Three years had passed by the time Jill’s wedding day finally arrived.
Since most of the guests lived in the United States and couldn’t easily travel to the U.K., the ceremony in her homeland was kept small and intimate, with a larger celebration planned stateside after their return.
The Saint Clarion lab team—Alex notably excepted—would attend only the stateside reception; none had received invitations to the private British ceremony.
Jill had long kept a cherished friendship with Alex’s younger sister, Karen, dating back to their junior-high and high-school years. Alex himself had supported Jill’s path into medical school and later helped her secure her position at Saint Clarion. Because his entire family remained in the U.K., he flew over alone to reunite with them for the occasion.
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The ceremony unfolded beautifully.
During the reception, in a delightful turn of tradition, Karen caught Jill’s bouquet with triumphant glee.
As Karen and Nancy chatted with the radiant bride, Nancy released a wistful sigh, teasing lightly, “I do wonder when you’ll be walking down the aisle, Karen.”
Karen rolled her eyes. “Maybe ask Alex first.”
Nancy sighed again, this time with genuine concern. “You’re right… your older siblings already have children of their own.”
At that, Jill—speaking without thinking it through—added brightly, “But Alex is engaged and living with his fiancée. It’s practically marriage already, isn’t it?”
Karen and Nancy froze.
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“What are you talking about?” Karen demanded, her voice sharp. “I haven’t heard a word about this. Alex is engaged?”
Karen—whose lifelong admiration for her brother bordered on obsessive—looked utterly betrayed.
Jill suddenly realized her catastrophic slip. “Ah—perhaps you should, um, ask him directly…”
Moments later, commotion erupted.
“Alex!” Karen’s voice pierced the room. “Is it true? You’re engaged? To who?” She all but dragged Nancy along as she stormed toward him.
Nancy crossed her arms, full of maternal authority. “You’ve been engaged for three years and never introduced her to your family?”
Simon, their father, looked surprised but remained diplomatically silent.
Before Alex could explain, Karen’s voice rose with breathless excitement. “Wait—is it Emily? Are you engaged to Emily?”
Alex exhaled. “No, it’s not Emily. It’s someone else entirely. We’ve been together for three years.”
Karen’s shock shifted to indignation. “Then who is she? Why on earth have you kept this secret from us?”
Alex buried his face in his hands, regretting every life choice that had led him here.
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When Karen returned home, she went straight to their grandfather.
Reginald O’Neill embodied the archetype of the proud veteran—strict, commanding, and unyielding even in old age, still the family’s undisputed patriarch.
His wife, Margaret, Alex’s beloved grandmother, was in fair health but suffering from advancing dementia. She often wandered the house, not recognizing even those she loved most. Despite repeated pleas for him to move into assisted living, Reginald refused, choosing to remain with Simon and Karen.
“Grandpa, you need to hear this,” Karen announced gravely. “Alex got engaged without telling any of us! He’s been living with her for three years!”
Reginald’s glare could have sliced through armor. He said nothing at first—his silence carried the weight of judgment itself.
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Alex approached with visible reluctance. His throat went dry.
“I never meant to hide anything,” he began. “I’ve just been incredibly busy—”
Reginald’s voice cracked like a whip. “Any woman who ignores her partner’s family for three years shows a lack of basic decency. End it at once.”
Alex felt the blood drain from his face.
Naosa’s words echoed in his mind: My parents married against their families’ wishes. No one found happiness that way. If even one member of your family opposes our marriage, we’ll wait until they accept us.
Drawing a slow breath, Alex straightened. “That’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t keep her from meeting you—that was entirely my doing. She’s far too good for me. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”
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Reginald’s eyes narrowed. “Have you met her family?”
“Yes,” Alex answered honestly.
Reginald’s tone was heavy with contempt. “So you tolerate a woman who disrespects your own family while deferring to hers? Unacceptable. I will never approve of such behavior.”
With that, he turned and strode off toward his room, leaving tension in his wake.
Alex stood motionless, devastated.
Simon stepped forward and placed a steady hand on his son’s shoulder. “Bring her to meet us next time,” he said quietly. “Let us see her for ourselves. If she’s the woman you’ve chosen, I believe we’ll come to understand. Even your grandfather will—eventually.”
Alex nodded weakly. “I will. I promise.”
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