“What did you say?” Nancy couldn’t believe it; her body couldn’t help but tremble. She suddenly felt extremely cold. A chill was creeping up her limbs from the soles of her feet, making her shiver uncontrollably. Back then, Grandpa asked her, “Nancy, if Nicholas wants to marry you, will you accept him?” “Grandpa, did he say it by himself?” At that time, she already knew that the person he loved was Madelline, that’s why she asked that kind of question. She told herself that if Nicholas were forced by Grandpa, she would never agree anyway. Nancy never wants to keep the man by using marriage. And she certainly didn’t want to obtain him in such a way. “Nancy, you know how stubborn Nicholas is. How could I force him if he didn’t want it by himself?” Later, she also asked Nicholas. “Did you marry me willingly? I know Grandpa dotes on me, and I don’t want you to marry me because he told you so. I don’t want to make things difficult for you.” How did Nicholas respond to her? He said, “I did it on my will. I had already broken up with Madelline. We had made an agreement. In three years’ time, I will try to fall in love with you. We will peacefully divorce if I can’t love you within three years. Do you agree?” “Yes, I do!” She was smiling brightly at that moment. Nicholas also asked her, “Why did you agree to marry me? Don’t you have someone you like? Are you willing to be tied down by marriage? Don’t you want to pursue your own love?” She said she did. She had liked him for eight years. Then she shook her head and said, “I am not pursuing him anymore.” Because she had already become his wife, transitioning directly from love to marriage, making a significant milestone in her life. But now, Madelline told her that all of this was a lie. If what she said was true. That would mean that from the very beginning, everyone was deceiving her. In three years? Nancy pinched her fingers and suddenly wanted to laugh. Love is just like a cover, a blatant lie. She was so touched that she shed tears back then, thinking that Nicholas had really forgotten Madelline and wanted to start over with her properly. But it turned out she was the naive one, the one being manipulated and played around with in circles. “Nancy, you’re really innocent and cute. How could Nicholas marry you willingly? Do you know why he proposed a three-year contract? It’s to ensure that in three years, you would have no reason to divorce him without complaint, to set him free, and then he would come back to marry me.” “He knows that only if you bring it up to Grandpa, he will agree. If he asks Grandpa, Grandpa will definitely not agree. “In order to be with me, he put in a lot of effort, even … set up this beautiful trap.” Madelline’s words made Nancy feel like she was in an ice cave. A chill tightly embraced her, making her feel so cold. If only everything wasn’t real. Then during all those days and nights, was he acting? And all those nights. He held her passionately, lovingly. Were they all fake? Not a single thing was real? Nancy felt a deep, bitter sadness. She suddenly felt like a clown, utterly foolish. Only so she could let Nicholas design this series of deceptions, allowing herself to be framed. “I don’t believe it unless you tell me how Grandpa pressured him.” Nancy clenched her fists. After spending so much time with him, she knew Nicholas too well. According to his personality, even if Grandpa held a knife to his neck, he wouldn’t easily give in if it weren’t for a very important matter.” Madelline smiles sarcastically. “Nancy, you’re still so persistent. Since you want to know so badly, I’ll tell you.” “Because Grandpa threatened him. If he didn’t marry you, Grandpa would send me abroad, and in my lifetime, Nicholas and I will never meet again. Although we couldn’t be together, he compromised, so that he could meet me again.” Nancy bit her lip, feeling very uncomfortable. Uncomfortable to the extent that she couldn’t even say a word. Madelline didn’t spare her and continued her attack, “As for my legs, do you remember your wedding day? Nicholas received a call during the wedding and almost left right then and there.” “Yes.” It’s her wedding. Of course, she remembered. “Because I had a car accident on my way to your wedding, almost died, and had to be resuscitated for a day to barely survive. These legs were already paralyzed.” No wonder he left in such a hurry after the wedding. She had even asked him if something had happened at the company. He said a friend had been in a car accident, and he wanted to take care of the friend. But Grandpa didn’t allow him to go, so Nicholas asked her to cover up for him. She remembered that Grandpa specifically called and asked her, “Nancy, is Nicholas behaving well and staying with you?” “Yes, Grandpa. He’s here, right by my side.” She naively covered for him. As a result, he didn’t return all night on their wedding night. And it turned out that he had spent the night with another woman. In the following days, he left home early and returned late, always looking exhausted. But he never told her that the friend he mentioned was Madelline! If only she had known. Nancy smiled bitterly. However, she would have covered for him even if she had known. After all, Nancy loved him so much. How could she bear seeing him being scolded by Grandpa? “So what? Why are you telling me all this now?” Nancy looked at her, suddenly feeling like a porcupine fighting desperately, raising all her quills to protect her soft body. “Do you want me to admit that your legs paralyzed because of me? Did I cause your legs to paralyze?” “Nancy, be honest with yourself. Isn’t it true?” Madelline’s voice became agitated. “If it weren’t for you, Grandpa wouldn’t have pressured Nicholas, he wouldn’t have reluctantly married you, and I wouldn’t have had a car accident on my way to your wedding, resulting in these paralyzed legs.” “If it were not for you, I would have married Nicholas long ago. We might already have a house full of children, living happily together.” Nancy tried hard to control herself. After a while, she raised her head and calmly replied, “It wasn’t because of me. You just found a convenient excuse and a substitute for your own leg injury.” “I believe Grandpa. He loves me so much, but he must have had his reasons for not wanting you to be with Nicholas. If you really met his standards to be his granddaughter-in-law, even if there were a thousand Nancy, ten thousand Nancy, it wouldn’t shake your position as his granddaughter-in-law.” “As you said, since Grandpa went to such lengths to separate you two, it can only mean that you have problems yourself.” “I may not be a wealthy young lady, but I won’t let you bully me. Don’t try to pin all these accusations on me.” “No one invited you to the wedding. Moreover, no one asked you to drink and drive.” Nancy spoke with confidence, her words were well-structured and interconnected. Not letting anyone spot any mistakes. Madelline looked at Nancy in disbelief. After two years apart, she couldn’t believe that the girl who used to follow behind Nicholas so carefully, blushing at the slightest thing and speaking softly, had suddenly become so fierce and assertive. “Do you think I will be absent at the wedding of the person I love the most?” “The person you love the most?” Nancy sneered, “Madelline, there are things that Nicholas doesn’t know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know too. Don’t push me into digging up your dirty past.” “You’re talking nonsense. I’m completely innocent. How could you accuse me like this?” Madelline became agitated and stumbled, suddenly falling from her wheelchair. At this moment, Nicholas returned. He put down the thermos and gently helped Madelline up, his brow furrowed as he asked coldly, “Can someone please tell me what happened?”