CHAPTER FIVE

As Ethan drove through the busy streets of Atlanta in his Maybach Lamborghini, his eyes were drawn to the beautiful ornamental plants along the roadside and the beautiful malls, his cell phone vibrated on the phone holder in his car.

He puts his face in front of the phone, and it unlocks.

"Son," a pleasant voice said over the phone.

"Yes, Mrs. Coker." He answered.

His response saddened his mother but she understood and was going to give Ethan a lot of time to get through himself.

"I received an invitation to a wedding, but I will not be attending. You will have to go on my behalf; the wedding is one of my subordinates.” His mother said over the phone.

“Mrs. Coker, what if I’m not allowed to enter the main hall because of an invitation card?”

"Just go. I will take care of it." His mother said.

"Okay." He answered, and the call was terminated.

Shortly after the call ended, his phone bleeped and displayed message notifications on the screen.

It was the wedding venue address. Ethan took a quick glance and turned on his GPS, which directed him to the wedding venues.

Ethan parked his car and got out. He looked around and saw his wife and her new lover's banner hanging on a wall.

His heart pounded in his chest, and he was about to return to his car, but a phone call interrupted his plans.

"You may go in; I have arranged everything for you," his mother explained. 

"You will be in seat number one. Evenly will come and give you some money to spray.” She added 

"The main entrance is guarded by security personnel. What should I tell them to justify my grand entrance without being embarrassed?" Ethan persisted because he was skeptical of his mother's decision.

He was not sure if his mother was powerful enough to attend a grand wedding of a prominent family in Los Angeles without an invitation.

"Just tell them you are from the stark corporation." His mother said, and the network deteriorated significantly.

He attempted to continue speaking, but his phone's screen displayed an emergency.

He walked, coming to a halt right in front of the security guards, who shoved their hands in front of him, telling him to stop.

“Your invitations card.” They demanded, and as he was about to speak, a familiar voice sounded right behind him.

He did not turn to look because he recognized the person as Jessie, his ex-wife's cousin. 

"Grant me an entrance; I am the bride's cousin." She uttered rudely. “This is also my boyfriend, and the groom's cousin."

Jessie looked over her shoulders, recognising Ethan at first glance from his side profile. A sly grin suddenly formed on the top of her lips.

She sniffed in the air, wrinkling her nose, before saying. "What is that bad smell? "Who brought a dirty he goat into the party?" She inquired as her nose came close to Ethan's neck.

Ethan flinched, rolling his eyes at her. He tried hard to conceal himself, but Jessie has sharp eyes.

Jessie exclaimed, "Oh, poor brother-in-law, are you here too?" 

Her greeting appears malicious, but she has smiles all over her face. So Ethan faked a smile and replied. "What a coincidence, Jessie. You are also here." 

"What do you mean when you say I am here too? This is my cousin's wedding celebration. I should ask my cousin's loser ex-husband, What are you doing here?" She said with a hint of mockery in her voice.

At her last words, the man beside Jessie darted his gaze to Ethan and looked at him in surprise. "What? Is this the wretched man that they claimed was married to your cousin?"

Jessie responded with a nod. 

"He is attractive, though, and even dressed in an expensive suit." 

Jessie gave a frown. "What do you mean by 'good looking'? Do not be fooled by his appearance; he is a poor man with only three dollars in his bank account. He can not even afford earrings for my cousin."

"Wow, that means he had borrowed the suits. What exactly is he doing here?" Jessica's boyfriend inquired.

Jessie let out a dry laugh. "Probably here to pick up some breadcrumbs from the party, or to steal some money because he is so poor."

"Or maybe he is here to cause some mishaps." Jessie's boyfriend added, and they exchanged glances.

They turned to Ethan, who remained calm despite the insults hurled at him, and said. "Get out of this place." 

"No." Ethan responded simply.

They pushed him and even addressed the guards. "He is my cousin's ex-husband. He should not be allowed into the party, or you will all lose your jobs and be arrested if you let him in and he causes a ruckus." 

When the security guards heard such words from the married couples' families, they nodded and frowned as they looked at Ethan.

“You should leave!” They issued a stern warning.

"No!" Ethan responded swiftly.

They gave a scowling expression. "Young man, respect yourself and leave this area before we beat you up." 

"What if I am invited?" Ethan replied with a sardonic smile.

"Show us your invitation card. I am pretty sure my sister will not give you her invitation card. You guys even got divorced this morning." Jessie fumed.

Ethan paused briefly before responding to her. “What if I don’t have an invitation card?” 

Jessie lost her patience with Ethan's question and gritted her teeth in fury, veins popping out of her skin. 

"You look ugly with those trees in the form of wrinkles protruding from your skin. Look at them on your face, Jessie. I had no idea you were an ancient vampire who is allergic to attractive men like me."

Jessie swallowed a lump down her throat, unable to contain her rage, and yelled. "Why are you still letting him stand there untouched? Beat him up!" 

Ethan gave a smirk. "The person who will beat me up has yet to be born. I do not have an invitation, but I will get in, with your in-laws bowing to me in respect."

"How dare you speak so ill of my uncle in such a way?" Jessica's boyfriend yelled, raising his hands in the air in an attempt to slap Ethan.

Ethan caught his hands in the air, and the boyfriend struggled to free himself, but his grip tightened, and he cried out in defeat.

Just as the two of them were engaged in hand wrestling, a masculine voice rang through the air, commanding respect.

The owner of the voice was Mr. Issac Arnold, the Ceo of Deloitte enterprise.

He was one of the country's rising billionaires and an investor. His son was getting married to Ethan's ex-wife.

"What is happening here? And why are you two attempting to disrupt my son's wedding? 

"Jack, what is happening here?" 

Jack, Jessie's boyfriend, and Mr. Issac's nephew shivered. "Uncle, it's this loser," he said, pointing at Ethan.

Mr. Isaac ticked his jaw as he glanced between Jack and Ethan. "What about him?" 

"He is Ruby's ex-husband, and he is here to cause some trouble. I challenged him, and he attempted to kill me."

Mr. Isaac's eyes grew crimson and dark.

"He doesn't even have an invitation card for this party.”