Chapter 280 Married
Mariana went to her parents and told them that she was already married.
She cried and lied.
She told them she felt sorry for the child she had lost. She was mildly depressed and wanted to bury him properly. She married Liam in a rush because of that.
James had buried all the remains and used disposable tools from her abortion. He had bought a small place on a hill and marked a grave.
Coincidently, he had not wanted to draw undue attention to Mariana, and the grave was marked vaguely.
Ivy – Mommy, and Daddy love you. If there’s a next life, we will do better by you.
Mariana was able to spin the lie easily to console Merideth.
Andrew Jacobson, however, already knew the truth. He was surprised about the grave. He had seen the changes in James since the incident and was expecting something from James.
But Mariana’s sudden marriage to Liam surprised him. He kept quiet and let the mother and daughter talk.
Mariana explained how Military marriages have other significance, and they were still unsure – which was the reason behind the secrecy.
Mariana explained while Merideth cried until she was satisfied.
Merideth was still in the hospital. He told Mariana to watch over her mother and left.
Andrew drove to Liliana’s place and demanded an explanation.
Liliana knew she would have to clarify things with him sooner or later. She and Liam had discussed as much.
She did not hide anything from Andrew. He was Mariana’s father and loved her fiercely. He was entitled to know what his daughter was getting herself into and have a say in it.
She explained Kyle’s parentage and the secret about his mother. She told him about Liam’s fears and Mariana’s compromise.
Andrew did not know whether to laugh or cry.
His little girl was grown up and could make such big decisions. But at the same time, he had hoped for a happy life for her.
Andrew knew how stubborn Mariana could get. Since she was hiding the truth from them, it was clear she would not change her mind.
He left Liliana’s place in despair. He ran into James outside her house and accepted James’s proposal for a drink.
They went to a private restaurant and settled down.
James went to his knees and apologized for his incompetence and thoughtlessness.
He promised to always stay by Mariana’s side and help her deal with everything without crossing boundaries and harming her reputation.
Andrew felt relieved after James’s assurances and stopped worrying about Mariana.
Many decades ago, when P city still had a monarchy, the Petrova family head was ordained with clergy in the oldest church in P City.
The tradition continued as nothing significant happened that warranted a change. As such, Liliana still held clergy and could officiate a private wedding which would have legal precedence.
On the day when Mariana had gone for an abortion, she had added her name to the registry. She had only included Mariana’s name and not the groom’s name for protection.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
The registry continued with the next event and the next day without any infringement.
As such, Liam and Mariana managed to get a marriage certificate dated two months back without actually messing with the law.
Coincidentally, Henry and Jennifer had assisted the gynecologist in conducting Mariana’s abortion in private. As per Liliana’s instructions, they hadn’t entered the procedure in the P City hospital records. There was no proof of it.
Liam shared his marriage certificate with his supervisors. They investigated the church records and realized it was legit. There was no infringement.
Since it was legit, they did not have to look further.
James publicly announced that he was breaking out from the Miller family because of a clash in principles.
James went to visit his parents to talk some sense into them. But not unexpectedly, they were smug about their success and wanted to use that chance to force into a political marriage.
The Millers were too proud and had never loved James as a person. They only saw him as their heir and the means to an end.
Perhaps because they grew up just as cruelly – they did not see anything wrong with their ways.
James had had enough and took the chance to break the news to them before making it official.
His parents did not believe him and thought he was merely bluffing. They were ready to call his bluff and wait it out.
Unexpectedly, James removed himself from the Miller household as he had said he would. He even went as far as to announce it publicly.
It was a massive slap in the face.
The Millers were shocked as they hadn’t foreseen that result.