CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 163: FINALE (PART 1)

The next day.

Josephine Thompson woke up early.

After washing up, she packed up her personal belongings inside and out and sent them away.

After a few intense days of sorting, almost everything was cleared.

All the properties in Audenburg were also put on the market.

The remaining odds and ends were either sold off or given away directly.

Dr. Carter prescribed her oral abortion pills, looking anxious, "President Thompson, are you... are you sure you want to do this?"

"Oral medication still has risks, even if you want to terminate the pregnancy, it’s better to choose a surgical procedure at a hospital."

With a calm face, Josephine took the medication from his hand and swallowed it without hesitation.

"It’s not necessary, just like this."

"President Thompson..."

Dr. Carter wanted to say more.

But Josephine stopped him with a wave of her hand, "There’s nothing more for you to do here, you can leave now."

"These are anti-inflammatory medications, some for blood nourishment, and painkillers."

"I’d better stay by your side, just in case something happens, I can handle it in time."

Josephine didn’t say much more, waiting quietly for the medication to take effect.

"Child, it’s not that Mom is cruel to end your life."

"It’s just... Mom might really be sick, and very unhappy. She doesn’t want any more ties with that man. If you’re willing to wait, maybe you can come back next time Mom decides to have a child..."

Yes.

She had completely lost faith in marriage.

In this lifetime, she probably wouldn’t choose to marry again.

However, she certainly wanted to have her own child.

Previously, when doing IVF, she had frozen two other eggs. Even if her body was damaged and she couldn’t give birth naturally, she could use the frozen eggs to have a child.

But...

She would not give birth to Nathaniel Gallagher’s child.

...

Twenty minutes later.

The medicine gradually began to take effect, and her lower abdomen started to feel a dull ache.

The pain surged like waves, escalating from a dull ache to a sharp cramping.

Josephine curled up on the sofa, with thin cold sweat seeping from her forehead, drenching her temples.

She bit her lip tightly, refusing to make a sound, her knuckles turning white from the force, digging deep into her palm.

Dr. Carter was anxiously pacing beside her, clutching the painkillers, trying several times to hand them to Josephine, but she avoided them.

"President Thompson, please take a painkiller, enduring like this damages your body!"

"No need."

"I want to remember today’s pain, so I can completely give up and also remember forever..."

"President Thompson, why put yourself through this?"

Josephine gave a tragic smile without answering.

Only she knew.

How much her heart ached to make such a decision?

From hope... to utter despair.

She could have chosen to give birth to the child, but there was no need anymore.

...

Meanwhile.

Nathaniel Gallagher and Eleanor Churchill were trying on wedding dresses.

The designer and the owner of the bridal shop personally brought the wedding dress to The Rose Garden, "President Gallagher, Mrs. Gallagher, the wedding dress has been resized, you can try it on."

Nathaniel Gallagher wore a smile, "Though we rushed, we managed to finish it. Try it on; it should fit well."

Handmade custom gowns generally require time.

From design to custom fitting, it’s all crafted by hand.

Of course, the price is beyond what most can afford.

Eleanor initially said the wedding date was too soon, suggesting they buy a premade dress. But Nathaniel disagreed and spent a fortune hiring Romenia’s most famous bridal designer to craft the dress especially for her.

He owed her too much before.

Now he wanted to make it up to her, to give her the best of everything.

"This is the most important moment in your life; of course, the most beautiful and perfect dress is needed."

Looking at the white and noble wedding dress.

Eleanor’s eyes reddened, looking at Nathaniel with gratitude, "Nathaniel, I... I’m feeling a bit insecure."

"In my current state, I feel like I don’t deserve you."

Nathaniel gently kissed her forehead, "Don’t say such things, to me, you will always be the most beautiful, the most important."

Eleanor smiled emotionally, "Okay, I’ll go try it on."

"Yes, go on!"

Four servants, along with the bridal shop staff, carried the dress and guided her to the dressing room to try it on.

Nathaniel wore a soft, affectionate smile on his face.

A little while later.

He sat down to wait for her return.

Just as he settled on the sofa.

His right eyelid involuntarily twitched twice again.

"Huh, what’s going on, why does my eyelid keep twitching today?" Nathaniel unconsciously rubbed his eye.

They say left for wealth, right for disaster.

