Rosalind knew this was the last time Ulric would ask her.
He had already lowered his head so many times, his pride cast aside repeatedly, and the taste of trampled dignity was unbearable. She didn’t want him to continue like this.
“Ulric, don’t ask anymore.”
“Alright, I won’t ask again.”
He gave a signal to the officiant, and the wedding officially began.
No guests, no family or friends, just the officiant and the two of them.
Rosalind dared not look at Ulric’s finely chiseled face and those unfathomable eyes throughout the ceremony. She just wanted it to end quickly, not just the wedding.
“Now, the groom may kiss your bride.”
After saying this, the officiant closed his eyes to pray for them.
Ulric cupped her cheeks with both hands, his warm lips slowly approaching until there was no distance left between them.
The kiss was long, very long…
So long that it almost drained all the air from Rosalind’s lungs.
Her brain was deprived of oxygen, and she let him kiss her. Finally, she heard Ulric whisper softly in her ear.
“Rosalind, I hate you.”
Hate?
Yes, he should hate her.
…
Three years later, in a small town in Wayer City.
This place was about to be developed into a resort, with an investment of two billion yuan, aiming to become the most luxurious leisure and entertainment venue in North City’s domestic market.
It would include hot spring hotels, amusement facilities, shopping malls, as well as golf courses, equestrian centers, and high-end restaurants.
Most of the original residents of the town had already taken their relocation compensation and moved away. The remaining ones were also packing up, except for one stubborn household that refused to budge.
Because of this household, the company had been delayed significantly. It was said that the investors were extremely dissatisfied and had issued a final ultimatum to resolve the issue within a week.
Rosalind glanced at the email on her phone, took a deep breath after parking her car, then put on a safety helmet from the passenger seat and changed into flat shoes before walking towards the household.
This was her fifth visit. The first three times she was met with closed doors, and the last two times were worse-she was cursed out and driven away by the residents.
“Knock knock-”
“Hello, is anyone home?”
Rosalind knocked on the door and peered inside.
She didn’t see anyone, but she did hear cursing.
“Get lost! We’re not moving! If you have the guts, flatten our whole family!”
The same old rhetoric.
“Please don’t be angry. I’m here on behalf of Eastsun Corporation to discuss the relocation compensation. We can negotiate.”
“There’s nothing to negotiate! Unless you give us five million yuan, we absolutely won’t move!”
Five million…
Rosalind felt a headache coming on just hearing that number.
The house was only about fifty square meters. The surrounding neighbors received compensation of just over a million yuan each, and their houses were all larger. If they gave five million to this household, wouldn’t all the others who had moved out trample Eastsun Corporation?
“How about this? Can you come out so we can talk?”
Hearing this, a middle-aged man finally came out.
He was wearing a black tank top, stout and burly, clearly not someone easy to deal with.
Seeing that it was a young woman who had come, he became even more dismissive. “Can you represent Eastsun Corporation and promise me five million?”
“Sir, your land use certificate shows an area of 53. 85 square meters. Based on a compensation rate of 15, 000 yuan per square meter, you should receive 807, 750 yuan. Our leadership has agreed to round it up to an even one million. How about that?”
“Bullshit!”