In the grand hall, which occupied an immense area, decorated in an elegant, ancient Eastern architectural style, a red carpet was laid out.
The esteemed guests of the Miller family gradually took their seats.
Dulcie, carrying an exquisite gift box, approached the bride, smiling said: "Jena, congratulations on your wedding, wishing you a lifetime of harmony."
Jena's face was delicate, with fair skin and a beautiful appearance, her demeanor arrogant, but overall, compared to Dulcie, she still fell a bit short.
She looked at Dulcie indifferently and said: "Put the gift over there."
"Jena, I'll go with you for a while." Dulcie said with a smile.
"No need. You don't have to fuss over me, I know what you're up to, and as for your father's matter, my family won't help." Jena replied coldly, without any consideration.
The smile on Dulcie's face froze, replaced by an unmistakable look of dejection. She clenched her fists, her delicate body trembling slightly.
Before marrying Theophilus, she was the cherished daughter of the Miller family, their bright jewel. Back then, Jena was also very close to her, but now, why had she become so cold...
Jena married the eldest young master of the Charlie family, the leading family of Elysian Echo City. Their wedding was grand, and everyone in the Miller family celebrated this glorious event.
But for her...
Dulcie remained silent for a moment, thinking about her father's current plight. She forced a smile on her face and hurriedly followed Jena's departing figure. Theophilus, sitting there, saw everything, his feelings unclear...
The table where Theophilus sat was surrounded by the Miller family's sons-in-law.
However, these sons-in-law were influential and wealthy men, and compared to them, Theophilus's status in the Miller family was insignificant.
Therefore, no one greeted him, no conversations or wine invitations, no exchange of business cards, no regard for Theophilus's presence.
"Is everyone here? Let's have a drink then."
"Orborne, that won't do, we should toast to you instead."
Orborne, relaxed, held a glass of fine wine. The sons-in-law present were flattered by his attention and quickly stood up, fawning and raising their glasses.
Orborne was the son of Miller Eugene, who held significant power in the Miller family. His position in the Miller Jewelry Corporation was comparable to Victor, the eldest brother.
In terms of wealth, power, connections, and status, Orborne surpassed these external sons-in-law.
"What's the matter? Theophilus, are you looking down on me? Won't you drink even one glass?" Orborne asked coldly, staring at Theophilus.
Only Theophilus had not stood up to toast, hesitating for a second.
Whoosh!
In that second, Orborne flung his glass of white wine in Theophilus's face.
"What's this? You don't need the honor I'm giving you? Huh? I'm offering you a drink as a courtesy, and you dare not drink?" Orborne said disdainfully, arrogantly.
The wine splashed on Theophilus's face, the strong smell stinging his nose, his clothes drenched, his face burning.
No one there spoke up for Theophilus, their faces showing mockery.
Theophilus's eyes sharpened, but thinking of Dulcie struggling for her father, he decided not to cause more trouble for her, he endured.
"Alright, I'll drink to you." Theophilus said, wiping the wine off his face and slowly standing up.
Orborne, surprised that Theophilus still endured, had a cold smile on his lips, secretly thinking that enduring would prevent further trouble.
The moment Theophilus stood up, Orborne suddenly stepped back, pretending to fall, casually flipping over the expensive red wine on the banquet table and the gift table for distinguished guests.
Crash!
The table collapsed, scattering a dozen bottles of precious red wine, fine Jasper ornaments, and a shattered Lapis Lazuli bracelet, causing a stir in the banquet hall, drawing everyone's eyes to the scene.
"Theophilus, how dare someone useless like you hit me!" Orborne shouted, wanting to escalate the situation.
"What's going on?"
Jena arrived, accompanied by Dulcie, with even the groom approaching seriously.
The guests gathered around.
"Jena, brother-in-law, on your wedding day, this useless Theophilus dared to hit me right at the banquet table. Tell me, isn't this person trying to cause trouble?" Orborne angrily accused, glaring at Theophilus as if he had suffered a great humiliation.
"Theophilus, what exactly happened?" Dante asked, struggling to contain his anger, his face grim and voice cold.
"Orborne fell on his own; I didn't touch him." Theophilus stated the truth.
"Fell on his own? Then why does Orborne claim you hit him?" Dante questioned sternly.
Theophilus responded: "Everyone here saw what happened. If you don't believe me, ask them."
"Brother-in-law, Theophilus is making excuses. I was just offering drinks to everyone when he suddenly hit me, and everybody saw it." Orborne said furiously: "Honestly, if it weren't for respecting you, I would have beaten him to death today!"
"What did you all witness just now?" Dante turned to ask the Miller family's sons-in-law who were seated there.
"It was as Orborne said. We don't know what got into Theophilus, probably too much to drink."
"Yes, Theophilus reeked of alcohol, completely soaked. Orborne came to drink with us, and Theophilus suddenly hit him."
"That's right, we saw it too."
The Miller sons-in-law spoke gravely.
