My Substitute Wife Is a Bigwig (Lily Brooks and Loid Laurier)

Shelby, who was the harshest on Lily, stared at Julia in disbelief. “Grandma, are you kidding me? Lily is spewing nonsense here. She offended Mr. Laurier, and you want us to apologize to her?” Shelby was somewhat agitated. Julia gave her a sharp look, gritted her teeth, and said coldly, “I told you to apologize immediately!” “I…” Shelby wanted to say something but was pulled back by her father. In the end, under Julia’s stern gaze, those who berated Lily had to apologize, including Susan. Having to apologize to her unwanted daughter made Susan feel extremely embarrassed, but she couldn’t disobey Julia’s orders. After their apologies, Julia smiled politely and asked Loid, “They’re just ignorant, Mr. Laurier. Please forgive their unreasonable behavior.” Loid took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and blew out a puff of smoke under the mask. His gaze shifted slightly, looking at Lily. “Do you accept their apologies?” Upon hearing this, Lily raised her eyebrows, a wicked smile gracing her lips. “No.” “Hear that?” Loid leaned back lazily with one arm draped over the chair as he looked at Julia. Julia silently cursed Lily’s lack of ability to read the room but dared not say anything in front of Loid. She had to humble herself and ask Lily, “What can they do to gain your forgiveness?” Lily rested her chin on one hand and shut her eyes, looking quite serious for a moment. Then, she casually said, “How about sewing their mouths shut?” She was smiling, but her words sent shivers down people’s spines. No one could have imagined that a 19-year-old girl could be so heartless. They merely admonished her, and she wanted to sew their mouths shut. “Lily, you’re going too far…” Shelby was furious and wanted to slap Lily, but she was stopped the moment she spoke. Everyone in the Martinez family could see that Loid was standing up for Lily. If Shelby laid hands on Lily, the consequences would be dire. Julia took a deep breath, her eyes filled with sorrow as she glanced at Lily. She clenched her hands and said after a long while, “What they did was wrong. They shouldn’t have humiliated you, but such punishment is too harsh. Please spare them once. I’ll apologize to you on their behalf.” However, it didn’t seem like she wanted to apologize at all. Lily raised her chin slightly, slowly tapping her fingers on the table. She asked casually, “You don’t want to?” Julia balled up her hands into fists as she realized something. She never expected that even after humbling herself like this, Lily would remain unmoved. She looked up at Loid, and seeing him silent, she apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry. Please forgive them.” Lily still rested her chin on her hand, her brows slightly raised as she ignored Julia. The atmosphere turned awkward for a while. Loid extinguished the cigarette butt, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Lily. “In a lawful society, why not choose a different form of punishment?” He spoke in a charming tone. His voice was deep, exuding wisdom and experience. He treated everyone else coldly, but with Lily, he softened up. Lily raised her eyebrows slightly. She reached out her slender fingertips to accept the glass of water. Their hands inadvertently brushed against each other. She thought for a moment. “How about making them slap themselves ten times?” “That’s not bad.” The mask hid Loid’s face, but Shannon saw his eyes lit up. Julia glared at Lily with a cold gaze, gritting her teeth. She ordered those who humiliated Lily, “Hear that? Start now.” The Martinez family members gritted their teeth in hatred but didn’t dare to disobey Julia’s orders, especially with Loid present. They wouldn’t be so lucky if they waited for Loid to take action. Finally, several people reluctantly slapped themselves more than ten times. Shannon looked at her miserable family with clenched fingers while biting her lip. A coldness flickered in her eyes. She couldn’t accept that a country bumpkin like Lily would manage to get Loid to stand up for her. This should have been hers. The man she rejected was speaking up for a woman who was inferior to her. With this thought in mind, Shannon suddenly stood up. She seemed to have made a big decision. “Mr. Laurier, I’ll marry you. I’ll be 18 in half a year, which won’t affect our engagement.” All the Martinez family members widened their eyes at her words, and Susan was particularly stunned. She took some time to regain her senses. After a long while, she hurriedly asked, “Shannon, have you gone mad? How could you…” Just as she spoke, she realized Loid was there and quickly stopped herself. “Grandma, Mom, I can’t let an outsider bully you.” Shannon pursed her lips, looking delicate and weak. The Martinez family members were deeply moved, but no one knew that she just didn’t want Lily to steal the limelight. The Martinez family broke down into tears, but Loid and Lily remained unimpressed. They were firm on their stance. Shaun glanced at Loid’s expression and suddenly slammed the table. “What do you take Mr. Laurier for? Trash? You take him when you want him, reject him when you don’t. No one in all of Bridgeport would have the guts to do this. How dare you?” “But Shannon was supposed to marry Mr. Laurier.” Julia was an efficient woman. She had been managing the Martinez family for so many years and was shrewder than she appeared. She was annoyed by Lily’s attitude toward the Martinez family. Lily wasn’t raised by the Martinez family and had a wild streak in her bones. She was disobedient and rebellious. Allowing such a person to gain benefits from marrying into the Laurier family would be more of a curse than a blessing for the Martinez family. Shannon’s willingness to marry over was the best for the Martinez family. “Julia.” Loid suddenly stood up, his slender figure elongated by the light. He strolled toward Julia while exuding a compelling air. “I think Lily is quite a catch. What do you think?” There was a cold chill in his eyes, and his voice was icy. His mask also looked ferocious. Julia looked up. Her legs trembled, and she almost stumbled. She immediately caught Loid’s implication and stuttered, “Yes, I think she’s perfect.” “That’s great.” Loid looked away and stood tall with his hands in his pockets. Looking around, he called out, “Daniel.” The private room door was pushed open. Daniel and several bodyguards who had been waiting outside brought in several boxes and placed them on the table. “This is Mr. Laurier’s gifts for Ms. Brooks,” Daniel opened the boxes. “Here’s ten million dollars.” Julia’s eyebrows twitched, her throat feeling somewhat dry. “Didn’t we agree on five million dollars?” “An extra five million dollars as a bonus. Mr. Laurier is very satisfied with Ms. Brooks.” The Martinez family finally understood. Today’s engagement banquet was for Lily. Before he came, Loid already knew they would replace Shannon with Lily. He was giving them this sum of money probably not because he was genuinely interested in Lily but because he wanted them to regret their decision. While the Martinez family was in a daze, Loid walked up to Lily. “Feelings can grow over time. What do you think?” Lily smiled cheekily. “I think it’s possible.” “In that case, move to Anmer Heights tomorrow.” With these words, Loid left with Shaun, Daniel, and the others. Inside the private room, the Martinez family was left speechless. The dishes on the table had long gone cold, untouched.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.