At that moment, Eric’s phone rang.
On the other end was Margaret Collins, his mother.
“Why aren’t you back yet? The guests are getting restless,” she barked.
Eric answered, “Sophia refuses to come.”
Margaret exploded, “Put her on the phone!”
I took the call, but before I could say anything, she was already shouting:
“Sophia, where did you pick up this nonsense? The limousine is here and you’re throwing a tantrum? Trying to raise your price, are you?”
“Let me tell you, the Collins family may be wealthy, but we’re not fools. If you don’t want to marry, there are plenty of women lining up to take your place.”
I quickly tried to explain, “No, it’s not that! Eric and Lily brought a dog and want me to go through the ceremony with it.”
Margaret was a very traditional woman, so I thought she’d stop Eric. But to my disbelief, she said lightly, “I already knew.”
“Lily’s reading showed that Eric would face misfortune if he held the wedding. Better safe than sorry—let the dog do it.”
“You’re marrying my son, so you should put his well-being first. Stop making trouble out of nothing.”
Then she hung up.
I stood there, stunned.
Eric sneered. “Still not getting in the car?”
I looked at the dog inside and shook my head.
“Forget it then,” Eric said coldly.
He took Lily’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Lily asked softly, her voice brimming with joy, “Eric, are you not holding the ceremony anymore?”
Eric replied indifferently, “Of course it will be held. If Sophia wants to throw a fit, she can take a cab to the venue herself.”
“But it looks like she doesn’t want to get married anymore,” Lily said.
Eric glanced at me through the window and mocked, “Not marry? She wouldn’t dare. Give her some time—she’ll swallow her pride and come crawling over.”
With that, the wedding convoy drove away.
Tears fell silently from my eyes.
Everyone assumed I couldn’t bear to lose this wedding.
Eric thought so too.
It was only because Eric Collins was the heir to the wealthy Collins family that people thought I was reaching above my station.
I was just an orphan, taken in by Robert Collins, his grandfather.
To outsiders, it seemed like I had climbed too high, that I should grovel before the Collins family and cling to this chance to “rise above.”
But no one knew the truth—Robert had personally and respectfully invited me to live with the Collins family. The word “adoption” was just for appearances.