Royce walked over, his face dark with anger. "Stop this madness. I'm already married." He called out to Nadia, who walked over, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the lips.
Nadia, shy, glanced at Lily. She hadn't expected Lily to show up here directly. She wanted to see some reaction on Lily's face, but there was nothing except a smile.
Royce pulled away from Nadia, glaring coldly at Lily. "See that? I'm married, and I love my wife very much."
After Lily hit him in the bar before the New Year, Royce had believed she had lost her memory. Because if she hadn't, she wouldn't have hit him; she couldn't bear to. After his New Year's Eve confession, Lily hadn't bothered Uncle Edmond anymore. They hadn't even met, and such a grand declaration of love had suddenly stopped.
He thought there was a chance Lily hadn't really lost her memory and was just pretending. With his and Nadia's wedding invitations sent out, she couldn't keep up the act anymore. If Lily was pretending, her quietness was temporary, and she would definitely cause a scene at his wedding.
He thought she might crash the wedding, so on his wedding day, he kept glancing at the entrance, expecting her to appear and cause a scene.
She didn't come, but she showed up today.
The moment he saw her, Royce was certain his suspicions were correct. She hadn't forgotten him; her pursuit of Uncle Edmond was just to make him jealous. She hadn't come to crash the wedding because she had other plans, but now she was here.
"Your actions are pointless and humiliating." Royce's voice was loud, with a hint of vindictive satisfaction.
Lily's "memory lapse" had made him a laughing stock, with people mocking him behind his back, saying Lily had found someone a hundred times better in Uncle Edmond. Royce held Nadia tighter, pointing towards the door, and started to send her away. "Lily, have some dignity and leave."
The living room was eerily quiet, everyone's eyes fixed on Lily, waiting for her reaction. They saw her lower her head, her whole body tense, her hands clenched into fists, and her shoulders tremble more with Royce's words, as if she were crying.
Everyone thought Royce had hit the mark.
After an intense silence, low murmurs of disdain and ridicule filled the room.
Then, Lily moved. She raised her hand and slapped Royce, not on the face but on the forehead like she had with Franklin.
"You brat, I've told you many times. I only care about your Uncle Edmond. I don't even remember you."
"Whatever happened in the past, no matter how you describe it, I don't believe a word. I'm your aunt now, and I've got a marriage certificate to prove it."
Her face showed no sadness, only annoyance at being insulted.
Everyone was stunned. So, she wasn't crying earlier; she was just angry?
Franklin, quick on the uptake, caught the crucial detail. "Marriage certificate?"
Lily took a step back, adjusted her clothes, and in full view of everyone, took out a red booklet from her coat pocket and opened it.
The registration date was on the top page, under "certificate holder":December 10. She skillfully placed her thumb over the "1" in the date, concealing it.
She first showed him the cover with the words "Marriage Certificate," then flipped it to show the inside.
With her right hand, she guided his eyes to the photo on the document. "Isn't that me and your Uncle Edmond?"
Her finger moved down to the names. "Aren't these our names?"
Finally, she casually pointed to the date. "We registered on February 10."
She slipped the marriage certificate back into her pocket and used the sweetest tone to assert their family relationship.
"Dear nephew, did you see? I'm married to your Uncle Edmond, legally."
Royce, dazed by her slap, followed her hand movements with his eyes. Seeing the photo and their names, his expression changed completely.
After a moment, he stretched out his hand towards Lily. "Give me the marriage certificate." Fake! It must be fake! Edmond couldn't have married her. He wouldn't marry someone he rejected.
Lily refused. "You look like you're ready to tear it up. What if you do?"
Royce gritted his teeth. "I won't tear it up. I just want to see if it's fake!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Ignorant. Faking a marriage certificate is illegal, you know?"
Royce stayed silent, veins bulging on his forehead. The thought of Lily marrying Uncle Edmond ignited a fiery anger in him. He reached out to grab the certificate, but his wrist was caught.
"Touch her and see what happens."