Breaking Free, Loving Again -The Flash Marriage with Mr. CEO novel Chapter 144

"What did you say?" Catrin asked, disbelief clear in her voice. She had heard Arwen’s words but she tried to convince herself that she had misheard.

The thin thread of patience Arwen had been clinging to finally snapped. Closing her eyes for a moment, she spoke through gritted teeth, "I said I am already married, Mom." Then, lifting her gaze, she locked eyes with her mother, her tone firm and unyielding. "You can’t set me up with Ryan anymore because I am no longer single."

Catrin’s expression turned dark and stormy. Knitting her brows tightly, she thundered, "What nonsense are you spouting now? You broke up with Ryan, and if you have broken up with him, how on earth can you be married?" Her voice rose, demanding an explanation.

Hearing her mother ask that, Arwen let out a dark, humorless chuckle. "Well, because Ryan isn’t the only man existing in this world, Mom. If I say I am married, my husband doesn’t necessarily have to be Ryan."

A flicker of realization crept into Catrin’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a look of barely suppressed rage. While Catrin tried to process Arwen’s words, Arwen picked up the tablet Catrin had thrown aside earlier. She tapped a few times on the screen, bringing up the article from TheScoop, and then turned the screen for her mother to see.

"Here. Since it’s so hard for you to believe, then you can read it all for yourself." Arwen said, her voice tinged with irony.

Catrin snatched the tablet, her eyes scanning the headline. There, in bold letters, was the breaking news she had dreaded:

"Exclusive: Arwen Quinn surprises everyone with a marriage with a mysterious CEO."

The article also attached to the snap of Arwen’s post, which held the evidence of the marriage —the marriage certificate with Arwen’s name glittering over it with someone else’s surname.

As she scrolled through the article, Catrin’s face turned a sickly shade of white, and her hands visibly trembled. Her eyes scanned the details, lingering on the marriage certificate with Arwen’s name boldly printed alongside a new surname that she had never heard of in the elite circle. The reality of Arwen’s action hit her like a physical blow.

Without warning, Catrin’s hand swung up, landing a sharp slap across Arwen’s cheeks, The sound reverberated through the room, followed by a tense silence.

Arwen didn’t get the time to react. She stumbled back, shock and pain etched across her face as she raised a hand to her stinging cheek. But her gaze didn’t falter. She held her head high, meeting her mother’s glare with defiance.