Theophilus, stunned, looked at them incredulously, then could only give a bitter smile. Orborne, being the heir of the Third Uncle, wielded influence in the Miller family. Who would risk offending him for a mere son-in-law like Theophilus?
They all chose to blatantly lie.
Theophilus didn't bother to explain further, knowing it was futile. The weak had no right to justify themselves.
Being the lowest in status in the Miller family, even if he was right, if others said he was wrong, then he was wrong.
"What a disgrace, drunk to the point of forgetting his own name!"
"The Miller patriarch really made a mistake inviting such a useless person as a son-in-law!"
The watching guests murmured and jeered at Theophilus without any regard for his feelings.
"Theophilus, you are truly useless! Always causing trouble!" Dulcie angrily approached Theophilus, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Especially since she had just been discussing her father's factory with Jena and her brother-in-law. How could she ask for Jena's help now that Theophilus had caused such a scene?
"Apologize to Jena and the brother-in-law right now!" Dulcie wished she could hit Theophilus for causing her such shame.
Seeing Dulcie's tearful eyes, Theophilus bit his lip and said: "Jena, brother-in-law, I'm truly sorry. Today was my fault, disturbing your wedding. I apologize."
Orborne stood to one side, barely containing his laughter, his gleeful expression as if saying, ‘Even if I sabotage you and you lose all face and honor, who will help you?’
"Theophilus, you're a man. If you make a mistake, own up to it. Blaming my brother Orborne instead, I despise people like you!" Jena said coldly.
Dante's face darkened even more. On his wedding day, such an incident in the party, with guests of high stature present, left him wondering how to save face.
"Theophilus, I won't accept your apology! Today, I won't hit you, and you don’t need to compensate for the broken wine and jewels, just get out of here now! And never show your face to me again!" Dante spoke icily.
Theophilus sighed, indifferent to the unusual stares from the surrounding guests, and turned to leave the hall.
But as he turned, Jena suddenly spat out a statement.
"Dulcie, don’t you want me to help your father through his difficulties? Fine, I don’t want to see Theophilus anymore. Just divorce this useless man immediately, get him out of the Miller family for good! I will deal with your father's factory issue!"
Theophilus stopped but didn’t turn back, then continued to walk out of the guest hall.
Outside the Miller family mansion, Theophilus lit a cigarette, wondering what choice Dulcie would make.
"Let's go home." a familiar voice came from behind. Theophilus's heart fluttered, and turning, he saw his wife Dulcie, tears still in her eyes.
"Going home? What about your father's situation?" Theophilus asked.
"I’ve said it before, we'll divorce sooner or later. But it has to be my choice, not forced by them! As for my father's issue, we'll find another way. After all, we're family. Their bullying you is an insult to me too. I have nothing more to discuss with them!" Dulcie said angrily.
Theophilus whispered to himself: ‘Family…’
The two walked in silence for a while.
"Theophilus, I'm sorry, I want to take back what I said to you at the party." Dulcie wiped her tears: "I was too angry at that moment. When I think about it calmly, how could you have possibly attacked Orborne? You don’t even drink."
"Do you believe me?" Theophilus asked.
"I believe you." Dulcie replied.
"Thank you for trusting me."
Theophilus looked at Dulcie, internally making a decision. He would not let down anyone who trusted him!
Dulcie's home was in the Groundswell apartment complex, a building ten years old, showing its simple and worn appearance. It didn’t quite fit the status of someone from the Miller family of Elysian Echo City. Upon reaching home, Theophilus's in-laws, Anselm and Ariel, were sitting on the sofa with serious expressions. "Hmph!" Ariel scoffed: "Theophilus, you still have the face to come back to this house?" "We already know what happened at the wedding today. Theophilus, you really are unlucky! You ruined everything that was going well!" Ariel stood up and scolded loudly. "Forget it, mom, stop it. It’s not Theophilus's fault. The Oldest uncle had no intention of helping us." Dulcie intervened. Upon hearing this, Ariel grew even more furious, angrily saying: "This foolish girl, you're still defending him? Hasn't he harmed you enough? Without him, wouldn't you be suffering in poverty right now? You should have married into a powerful family!" "Mom, why do you always want to rely on
“What does this person look like?” Magnus inquired. “A young man, about twenty years old." the secretary replied. “Let him in." Magnus said seriously, still puzzled: "A young man in his twenties?” Five minutes later, Theophilus was escorted by the secretary to the chairman's office on the sixtieth floor. Theophilus sat down with ease. The middle-aged man, exuding a commanding presence, observed him closely with a serious expression. “Who are you?” Magnus asked suspiciously, unable to fully gauge the young man before him. “Do you recognize this?” Theophilus presented a strikingly green Jade Amulet. The Jade Amulet Command bore intricate patterns, with the James family name prominently engraved in the center. “What is this?” Magnus was visibly startled as he beheld the Jade Amulet Command, his mind reeling. This was a Jade Amulet Command, symbolizing a status within the James family, of which only a few existed. Even as the family spokesperson, he didn’t possess one... He rec
