two lovers so cruelly?! What had they done <b>to </b>deserve <b>this</b>?!
11:57
Frederic saw his usually obedient daughter talk back to him, his face turning pale. But when he heard that she had broken up with Jareth, his expression softened, and he tried to be patient, “It’s good that you’ve split. That kind of yboy only pretends to be devoted in front of you, but he can’t keep up the act forever. It’s over, and there’s no loss. Follow my ns for you, and you will find true happiness in life.”
“I will never agree to Mari marrying him!”
Thaddeus‘ eyes zed with crimson fury, “His dubious rtionship with Edith is far from virtuous. You keep saying the Fairhaven Group is a den of wolves, so is the Bartley family heaven on earth? You’re just using Mari as a tool for your own gain!”