#THE_LAST_MINUTE_GROOM_S3
©Sir_Zach
EPISODE 71
“I’m so mad right now. So if your husband hadn’t invited us, you wouldn’t have. Is that so?” Ava folded her hands on her chest.
“Right. She even chatted with me some days ago and didn’t tell me about her baby shower. Still so dull. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” Emma rolled her eyes, albeit playfully. They’ve witnessed Jeslyn’s feat and understood she was nothing near a dull person. But what other way to bully her?
Their bullying took Jeslyn’s mind back to her days at Rose City. When these two ladies were warning her about Ray, they’d act like this.
Although the way they spoke to her didn’t hurt her, even though they were strangers to her, Christine would make a big deal out of it until she reacted angrily.
But after getting to know the two ladies well, she got to see them for who they really were. They are those friends who would speak to you in a sarcastic manner but are extremely loyal and honest. Once they made you a friend, they’d walk with you through thick and thin.
Jeslyn sighed and sat down. “Do you believe I wouldn’t invite you two if I had any idea that the party would be this big? I thought it was a small thing for my family. I mean, look at every one. They look like people going to the beach, but with a little touch of extravagance.”
“Hahaha… This girl is crazy. What a perfect way to describe your baby shower!” Emma couldn’t help herself from laughing out loud.
“Hello, everyone! May I get your attention, please?” Piper’s voice boomed.
The people slowly turned to focus on her.
“Everyone, gather around. Time to reveal the baby’s gender, then cut the cake!”
Jeslyn looked dazedly at Piper. She felt the urge to pounce on her. Gender reveal? In front of the antagonist, Valen?
Searching for him with her eyes, she saw the child holding Pink’s wheelchair. He was also looking at her. Then a smile stretched across his face.
“Should I come?” he asked.
Jeslyn started weeping in her heart, but her face had a crooked beam. “Yes, son.”
She froze. That wasn’t what she wanted to say. But she can’t take back her words, right?
The happy child strode to her side and held her hand before walking her to the table where the cake was.
Maverick, who had been ‘entertaining’ the men, joined his wife and son on the table.
Kimberly brought two confetti cannons. One for Maverick, the other for Jeslyn. However Valen was looking at it with interest, so Maverick handed his own to him.
“For a first-timer, you should be careful,” he said.
“Then teach me how to.” The child was excited that’d be the one to reveal his sibling’s gender with his mother.
Maverick unwrapped the cannon and taught him how to twist the bottom.
“I get it. Thank you.”
Maverick was taken aback by his appreciation. Has his nemesis ever thanked him for anything? This was the first.
Maverick moved to stand behind Jeslyn. He held her cannon with her as they got ready to pop the confetti.
Seeing this, Valen glared at his father and instantly regretted showing appreciation.
“Are you ready? The baby’s gender will be revealed in 3…2…1…”
“Puff!”
“Yeey! It’s a girl!!”
Everyone exclaimed in excitement, except Valen who was still staring at the pink confetti that was flying everywhere. Finally, it dawned on him and he looked at his shirt– pink.
“A girl?” he frowned.
Jeslyn sighed, “your daddy put her there. What can I do? I wanted a boy, just like you.” Jeslyn immediately shifted the blame to Maverick.
“Of course, only he would do such a thing,” Valen sneered.
“When you get yourself a wife, I hope you’ll be able to give her only males,” Maverick retorted.
“Who said I wouldn’t want girls as daughters?” the child harrumphed and walked away. He just realized he said the wrong thing.
Maverick tapped his wife’s nose, “your son is a hypocrite.”
“Who did he take after?” she raised a brow as she wrapped her hands around his waist.
“You, of course,” he responded, his lips tugging into a smile, impatiently waiting for her outburst.
Jeslyn didn’t disappoint because the next second, her smile fell. “You said what?”
“That you’re beautiful –”
“No, you called me a hypocrite.”
“Hehe,” Maverick chuckled, lowered his head and immediately sealed her lips. If he didn’t, she’d go on and on until Valen get involved.
They want a peaceful party, right?
Although the guests didn’t hear what they were saying, they could see the body language and reactions, which were simply too cute.
…
Pink was sitting in her wheelchair, smiling as she looked at her daughter and her small family when she spotted a familiar back. The lady looked back at her and started walking deeper into the garden. Everything about her looked mysterious and from the way she was walking and looking back at her, Pink knew the lady was trying to get her attention, so she pressed a button on her chair and started heading in that direction.
Pink stopped when she couldn’t see anyone or hear the cheers from guests anymore. Looking around her, she could only see pruned shrubs everywhere.
Ah, she’s inside a shrub maze, she thought.
“Who are you? Show yourself!”
A moment later, a figure walked out and stood at the only entrance. The lady was a stranger to her and this wasn’t the back she saw earlier.
“Who are you?!”
“Long time, no see, Alex,” a voice drifted over before Diana walked in.
“Diana? What– how did you get in?” Pink frowned.
“It seems I’m not welcome here too.”
“No, that’s not the case. I thought you were dead. I mean, everyone from the sisterhood is dead. How did you survive? And again, your face is everywhere.”
Diana started walking towards her, closing the distance between them.
“That Ɓîtçh sent my team and I to die in the hands of Nancy. Fortunately, Nancy wasn’t interested in ki||ing us, so she kept us hostage until a while ago when her son set us free.”
