Tessa went online to search, wondering if there was any major incident in Imperial City last night. Faye is a model; if anything had happened, it would definitely be reported immediately.
She didn't find anything, but she was still anxious.
"Hey, Faye, why haven't you come home yet?" Tessa sent a text.
But after sending it, it seemed like it disappeared into the ocean.
Tessa anxiously waited, but Faye's reply never came.
Seeing that it was getting late, she grabbed her phone and sent another text to Faye, this time with the Caldwell Residence address attached.
Afterwards, she went to the Caldwell Residence alone.
o(︶︿︶)o
In the past few years, large chain malls suddenly appeared across the country, and the Caldwell Group's department store business plummeted, seemingly on the brink of closure.
A while ago, Dad Caldwell called Tessa home, told her about the department store's situation, and mentioned that there was someone who could help — Jasper Vance, the second son of the Vance Group's chairman. He hoped she could get along well with Jasper.
Kenneth spoke obliquely, but Grandma Caldwell was very straightforward, saying Jasper was nice and Tessa should marry him.
Essentially, it meant selling the daughter for glory.
Jasper Vance... indeed, he was quite something — hot-tempered, petty, prone to fits, loved hitting women, irresponsible, a philanderer, self-centered, lacked ambition, lived off others, totally incompetent, yet arrogant with a "I'm the king of the world" attitude.
Ha ha~~
Just the thought of marrying him made Tessa feel like throwing up yesterday's dinner.
But she didn't show it; she just cheerfully said she needed to go back and think it over.
The Caldwell Family agreed, but Grandma Caldwell warned that regardless of how she thought it over, the marriage would happen, whether she wanted it or not.
A week later, Tessa returned home and told everyone she was already married.
Except for the Caldwell brothers, everyone else was there, and they all were struck as if by lightning, unable to respond for a long time.
Suddenly, her stepmother screamed at Tessa, "What did you say? You are going to marry another man?"
Tessa shrank her shoulders and moved aside, blinking her vulnerable eyes at her stepmother, "I can't help it. He fell in love with me at first sight and said he won't marry anyone but me; otherwise, he would become a monk. Alas, I guess I'm just too beautiful."
She spread her hands, "Turns out being too pretty is a crime, being too popular is a mistake!"
Grandma Caldwell glared at her, her voice low and steady, commanding respect without anger, "Let me tell you, we do not agree. You won't marry that man!"
"We aren't going to get married; we are already married, have been married, Grandma... I didn't want to either, but he said he'd commit suicide... that's a human life!" Tessa looked like she was about to cry but still looked innocent.
Karen Yates sneered and said, "Tessa, you're lying, aren't you? You don't even have a boyfriend, how could you suddenly get married!"
Tessa confusingly countered, "Who said you must have a boyfriend to get married?"
Karen snorted, mocking, "You said he fell in love with you at first sight, won't marry anyone but you, just you... ha ha, imagine what kind of person he is. You don't even dare bring him home; isn't he someone disgraceful, penniless, and powerful-less, or even a real ugly one."