He drank bottle after bottle of wine. The phone screen lit up and then went dark, displaying only one warning message.
[Tomorrow is my dad's wedding. Get your ass back here. Don't embarrass me and Wendy. This is your last chance! If you return, I won't hold it against you for running off.]
On the wedding day, Jonathan escorted a beautifully dressed Wendy, making a high-profile appearance as if Wendy were his rightful wife.
When his father, Dean Zander, approached, he let go of Wendy's hand.
"Why didn't Daphne come with you?"
Dean held his young new wife's hand. His sharp gaze made Jonathan's Adam's apple bob.
He subconsciously adjusted his cuff, uttering the lie he had prepared long ago. "Dad, Daphne hasn't been feeling well lately. I told her to rest more. She should be here soon."
Surprisingly, he covered for me now, afraid of upsetting his father.
Dean smiled and even asked, "Is Daphne pregnant? It's about time you two had a child. After all, a child from another woman isn't legitimate."
Jonathan's expression stiffened. He met Wendy's embarrassed gaze but instinctively looked away. "We're considering it."
Dean didn't know yet that I couldn't have children.
My seat was still empty when the wedding was about the gift-giving part.
Jonathan kept rubbing the wedding ring on his ring finger, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Halfway through the banquet, the guests began presenting gifts and toasts. Still, no sign of Daphne.
By the third time Jonathan checked his watch, his knuckles had gone white.
He slipped away from the crowd and stood behind a pillar in the corridor, dialing the number he knew by heart.
"The number you have dialed is currently switched off … "
The cold, automated voice made his chest feel tight.
Just as he was about to redial, the banquet hall doors swung open. A deliveryman walked in, holding three beautifully wrapped gift boxes.
"Mrs. Daphne sent these as wedding gifts," the butler whispered into Dean's ear.
Under the gaze of everyone, Dean personally opened the first gift I prepared, which was an antique porcelain from the ancient Roman era.
Dean's eyes lit up. This was exactly the porcelain he mentioned that he liked half a year ago. He has always been an antique lover, and he didn't expect that I would cater to his taste so much.