Wed To The Forbidden Uncle

CH 25

"Star!" The man's eyes lit up when he saw Esther.

Hearing his voice, Esther finally recognized the disheveled man in front of her. It was Zachary, who always claimed to have OCD and kept himself impeccably groomed. The press conference hadn't been live-streamed, so he probably didn't know what had just happened inside.

Zachary walked up to Esther and suddenly dropped to his knees, reaching out to grab her dress. Mercy, however, pulled Esther back a step.

He froze for a moment, then began to cry, "Star, I know I was wrong. It was that witch Cathy who seduced me. I was just momentarily confused. Please forgive me, won't you?"

Recently, the Landon family had canceled all his engagements and the few endorsements he had were terminating their contracts with him. He had used his savings to pay the penalties. He had always been a big spender, relying on Esther to support him. Now, facing the prospect of returning to his instant noodle days, he remembered Esther's kindness. Plus, if he didn't pay the rent this month, he'd be out on the street.

"Hah." Esther let out a cold laugh.

Zachary stared at her blankly. With her hair cut short, she looked even better than before and her aura outshone Cathy's by miles. But the eyes that once held only him now showed not a trace of affection.

He swayed, suddenly realizing he might have lost something precious.

Esther brushed off imaginary dust from her dress. "Do you really think I'd take you back? Sorry, but I find you filthy."

Then she remembered something. "Oh, by the way, the Landon family will be terminating your contract soon. You should get ready to pay the penalty."

After Esther finished speaking, she linked arms with Mercy and continued walking out.

"Star, don't go!" Zachary tried to follow, but Mercy had already called security, who blocked his way. He struggled, only to end up getting roughed up.

After this incident, Cathy's image as a goddess quickly crumbled. Her past of seeking sugar daddies and being a mistress was dug up by sharp-eyed netizens.

The head of the Zayn family was known for his philandering ways, so the family had no shortage of daughters. Once Cathy fell from grace, she lost her value and was promptly abandoned by her family.

So, you see, one shouldn't push their luck too far.

The Landon family, grateful for Dexter's help, gifted the Walker family a lucrative project. In return, Dexter signed a cooperation agreement with the Landon family, forging a new alliance between the two.

Mercy was also honored as a distinguished guest by the Landon family. She received a supreme membership card for all their entertainment venues, allowing her to enjoy everything for free.

When Mercy received the stack of cards, she leaned against Esther, laughing, "Haha, so your family's habit of booking entire venues at the drop of a hat is a family tradition."

Esther blushed and playfully tickled Mercy in response.

"Haha, star, star! I was wrong," Mercy squirmed on the couch like a caterpillar.

In the end, the two of them were laughing uncontrollably.

...

Mercy hadn't been home for a day and a night, yet her phonebook remained empty. The Rivers family hadn't even bothered to call her.

Upon entering, she saw Zara clinging to Michelle's arm. The two were cozied up, chatting about something that had them both giggling.

However, as soon as Michelle saw Mercy, her face fell as if Mercy were her worst enemy from a past life.

"Mercy, you're barely grown and already staying out all night? Keep messing around like this and if you ever come home pregnant with some random kid, I swear I'll break your legs!"

Her words were harsh, even causing Callan, who was reading financial news nearby, to frown.

Zara quickly patted her chest, trying to soothe her mother. "Mom, don't be upset. My sister just grew up in the countryside, wild and without proper guidance. I'll teach her how to be a proper lady like me."

She smiled at Mercy, her eyes filled with superiority.

"Zara is always so sensible, never giving me a reason to worry," Michelle said, patting Zara's head with satisfaction.

Mercy stared at Zara for a moment before slowly asking, "Zara, what's that red mark on your collar?"

The Rivers couple looked at Zara, confused by Mercy's question.

Zara froze for a second, then quickly pulled up her collar, trying to cover it up. "Probably a mosquito bite," she said awkwardly.

"Wow, that must be one big mosquito," Mercy chuckled, turning to leave. "Oh, by the way, I'm going out tomorrow afternoon. Not sure if I'll be back at night."

"Where are you off to now?" Michelle asked through gritted teeth.

"Back to the countryside."

With that, Mercy ignored them and walked away. Skye from the orphanage had just called her, inviting her to attend the orphanage's 30th-anniversary celebration.

The location was not far from the orphanage, at a newly developed hot spring resort hotel nearby, rumored to be sponsored by someone.

The next afternoon, Mercy had no classes, so she took a train to the hotel located on the outskirts of the city.

In Box 3, there were dozens of people, mostly those who had gone to the orphanage with Mercy in the same year. She entered and casually found a table to sit at.

A slightly chubby girl next to her noticed her and smiled, "Mercy, long time no see! You're still as beautiful as ever."

Mercy was in the middle of texting her uncle when she heard the voice and looked up, "Noreen?"

Noreen was pleasantly surprised, "I can't believe you still remember me."

Mercy had a vivid memory of her. As kids, Noreen was quite the eater, often sneaking the vegetables she didn't like onto Mercy's plate and that's how their friendship began. Unfortunately, they lost touch as they grew older.

While they were talking, two more people entered the room, scanned around and then sat at Mercy's table.

Noreen continued chatting with Mercy. "Mercy, your outfit is really nice. Send me the link later, will you?"

Mercy was wearing a new release from the Autumn Cicada collection by Phoenix Feather Pavilion. The coat had a unique design, with a cinched waist that accentuated Mercy's slender figure. The bold orange-red color made her skin look even more radiant.

Mercy paused, "I didn't buy this online. It's from a small boutique. I'll take you there when we have time."

Before Noreen could respond, the two newcomers started talking loudly, oblivious to those around them.

"Oh, Ivy, is that dress you're wearing the latest from D's collection? How much did it cost?" one of the girls, also in a dress, asked her companion.

Ivy replied nonchalantly, "My husband just got it for me. It wasn't too expensive, just over 150,000."

Selina smacked her lips at the thought. "Oh my gosh, over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and you say it's not expensive?"

Ivy just gave a soft smile and pulled out her lipstick from her bag to touch up her makeup.