Aron had thought about what would happen here before he came, so he brought all the evidence he had. He was really tired of Mandy and Becky relentlessly troubling him and Isla.
"Let me make it clear from the beginning to the end. Four years ago, I was about to get married. However, after attending a wedding, Becky and I got drunk and slept together. We thought I was so drunk and that was the reason we had sex. But later I went to the hospital to get tested. It showed that my blood contained doses of ecstasy. These are the test results and I still keep them." Aron threw the test report on the table. A neighbor came up and looked at it. People gathered around to look at it as well. They pointed at Mandy who felt embarrassed.
"So what?" Mandy was defiant. "Becky loves you so much, She stayed with you for the last four years and took good care of your grandparents. Was that not enough to make up for this little mistake?"
Aron sneered, "There is only one person whom I have loved since the beginning and until now. That woman is Isla. Back then, I was going to ask for her forgiveness and get back together with her. But your conniving little daughter lied to me, telling everyone that she was pregnant, so even though it was against my will, I had to be with her for the sake of the baby. But then, I found out from the doctor who examined her that she was never pregnant. She just bribed the doctor. If you need any evidence, I have the recording here. Would you like to listen to it?"
Although Aron did not have to play the recording, everyone knew what he was telling the truth. They started to talk about it. Some were whispering while looking at Mandy. The chattering noise of gossip filled the air.
Mandy couldn't stand it, so she shouted at Aron, "That doesn't matter. You decided to marry Becky anyway, didn't you? I got the invitations all written and the hotel rooms booked. But you broke off the engagement without any consideration. After all this, how could Becky rebound from this and meet someone else?"
"Am I that stupid to make a promise like that? You know it better than I do. At first, Becky sent my grandmother into a coma by pushing her. We didn't think my poor grandmother would make it out alive! Then, she made it look like Isla did it, to keep us further apart. During that time, Isla did not even defend herself. Fortunately, my grandmother survived the coma. Come to think of it, your daughter tried to kill my grandmother! So do you really believe that I would want to be with such an evil woman? I am not out of my mind to do that." Aron's voice was booming and his eyes had gotten red in anger. "I say this here once and for all, and I hope I won't need to say it again."
Aron paused a moment, then he continued, "Isla is the only person I have loved. I had never admitted that Becky was my girlfriend during last four years, so...... No matter what happens in the future, I will never break up with Isla. You can write that in stone."
Jina was satisfied with what just happened. She now wondered who would dare say that her daughter was no better than Mandy's daughter.
Everyone was awestruck at Aron's revelation. No one could imagine that a quiet girl like Becky would do so many despicable things. It reminded them of the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover."
After listening to Aron, some people who had been fawning on Mandy turned to fawn on Jina. As it turned out, she was so lucky to have such a rich son-in-law after all and he might be able to help them in the future.
Many of those who heard Aron's story felt sorry for Mandy. But some started rebuking her. "Mandy, this is all your fault. Your brother and sister-in-law helped so much in your difficult schooling times. You would never live a comfortable life now, without them. Don't you remember that your sister-in-law even had a miscarriage because of you? Though things got better and you got married, it was still your sister-in-law who took care of the whole family for you. How could you be so ungrateful?"
Everyone turned to agree with it as if they were also involved, Mandy had never looked so terrible.
Losing a super rich son-in-low and wasting four years' effort was what Mandy weeping about. Now she and her daughter would have to go back to square one and start all over again.
"Are you finished?" Surprisingly, Becky did not play along to Mandy's performance. The mocking eyes of the people around her made her realize something that had happened before.
She pushed Mandy away, sneered and said, "Didn't you think I'm humiliated enough?"
"Becky, what's wrong with you?" Confused, Mandy looked at Becky and said, "I did this all for you. Why would you say that......"
"That's enough, mother! You didn't do this for me. You did this for yourself. I'm humiliated enough. What else do you want from me? Did you want me to die for this?"
Becky thought a lot during this time. She admitted that she had done a lot wrong, but Aron also gave her a lot of hope. In this matter, he was also wrong.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Apple of My Eye