Chapter 161 Afterwards
The news broke before sunrise. By the time the city was fully awake, every major gossip site and business page was carrying the headline—“Carson McCoy Abandons Bride at the Altar.”
Pictures and short clips from the disastrous wedding were everywhere. The internet was a storm. People shared the story faster than it could be deleted.
Victoria was standing in her grand office when her phone began buzzing nonstop.
Her assistant’s voice came through the intercom, shaky. “Ma’am, the Crawfords are on line one,” she said.
Victoria’s jaw tightened. “Put them through,” she said coldly.
A sharp voice filled the room. “Victoria, what is the meaning of this humiliation?” It was Mrs. Crawford, Bridget’s mother. “Do you have any idea what your son has done to our family?”
Victoria tried to keep her tone calm. “Mrs. Crawford, I—”
“Don’t you dare act surprised!” the woman shouted. “Your son left my daughter standing at the altar, in front of hundreds of people! Cameras! Reporters! He made a mockery of her!”
Victoria’s heart pounded, but her voice stayed firm. “I assure you, I’ll handle this—”
“There is nothing to handle!” Mr. Crawford’s deep voice boomed in the background. “We are done with your family, Victoria. Every deal, every investment, every partnership—finished!”
Victoria’s fingers tightened around her pen. “You’re making a mistake,” she said slowly.
“The mistake,” Mr. Crawford said coldly, “was ever trusting the McCoys.” Then the line went dead.
Victoria stood frozen for a long moment, her hand trembling. Then, with a sudden burst of anger, she threw the pen across the room.
“CARSON!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the mansion.
Her assistant flinched at the door. “Ma’am?”
“Get him here. Now!” she snapped.
Within half an hour, Carson appeared, still in casual clothes, his expression tired but careless. “Mother,” he said, walking in.
Victoria turned sharply. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she demanded.
He sighed. “If this is about the wedding—”
“If this is about the wedding?” she repeated, her voice rising. “You humiliated one of the most powerful families in the country! They’ve pulled every single investment from our companies. Do you even understand what that means?”
Carson frowned. “Mother, calm down. It’s not that serious,” he said. “People will move on.”
Victoria slammed her hand on the desk. “Not that serious?!” she shouted. “The Crawfords own half of our construction shares! They control two of our biggest investors in Europe! They’ve frozen their accounts—our accounts!”
Carson blinked. “They can’t do that.”
“They already have!” she snapped. “And the press won’t stop calling. Our stock dropped seven points this morning. Do you even care?”
He rubbed his temples, frustrated. “Mother, I didn’t love Bridget. Would you rather I married her and lived a lie?”
Victoria glared at him. “You could have handled it quietly! Ended it before the wedding! But no—you waited until she was standing there in her gown, in front of everyone!”
He shrugged slightly. “I panicked. I couldn’t go through with it.”
Her face went pale with fury. “You didn’t panic. You destroyed everything.”
He looked away, his voice lowering. “I’m not going to apologize for not loving her,” he said.
Victoria’s eyes burned. “This isn’t about love! It’s about legacy!”
Carson met her gaze, cold and steady. “Then maybe your legacy means more to you than I ever did.”
For a moment, the room went completely silent. Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. “How dare you,” she whispered.
Carson turned toward the door, but her voice stopped him. “Do you even know what’s coming?” she said bitterly. “You think this is just gossip? The Crawfords have friends in government, in banking, in media. They’re not just angry—they’re vengeful. They’ll destroy us.”
Carson paused, his back still turned. “Let them try,” he said. “I’m done living for everyone else’s plans.”
“Then you’ll watch everything crumble!” she shouted after him.
He walked out without another word, slamming the door behind him.
Victoria stood still for several seconds, her chest rising and falling quickly. Then she sank into her chair, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Moments later, her phone buzzed again. It was her financial advisor. She answered immediately. “Tell me something good,” she said sharply.
“I wish I could, Mrs. McCoy,” the man said nervously. “The Crawfords’ announcement caused a chain reaction. Two of our main investors are reconsidering their contracts. And… the press is digging into the McCoy accounts.”
Victoria’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean digging?” she asked.
“They’re publishing reports about your debts,” he said. “Your son’s gambling history, too.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s everywhere.”
Victoria hung up slowly, her hand shaking. She turned to the large TV on the wall and switched to a news channel. There it was—her son’s face, splashed across the screen beside the words: “The McCoy Scandal Deepens.”
A reporter was speaking. “Sources close to the Crawfords confirm they intend to sue for emotional damages and breach of contract. Meanwhile, the McCoy family’s empire faces potential collapse as investors withdraw in protest.”
Victoria switched off the TV and covered her mouth. “Oh God,” she whispered.
She stood and walked to the window, staring at the rain outside. Her reflection looked older, smaller somehow.
When Carson finally returned that evening, she was waiting for him in the living room, her expression like stone.
“Do you see now?” she asked quietly.
He looked tired, his hands buried in his pockets. “I saw the news,” he said softly. “I didn’t think it would blow up this big.”
Victoria crossed her arms. “You’ve started a war we can’t win,” she said.
Carson looked down. “I didn’t mean to.”
“You never mean to,” she said bitterly. “But you always do.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
“Do you even care that hundreds of employees might lose their jobs because of you?” she asked.
He met her eyes slowly. “I care,” he said. “But I won’t marry someone just to fix it.”
Victoria exhaled sharply. “Then you’ll live with the consequences,” she said coldly. “Because from now on, I’m done protecting you.”
Carson’s expression fell. “Mother—”
She raised a hand. “Don’t,” she said. “You made your choice.”
He turned away, guilt flickering in his eyes. “Then I’ll deal with it,” he said quietly, and walked out again.
Victoria stood there, her body trembling. The sound of thunder rolled outside, deep and angry.
She sank into the chair and stared at the floor. The empire she had built so carefully was beginning to crack—and it had started with her own son.
Upstairs, Carson sat alone in his room, scrolling through the endless stream of news articles, each one worse than the last. His reflection in the dark screen looked hollow.
For the first time, he realized the damage was real—and it was only the beginning.