Chapter 591
591:
Shepard’s face mirrored Giselle’s grim expression, his appetite having vanished. The couple had briefly discussed the matter; they had agreed not to push if there was any disagreement.
However, Ethan had publicly proposed to Brenna, and backing out now would not only hurt Brenna’s dignity but also tarnish the Harper family’s reputation.
“This is outrageous!” Shepard exclaimed, grabbing his phone. “I will call Emmett and demand a direct response from him!”
Giselle placed a hand on his to stop him. “Don’t bother. He likely already discussed this with Elsa before Elsa brought it to us. Brenna has other options. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce her to a few young men and start setting up dates!”
Ernst, his face set in determination, said, “Dad, Mom, I’ll speak to Ethan myself. This isn’t as simple as it seems; it might just be Elsa’s own idea.”
Looking at the concerned faces of her family, Brenna remained unruffled. “Ethan and his mother see eye to eye on very little. Elsa does not hold the reins for him. Let’s take a deep breath first. I believe we should give Ethan the space to navigate this situation on his own.”
Ernst nodded in agreement with Brenna’s viewpoint. “Exactly, Mom, Dad. Ethan is a man of integrity. His parents can be quite overbearing, and he has been at odds with them for as long as I can remember. Let’s allow him some time to sort through this mess.”
Shepard, however, shook his head dismissively. “You all are too idealistic. Marriage is never just a union of two hearts; it involves two families. If Ethan’s parents are not on board with this marriage, it simply won’t happen. I think we should cut our losses here. Brenna has plenty of better options.”
Ernst cast a hopeful glance at Brenna, silently urging her to speak up, but she remained tight-lipped, seemingly agreeing with her parents’ sentiments.
“Brenna, say something,” Ernst said. “You don’t really want to give up on Ethan, do you?”
Brenna’s demeanor was as tranquil as a still lake, impervious to the tension around her. “Let’s take a breath and see how things unfold. We should make our position clear and communicate our intentions to Ethan’s parents. I’m not in a rush to marry their son. I am still young and plan to tie the knot after thirty. There’s plenty of time before that.” Giselle exchanged a knowing look with Shepard, appearing to resonate with Brenna’s perspective.
𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 ⓘ𝓷 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⧼𝖼𝗈𝗺
“Marrying too early isn’t the best path,” Giselle said. “Brenna, I’m behind you on this. Shepard, I’ll have a word with Elsa first. Let’s keep our noses out of the kids’ affairs for now. And as for any talk of marriage between our families, Ethan and Brenna haven’t even gotten engaged yet, so there’s no need to discuss breaking anything off. What do you think?”
Shepard nodded in agreement. “Alright, we’ll go with your plan. Elsa seems to be pushing for a breakup—probably because she can’t handle Ethan herself, and this is her way of getting us to make Brenna break up with Ethan. Brenna and Ethan were just dating now; as parents, we shouldn’t meddle in their private affairs.”
Rosie, who had been quietly listening, found the whole situation amusing. Shepard and Giselle likely had no idea about how Brenna had offended Elsa.
She said, “Mom, Dad, do you even know why Elsa suddenly took a stand against Ethan’s marriage to Brenna?”
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