Chapter 2 The Rumors Before The Wedding

• “Everybody knows that the Xanders and the Lingards will be holding a wedding soon. What we didn't expect was that Zack Xander would be involved in a scandal just days away from the ceremony. In the photo, Zack Xander and Lucille Lingard were intimately embracing each other in the famous Land of Roses. If we didn't know that the man was already engaged to the eldest daughter of the Lingards, Michaela, we would've thought that he had a thing for Lucille. Now that the photo has spread like wildfire online, it's gotten the attention of countless netizens. With the wedding just days away, how will the Xanders and Lingards respond? Will the ceremony proceed as planned? Stay tuned, ladies and gentlemen, and let me keep you updated on the latest entertainment news!”
• Thud!
• As soon as the host finished her sentence, Jacob turned the television off and violently threw the remote control to the coffee table.
• “This is bullsh*t!” cursed the man, whose blood boiled with anger.
• Jacob stood with arms akimbo as his face began to turn red from rage. “What nonsense!”
• The subject of the scandal, Lucille, quickly turned to Michaela after regaining her senses. “It's not what you think. This isn't what they say it is. I would never... You have to believe me, Michaela! I would never do such a thing!”
• Lucille got so anxious that her eyes turned red. They even began to well up as she tried to explain herself to her sister.
• My fiancé and my sister? What the heck is going on?
• Michaela was still trying to figure out what happened when Jacob roared once again, “You better have an explanation for this! What's going on?”
• With that, the man snatched the magazine and threw it at Lucille, who dared not even move out of the way.
• Unable to accept Jacob's behavior, the woman beside him voiced, “You're scaring her! Can't we just talk it out peacefully?”
• “Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? How do you expect me to stay calm in a situation like this?” Jacob then glared at Lucille before looking away, disgusted by her actions.
• “It's not like that!” exclaimed Lucille after getting on her knees. Her face was as pale as a ghost when she tried to explain herself once again, “I accidentally sprained my ankle at Rose Peak. Zack was helping me get back to the hotel when this photo was taken. Had I known that people would spread rumors of us like that, I'd never have agreed to go with him.”
• Feeling aggrieved, Lucille started crying uncontrollably. Anybody who saw the pitiful state she was in would feel sorry for her.
• Even Michaela was moved by her sister. Sighing, she approached Lucille to help the woman up. “I'm the one who asked you to go, so are you blaming me?”
• “That's not what I'm trying to say, Michaela!”
• “I know it's not your fault. You can stop crying now.”
• After getting back on her feet with Michaela's help, Lucille widened her eyes at her sister in surprise. “So you believe me, Michaela?”
• At that point, Michaela could no longer put on a stern front. She wiped Lucille's tears away before chuckling. “Of course, I believe you. After all, we grew up together! Why would I choose to believe those reporters instead of my own sister? Don't worry about the rumors. I'm sure they'll disappear on their own on the day of my wedding. And don't blame Dad. He just got a little too emotional. That's all.”
• Lucille nodded understandingly before turning to glance at her father.
• All of a sudden, Michaela's phone started ringing again. After checking the number on display, she suggested to her sister, “You should go wash up since your face is drenched in tears. I'm going to answer a phone call.”