Way Back Into Love (Essie)

Soon after, reporters started gathering around and inquired about the wedding details.

Florey announced that the date of the wedding was now set on October 22nd.

Florey knew that Essie was not far away, and must have heard every word clearly. She wanted to see the look on her face as this scene was happening.

Essie huddled up in the corner. She was motionless as a doll and was left feeling completely defeated. Her eyes were fixated on Hanson, who was surrounded by tons of journalists across the room. A giant wave of despair rolled towards her, wrapping itself around her body, and she couldn't break free nor run away.

With her heart broken into pieces, she made the decision to straighten up and leave. She realized that she never should have come as she did not belong to a place like this. The whole event she only saw other people in love, she was completely redundant.

In fact, both couples seemed to be successful in love. Zac and Leila's relationship were blossoming, and Hanson finally decided to be with Sunny.

When she finally mustered up her strength to get out of the corner, she was instantly stopped by a woman on a wheelchair. There was no way in hell that Florey would let her go so easily. "Miss Essie, my son, Hanson is here to tell you something."

Hanson stared at his mother with absolute disdain in his eyes, mixed with feelings of anguish and helplessness. From the look in his eyes, Essie could predict what he was going to say.

"I heard! Congratulations, Hanson!" she said with a forced excitement, before he could even say anything.

Hanson's shoulders turned cold and shook violently, as if a dagger were brutally stabbing him from behind. His internal organs felt like they were being torn apart, bleeding and overwhelmed with pain. His eyes were frozen like the surface of a winter puddle, robbing them of their usual warmth.

"I'm sorry, Essie... I'm sorry..." he said repeatedly, biting his lip to help him from crying out. The doctor had told him that Florey had a very serious heart disease and needed an operation as soon as possible. She gave Hanson an ultimatum, saying that she would refuse to have an operation, unless he cut off ties with Essie completely in front of her. This was his mother, who raised him for the last twenty-four years of his life. There was no way he would leave her alone to die.

The paparazzi had a keen sense of intuition and noticed the tension between them. They were clever enough not to get too close as to disturb them, but discreetly turned the cameras towards Essie. However, Florey was not satisfied with his son's performance. She deliberately placed her hand on her chest and pretended to be in pain. The medical staff were cooperative with her and quickly carried an oxygen mask towards her. "Hanson, is that all you want to say?" Florey turned to her son. Even if Florey had a lot to say, he wanted Hanson to tell Essie everything himself. She knew that if it didn't come from him, there was no way that Essie would give up so easily.

Fear was seen in Hanson's eyes and he did not dare offend her again. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He finally said, "Essie... I can't see you again. I'm going to get married to Sunny, and I love her. She is the love of my life." When he said this, his lips and voice were trembling. He winced in pain as these were the most difficult words he had ever said. His heart constricted in its wake as if not sure if it should go on beating. It had already fallen into the abyss and been broken into tiny pieces, and there was no way it would ever be fixed again.

Sunny watched this situation, extremely elated. This time, there was no need for her to start a fight to give Essie a fatal blow. She felt like she had finally avenged herself for the embarrassing dance she had to endure at the Central Square.

When those words escaped his mouth, Essie stayed calm and expressionless, as if she was wearing a mask. The pain and sadness were all seeped through her bones and hidden deep into her dark, gloomy eyes.

Unfortunately, Florey was not satisfied with her placidness. She figured that she needed to speak the harsh words herself and grind her. "Miss Essie, I'm here to tell you the truth. I don't like you, neither does my family nor Hanson. A woman needs to have a clear understanding of who she is and where she stands. A sparrow would always just be a sparrow. There is no way it would turn into a phoenix even if you stick all the feathers one by one. You don't have a qualified job, and don't even let me start with your family background. You don't even meet the standards to be a servant in my family."

Before she could finish her words, Sunny interrupted and took over. "You're right, aunt Florey. Some people are simply like small toads on the ground. They spend all their life staring at the stars, waiting to be lifted up. It's shameless to spend your life daydreaming when you're just a poor helpless girl."

Florey took her hand and told her, "You can't compare yourself with this woman. You are as high as the heavens and she will forever be a tiny creature in the ground. From this moment forward, Hanson has placed his heart on you, and you will never have to worry or care about those shameless girls."

"I will also make sure to keep an eye on Hanson, and rest assured that there will be no chance for the little toad to take advantage of him."

Sunny and Florey both stood strong in perfect unison, their power dominating the room.

Hanson watched the two women with clenched fists, drenched in cold sweat. He helplessly agonized about the situation. If he was not afraid of angering Florey, he would have run away with Essie before all this happened. However, he was completely vulnerable and could not do anything.

When Florey saw the calmness on Essie's face, she figured that she could continue frightening the girl even further. "Miss Essie, I believe there is always one more suitable for your class. Someone who works a minimum wage, maybe?" she said.

Before she could finish, a cold and strong voice interrupted from the other end of the room. The man said in a deep tone, "Excuse me, madam. You seem to be a little old and dizzy but you are mistaken. Essie is my girl!"