Chapter 12
Brooke Males, Marc’s grandfather, slammed his hand on the desk in the study of the Males residence, causing coffee to spill from his cup. “Do you know what you’ve
done?”
Marc was unfazed. “I will handle it.“.
“How?” Brooke wasn’t satisfied. He reprimanded, “Have you forgotten who you are? You’re the CEO of Males Group. When you took over, I told you not to be sentimental. You’ve disappointed me repeatedly.”
Taking a deep breath, Brooke continued, “Pearl cared for you diligently when you were ill. She was obedient and never complained. When you recovered, I thought things would be perfect between you two. How could you divorce her and marry that daughter from the Santos family? Are you out of your mind?”
“No reason.” Marc’s attitude was indifferent. “I simply don’t like her.”
Brooke’s anger grew. “Why did you marry her then? Pearl may have been born in the country but is well–behaved and modest. How could you abandon her?”
Fuming, Brooke grabbed a paperweight and threw it at Marc. “Give me back my granddaughter–in–law.”
Marc didn’t dodge. The paperweight hit his shoulder. Pain shot through him.
“Since you insist on marrying Clarissa, go ahead. I won’t attend the wedding and be embarrassed.” Brooke stormed off.
“Oh my. What happened?” Mandy Males was sitting in the garden with her
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daughters–in–law, enjoying the breeze and flowers, when she heard the commotion from the study. When Brooke stormed out, Mandy hurried to him. “Chill. Why are you riled up?”
Brooke was hot–tempered. “Did you know what he did? He doesn’t want Clarissa but
chooses to marry the vixen. He’s out of his mind.” He strode away furiously.
Mandy sighed. Marc came out and met her gaze. “Grandma.”
“Is she worth this trouble?” Mandy sighed. “You knew what your father did. If you remember, you wouldn’t think about Clarissa at all.”
Marcu
his lips, growing frustrated. “Clarissa is different from her family.”
“Different?” Mandy mocked. Knowing Marc was stubborn, she switched topics. “I heard Pearl left with nothing. Where did she go?”
Marc shook his head. “I’m still investigating.”
Mandy sighed again. “Such a pity.” She patted Marc on his back. “Too bad for you.”
Marc frowned. He was uncomfortable with how everyone praised Pearl. Pearl was usually quiet. He wondered when she won everyone over.
“Mr. Males, bad news.” Thomas rushed over, interrupting Marc’s thoughts. “Your mother went to find Miss Santos… and hit her.”
Marc’s eyes darkened and ran off.
Clarissa was staying in a three–bedroom apartment of more than 1200 square feet
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Marc arranged for her. Although it was spacious, Clarissa wasn’t satisfied. She preferred the Males House. She couldn’t wait to be married to Marc. She could finally hold her chin high.
Clarissa sat elegantly on the couch, brewing a cup of coffee with her newly
purchased coffee machine. Looking at her phone, she realized she slept through the afternoon. The article must have caused quite a stir by now.
However, there was no news about her and Marc. Uneasy, Clarissa scrolled down the pages, thinking the hype might have subsided.
Clarissa went to the Males Group official account. The article she wrote was gone. There was only an official explanation claiming a cyberattack. She wondered what had happened.
Clarissa’s head spun. She called a few bloggers she knew. They complained bitterly, “Your bogus info landed us in hot water. Have you gone nuts dreaming about marrying into wealth? I must’ve lost my mind to trust you. I’ve been catching heat all. day, and my account got suspended. I’m dying with frustration. I took your money, but I’m done with you.”
The other responses were worse, either cursing her or blocking her directly. Clarissa frowned, panicking. How did things turn out like this?
Trying to calm herself, Clarissa was about to call Marc when an elegantly dressed lady in a wheelchair was wheeled in.
Clarissa’s heart skipped a beat. She stood up hastily. “Phoenix…”
