Chapter 542



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Tanya was trembling. “What’s wrong with my father? He was wronged back then. He was forced to be in his current situation.”

Even though she complained about him now, she couldn’t help but defend him when others spoke ill of him.

Joel’s mother sighed and said, “Don’t be so reluctant to us. We’re Mia’s grandparents, we won’t hurt her.”

However, just after she said that, an icy voice came from the doorway. “The two of you don’t have to worry about this.”

Joel came striding in.

The man, who had always been a wolf in sheep’s clothing, didn’t have a smile on his face at this moment. He looked at the couple in front of him very coldly and said, “They’re not Mia’s grandparents either.”

At the sight of Joel, the couple looked a little nervous.

Joel’s mother sighed and said, “Joel, you can’t say that…”.

Joel raised his eyebrows. “Didn’t they already say that when I was five? That they didn’t want a son like me anymore! That they were breaking ties with me! They even wanted to kick me out of the Smiths back then? If it wasn’t for Uncle Ian, I probably would have starved to death by now.”

Joel’s father suddenly shouted angrily, “Watch how you talk to us! No matter what, we’re still your parents!”.

Joel laughed. He sounded a bit sarcastic as he repeated, “Parents?”

His words caused both his father and mother to fall silent.

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cøm is packed with great reads Nora looked at them.

Although she had long ago heard from Louis that Joel didn’t get along with his parents, she hadn’t expected it to be this serious.

What exactly had they done to Joel to make him dislike them so much? To the point of making fun of them for calling themselves his parents?

Was he saying that, despite being their son, they didn’t even treat him as well as Ian, who had adopted him?

As he wondered, Joel’s mother said, “Joel, you better not be so ungrateful! If it weren’t for us, you’d never be what you are today! Not to mention inheriting the Smiths.”

Joel smiled, “It was Uncle Ian who agreed to my inheriting the Smiths, not you two.”

His words made his parents gag.

Joel narrowed his foxy eyes. “If you don’t want me to be angry, please go away and live your own lives. Don’t ever try to meddle in mine.”

His threat made his father choke. Then, he huffed, turned and walked out.

Joel’s mother took a deep breath and said, “Do you think I want to meddle in your affairs that much? You have no idea how many people secretly despise this woman you’re marrying. Everyone says she doesn’t even have someone to give her hand today! This wedding is nothing but a bad joke.”

She raised her chin and said, “No matter whether we are recognized or not, I will not attend such a wedding. I will never accept a daughter-in-law whose father is a criminal! Goodbye.”

When Nora craned her neck, she saw the woman say something to her husband. Then the two of them left the place for real.

As parents, they weren’t even going to attend their son’s wedding?

What weirdos.

Nora frowned.

Joel had already walked up behind Tanya and was holding her by the shoulders.

Tanya was still shaking and there was sadness in her eyes. Suddenly she asked, “Have I embarrassed you?”

Joel was quick to reply, “Why would I? Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t worry, I’ve already made all the preparations for the wedding.”

“… But everyone is whispering in private…” Joel scoffed, “Do you know why they only dare to say such things in private?”.

“Why?”

“Because they don’t dare say it in front of me!”. Joel said coldly and earnestly, “Who would dare speak ill of you in front of me? And how would they dare say foolish things in front of you? Aren’t they afraid that Mrs. Smith will get angry and break them overnight?”

“Pfft!”

Her words made Tanya laugh.

Joel was about to say something else when the door was pushed open. Justin came striding in. He was here today as best man.

He stood next to Joel and said slowly, “Mister Rogers has retired.” Mr. Rogers was a middle-aged man with a lot of prestige in New York. He had approached him to ask him to deliver Tanya’s hand today. After all, without a father to give her hand, the wedding would seem incomplete.

But why had he suddenly left?

Joel furrowed his eyebrows. “What happened?”

Justin looked at Tanya and sighed. “Those people outside are saying some pretty nasty things. Mister Rogers heard them and left in a huff.”

Then his jaw tightened and he said, “Unfortunately, I don’t have any trusted family members. However, the main point is that the wedding is about to begin. There are only ten minutes left.” Joel also clenched his fists. Just when the two didn’t know who to invite at the last minute, Nora slowly said, “I’ll deliver it!”.

The two looked at her in unison.

Nora walked over to Tanya and said, “Tanya and I already disapproved of Mister Rogers doing it when you guys asked. I am Tanya’s only and best friend. Now that she’s getting married, I’m going to give her hand in marriage! From now on, I will be Tanya’s family!”

There was a moment of silence in the room.

A brief moment later, Joel gave the last word. “Okay!”

He looked at Tanya and smiled. “I was just in denial when I approached Mister Rogers. Anyway, I can’t shut those people up. In that case, why should we let others control us? Today is our wedding, I just want the people closest to us to witness our love!”

Tanya’s eyes were red. She nodded vigorously and said, “Yes!”

The wedding began.

After the hall opened, Nora held Tanya as she stood in the doorway, where there would be a red carpet leading to the stage where Tanya would meet Joel.

As soon as the two appeared, a murmur went through the crowd.

“What’s going on, why isn’t anyone giving the bride’s hand in marriage?”

“Her father escaped from jail. Of course there would be no one.”

“Isn’t a wedding like this a little weird?”

“Yes… I also heard that Tanya doesn’t even bring anything to the marriage. All her father gave her was a bank card – how much money can there be inside!”

“The two families don’t make a good match! It must have been a stroke of luck that Tanya could marry Mr. Smith!” “To tell the truth, although Hillary Jones was no good either, she was still the Jones’ precious young lady after all. Back then, when she got engaged to Mr. Smith, the Joneses gave them all 30% of the shares of their company! In comparison, Tanya is really pitiful…”

Everyone’s comments reached Tanya’s ears.

Tanya clenched her fists.

She looked at the red carpet in front of her and suddenly thought of Karl.

The man was crude but meticulous.

Even though she knew he had escaped from jail, Tanya still wanted to record the wedding and show it to him in the future.

She took a deep breath.

She knew that without the corresponding social status and without having a family with enough power to stand up to the Smiths, life would be very hard for her in the future after she married Joel.

But she was not afraid.

She held out her hand, upon which a large, warm hand enveloped her.

Tanya was taken aback-when had Nora’s hands ever become so rough?

She turned her head and looked .

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