Chapter 111: Wedding Turned Into A Farce
"How would I know?" Gemma said indifferently. "I did look for Harriet yesterday, but she left quickly. I don't know where she went."
"What did you say to her?" Tristan pressed.
"Nothing substantial."
Tristan turned and headed for the door.
"Stop right there!" Owen called out. "Tristan, do you know what you're doing? Do you understand what walking out that door means? Are you trying to call off the wedding?"
Tristan stopped, turned to look at him, and spoke calmly, "I never agreed to get married, so how can I call it off?"
Owen's face darkened. "Are you sure you want to do this? Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?"
"It's just the heir position, isn't it?" Tristan smiled faintly. "Ryder."
Ryder immediately stepped forward and handed Owen two documents. "Mr. Owen Lancaster, this is a share transfer agreement, and this is a declaration of renouncing inheritance. Mr. Tristan Lancaster has already signed them. Please review."
"Tristan!" Gemma said anxiously. "How can you sign such agreements? Absolutely not!"
Owen's face turned dark. "By doing this, are you planning to cut ties with me and the Lancaster family?"
"No way!" Xavier stepped forward to mediate. "Tristan, let's talk this through. You want to find Harriet, right? I'll help you find her. You stay and get married. Don't go against Dad. This family can't fall apart!"
"How old are you, still can't leave this superficially harmonious family?" Tristan said coldly. "You're just like Mom, would rather live in a fake illusion than face the ugly reality, right?"
Gemma's face went pale. "Tristan!"
"You treat him like a treasure, but I don't care for it." Tristan smiled faintly. "Giving up inheritance rights to cut ties with him—I think that's a good deal."
Owen's face turned livid with anger. "Tristan, you're really something. Listen carefully—if you don't obediently get married today, I'll divorce Gemma immediately!"
"Did you hear that?" Tristan looked at the pale-faced Gemma. "Your marriage is his bargaining chip to threaten me. Today, do you want me to be forced into marriage, or give up this man who's ruined most of your life?"
Gemma's lips trembled uncontrollably. "Tristan, don't force me."
"Am I forcing you, or is the man you can't bear to leave forcing you?" Tristan's expression remained unchanged. "Today, between me and him, you must choose one."
Gemma became emotional, gasping for breath.
"Mrs. Gemma Lancaster!" Uma quickly stepped forward to comfort her. "Please don't get upset! Mr. Tristan Lancaster, how can you pressure Mrs. Gemma Lancaster like this? Have you forgotten she has depression?"
"I've been accommodating her all these years, but her depression hasn't gotten any better." Tristan walked up to Gemma and spoke word by word. "Mom, do you want me to stay and get married, or let me go?"
Gemma opened her mouth, hesitating.
"Mom, you need to know something." Tristan looked at her. "Today it looks like you're making a choice, but actually, you have no right to choose at all."
Gemma froze.
Looking at her son whom she hadn't seen in a while, she suddenly felt he was completely unfamiliar.
The dominance he carried far exceeded even Owen's.
Gemma's face was full of pain. "Tristan, just go."
Owen looked at Gemma in disbelief. "What did you say? You're actually willing to divorce me?"
She clearly loved him desperately and had refused to divorce for twenty years!
Tristan smiled slightly. "Mom, this is your own choice, and you're willingly divorcing. I hope you won't regret it later."
Tears streamed down Gemma's face. "I understand."
Tristan turned and walked out.
"Tristan!" Lark quickly maneuvered her wheelchair forward to block him. "Don't go. Today is our wedding, the most important day of my life. Are you really going to abandon me?"
Tristan said coldly, "Move aside!"
"Harriet did this on purpose!" Lark said resentfully. "Harriet must have deliberately hidden herself to ruin our wedding. You must not fall for her scheme!"
Tristan lost his patience. "I'll say it one more time—move aside."
"You can't leave!" Opal rushed forward, holding a fruit knife to her own neck. "If you don't marry Lark today, I'll die right here and let your Lancaster family deal with a death!"
Tristan smiled. "Are you threatening me?"
Opal was frightened but had no other option.
Without the marriage, not only would her daughter suffer, but no one would help her get out of prison.
She didn't want to go back to jail!
"Tristan, don't think I won't dare!" Opal threatened. "Let me tell you straight—that camera over there is recording. If you drive me to death, I'll post the video online and make this blow up!"
"You know how powerful public opinion can be. The netizens' criticism alone could drown you. And Harriet—she's Mr. Jones's student now. Once her reputation is ruined, she won't be able to work in this country anymore, and she'll drag down Mr. Jones and the clinic too! Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to consider Harriet!"
Tristan's face was dark as water. "Looks like I've been too nice to you."
"Tristan, my mom didn't mean it that way. Please don't be angry." Lark quickly explained. "She was just too anxious seeing you leave. She's not really threatening you."
"Whether it's real or not doesn't matter." Tristan said coldly. "Don't rush to send her back to prison yet. I have a gift I want to give you both."
After speaking, Tristan strode out.
"Tristan!"
Lark hurried after him but was blocked by Ryder. "Ms. Brown, please stay."
Lark cried and roared, "Get out of my way!"
"Mr. Tristan Lancaster said there's a gift and asked Ms. Brown to stay and watch."
Ryder took out his phone and operated it. The projector on the wall soon lit up.
Before everyone could make out the image, the sound of a woman's ambiguous moan came through.
Lark froze.
She slowly turned her head and indeed saw the scene from that night—her and Owen having sex in bed.
Everyone was shocked!
Not just because of the explicit visual impact, but more importantly, Owen and Lark not only had an age gap of over twenty years, they had always interacted as uncle and niece, and if not for Tristan leaving, they would have become father-in-law and daughter-in-law starting today.
This was too unethical!
"Stop it! Stop it!" Lark lost control and couldn't manage herself. She stood up directly from the wheelchair and rushed at Ryder. "Ryder, turn it off! Turn it off now!"
Ryder stepped aside, dodging her attack.
Lark fell straight to the ground.
Ryder looked at her. "Ms. Brown, such wonderful footage—don't you want to savor it?"
Lark screamed in breakdown, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"
Gemma stared blankly at Owen in the video, sweating profusely on top of Lark. Her vision went black, and she fainted.
"Mrs. Lancaster!"
"Mom!"
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
The wedding of the century had turned into a farce.
In the Rolls-Royce, Tristan pulled out his computer and hacked into the surveillance system of Harriet's residential complex.
"Harriet really didn't come home last night!"