Aiden's grip tightened just slightly, his expression unreadable. "Hitting a woman?" he mused. "And not just any woman. My wife. In front of me?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "You've got some balls, kid."
Jayden winced, his knees almost buckling.
I tilted my head, watching with an amused smile. "Listen to my husband, Jayden," I said smoothly. "Don't try to hit his wife. You might just get your hand broken."
I turned to Aiden, my smile softening. "Dear husband, please let him go now. I'm certain he's learned his lesson."
Aiden studied me for a moment before releasing Jayden's wrist with a flick of his fingers.
Jayden stumbled back, cradling his hand. His mother rushed forward, grabbing his face and inspecting his wrist. "Are you alright? Is your hand broken? Should we see a doctor?"
"No, it's fine, Mom," Jayden gritted out, though his hand trembled slightly.
And then—
Smack!
A sharp, stinging pain shot through my cheek, my head snapping to the side from the force of the slap.
I froze.
The room went deadly silent.
"What is wrong with you?" My mother's voice was thick with emotion, her hands trembling as she clutched my gown. "Why did you do it? Do you want to ruin your life just to prove a point? How could you, Marina? Do you even know what kind of man you married?!"
I didn't move. I didn't speak.
For the first time since Jayden rejected me at the altar, my tears fell freely.
"It hurt, Mother," I whispered, my voice raw. "I was humiliated. In front of everyone. The prince charming of the Hawthorne family rejected me in public, Mother!"
I looked at her through blurry vision, my breathing uneven. "What was I supposed to do? Stand here and cry? Lock myself in my room and suffer in silence while he walks free, unbothered?"
I shook my head, the lump in my throat tightening. "How was I supposed to survive his rejection, Mother?"
"For once," I whispered, "I am happy with the choice I made today."
I let my gaze sweep across the room, settling on my father. "You and Dad always made choices for me. And you both chose him." I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Look at what your choice of a man did to your precious daughter. Look at me."
"See what your decision led to."
Silence.
Tears streamed down my mother's face as she clutched my arms. "Marina... you can't do this... you—you..."
"She is right, Mariam." My father's voice was heavy with regret. "We are responsible for this. We are at fault. We can't blame Marina's decision."
I blinked at him.
Here's the rest of the chapter in Marina's POV:
---
"If we hadn't chosen this child in a man's body for her, she never would have been humiliated the way she was today." My father's voice was filled with shame as he looked at me, his expression unreadable. "I support your decision, Marina. And I am sorry."
His head bowed slightly, something I had never seen my father do before.
I stared at him, my emotions tangled. I didn't know whether to cry harder or accept their apologies. The pain, the anger, the betrayal—it was all too much. I turned my back to them, biting my lip, trying to steady my breathing.
Aiden had been silent through the entire exchange, simply watching. But then, he took a step forward.
He stood before my parents, his posture firm yet respectful.
Then, to my shock, he bowed slightly.
"Father-in-law. Mother-in-law." His voice was smooth, but his words held an undeniable weight. "I am Aiden Wellington, your daughter's husband."
My mother stiffened. My father's expression darkened with uncertainty.
"I know you had no prior knowledge of me, and I understand your concerns." Aiden straightened, his piercing gaze locking onto my father's. "But I will tell you this—Marina is my responsibility now. No one else's."
He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. "She will always smile. That, I promise you."
A lump formed in my throat.
He was a stranger—a man I had dragged into this madness for my own pride. And yet, he was standing before my parents, declaring that he would take care of me.
My father said nothing. My mother's lips trembled, but she didn't argue.
Aiden's words settled over the room like a final verdict. There was no room for objections.
And for the first time since Jayden humiliated me at the altar… I felt like I had truly won.
—
I didn't know whether to cry loudly or hold it in. Aiden's words echoed in my mind, his promise heavy in the air. He was a stranger, someone I had begged for a favor, and yet… he was willing to stand beside me. To protect me.
"Take care of her?" Jayden sneered, dragging me back to reality. His eyes burned with frustration as he looked at Aiden. "Who cares what family you belong to? You must be from some lowly background. Marina, you think you made the right choice? You will regret not begging me to marry you."
I wiped my tears and chuckled without even looking at him. Then, turning around, I met his glare with a smirk. "Regret?" I repeated, tilting my head. "You should be the one regretting this, Jayden. Because one day, you'll realize that rejecting me was the biggest mistake of your life."
The exchange between us went back and forth, insults woven into every word.
But then, my mother's patience snapped. "Enough!" she said firmly, throwing Aiden a look. "Take her away. She's been through enough for today."
Almost on cue, one of Aiden's bodyguards stepped forward and bowed. "Master, the bridal car is ready. The bride's belongings have already been placed inside. We should leave now—your grandfather is expecting you."*
Aiden hummed in acknowledgment before turning to my parents. "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, I will take my leave now. We will visit you soon."*
I swallowed the lump in my throat, standing beside Aiden as I bowed to my parents. The emotions surged again, but I held them back. No more tears.
When I straightened, Aiden turned to me and did something unexpected—he bowed. Then, stepping closer, he whispered, "Get ready. Put your hands around my neck."