Humiliated at the Altar, She Owned Half His Empire

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2

Julian suddenly walked over smiling and took my hand, pulling me forward. He thought I'd given in.

My future mother-in-law spoke up, pleased with herself.

"Every pound over the limit, and you pay back fifty thousand of the dowry."

"What? You're treating a person like merchandise."

The Gilberts and the Sheltons were about even in standing, nothing you'd call an upper-crust dynasty, but well-off enough to count as minor money. So the dowry had been done by the book, no more and no less: two hundred eighty thousand.

The gold wedding jewelry and the rest of the trousseau actually came to more than that, all of it bought by my mother. My mother figured as long as the young couple was happy, that was enough. She'd arranged everything herself and never once thought about taking anything from the Gilberts.

"Julian, is this what you think too? Two hundred eighty thousand was agreed on. If you people didn't want to go through with it, you could have said so. There was no need for this."

"What are you talking about? You're taking it way too seriously. It's just for show. Even if they knock off fifty thousand, doesn't that money end up in your pocket anyway? Just go along with my mother for a minute."

He kept dragging me forward. My face went cold.

"I said I'm not marrying in. Save the scale for someone else."

"Are you done making a scene? The wedding's already started, you don't get to just cancel it. You're getting on that scale today."

"My son's right. If you're getting married, you follow the rules, and nobody's an exception. Bride and bridesmaids, one at a time. Whoever doesn't measure up doesn't get through the Gilbert door."

"This is insane. Lindy, let's go. Better not to marry into this at all."

Ursula Hayward grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the door, but the relatives closed in around us and shoved us all back inside.

"You're getting on that scale whether you like it or not."

"Get out of the way."

They didn't move. They grabbed our clothes and started hauling us back in.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Julian's aunt rushed up to stop them and got shoved aside.

"I'll say it one more time. Let go."

I glared at this pack of ignorant villagers who couldn't understand plain speech.

"Where are your manners? These are all your elders. Get down on your knees and apologize right now. No home training at all."

I had no intention of dealing with any of them. Julian yanked at my arm.

"Apologize, did you hear me? In this family, disrespecting your elders is a serious thing."

I turned and walked toward the door. He pulled me back.

"I'll say it one more time. Apologize."

"And I'll say it one more time. I'm not marrying into this."

"We've come this far, there's no canceling now. You may have no shame, but we still do."

They pushed me up onto the scale. I tried to step off and they held me down hard.

"A hundred and three. Next."

One by one they held down all six bridesmaids, forcing each of them up onto it like goods laid out for judgment. I watched it happen, breath heaving in and out, my eyes red with rage.

"Every last one over the limit. Just as I said, not a lucky one among them. Good thing we weighed them, or these girls would have crushed all the luck right out of this family."

"This is complete nonsense. We all have normal figures. You people are just ignorant and backward."

A slap cracked out. A village woman had struck Ursula across the face. I seized her wrist and locked my eyes on hers.

"Apologize to her."

I frightened her, and she stumbled down onto the ground. Then the relatives who'd been enjoying the show a moment ago all surged forward and shoved us down onto the ground.

Julian gripped my arm, his face full of fury.

"I told you. In this family, disrespecting an elder is a serious matter."

"Drag her over and make her kneel and apologize to my aunt, or she'll be lawless the second she's through the door."

"Go apologize, or this wedding stays stuck like this all day. You don't want your parents unable to hold their heads up in front of everyone, do you?"

I clenched my teeth and looked at this man, the eyes that used to be so gentle now holding nothing but something dark.

"Not a chance."