Separate Weddings, Separate Lives novel Chapter 19

Louisa had never imagined Thaddeus would go this far. Just moments ago, he had said he loved her. Perhaps this was his proof. However, it was all too late.

What he was doing now was no longer love—it was coercion. He was trying to force Louisa's hand while dragging Elijah and the Holten family into humiliation.

Thaddeus only ever thought of himself and was never considerate of her. When it came to love, he always loved himself first. Everyone else came second.

After the shock came the gazes of the guests. All eyes turned to Elijah, filled with barely concealed anticipation, waiting for the spectacle to unfold.

Most of the people present were from business and political circles. They had come for the Holten family's power and wealth.

On the surface, they were courteous, respectful, even flattering. However, deep down, many of them would have loved to see the Holten family humiliated.

That was human nature. People could not stand to see others doing well. Even if you were doing well, they did not want you doing better than them.

They were used to seeing Elijah standing high above everyone else. They had never seen him cornered like this.

For a man, his wife was often the clearest reflection of his status, sometimes even eclipsing his own identity.

Today's wedding made one thing brutally clear to everyone present—the woman Elijah was about to marry had once belonged to another man. That man had shown up to disrupt the wedding, to take her back, and blood had even been spilled on the spot.

Now they waited eagerly to see Elijah fall. They wanted to watch him being dragged down from his pedestal.

"Take Mr. Cromwell to the hospital," Albert finally said, his voice calm and steady.

Two people stepped forward to support Thaddeus. Even with blood streaming from his head and darkness swimming in his vision, he refused to leave. He looked at Louisa, his voice trembling. "Lou, come back with me, okay?"

Her words reached Thaddeus' ears. In that instant, all his shouting and struggling became a joke.

He had already tasted her resolve twice. Yet the more decisive she was, the more unwilling he was to accept it.

"Elijah, Louisa was with me for seven years. Does that not bother you?" Thaddeus called out.

The words were like a brutal hand ripping her open, stripping her bare in front of everyone.

This was humiliation, not just of her, but of Elijah. Thaddeus was publicly trying to shame him in front of every guest present.

Louisa felt her heart sink into icy depths. She knew they had loved each other once. Even if Thaddeus no longer loved her, he should not have been this cruel, humiliating her like this.