Chapter 189 Let’s Get Married, Cam
In his mailbox, an unopened email from Josh lay waiting quietly.
It was an electronic scanned copy of a marriage license. There were two signatures on it along with the time when it was certified. The other copy was the current marital status of an American citizen and a few family photos. The attachment also included Elijah’s résumé.
After graduating from St. York University, he became a self-made entrepreneur and important talent within the design world. Within three years, he made a fortune from an initially unknown clothing company. Alas, his company got listed. Today, he was the head of a listed company that belonged in the global top 500. His résumé was flawless.
Alexander could not deny how outstanding he was.
One thing he could not accept, however, was how this man had nothing when he and Courtney were together. Seeing that they registered their marriage on Valentine’s Day in America four years ago, he could not find another reason to explain her decision in marrying a man who had nothing—unless it was out of love.
Furthermore, they were still not divorced yet.
A frightening silence fell in the room; the sound of water dripping from a loose faucet in the bathroom could almost be heard.
Some time had passed, then there was a loud crash.
The big desktop had caused a huge commotion when it hit the floor. Following that, various colorful file folders and thick, heavy books piled up above it. The glass of red wine was smashed against the wall, leaving a blood-red imprint behind. The shattered pieces fell in the corner of the wall and reflected a cool light.
In just a split second, the whole study was in ruins.
“Sir…”
The housekeeper that had rushed over upon hearing the noise stared at the scene before her as she stood in the doorway with a horrified expression. “What is—”
“Get out.”
“Your hand, Sir.”
“Get out!”
His raging voice rang clearly in the housekeeper’s ears. Suddenly, thunder roared outside, followed by a heavy thunderstorm. As the rain continued to patter against the window, the flash of lighting made Alexander’s face seem deathly and hollow. Growing pale from being scared out of her wits, Gina closed the door clumsily and left at once.
Alexander stood in the middle of the wreckage with a grim look on his face. The glass shards of the broken wine glass were still in his flesh, and blood was trickling down his long fingers, forming a black pool of blood on the floor.
“Courtney’s father is awake now, isn’t he?” Gale was holding up an umbrella as he sent Cameron to the entrance of the residential area. “Let’s decide on a time for that camping trip we talked about before. We’ve been putting it off for so long.”
“I’ll ask Courtney about it tomorrow. It should be fine. The doctor did say that her father’s condition has stabilized now. If he manages to have a good recovery, he will be able to live a few more years.”
“Live a few more years?” He was baffled. “Is that supposed to be comforting? Is this how you usually talk to Courtney?”
“What’s wrong with it?” She rolled her eyes at him. “Good or bad, it will be repaid eventually. When her father was younger, he neglected his family and was constantly causing trouble outside. It resulted in Courtney having to grow up without a mother. If Courtney’s grandfather hadn’t passed away, he wouldn’t have taken her back to raise her.”
“Doesn’t her father treat her quite well? You can’t generalize. That all happened in the previous generation.”
“Shut up. I can’t get used to hearing that.” A look of resentment spread across her face. “It only ends when the actions of the previous generation no longer influence future generations. Lucian knew that that woman caused the death of Courtney’s mother, but he still married her. I don’t have much empathy for him.”
Gale was not taken aback.
He knew a bit about the Hunter Family’s affairs. Initially, he had no idea, but since Courtney was Cameron’s friend, he had done some investigating. At the time, the Hunter Family’s affairs had become public news. Information that was published during the print media era was all purely in the form of newspapers or magazines; it was impossible to retract any news once it was printed.
Lucian’s mistress showed up at his house with a big belly, causing his first wife to give birth prematurely. Before they were able to get her to the hospital, however, she had stopped breathing. The child was delivered alive through a Caesarean section. This event also stirred up the media.
Since the issue grew so big, it was impossible for Lucian to not have known anything or have any suspicions. In the end, however, he still married his mistress. He left his daughter, who was a survivor, with his deceased wife’s maternal family for years before he went to bring her home.
“Everything he does for her now is out of remorse. He wants to pay for his wrongdoings through his actions. Even though he has paid it off, he can’t make up for the hurt he caused. Courtney’s childhood and adolescence were like pieces in a chess game.” Cameron’s expression was cold as she scoffed. “Nobody’s any good.”
Courtney’s mother’s eldest brother’s wife, Alicia, was her mother, Cecilia’s, best friend while she was still alive. Cecilia had a tender and weak temperament, and Alicia was headstrong. After Cecilia passed away, everyone thought that Alicia would take Courtney in as her own, but she cold-heartedly left Courtney with her maternal grandfather. When Courtney’s grandfather passed away, she was chased out of the house right away.
After all these years, Courtney came to understand that Alicia could not bear to see Lucian lead a carefree life at the time and forget about his wife who suffered a miserable death. She sent Courtney back as a reminder that he did not deserve the days he had.
Alicia held a grudge against him for many years, but she was finally able to let go of it now. She did not insist that Courtney remain within Lucian’s sight at all times anymore. It gave Courtney and her mother a belated sense of belonging.
Through all of this, Cameron remained an outsider. She had never been involved in the pain and struggle that Courtney went through as a child, but she knew more than anyone and she understood better than anyone. She loved Courtney dearly just as she did herself.
Her stubborn appearance entered Gale’s eyes. His heart started to race, and it was hard for him to calm down.
She was a kindhearted girl. Believing that he would never meet someone like her again brought him great concern and pushed him to wear his heart on his sleeve.
“Let’s get married, Cam.”
It was still pouring heavily. Gale’s calm and determined voice rang under the umbrella.
The ring in the pocket of his suit had been kept hidden for half a month as he waited for the right time—when his heart did not feel restless and when he could show her how much he loved her without holding back.
Taken by surprise, Cameron instinctively took a step back and let the rain fall against her back.
Gale quickly stretched the umbrella further out behind her while his other hand reached into his pocket.
“Don’t take it out.” Cameron’s voice made him pause. “Gale, if you take that out, we will not be in each other’s lives from now on.”
He froze as though he could not believe what he had heard. “Cam, you…”
“It’s late. We talked too much today, and you’ve also been overthinking. I’m going home now. You should also go home soon.”
Cameron spoke very hastily like she was in a rush. After she finished speaking, she turned to leave but Gale caught her by the wrist.
“Let me go.”
“Cameron Miller.” He was stern with her in a way he had never been before. Holding her wrist tightly, he did not let go. “What are you conflicted about? You clearly know that I love you. I gave up smoking, drinking, picking up girls, and fighting. As long as you told me to do it, regardless of whether I could do it or not, I went and got it done without any objections. I only have one request: marry me.”
