I Canceled The Wedding After His Female Bro Ruined Everything Chapter 02
I hadn’t made it more than a few steps before a crowd of reporters with cameras and microphones surrounded me.
Microphones were practically shoved in my face.
“Miss Hayes, you just announced in front of everyone that Hayes Group is pulling out of Cole projects. Was that your father’s decision, or did you say it in the heat of the moment?”
Before I could even look over, someone else shoved a microphone closer.
“As far as we know, no one from the Hayes family attended your wedding today. Your father is currently in Singapore, and your brother Marcus wasn’t there either—”
Another female reporter jumped in, not missing a beat.
“Miss Hayes, if your family truly valued you, why wouldn’t they show up to your wedding? Have you considered that the things you said in anger might make you a laughingstock in this circle?”
The first reporter barely finished when a loud sneer came from somewhere in the crowd nearby.
A woman with big curly hair walked over, followed by several others.
I recognized the one in front. She was Katherine’s sidekick.
She stopped next to me, sized me up, then turned to the female reporter with an approving glance.
“You’ve got sharp eyes. Good instincts. You know how to spot the real story.”
The female reporter beamed at her.
Vanessa turned her attention back to me and spoke again.
“Elena Hayes, everyone knows you were sent into this arranged merger marriage because our families do business together. Why can’t you just be a good little trophy wife and behave? You’ve got such a temper. Aren’t you afraid of digging yourself into a hole you can’t get out of?”
The reporters quickly aimed their microphones at her.
Then the women behind Vanessa straightened up like they’d just received a battle signal.
They stared at me like they were ready for a fight.
“If you hadn’t wedged yourself in between them, Sebastian and Katherine probably would’ve ended up together. You’re the one who got in the way of their relationship. You should be keeping your head down, not starting fights. Who do you think you’re provoking?”
Another one jumped in right away.
“Exactly. You barely managed to latch onto the Cole family, thought you’d finally made it, and now you want to act tough? What gave you the nerve? Even the reporters know — if the Hayes family actually cared about you, how come not a single Hayes showed up to your wedding?”
The woman next to her covered her mouth and laughed.
“Look at you. Your own family doesn’t want you, and now you’ve burned bridges with the Coles. Where are you even going to go?”
They all started chiming in, every word aimed at Elena, every word a mockery.
“Right, right. Katherine was just joking around, and she threw a tantrum in front of everyone. Who does she think she is — Mrs. Cole already? You can’t seriously believe that just because our families have business together, you can threaten the Coles?”
“Look at yourself. what a piece of work you are, anyway? This isn’t a place for you to throw a fit. You’d better grovel and apologize to the Coles right now. Maybe his parents will grant you a little grace. Or else—”
She drew out the last word, but Margaret Cole shot her a look.
“Enough.”
Vanessa patted her hand, cutting her off.
After all, it didn’t matter to them how much they attacked Elena.
But none of them dared to actually piss Margaret off.
Sebastian walked over to me and glanced at the women first.
Vanessa shrugged and pulled her group away.
The reporters crowding around me also scattered.
But they kept watching from a distance, not wanting to miss any gossip.
“Elena, it’s our wedding day. Stop making a scene. Whatever it is, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
He lowered his voice and reached for my hand. I pulled away.
His hand hung in the air for a second before he dropped it.
His expression wasn’t pretty.
“The things they said were harsh, but there’s some truth to them. About you pulling out of the projects—”
He paused, like he was choosing his words carefully.
“A partnership between two families isn’t something you cancel with one sentence. Your father poured a lot of capital into Cole projects. The bank credit lines are tied to both of us. Look, I’m going to treat what you said as an angry outburst. Just go apologize to my mom. Say something to smooth things over.”
I looked at him coldly.
“But none of this started because of me. Katherine was the one who—”
“Elena, you can’t blame everything on other people. Katherine didn’t force those words out of your mouth. You said the wrong thing yourself. Is apologizing really that hard?”
I took a step back and looked at him with disappointment.
“So you’re making me cave?”
His frown deepened. His voice was anxious, with a hint of exhausted frustration underneath.
“I’m trying to stop you from painting yourself into a corner. Why can’t you cut me some slack? What good does it do you to burn every bridge with my mom and my whole family?”
I took a deep breath. I spoke slowly, each word firm.
“I wasn’t the one in the wrong today. You want to protect Katherine? That’s your business. Leave me out of it.”
