Chapter 5%
Right after he said that William finally noticed another man standing beside me. His eyes slowly moved down until they landed on our tightly clasped hands and that’s when it hit him. “No way! Josephine would never marry anyone but me! Her heart belongs to me. She loves me! She’d die for me! How could she marry someone else? It has to be fake! She’s faking a marriage just to get the factory jab! Don’t forget, Jackson is just a lackey of the family! If you help her get into the factory, you’re complicit. You’re bending the rules!“}
To be honest, this was the first time I had seen William in such a frantic state. Even when Sofia got married in my previous life, he wasn’t this agitated.
I was a little confused. Why was William so agitated? Whether I entered the factory or not had nothing to do with him. In fact, if I did enter the factory, it would guarantee that I wouldn’t bother him in the future. Why was he acting like this? I couldn’t figure it out, but I didn’t feel like guessing either. Instead, I just turned to Jackson and said, “Honey, show him our marriage certificate.“}
Jackson nodded and took it out without a fuss. The big red stamp on it clearly proved we were legally married. My joining the factory followed all the rules and policies; there was nothing wrong with it. I thought once he saw the certificate, William would finally back off. Alas, he completely lost it.”
“So what if the marriage certificate is real?” he snapped. “Josephine only married you to avoid being sent to the countryside. You two aren’t a real couple at all. She only has me in her heart. She used you. You’ve been played. You don’t even know how cold and calculating she really is.”
I wanted to slap the words right out of William’s mouth, but Sofia beside him was faster than me. She tugged on William’s sleeve. “William, don’t say such things. You’ll cause misunderstandings between Josephine and Jackson.“}
William shook her off violently. “Shut up! You don’t know anything. Josephine can’t marry someone else. She’s my wife!“}
It was the first time I’d seen William push Sofia away like that. Embarrassed and clearly angry, she snapped, “Even if Josephine once begged to marry you, that doesn’t mean she can’t change her mind. She was only marrying you to get into the factory. Anyone could’ve filled that role. The only one I really feel bad for is Jackson.”
William suddenly rushed up to Jackson and shouted, “She jumped in the river just to get me to marry her! She forced me! What did she do to you, huh? Did she take off her clothes and throw herself at you to make you take responsibility? You’re talking nonsense… ”
Before I could finish, Jackson punched William straight in the face. “I married Josephine because I love her,” he said fiercely. “I begged her to marry me. None of what you said is true and if you dare say one more word like that, I won’t stop at just one punch next time.“}
William stood there in shock, mumbling to himself. “This can’t be real. How could she marry someone else?“}
Jackson didn’t even bother replying. He just held my hand and turned to the factory manager. “Sir, if the paperwork’s not finished yet, I can come back another day. I don’t want my wife getting upset over something like this.”
The director, clearly eager to smooth things over, quickly said, “Just sign here and you’re done. Everything’s all set.“}
****
This whole incident caused a huge stir. Pretty soon, everyone knew that I had married Jackson and that William had lost it after finding out. At first, people said it was a classic love triangle, two men fighting over one woman. Still, before long, the story twisted. Rumors started spreading that I was two–timing, playing both sides and being unfaithful.
To calm people down and turn things around, Jackson spent his savings on a grand wedding banquet. During the celebration, he stood up and, in front of everyone, said with deep affection, “There’s a saying, a daughter from a good family will have suitors lined up.”
“I’ve always loved Josephine, but she’s a loyal person. Because she was engaged to William, she never once looked my way. Thankfully, the heavens were on my side. When their engagement ended, I didn’t waste a second. I went straight to ask for her hand. A woman like her, if I’d hesitated even for a moment, someone else would’ve snatched her away.“}]
