She Said It Was Therapy, They Signed A Pardon Chapter 05
Mom and Dad’s faces went white. They shot to their feet.
The ring clattered from Noah’s hand.
His face paled. He instinctively started toward the door.
“Wait.”
Mia grabbed his arm.
“Don’t go.”
Everyone froze.
Mia bit her lip. “Ivy’s probably just pretending again
Mom’s expression shifted. “Mia, what do you mean?”
Mia sighed. “Don’t you remember? Three years ago was the same. After what happened, Noah wanted to break up with Ivy and leave the country. She couldn’t accept it. She got depressed and
threatened to kill herself.”
She turned to Noah.
“But she didn’t die, did she?”
Noah froze.
Mia went on. “She knows you can’t stand to lose her. So every time things don’t go her way, she
uses her life to threaten you. To make everyone give in.”
“Today is no different. She knows I’m marrying Noah, and she can’t stand it. So she chose the
moment we exchanged rings to cause a scene. To force us to stop the wedding and go to her.”
Noah’s pale face hardened.
He looked at the chaos across the street and thought back to three years ago.
After he’d broken up with her, he’d heard she was sitting in the kitchen holding a knife. Everyone said she was trying to kill herself because she couldn’t accept him leaving.
His shoulders relaxed.
“You’re right.” He picked up the ring, his face now only annoyed. “She just doesn’t want to see us
get married. She picked today on purpose.”
Mom and Dad slowly calmed down.
The last of Mom’s worry turned to disappointment.
“Why is she still like this…”
Dad sighed heavily. “We’ve already arranged her marriage. What more does she want? Does she have to ruin everyone’s good day?”
Just then, the banquet hall doors burst open.
Several rescue workers rushed in.
The lead one looked grim. “Who are the relatives of the bride who fell over there?”
The room fell silent.
Mom and Dad exchanged a look.
Dad stepped forward. “We are.”
Before the rescuer could speak, Mom rubbed her temples wearily. “Thank you for your help. My daughter has depression. She likes to scare people with this.”
Dad’s face grew colder. “Did she send you to get us? Tell her to stop the act. Today is her sister’s wedding. No one is going to deal with her drama.”
Mom glanced at the door, disappointed. “Ivy, if you can hear me, stop it. Even if you really died today-”
Dad finished, word by word, “We’re still getting married.”
The rescuer froze, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“That’s your own daughter! She just jumped from the building! She’s in critical condition! Aren’t you
going to see her?”
Mom frowned. “If we go, she’ll think this works. Shell do it again.”
Dad’s face was hard. “Didn’t the doctor say we can keep giving in to depression?”
The rescuer’s expression turned grim. “I don’t know who told you that, but this is life and death. She really fell I’m not joking”
Noah finally lost patience.
“Enough. She pulled this three years ago. Today is my wedding. She’s causing a scene to force us
over there.”
He waved to hotel security.
“Get them out.”
The rescuer was furious. Before leaving, he shot them a look.
“I hope you don’t regret this.”
Noah laughed coldly. “Even if she’s really dead, I’m not going today.”
The doors closed.
The music resumed.
The wedding went on.
But in the second half, everyone was distracted.
Mom took out her phone several times and put it back.
Dad kept looking toward the hotel across the street
When Noah exchanged rings, he slipped it onto Mia’s wrong finger twice.
Only Mia smiled, as if nothing had happened.
As soon as the ceremony ended, she linked arms with Mom and Dad.
“Mom, Dad, we agreed to go on vacation after the wedding, right? I’ve already booked the flights.”
But Mom shook her head.
“Go ahead. I’m going to check over there.”
Dad stood, grim. “Ivy got married today, and we don’t even know what’s going on.”
Mia’s smile froze. “Isn’t she just acting up again? What’s the point of going?”
But Noah had already picked up his jacket.
“T’ll go too. I’ve known her for years. I’ll stop by.”
Mia tried to stop them, but the three of them walked out
When they reached the other hotel, they froze
The entrance, once decorated, was in ruins
Flowers trampled. Broken decorations scattered. Police tape across the door.
The color drained from Mom’s face.
She grabbed a bystander. “What happened here? Wasn’t there a wedding just now?”
The man frowned at her.
“What else? The bride jumped.”
Mom’s grip loosened.
Dad stumbled. “Really… jumped?”
“Of course! That groom was a real piece of work. He and his groomsmen cornered the bride in her
room. Who knows what they were planning. The poor girl jumped.”
Another passerby spat.
“I heard the guy’s a criminal. He hurt the bride years ago, went to prison, then her family got him
out and forced her to marry him.”
“Those parents don’t deserve to be called parents.
Dad’s face went pale. Mom’s lips trembled.
Noah looked up.
“Wait.”
His expression turned serious.
“He hurt her three years ago? What are you talking about? Weren’t they in a relationship? Didn’t Ivy
betray me with him?”
The man looked at him like he was an idiot.
“What are you talking about? It was in the papers! She was the victim! The man mistook her for
someone else!”
Noah’s face went white.
He turned stiffly to Mia, who had just caught up
“Mia. What is he saying?”
Mia’s eyes darted. “Noah, I…”
Noah stared at her. “What really happened three years ago? Ivy wasn’t willing?”
Mia’s lips moved. “I didn’t realize you never knew…”
Noah’s pupils shrank.
He pulled out his phone.
Mia grabbed him. “Noah, it’s been three years. What’s the point of looking into it now?”
He shook her off. “I’ll decide if there’s a point.”
He turned to Mom and Dad.
“You knew too, didn’t you?”
Mom and Dad looked awful.
Mom opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
Of course they knew.
But it was Mia’s wedding day. They couldn’t say it. If they did, Noah would find out what Mia had
done.
Noah watched their faces and felt his heart sink.
“Fine. No one wants to talk?”
He dialed. “I’ll find out myself.”
But Mom and Dad no longer cared.
Mom grabbed the person next to her. “Where’s my daughter? Which hospital did they take her to?”
She and Dad called every hospital nearby
Finally, the third one answered
The nurse hesitated “Are you Ivy’s family?”
Morn nodded “Yes! I’m her mother! How is she? Is he still in surgery?”
Silence
I’m sorry The patient arrived with severe injuries Resuscitation failed She’s been pronounced
dead”
Mom’s phone hit the floor.
Dad swayed and collapsed onto a bench.
“Impossible…”
Mom stood frozen. “How could she die? She never actually…”
Her voice broke.
She remembered my smile before the wedding.
“Mom, Dad. Goodbye.”
It all crashed into her.
Mom finally broke down, covering her face.
“No! Ivy can’t really be dead!”
Dad spun around and grabbed Mia by the shoulders.
“Didn’t you say she’d be okay?!”
Mia’s face went white.
Dad’s eyes were red, his voice shaking.
“You said she had to face her fears! You said she had to marry that man and rebuild a relationship with him so she’d stop being afraid! We agreed because of you! Now she’s dead!”
Mom looked up.
“Mia. You studied psychology. You said this would save your sister. You said she was getting
better!”
Mia backed away, lips trembling.
“I… I don’t know. I followed what I learned…”
Her voice faded. “I don’t know why she did this.”
