Firmly, Melissa asserted, “I cannot comply.

I do not love Ryan.”

The audacity of Melissa, who was typically obedient, caught Ryan's mother off guard.

Adopting a harsher tone, Ryan's mother retorted, "Refusing to marry Ryan, do you fancy marrying Marcus? Know this, you should feel grateful that we didn't cast you aside and still want to take you back now!"

A torrent of curses poured from Ryan's mother for an extended period of time.

As a culmination, she warned, "Should you dare to board that plane with Marcus? Your true parentage will be exposed upon your arrival in Duefron. The world will learn that the mother of Marcus' prospective wife was a stripper, and the woman herself was a Smith family bastard."

Ryan's mother chuckled joyfully, expressing her belief that Melissa was ungrateful despite her efforts to be kind.

She harbored reservations about Melissa, especially considering Ryan's delicate health. In her view, under different circumstances, she wouldn't have allowed her son to marry someone she perceived as taking advantage.

Melissa listened in a daze.

Following a prolonged silence, Melissa reiterated, "I refuse to marry Ryan."

Sensing Ryan's mother nearing a burst of anger, Melissa averted her gaze and uttered, “However, I'll part ways with Marcus."

Seemingly content, Ryan's mother appended, "Yet you shall funnel your future earnings to me."

Melissa remained silent.

Her phone slipped from her grasp, her hand descending gently. Tears streamed unabatedly from the beginning to the end.

It appeared as if Melissa had matured in a heartbeat.

Her past was marked by significant hardships. At her lowest point, she toiled at four jobs daily, reaching the brink of exhaustion. Yet the anguish of those times paled in comparison to her present turmoil.

Once, she had glimpsed the finest aspects of life. However, after acquiring Marcus, it seemed as if God had played a cruel joke on her.

In this tragic twist, it was as if God declared her undeserving.

Lifting her head, Melissa offered a wry smile.

Hatred swirled within her, yet she found herself incapable of despising the one who birthed her. That individual was already engulfed in their own wretchedness.