Every time his right eyelid twitched, something unfortunate, something troubling would happen.

It left him feeling a bit uneasy.

"Could it be something with the company?"

The Gallagher Group’s largest entertainment venue was shut down for a month, costing him severely.

However, his connections and resources in Audenburg are substantial. The venue resumed operation after just twenty days.

"It shouldn’t be, there won’t be major troubles with the company. But why does my eyelid keep twitching? What unpleasant thing could this be foreshadowing?"

Nathaniel rubbed his eyes again, feeling restless.

He habitually took out his phone and checked it.

Josephine hadn’t contacted him for three or four days.

Lately, he had been busy preparing for the wedding and hadn’t gone to see her.

"...Did something happen on Josephine’s side?"

Thinking about it.

His eyelid twitched even more violently, and his heart inexplicably burned with anxiety, the sense that something bad was about to happen.

"I should give her a call."

Nathaniel stood up, intending to call Josephine from outside the garden.

However.

Just as he stood up.

Eleanor had already changed into her wedding dress, emerging from the dressing room like a princess, accompanied by her entourage.

"President Gallagher, the beautiful bride has arrived."

Eleanor’s face carried a slight blush, filled with happiness and shyness, "Nathaniel, how do I look?"

Nathaniel glanced up at her.

The fishtail dress accentuated her slender, delicate curves, and the handmade lace hem was both noble and elegant.

With makeup done and her hair styled, the scars on her face were hidden. She still looked as charming as she did in her twenties.

"Am I beautiful?" She stood in the sunlight, the sequins on her dress glimmering brightly.

"...Beautiful, absolutely beautiful." Nathaniel stood to applaud, yet his smile felt a bit forced.

His right eyelid twitched even more violently, like a needle repeatedly piercing his nerves.

He gazed at Eleanor Churchill in a daze, his mind involuntarily flashing back to the scenes and images of his wedding with Josephine Thompson.

Sights trigger memories...

There was still some regret and melancholy.

"Does it really look good?" Eleanor asked, lacking confidence.

Nathaniel Gallagher smiled gently, walked forward, and kissed her lightly, "It looks really good."

At the moment of embrace.

The tips of Nathaniel’s fingers inexplicably felt cold.

The loose diamonds on Eleanor’s hair brushed against his cheek, prickling his heart.

The same scene.

Why didn’t he feel happy and excited this time?

"What are you thinking about?" Eleanor noticed his stiffness, raised her hand to his cheek, the warmth making him flinch.

"Nothing, just thinking about the details of our wedding," Nathaniel replied casually.

Eleanor: "It’s going to be held the day after tomorrow, how’s the venue setup coming along?"

Nathaniel: "It’s almost ready, just waiting for the flowers to be flown in from abroad, then it’ll be fully set up."

Eleanor looked excited, "I’m already a little looking forward to it."

Nathaniel rubbed her face again and said affectionately, "Don’t worry, even though there aren’t many guests invited this time, it’ll surely satisfy you."

Eleanor traced the pearl embroidery on her wedding dress’s neckline with her fingertip, her voice filled with excitement: "Nathaniel, which song should we play at the wedding? I want to choose the song we listened to when we first met. Do you remember it?"

Nathaniel was checking the guest list and paused when he heard this.

The song from when they first met?

What flashed in his mind was the folk tune Josephine hummed in the car on their wedding day, the melody lively like the light in her eyes at the time.

"Whatever, as long as you like it." He turned a page, his voice somewhat indistinct.

The smile on Eleanor’s face faded slightly, and she walked over to hug his waist from behind: "What’s wrong? You’ve been absent-minded since earlier. Are you still thinking about work?"

"No," Nathaniel disentangled her hands and pushed the list over to her, "Have a look at these guests, should we add or remove anyone?"

Eleanor smiled, "That’s enough."

Nathaniel frowned: "She is close to Josephine, and if she comes, it will be

Nathaniel didn’t argue further, and tapped his fingers on the list: "Shall we use that bird’s nest gift from last time for the favors?"

"Wouldn’t that be too ordinary?" Eleanor picked up a sample box, "I heard Josephine last time gave bespoke jade pendants as favors to partners. Should we switch to that?"

Nathaniel looked up at her, his gaze deep: "No need to compete with her."