Pink took a deep breath. “That’s a relief. I’m glad you’re alive.”
Diana squatted in front of Pink and knocked on her knees. “I heard what happened to your legs. Any remedy yet?”
Pink shook her head. “No hope. But it’s fine. I get to spend time with my family.” She smiled.
“Good for you.” Diana returned a crooked smiled. “I’m a fugitive now. Everyone wants me dead.”
“I have a place. No one would know you’re there.” Pink patted her hand.
“I knew I could still count on you.”
“I thought you h@ťěd me? Or don’t you h@ťě me anymore?” Pink asked.
“You think I have a choice?” Diana sat on the carpet grass beside Pink. “You’ve seen him recently, haven’t you?”
Pink didn’t need to ask who it was to know. “I wish I didn’t.” her hands on her lap balled into tight fists.
Diana saw that but didn’t probe. Instead, she asked, “He disdained you, didn’t he?”
Pink turned her head to look at her friend. “I wish he did.”
“Oh? Then it must be something incredible. Would you mind sharing? Maybe it would ease my hatred for you a little.”
“He’s a douchebag. He did this to me.”
Diana trailed her gaze to Pink’s knees. After a long silence, she said; “Impressive.”
Although she made it seem like she was rejoicing, her tone gave her away.
“Don’t feel pity for me. I want to ki|| that bastard.”
“Hahahaha… are you aware he’s the man I love?”
“Then why did you come here? He’d be able to protect you better. You knew that, yet chose to come to me. Why?”
“Why else? To torture you and ki|| you slowly.” Diana smirked.
“We both know that’s a move you can’t make. So why did you come to me instead of going to the man you love? After all, Nancy must have locked you up in their mansion. Let me guess; Nancy told you everything before she left?”
“And you think I’d believe the bullshit she said?”
“So, why are you seeking my help if you believe in yourself? Diana, it’s been a long time. We were both young and irrational. You knew, just like me, that my Aunt was only using us and making us dance to her tune.
“I had no idea Hwang Min was the man you talked about… You know what, let’s leave it at that–”
“Alex if you don’t continue what you’ve already started, I’ll slit your throat right here and now!”
“My Lady!” Jacy, whom no one knew when she joined them, intervened from her standing position. If Diana ki||s Alex, they’ll all be dead!
“Stay out of it!” Diana yelled.
“We’ll all die if you ki|| her! Jeslyn won’t let us off!”
“I told you to stay out of it!!” She threw a small knife at Jacy who immediately dodged it. The woman was very furious and everyone could see that.
“Diana, is my explanation so important to you?”
Diana chuckled dryly. “For so many years, you made me look like a fool! I lived every day of my life knowing that you were hiding something important from me! It gave me nightmares knowing that you were going through hell fighting for us! Your sister, you, and me.
“Alex, you were so ruthless to yourself and us that even when your sister died, you refused to spill the beans. Not anymore. If you don’t tell me everything as it all happened from your point of view, I promise you, I’ll ki|| you and ki|| myself.
“Even when we get to hell, I won’t leave you alone!” She gritted her teeth and balled her fist to suppress the urge to hold Pink’s neck. The Ɓîtçh was just staring at her like she was a child throwing tantrums.
“Alex!” Diana yelled.
“Fine, if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”
…
“Clap! Clap! Clap!”
“The unfilial daughter is here, presenting herself as the purest goddess in the world. Whilst hiding filth and evil and schemes behind that innocent face of hers.
Jeslyn froze and looked around to see who owned those insults but rather everyone was looking at her. She traced the voice and saw Mr. Hwang standing a distance away with five guards. One of them held a briefcase as they stood gallant without joy in their faces.
“Is this how you treat your father?! I wasn’t even invited to this occasion.” He laughed mockingly.
Jeslyn left the table and made her way to him.
“On what ground are you saying that?!” Jeslyn asked. Neither angrily, nor friendly.
“What are you doing here?” Brian’s angry voice drifted over.
“You too. I knew you’d be here–”
“That hasn’t answered my question. What are you doing here?!” He barked.
Hwang Min turned sharply to look at Jeslyn. “Transfer it back to me.”
“Transfer what to you?”
“You want to play daft with me? That which Nancy gave to you, return it to me, then we will stay out of each other’s life.”
“This is my niece’s baby shower. Can you show some decency and go home? What do you want to achieve by causing trouble here?!” Brian was frustrated by this man’s lack of insight.
However, Jeslyn didn’t see it that way. The man was very insightful. He is here to ruin her reputation and force her to reveal her true colors, or pressure her to sign the documents she was sure was in the briefcase his men were holding.
But he calculated wrongly. She is the goddess of schemes!
“Mr. Hwang, I know you never liked me, but can you not do this right now? What If your actions cause me my baby girl?”
Brian immediately picked up after his sister. “Return home. If anything happens to my niece, you might not be able to bear it. Unless you mean to harm them.”
“So what if I do? You listened to that witch and turned your sister against me. Look at how you talk to me. Do you respect me as your father? Is this how children talk to their father?!” The man yelled.
Jeslyn looked around. Everyone had gathered around them. Wh@ťěver wrong thing she says would either make or ruin her career. So she chose her words carefully.
With a smile on her face, she said, “Mr. Hwang, don’t be like this. We shouldn’t wash her dirty linen outside. Let’s go into the house to discuss this.”