Meanwhile, at another location. The Miller family’s jewelry corporation was in the X-Peak Building. The building, towering over twenty stories, bustled with activity. Employees hurried back and forth, their faces etched with urgency, as if a significant crisis had unfolded. On the twenty-third floor, in the conference room. The Miller family’s board of directors convened an emergency meeting. Around the large and long conference table sat over twenty people. All the influential and wealthy members of the Miller family in Elysian Echo City were present. “What’s going on? Why is the corporation suddenly in such chaos?” “Big brother, what happened? I was just playing golf, and after several urgent calls, I rushed back for this meeting. All our major clients have canceled their contracts with us.” “With the corporation in such turmoil, did we offend someone? Why else would our assets be frozen so suddenly?” The room buzzed with noisy discussions, the shareholders anxious and worr
Eugene's face turned extremely unsightly, not expecting the newly appointed chairman representative of the James Corporation in Empyria to be so authoritarian. “Mr. Joe, Orborne is ignorant of the rules, could you please consider my face…” Eugene pleaded. "Stop!" Leighton cut him off with a word, indicating Eugene to be silent. “Ten seconds." Leighton said with a smile, then his expression turned stern: "If you can’t do it, Eugene, you can resign. You need not come to the X-Peak Building for work tomorrow.” “All the jewelry stores under your name in shopping centers and all your factories will be thoroughly audited. With the professionalism of our James Corporation team, it will only take twenty-four hours to settle this.” As the primary secretary and trusted butler of the James Corporation in Empyria, Leighton's experience in business negotiations was exceptionally rich. There was hardly a major incident he hadn't faced. His sudden involvement had already overwhelmed the Miller
"Big brother and third brother have clearly had major issues managing the corporation for years. The James Corporation, with its financial clout, joining the corporation isn't necessarily bad, but it's a pity that the family legacy my father left behind has turned from a family enterprise into a public corporation." Anselm said slowly, his expression complex. He was holding a newspaper, which reported that the Miller Corporation's jewelry division was undergoing major restructuring, with Chairman Joe announcing a new direction for the corporation. "Ariel, you worry too much about things that don't concern you. Have you ever seen your father give you a second glance or hand over management of the corporation?" Ariel showed no sympathy for Anselm, slowly saying: "From now on, just focus on following the newly appointed Chairman Joe. The corporation is now treating all the smaller workshops fairly. You're still a nominal shareholder, and after so many years, you'll finally be able to at
The next morning. At Dulcie's request, Theophilus accompanied her to the company. They hailed a taxi and headed straight to the X-Peak building. Dulcie was extremely excited, as it was the first time her jewelry design was acknowledged. Moreover, it was personally responded to by the chairman of a major corporation! "I'm so nervous, this is the first time I'm talking to an important figure like the chairman." Dulcie said anxiously in the back seat: "I don't know what he will ask, I'm worried I'll say something wrong and they won't accept my design..." "Don't be too anxious, just express your ideas and thoughts to him." Theophilus advised. "If one day my own jewelry design is released and receives praise from the public at an exhibition, that would be so fulfilling!" Dulcie said, her eyes full of aspiration, dreaming of that achievement. Theophilus reassured her: "Don't worry, your design ideas will definitely be showcased." "Really? That's wonderful!" Dulcie's face brightened w
In the chairman's office. Leighton personally prepared two cups of coffee for Dulcie and Theophilus. This special attention made Dulcie feel both elated and nervous, secretly thinking that her jewelry design ideas had caught Chairman Joe's attention. "No need to be formal, please sit down." Leighton said, returning to his seat with a gentle expression: "The ‘King World’ design you created, I am very pleased with it. I see it as very high-class and skillful." “Thank you, Chairman Joe." Dulcie replied, then proactively introduced Theophilus: "The 'King World' piece was a joint design effort by Theophilus and me, this gentleman beside me." "Oh?" Leighton casually remarked: "This person is your husband, isn't he?" "Yes." Dulcie hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Leighton smiled and said: "The reason I invited you here is to let you know that your idea has been accepted by the board. The company will proceed to manufacture the final product, and I hope you will personally oversee t
Back home. The Millers had already received the good news over the phone and, after celebrating, Mrs. Ariel rolled up her sleeves to prepare a meal in anticipation of their return. "Today our daughter was promoted to director of design for the corporation, and is also in charge of a billion-dollar gemstone project. We must celebrate grandly!" Mrs. Ariel joyfully spoke at the dinner table, even uncorking a bottle of wine herself. "I am just a temporary director for now. I will be officially appointed only after winning first place in the company's exhibition." Dulcie clarified earnestly. "Temporary director? You’re liked by Chairman Joe, and still worried about Jena oppressing you? This time, our family can be proud. Ah, the design director of the corporation, even Jena is just a subordinate to my daughter." Mrs. Ariel spoke happily. Mr. Anselm also showed a happy face but still said seriously: "Dulcie, it seems Chairman Joe values capability over background. This is a good opportu