Before I could finish my sentence, a vase flew past my ears.

"Stop trying to drive a wedge between us!" Ingrid shouted, trembling with anger. "Edmund was just worried my parents wouldn't approve of us getting married, so he wanted us to get closer first. Don't you dare slander him!"

Looking at her utterly infatuated expression, I felt a mix of pity and amusement. I wondered how she'd react when she finally learned the truth.

"Edmund, are you planning to make Ingrid your side piece? What about your wife back in your hometown?"

Edmund froze and instinctively loosened his hold on Ingrid.

"Cut the crap! What wife? I don't have a wife!" Edmund tried to sound calm, but the tremor in his voice gave him away. "You're just jealous of me and Ingrid, so you're trying to ruin our marriage!"

Edmund's expression caught Ingrid's attention, and she looked at him with suspicion.

"Edmund, are you hiding something from me?"

He grabbed Ingrid's hand and pleaded urgently, "Ingrid, don't listen to his lies. I swear to God, if I have a wife, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!"

"If you go ask the town committee in Millport, you'll know. His wife is still there working the fields, and from what I've heard, she's pregnant."

Edmund broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't expected me to know even the name of his hometown.

Noticing Edmund's uneasy expression, Mrs. Stewart said sternly, "We need to get to the bottom of this. Ingrid, you can't just—"

"There's no need to look into this matter." Ingrid suddenly cut Mrs. Stewart off, stubbornly shielding Edmund. "I trust Edmund. He's definitely not that kind of man."

She turned and tightly gripped Edmund's hand, her voice tinged with hysteria. "Edmund, let's go register our marriage tomorrow. I want everyone to know I believe in you."

A flicker of triumph flashed in Edmund's eyes as he shot me a taunting look.

I felt a bitter ache rise within me as I watched Ingrid stubbornly clinging to her delusion. Well, if she insisted on ruining her own life, so be it.

She seemed to have made up her mind, her gaze fierce as she glared at me. "Wesley, you have to compensate me for my losses today! These scraps of furniture aren't enough.

"You've been slandering Edmund this whole time, so you need to pay us at least 50,000 dollars. Otherwise, this isn't over!"

50,000 dollars? Now the average worker's monthly wage was only 3,000 to 4,000 dollars, this was nothing short of extortion.

Seeing Ingrid defend him so vehemently filled Edmund with renewed courage.

"Exactly! You also need to compensate me with a sewing machine payment note. Otherwise, I'll go to your house and make trouble every day."

Mrs. Stewart chimed in from the side, "That's right! 50,000 dollars plus a brand new 85" smart TV—not a single thing less, or we'll come here every day! Let's see how you can show your face around here then."

They might as well have written the word "shameless" on their foreheads.

I was so angry I almost laughed. Just as I was about to speak, the gate to the yard was suddenly kicked open.

Several men with a thuggish air and rough, menacing faces barged in. The bald man leading them swept a fierce gaze over everyone in the room.

"Which one of you bastards is Edmund?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze over.

Edmund, who had been acting cocky just moments ago, turned deathly pale in an instant.

He subtly shifted backward, attempting to hide behind Mrs. Stewart and slip away unnoticed.

"Trying to make a run for it, are we?" The tall, thin man beside the bald man had sharp eyes. He grabbed Edmund by the collar and dragged him forward. "You scoundrel, you're exactly who we're looking for! And you thought you could escape?"

Edmund's legs went weak, and he could barely stand upright.

"W-Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"What do we want?" The bald man sneered as he stepped forward and slapped Edmund hard across the face. Blood instantly trickled from the corner of Edmund's mouth.

"You owe money and refuse to pay, and on top of that, you got our boss arrested on harassment charges! He might even get executed! We're settling this score with you right now!"