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Chapter 8: The Mysterious and
Low–Key Cole Family
The scene suddenly descended into chaos, with guests below wildly snapping pictures on their phones.
Feeling outnumbered and at a disadvantage, I was fortunate that Ryan Lewis’s parents had some sense of decorum and hurried to
intervene.
“Mr.Garcia! Mr.Garcia! This is the kids‘ wedding; there are so many guests watching! Please, stop this!”
“Don’t stop me! I’m going to beat this unfilial daughter to death! She’s a harbinger of doom!
She’s brought me nothing but misfortune since
she was born!”
Andrew Garcia was completely incensed, his face twisted with fury, and Ryan’s parents struggled to restrain him.
Suddenly, Lila Garcia shouted, “Stop! Sophia
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has fainted! Someone, come quickly!”
Andrew Garcia froze for a moment, glancing back at me before he shoved me aside and rushed toward his younger daughter. “What happened? Call 911! Quick, call for help!”
In an instant, everyone surrounding me dispersed, all rushing towards the collapsed
bride.
Ryan Lewis was frantic, sprinting over to scoop up Sophia Garcia in his arms. “Sophia, hold on! You must hang in there! I’m taking you to the hospital right now!”
I felt a mess, my cheeks stinging painfully, but
seeing the chaos unfold and the wedding being
completely ruined brought me an unexpected
sense of satisfaction!
It turns out, this feeling of madness is so
pleasurable!
Thrilled, I grabbed the microphone from the emcee and spoke with the confidence of the host, “I apologize for the disruption. The banquet dishes were meticulously chosen by
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me, and they’re quite good. I hope everyone enjoys their meal and wishes for a fulfilling life.”
With those words, I swaggered away, leaving without a trace.
Back in the car, I took a deep breath.
Lowering the sun visor, I looked into the small mirror to inspect my injuries.
Both my cheeks were flushed, but thankfully there were no lasting marks. My hair was a bit messy, but I could fix that with a quick touch.
Growing up, being hit by Andrew Garcia had
become the norm for me.
Especially after he divorced my mother and brought home a vixen, I was in my rebellious
phase, deliberately opposing them to annoy them. Getting beaten and punished became the main tune of my everyday life.
This time another few slaps were nothing; in
the past, he had used a belt, grabbed whatever was handy to hit me, or kicked me without
hesitation. Those hurt far more than this.
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The fact that I could grow up strong and make it this far was simply a testament to my resilience.
Later, when I met Ryan Lewis, he treated me well, making me feel the warmth I lacked in my home. I thought I had finally found a safe harbor.
But I never expected the storm he brought would be even more fierce and brutal than that
hellish home.
After sitting for a bit and calming down, I reached into my pocket to get my phone.
To my surprise, I felt something soft and pulled it out, frowning slightly.
It was the handkerchief that a kind guest had
given me earlier–totally forgotten in the chaos.
I found it odd; in this day, who still carries a handkerchief in their pocket? What a peculiar habit!
But the handkerchief was made of high–quality fabric–clearly something custom–made. Just a
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glance confirmed how expensive the material
was.
This fabric was silk wool, a type of natural fiber.
It was as light as a veil, fine and smooth, combining the elegance of silk with the texture
and sheen of cashmere.
For a handkerchief to use such exquisite
material spoke volumes about its owner.
The handkerchief carried a faint scent of forest
herbs, and I recalled the tone of the person who’d spoken to me–cool yet warm, just like
this handkerchief’s touch.
One corner of the handkerchief was
embroidered with the character “Cole” in
double–sided stitching.
Suddenly, I remembered my father referring to
that man as “Mr.Cole.”
In Silverpine, there was only one who could be
called Mr.Cole.
But that was the Cole family, the real
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aristocrats!
45 Points
And wasn’t the Cole family notoriously aloof and low–key, never engaging in social affairs and rarely appearing in public?
As for that Mr.Cole, I had only heard his name but never seen him. Rumor had it that he
suffered from a strange illness and couldn’t be
seen.
Why was he attending my wedding?
I was utterly puzzled, suspecting that something must have gone awry.
But considering he rarely made appearances, and when he did, it turned into such an
impressive spectacle—at least it wasn’t a wasted trip for him.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of
my chaotic thoughts.
Maya was on the other end, her voice a mix of excitement and anger. “Ryan Lewis and Sophia Garcia are absolutely disgusting! I was so furious I almost smashed my phone! But you
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didn’t back down; you gave it to them good! That couple got what they deserved!”
I sighed, leaning back in my seat while rubbing my forehead. “I can’t believe this is probably all
over the internet now.”
“What do you think? When does a spectacle like this ever happen? It’s more dramatic than any soap opera! People online are split into two factions, and the insults are flying everywhere.”
I closed my eyes, my headache intensifying.
I genuinely wanted to get back at them, but
I didn’t want to drag myself into this mess of public outrage.
If this escalated, I’d be caught in the backlash
too.
“Flora, are you okay? I saw you got hit,” Maya immediately shifted from anger to concern.
“It’s nothing, just a few slaps,” I replied lightly.
“Your dad is outrageous! Hitting you in front of so many guests is beyond belief! I should have
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been there; at least I could have fought back for you!”
Maya was originally supposed to be my bridesmaid; she had even prepared her dress. But due to the turn of events, I hadn’t wanted her there, nor had I invited my grandmother
and aunt.
“Andrew Garcia isn’t my father anymore; I’ve severed ties with him,” I said coldly.
“Good! Any father who treats you worse than an animal isn’t worth calling ‘father‘; doing so is just asking for bad luck.”
“Yeah,” I replied vaguely, still thinking about how to mitigate the online storm brewing
around me.
I didn’t want this incident affecting my
company and career.
Hearing me sound drained, Maya asked with
concern, “What’s wrong? Where are you? I can come keep you company.”
“Don’t worry; I’m fine. I won’t let these
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scumbags drain my energy. I’m just thinking about how to calm the online backlash.”
Maya understood me well and sighed, “You’re right; the cyberbullying out there is terrifying. The trolls don’t discriminate when they start hurling insults.”
We pondered for a moment before Maya offered, “Don’t rush. I know someone in PR; I
can ask them for advice on how to handle this.”
“Alright.”
Before our conversation ended, my phone rang
again.
“Maya, I’ll hang up for now; Victoria Lane is calling.”
“Yeah, she’s probably calling to comfort you.”
After hanging up with Maya, I answered
Victoria’s call. She was indeed concerned about
me and angrily berated the couple.
Then, several of my close friends called to
check in.
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We were all emotionally drained, and I opted to post an update on social media to explain that I was okay before shutting my phone off to enjoy some peace.
Once home, after tidying up, I took a shower and lay down.
But as soon as it was quiet, the pain came rushing back like a tidal wave.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, I had to rummage through my bedside drawer to find some sleeping pills, swallowing two to help me drift off.
I had suffered from depression since my teenage years, but fortunately, after years of treatment, I had mostly recovered. I only experienced insomnia during particularly stressful periods, which is why I kept sleeping pills on hand.
After taking the medication, I slipped into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything happening.
outside.
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It wasn’t until the middle of the night, when the security alarm of the villa blared and Toby barked incessantly, that I finally stirred awake.
Realizing someone was knocking at the door, I groggily made my way downstairs and opened the security system.
“Flora! Have you fallen into a deep sleep? Your phone is off, and you didn’t respond to the door! Do you know someone could be in
serious trouble here?”
