Simon Ruiz was trying to coax his mother, Mrs. Ruiz, to leave as he spoke.

Upon seeing her second son, who had helped her eldest betray her, Mrs. Ruiz was filled with anger. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

It was all because of this guy. If he hadn’t stolen her household register book, would today’s wedding have been possible?

She was used to Hansen Ruiz not listening to her; he had always had his own ideas from a young age, and nobody could stop him from doing what he wanted. But Simon had always been under her control, treating her words as law. Now that he, too, had betrayed her, how could she not be furious?

"Simon, you still haven’t accounted for your faults. Get out of my way!" Mrs. Ruiz’s well-maintained face darkened as she coldly commanded Simon Ruiz.

"Mom..." Simon Ruiz called out softly.

At that moment, Rachel Bailey, her makeup done, descended the stairs with her father, surrounded by the Bridesmaids Group. Knowing she was the bride-to-be and the special assistant to the president of Valence Group, the guests staying at the hotel took out their mobile phones or cameras to capture the festive scene.

The Bailey Family and the Ruiz Family met right in front of the hotel.

Seeing Mrs. Ruiz, Rachel was momentarily stunned, but she still approached Mrs. Ruiz courteously to greet her. She and Hansen Ruiz were already legally married, and with today’s wedding ceremony, she had become a daughter-in-law of the Ruiz Family. Even if Mrs. Ruiz disliked her, she wouldn’t be returning to the Ruiz household after the wedding. Yet, the fact remained that Mrs. Ruiz was Hansen’s mother, an undeniable truth, so she courteously called Mrs. Ruiz "Mom."

"Who is your mom? I’m not so fortunate as to have a daughter like you," Mrs. Ruiz turned her head away and snorted coldly.

The group of well-to-do women following her whispered among themselves upon hearing the conversation.

So this petite, yet not unattractive, woman was the Crown Princess chosen by their Ruiz family’s Crown Prince! Compared to Hansen Ruiz’s tall stature, the Crown Princess was indeed petite, but she seemed quite a good match, didn’t she? With Hansen embracing her, didn’t that perfectly embody the image of a small bird nestling against someone?

Mrs. Ruiz had told them that Rachel Bailey looked as plain as a country bumpkin, was crude, sharp-tongued, impolite, always looking for small advantages, and was only marrying Hansen for his money.

After seeing her for themselves, they all sneered inwardly. One shouldn’t accept one-sided statements as truth.

Being relatives of the Ruiz Family, they were naturally aware of Mrs. Ruiz’s domineering and authoritarian nature. Having seen Rachel, they realized this was nothing but Mrs. Ruiz’s bitterness over her own frustration, lashing out by slandering the girl.

Therefore, this group of society ladies, who had originally come with Mrs. Ruiz to cause a scene, maintained a very tactful silence, saying nothing and leaving Mrs. Ruiz to fight her battle alone.

Mrs. Ruiz might be in charge of the Ruiz Family now, but she was getting older. They believed that the vast family business would eventually return to Hansen’s hands. So, for the sake of their own comfortable futures, it was best not to offend Hansen.

"Mom, I am indeed not your daughter, but your daughter-in-law. Whether you acknowledge it or not, I married Hansen, your son, which makes you my mother," Rachel responded with serene elegance.

She, too, possessed her own quiet elegance.

"Rachel Bailey, don’t get smug. Even if Hansen married you, you’ll never set foot in my Ruiz Family’s house. As long as I have breath in my body, I will never acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law!"

Mrs. Ruiz wore a smile, her face a picture of gentleness, yet her words were squeezed out through clenched teeth.

"In-law..." Mr. Bailey tried to say something, but Mrs. Ruiz lifted her head, nostrils flaring, and said coldly, "You can eat any food you like, but you can’t just claim anyone as kin. I am most certainly not an in-law to a bunch of country bumpkins like you."

Mr. Bailey’s face broke into a strained, simple smile. His heart ached, but on his daughter’s joyous day, he didn’t want to fall out with the in-laws.

Mr. Bailey’s simple honesty only made Mrs. Ruiz look down on him more. She continued her tirade, nearly every other word being "country bumpkin."

Rachel became furious.

Yes, so what if the Bailey family were country bumpkins? They, as farmers, worked hard, toiling to produce grains that fed the world. In what way were they inferior? Were people from the countryside not human?

Suddenly, Rachel tore off her veil with force, threw it to the ground, turned, and headed back towards the hotel. She said coldly to her father, "Dad, tell Hansen Ruiz the wedding is off. I, a mere country bumpkin’s daughter, am not worthy of marrying the Ruiz family’s eldest young master! Let him marry whomever he wishes! I, Rachel Bailey, have my dignity, and my parents are human beings too, not ’country bumpkins’ to be insulted left and right!"

Her father, concerned for her future married life, didn’t want to clash with the in-laws on such a happy occasion, but Mrs. Ruiz’s bullying was too much. As a daughter, how could she bear to hear her own parents humiliated and insulted?

"Rachel..." Seeing Rachel’s actions, the Bailey family grew anxious, trying to persuade her. The auspicious time had arrived; they were supposed to be leaving.

However, Mrs. Ruiz, seeing Rachel react so fiercely, felt a flicker of fear in her eyes. If her son found out that Rachel was refusing to marry him, especially if it was because of her meddling, the consequences...

Mrs. Ruiz, always so well-composed and now striving to maintain her calm, began to feel a creeping fear.

Her son was deeply in love with this young woman!

"Rachel, Rachel, my mother must have taken the wrong medication today; she’s speaking all sorts of nonsense. Don’t stoop to her level. You know, sometimes, when people get old, they might develop something like Alzheimer’s and start talking incoherently. Please, don’t be angry. Come on, don’t keep my brother waiting." Simon Ruiz, sensing trouble, quickly caught up with Rachel, blocking her path. He likely spoke ill of his mother to seize the chance to express his own dissatisfaction with her.

One of the bridesmaids picked up the veil and helped Rachel put it back on. Everyone tried to convince Rachel to reconsider.

Mrs. Ruiz’s face turned green with rage when she heard her second son slandering her. A dull ache spread through her heart.

Was she really so wrong? Had she really become so hateful to her sons? Even her second son spoke of her like this! As a mother, had she failed so terribly?

"Dad, Mom, I just can’t tolerate her insulting you like this. You are my parents. I don’t expect her to respect you, but she can’t insult you either. Those relentless ’country bumpkins,’ thrown around with such contempt, are like knives stabbing into my heart. It hurts!" Rachel couldn’t hold back any longer and let out a low growl, her eyes brimming with tears of grievance.