Grandpa's Funeral Reduced to Her Dog's Show

Another guest said, "Joyce is spoiled by her family, and you'll be living under their roof. Crossing her won't do you any good."

A third person said, "It's just a funeral. Let Joyce do it her way. It will score you points with the family."

I sneered at these sycophants before storming to the altar and smashing the dog's portrait to the ground. "I'll say it one last time. This is my grandfather's funeral. Take your crap and get out!"

My family's security team arrived, and I ordered them to remove the Whitakers. But the guards, who had always followed Cuthbert's commands, hesitated and stood by the Whitakers' side.

"Everyone in this city knows your family's wealth is ours now," Isaac smirked. "Whose order do you think they take now?"

Joyce clung to his arm, gloating, "Ours. You trashed Luck's photo and disrupted his funeral. Apologize now before we have you dragged out."

The crowd jeered, fueling my rage. I roared, "You begged Cuthbert for this engagement! Now you're kicking me. You know what? I'm done! The engagement is off!"

...

The room erupted in mocking laughter.

"Still acting like a princess? Without your family's support, you're nothing."

"Isaac's a catch, and you're an orphan nobody wants. You don't know what you're talking about."

"The Whitakers value decorum. They won't tolerate this insolence. She'll pay for it."

Ted and Leah stormed over, each slapping me hard across the face.

"We prize virtue and grace," Leah said. "If Joyce weren't adopted, she'd be our ideal daughter-in-law. You think you can disrespect Isaac in public? Without him, you wouldn't even be at a funeral this grand."

My head spun from the blows. Isaac watched my humiliation with a cold smirk, his arm around Joyce's waist.

"The one to call off the engagement should be me," he said.

Joyce egged him on. "Look, she doesn't even want to marry you. Just call it off and kick her out. Let's see who'd take her, and we don't have to sneak around anymore."

"You two have been together behind my back?" I rasped, incredulous. "Isaac, you remember the contract Cuthbert signed with your family? If you call off the engagement or cheat, my family pulls all funding from your company."

Isaac froze, panic flashing across his face.