Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 54 Blood for Blood

When I came out of the bathroom, I felt way calmer. Ethan took me to the railing on the second floor.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

He leaned against the railing, lit a cigarette, and the smoke drifted around. "The higher you stand, the farther you see.'

Vivian, who had just been fighting in the bathroom, was now laughing with her friends. But when she glanced up and saw me, her smile vanished, and she glared at me. "Dear guests, please look this way," the wedding host announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "We have a special video for the bride and groom. Let's enjoy it together." Vivian looked surprised, clearly not expecting this. Arthur seemed confused too, probably thinking it was a surprise from her.

The screen started with their wedding and life photos, all warm and loving moments.

Then, out of nowhere, an old black-and-white photo appeared. The guests were puzzled, but Arthur's face went pale. The photo was of a woman, but not Vivian. She looked familiar, but I couldn't place her. Next, old newspaper clippings appeared, zooming in on stories about Fiona Taylor, a singer from The Thorn Birds Band, who had committed suicide by jumping off a cliff. The guests started murmuring. "What's going on?"

The screen froze on a picture of a female corpse with blood-red words: [Arthur, blood for blood!]

Vivian screamed at the screen while Arthur rushed up, yelling, "Turn it off, right now!"

But the wedding staff were nowhere to be found. Guests started screaming and running out, and chaos erupted.

"Arthur, a wedding happens only once in a lifetime. Is this the wedding you're giving me?" Vivian cried, completely breaking down.

Vivian, who had been so arrogant in the bathroom, never saw this coming.

Arthur stood there, completely stunned.

I remembered hearing about someone who had committed suicide because of Arthur. Could that person be Fiona, the singer from The Thorn Birds Band? Vivian, overwhelmed, ran off the stage but fell. On the ground, she clutched her stomach in pain. "It hurts, my stomach hurts so much."

"Blood, there's blood!" someone shouted.

Arthur snapped out of it, jumped off the stage, and carried Vivian out. Blood trailed down her legs.

The scene felt eerily familiar, stirring up painful memories and old hatred. I quickly moved from shock to calm, but my hand holding the pearls still trembled.

Caught up in the chaos and the satisfaction of seeing bad people get their due, I didn't think too deeply about the details.

The wedding ended in a mess, with dried bloodstains marking the floor. Vivian's condition was unknown.

Ethan finished his cigarette, then took my hand and led me out of the hotel. The sunny weather had turned to rain.

Later, I suggested getting the pearls repaired, so we went to the jewelry store. Ethan thought we should buy a new one, but I insisted on repairing it, saying I was nostalgic. "Nostalgic?” he repeated, leaning close and asking, "Do you still think about your ex-husband?"

My heart skipped a beat. This was different.

Before I could answer, Ethan smiled, put his arm around my shoulder, and led me out of the store, heading to the mall, as if he had just made a joke.

At the pumpkin pie counter, he suddenly asked, "Do you think I should go back for a meal today? To my dad's house."

This was the first time Ethan mentioned his dad. After marrying him, I had met his grandfather, but never his dad.

Not understanding his dilemma, I said, "It's good to spend time with your family."

He didn't respond, so I added sadly, "You still have family to spend time with. You should cherish it. I don't have that."

He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and frowned. "Who said you don't? Did you forget about me?"

My heart warmed, and I smiled. Ethan was right. He was my only family now.

Ethan eventually bought two boxes of the priciest pumpkin pies and drove us to his dad's place.

Victor Windsor, Ethan's dad, lived in a pretty impressive house. It was old but still grand.

The gate was open, and Ethan drove right in. As I got out of the car, I realized my palms were sweaty. Meeting Victor made me more nervous than meeting Martin.

"Ethan's back," a woman's voice called from the doorway.

I looked over and saw a middle-aged woman with a refined appearance. She gave me a once-over, making me feel uncomfortable.

Not sure how to address her, I looked at Ethan. He took my hand and led me inside without introducing her, just asking, "Is my dad here?"

She replied, "Yes, he's home resting today."

I nodded politely as we passed her.

In the living room, a man with glasses was reading a newspaper. He looked up when he heard us.

"Dad," Ethan said, putting down the pumpkin pies.

From that single "Dad," I sensed some distance.

Victor had a dignified look that made me nervous. Thinking he was now my father-in-law, I softly said, "Dad!"

Ethan's hand stiffened, and Victor put down his newspaper, giving me a sharp look.

After making me feel extremely uncomfortable, Victor's gaze shifted to Ethan, full of questions.

Ethan led me to the sofa. "Emily Russell, my wife."

Victor looked shocked. He gave me another once-over and then laughed coldly. "Wife? You young people, hold hands and spend a night together, and you call each other husband and wife?" His words were disrespectful, leaving me speechless.

Ethan stayed calm, lit a cigarette, and said, "We are married!"

Victor snorted, "Married? When did this happen, and why don't I know about it?"

Ethan smiled faintly, "It's not too late to know now. When you were sneaking around with other women behind my mom's back, didn't you also act first and report later?"

Victor angrily slapped the newspaper. "Is that how you talk to me?"

I was terrified. We came to visit, but within minutes, the room was filled with tension, and Ethan and Victor seemed like enemies.

I saw Ethan's cigarette bend under his fingers, and I quickly grabbed his arm, worried he'd keep arguing with Victor.

"What are you doing? Ethan rarely comes back. Can't you speak nicely?" The woman from the door came in, trying to calm Victor down.

Victor, breathing heavily, pointed at Ethan. "Does he look like he wants to talk nicely to me?"

Ethan suddenly stood up, pulling me with him. "Emily, we're leaving."

I felt incredibly awkward.

The woman looked at Ethan and said, "Ethan, just stay for a meal. Richard isn't here, and it'll be really quiet and lonely if you leave too."

She had a point, and I wanted to hold Ethan back, but he pulled me so hard I couldn't resist.

"If you leave, don't bother coming back," Victor's angry voice echoed behind us as we walked out.

Ethan paused for a moment, then quickly pulled me into the car and drove off. Feeling uneasy, I softly said sorry, thinking the conflict was my fault.

Ethan just said, "It's not because of you."

The car fell silent. I noticed that whenever he was in a bad mood, he spoke very little. To break the silence, I asked, "Was that your mom?"

He replied, "She's not my mom. My mom passed away a long time ago. She's Richard's mom. After my mom died, I was raised by my grandfather. He didn't trust me to stay with my dad, thinking I'd be bullied by that woman. My grandfather never acknowledged Richard as his grandson, but my dad loved Richard more than me. From childhood to adulthood, Richard had many things that I didn't."

Ethan let out a bitter laugh. "I actually want to ask my mom if he's really my biological dad."

I used to think I didn't know him well enough, but now, as I started to understand him more, I found him more and more heartbreaking. He had money, but it didn't mean he had everything.

Suddenly, I thought of Sophie. On my suggestion, we bought groceries and went to Sophie's house. She was overjoyed and surprised that we came.

After returning from Sophie's, Ethan went to take a shower, and my phone suddenly rang with Arthur's name on the screen.

Thinking about today's chaotic wedding, I guessed Arthur must be very busy and had no idea why he called me.

I glanced at the bathroom; Ethan was still showering. After hesitating for a few seconds, I answered the call.