Can't Stand My Happiness

May Summers immediately softened. "Hugh, I was wrong. Whatever you say goes."

Hugh Lewis was secretly delighted. The Lewis family never wanted May Summers to marry in—someone like her, a washed-up woman, would just dirty their doorstep. They were just looking for an excuse, and May handed them one herself. Perfect!

Now, the wedding banquet would be held quietly in the countryside, and after marriage, May Summers would continue living at the Summers house. Once they tricked her out of the off-season greenhouse vegetable technique, they’d kick her to the curb, and Hugh could simply deny ever marrying her!

"Enough, I’m annoyed. Go home!" Hugh Lewis waved impatiently but tossed May fifty silver coins to placate her—just in case she ran off to Ben Parker, and that money-making technique slipped away.

May Summers, clutching the silver, was moved. "My husband still cares about me. I’ll go home now."

After May left, Hugh Lewis chuckled and muttered, "Foolish woman." He called a servant over, "Go to Clearwater Village and spread the word about May causing a scene at the Serenity Vegetarian Bistro. Make it sound even worse. That way, our countryside wedding banquet will seem perfectly reasonable."

"Yes, sir!"

May reunited with her family and shared the wedding banquet news. Mrs. Summers immediately got anxious, "How can this be? When marrying a bride, you must be carried into the Lewis house in a sedan chair, and the banquet should be held there too! Holding it at our place—what does that look like?"

May Summers gritted her teeth, "What can I do? It’s all that wretched Lily Evans’s fault! If not for her, I wouldn’t have been so humiliated! Lily, that spiteful woman, promised not to snitch, but turned around and complained to my husband. She just can’t stand to see me happy!"

Ruth Lewis chimed in, "Exactly! That Lily Evans married a fool herself, she’s obviously jealous you married Hugh Lewis—handsome and from a good family."

May was even more furious. "Lily Evans is nothing but a lowlife who deserves to marry a fool! How can she be so spiteful, always wishing me ill? No, I have to settle this with her!"

The four of them returned to Clearwater Village. As soon as they entered, villagers started pointing at May and some even mocked her outright: "Hey, isn’t this the rich young madam? Went to a restaurant and got blocked at the door! She’s always showing off how much her wealthy husband dotes on her, but the ten coins he gave her couldn’t even buy tea there. I say she’s just bluffing! Hugh Lewis would never fancy a washed-up village girl like her."

"That’s right! I heard that restaurant only serves the wealthy and powerful. Some people think just because they climbed up the social ladder, they’re a phoenix, but really, they’re just a barnyard chicken—never fit for the spotlight. They only strut around in the village, but in fancy places, they’re put right back in their place."

"You... what nonsense are you all spouting!" May’s face flushed red with rage.

"Oh come on, you know exactly who we mean, young madam! Hahaha!" The women cackled and ran off.

May’s teeth ground audibly with anger. "Just you wait, Lily Evans! Not only did you snitch to my husband, now you’re gossiping in the village and making me look bad. I’m going to settle this with you right now!"

May grabbed Mrs. Summers and Ruth, and the three of them stormed off to Lily Evans’s house.

Lily Evans had just returned from Tenmile Hill, exhausted and sore all over. She was lying on the bed, letting Lucky massage her shoulders, when she heard May Summers shouting outside, "Lily Evans, you shameless gossip! Get out here! You married a fool and you’re jealous I married Hugh Lewis. You just can’t stand to see me happy!"