"It’s not a competition," Eleanor lowered her gaze, her voice aggrieved, "I just want everyone to know that I am now Mrs. Gallagher, worthy of this honor."

"But it’s too rushed now, it’s probably too late!"

Eleanor chuckled, "I’m teasing you, I would never compete with her."

"I’m happy with all these details, thank you for your effort."

Nathaniel felt a pang in his heart, "After we’re married, let’s travel abroad. We can even hold another wedding overseas..."

"Once is enough, just having the formality is fine, I’m not too concerned about these ceremonies."

"Okay, we’ll do it your way."

The next day.

The wedding day was approaching.

Both became busier, stretched to their limits.

Nathaniel couldn’t even find time to call Josephine Thompson.

...

In the blink of an eye.

It was February 14th.

The wedding officially began.

Early in the morning, Nathaniel got up, changed into his perfectly tailored groom’s suit, and went with the groomsmen and convoy to pick up the bride.

The wedding venue was in the largest church in Audenburg.

The church’s stained glass refracted the sunlight into colorful patches, which fell on the white rose arch at the end of the red carpet.

The melody of the pipe organ was solemn and melodious.

The guests were filled with low murmurs of praise, mingled with shock.

Although all the guests present were close family and friends.

Yet, each one was still stunned.

"Oh my God, I still can’t believe that President Gallagher’s second wife is Eleanor Churchill."

"Yes, Miss Churchill disappeared for so many years, I thought she was no longer in this world. I didn’t expect her to just have gone abroad to live in seclusion, and now that she’s back, she’s shocked the whole of Audenburg..."

"It’s too unbelievable. President Gallagher and Miss Churchill don’t seem to match at all. It’s really hard to understand how they could get married."

"I heard that they were already together more than ten years ago, just that it wasn’t made public back then, and not many people knew."

"Really?"

"Stop talking, the wedding is about to start, we should sincerely bless the newlyweds..."

The guests hurriedly sat upright and quietly awaited the ceremony.

The master and priest were already in position.

"Welcome the bride."

Nathaniel stood at the altar.

The black suit highlighted his tall figure, but there was a cloud of melancholy on his brow.

Eleanor, holding Mrs. Dixon’s arm, walked in, her wedding dress sweeping over the red carpet like a drifting cloud.

She looked up at the man on the altar, the light in her eyes brighter than the crystal chandeliers above.

Until she saw Nathaniel’s gaze pass over her and fall in the direction of the church door.

"Nathaniel." She called him softly, her fingers tightening around the bouquet.

Nathaniel snapped back to reality, pulling a stiff smile.

The priest began his speech.

But he couldn’t hear a word.

The assistant’s words from last night echoed in his mind: "President Thompson has cleared all her assets in Audenburg, seeming to leave completely."

He’d been so busy preparing for the wedding these days, he hadn’t even noticed what she was doing.

Now he was very worried, was she planning something without his knowledge?

Moreover, she said she would come to his wedding.

The wedding was about to start, and Josephine Thompson hadn’t appeared.

He both hoped she would come and feared she really would.

"Mr. Nathaniel Gallagher, do you take Miss Eleanor Churchill to be your wife?"

The priest’s voice reverberated in the silent church, with an indisputable dignity.

Nathaniel’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze involuntarily glancing again at the entrance.

It was empty, with no sign of Josephine Thompson.

Nathaniel quickly shifted his gaze, replying with a smile of earnestness, "I do."

Eleanor’s tense body relaxed instantly, a smile of relief blooming on her face.

The priest turned to Eleanor, his tone gentle: "Miss Eleanor Churchill, do you take Mr. Nathaniel Gallagher to be your husband? To love and cherish, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do!" Eleanor’s voice was loud and firm, with a barely noticeable tremor.

"The groom and the bride may now exchange rings..."

Just as they were about to exchange rings.

The church doors suddenly presented a radiant, elegant figure.

"I’m sorry I’m late." Josephine Thompson’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was like a thunderclap that resonated in everyone’s ears.

All eyes immediately turned toward her.

Josephine was dressed to impress, her makeup flawless.

She wore a fiery red haute couture evening gown.

Her long hair was styled into elegant, voluminous waves, her lips a blazing red, striking and elegant.

She walked gracefully in her slender high heels, holding an exquisitely crafted gift box, smiling as she approached them.

"Congratulations on your wedding..."