Chapter 7
That night, I got thoroughly worn out by Grayson.
And Julian never came looking for me again.
The next time I saw him was at a forum.
He looked gaunt, with Eliza by his side.
I nodded politely to them, then went to find my seat without further interaction.
As I left, I could feel his gaze following me the entire time.
During the break, Eliza sought me out.
“Cassidy, since you’re already married to Julian’s uncle, could you please stay away from him? Stop finding excuses
to be near him, okay?”
“Do you have any idea what he’s been through these past few days?”
“He’s been so devastated he’s practically suicidal.”
I looked up to meet her eyes. She’s still so presumptuous, still so irritating.
I responded coldly: “Miss Eliza, whatever he does is none of my business.”
“And this forum was organized by the government–I was invited to attend. I don’t have that kind of influence to dictate who gets invited.”
This was a government–sponsored event featuring contributors from various industries.
If Eliza wasn’t completely clueless, she’d realize I couldn’t have just randomly been invited.
At my words, her expression froze as the realization hit her.
She hesitated for a moment, preparing to continue her argument.
But I wasn’t Julian–I wouldn’t indulge her.
I cut her off: “Besides, I’m Julian’s aunt by marriage, and you’re his friend, which makes me your elder too.”
“Didn’t anyone teach you how to speak to your elders?”
At my words, her expression froze. She knew the proper etiquette, of course–she was just accustomed to treating me
as beneath her.
She bit her lip, hesitating, but still couldn’t bring herself to call me “Aunt.”
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Just a Stand In?! My Billionaire Hubby’s OTHER Wife…
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Chapter 7
After seeing my knowing smile, she gritted her teeth and said:
“Cassidy Pierce, what are you so smug about? You’re only here because of Grayson’s connections. What’s so impressive about that?”
“Don’t think I don’t know why you married Grayson. It’s just because he’s richer, right?”
I didn’t respond, just looked past her shoulder.
“Julian, perfect timing. Come get her out of here.”
Eliza jumped in surprise, turning to see Julian standing behind her with a thunderous expression.
She panicked and opened her mouth to explain. But before she could speak, Julian grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her toward the exit.
Watching her leave, I felt somewhat disappointed that she wouldn’t witness my speech as a distinguished guest.
So she’d never know that I didn’t need to rely on any man. I was my own success story.
For the second half of the forum, I was invited to the stage to speak.
From the moment I stood up, I could feel a pair of eyes fixed intently on me, following my every move until I reached the podium.
I didn’t search for the source of that gaze, instead beginning my presentation.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Cassidy Pierce…”
As I finished my speech, enthusiastic applause filled the venue. I smiled gently at the audience, and inadvertently caught Julian’s eye for a brief moment.
His gaze held something I’d never seen before–admiration, appreciation.
I pretended not to notice and turned away.
When the conference ended, Julian made his way against the flow of the crowd to approach me.
He studied me for a long while before finally speaking:
“Cassidy Pierce, I had no idea you’d become so accomplished.”
I looked at him. “I have you to thank for that.”
Three years ago, I was abandoned in the countryside, alone and helpless.
During the first year, I fell into depression and even attempted suicide.
During my last hospitalization after a suicide attempt, the patient in the next bed loved making videos. She said she wanted to document all the beautiful things in the world, so her time on earth wouldn’t be wasted.
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Chapter 7
In that moment, something clicked for me, and I began recording the beauty around me through videos too.
Through my videos, I discovered many beautiful cultural heritage traditions.
They were fighting too–fighting not to be forgotten, fighting to remain relevant, just like me–struggling to find my
purpose.
So these cultural treasures began appearing in my videos.
Initially, I simply hoped they wouldn’t be forgotten, because being forgotten meant disappearing.
Unexpectedly, my videos gained significant attention, and I became a moderately successful content creator.
A year later, I met Grayson.
He had fallen ill and returned to the countryside to recover.
Back then, I was still living in the Hart country house, capturing daily moments for my content.
While filming a heavy snowfall, he suddenly appeared in my frame.
Noticing my camera, he didn’t shy away but smiled instead.
He said: “You’re Cassie, the content creator, right? I’m Grayson Wright. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time.”
Later, he accompanied me across the country, experiencing various cultural heritage traditions together.
During a segment about creating traditional bridal headdresses, he proposed to me.
Remembering the past, I smiled slightly.
