Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s "Uncle" - Chapter 617

Capítulo 617: Driven Mad by Jealousy

Curtis. Victoria.

How could their names still be spoken together?

At that moment, Hill Family announced they would host a grand banquet to formally introduce Selina to society. The event would be held at the Hill estate, with dozens of prominent guests invited.

Hannah couldn’t stand it. Rage surged through her veins as she slammed her foot on the gas, heading straight for the Hill mansion.

She had already lost everything—so why couldn’t Curtis be hers, even in death?

Why did his name have to be forever linked with Victoria’s?

Victoria had already stolen her title as the Hill heiress.

Now even the man she loved most was being taken from her!

Hannah’s emotions boiled over as she stormed into the Hill estate.

…

The Hill residence was alive with chatter and music that night.

Guests filled the grand hall, laughter echoing off the chandeliers.

The Hill Family had invited not only their business partners but also Curtis Brooks’s academic colleagues, students, and old friends—a symbolic gesture uniting both the corporate and scientific worlds in recognizing Selina’s true identity.

“Ah, Curtis,” sighed an elderly gentleman, resting a hand on Selina’s shoulder. “I watched that boy grow up. He and Victoria… if not for that whole incident with Matt, they would’ve had such a happy life together.”

Hannah’s jaw tightened. That old man had been Curtis’s university professor—and she had been the one standing by Curtis’s side back then!

“Yes,” another gray-haired lady chimed in warmly. “For years we lamented that Curtis and Victoria never had a child. But now that we know they did—if only they could see their daughter, so bright and accomplished—they would be overjoyed.”

“I still remember the day Victoria brought flowers to Curtis’s graduation,” another added. “It was a beautiful, sunny day. I can see it as if it were yesterday.”

Their nostalgic laughter filled the air.

Hannah nearly shattered her own teeth from clenching them so hard.

Curtis had been her obsession—the proof that she could surpass Victoria once and for all.

Curtis loved Victoria? Fine. Then she would take Curtis for herself.

No, not just Curtis—every man who had ever admired Victoria: Joe, James…

one by one, she took them all.

It was her twisted way of proving that she was the one who truly had power, the one men would choose in the end.

And indeed, they had chosen her—eventually.

Every single one of them had abandoned Victoria for her.

But Curtis was different.

Now the entire world spoke of Curtis as Victoria’s beloved, and she—she was nothing but a shadow, forgotten and unwanted.

Why could she possess every other man, yet never Curtis?

No. She refused to accept that.

Even if he was dead, she would claim him.

The dead couldn’t speak to deny her.

Around the room, scholars and professors praised Selina for having such remarkable parents.

Every word drove Hannah closer to madness.

Across the hall, Jeff and Aaron noticed her the moment she arrived.

Father and son exchanged a knowing glance.

Hannah had taken the bait.

Jeff gave a subtle cough, and a few of the elder guests caught on immediately.

He then stepped forward with a genial smile.

“Selina,” he said warmly, “these are your father’s colleagues, friends, and students. The banquet is about to begin—let’s head inside.”

He paused for effect, letting his words carry through the hall.

“Selina never had the chance to experience a father’s love. But now, seeing her surrounded by her father’s friends… I believe Curtis can finally rest in peace.”

As he spoke, the music shifted and the lights dimmed.

The recognition ceremony began.

Jeff invited a respected elder from the academic world—Curtis’s mentor—to take the stage as the witness for this special event.

The old man took the microphone, his voice trembling with emotion.

“Years ago, we lost one of the brightest minds in science—Curtis Brooks…”

“Curtis was so young,” the old scholar said with a heavy sigh. “There was so much in life he never had the chance to experience. His passing… it broke all of our hearts.”

He paused, then smiled faintly. “But now, knowing that he had a faithful, lifelong love—and a brilliant daughter to carry on his legacy—brings us great comfort.”

He raised his voice slightly. “Allow me to introduce to you all, the wife and daughter of Academician Curtis Brooks.”

The crowd fell silent with anticipation.

“Curtis met Miss Victoria Hill, the daughter of the Hill Family, when they were children,” the old man continued warmly. “They fell in love as teenagers, were engaged as young adults, and though tragedy—”

“That’s not true!”

A sharp, trembling cry cut through the hall.

All eyes turned at once.

Hannah stood there, her face twisted in rage.

Not true!

With every word the old scholar spoke, the crowd had sighed in admiration—calling Curtis and Victoria a perfect match, a pair of fated lovers, devoted even beyond death.

They praised Victoria as Curtis’s one true love, a woman of extraordinary grace and intelligence, the only person worthy of him.

Hannah’s mind shattered.

The speech stopped mid-sentence. Guests stared at her, startled—then murmurs spread like wildfire.

“Isn’t that Hannah?”

“Matt’s daughter? Tsk, tsk… Matt’s already in prison. I heard Victoria left the Hill Family back then because of that mother and daughter. And she still dares to show her face here?”

“Daughter? You mean adopted daughter! Matt was old Mr. Hill’s adopted son, and Hannah was Matt’s adopted daughter. Funny, isn’t it? Both adoptees, yet somehow they were always the ones the elders favored…”

“Yeah, Matt was useless. He could never compare to Mr. Hill’s real son, Charles. Yet the old man adored his adopted child more! They say that car accident was Matt’s doing—but who knows if the old man himself was involved?”

“Hey, don’t spread rumors… but Hannah sure doesn’t look innocent to me.”

Selina raised an eyebrow slightly.

Hooked.

She turned to Hannah, her voice calm and almost amused. “Miss Hill, what exactly do you mean by that outburst?”

Hannah’s eyes were bloodshot. Victoria and Curtis were both long dead—there was no proof of anything anymore.

Her tone was desperate yet confident, as though she were trying to convince both the world and herself.

“Curtis’s fiancée, the woman he loved most, was not Victoria!”

The room went dead silent.

Hannah’s teeth clenched, her voice breaking into a furious roar. “Selina! Just because Curtis isn’t here to defend himself doesn’t mean you can twist the truth! The person he truly loved was me! It was me!”

The outburst echoed across the hall.

Her expression was unhinged—wild, trembling, defiant. She didn’t care about the horrified stares around her. In fact, she welcomed them.

“Selina!” she screamed, her voice shrill with obsession. “All those years, I was the one by Curtis’s side! He loved me! He only loved me!”

The entire hall fell into an eerie stillness.

Selina curved her lips into a faint smile, tilting her head ever so slightly.

“So,” she said softly, “what you’re suggesting, Miss Hill… is that I am not Academician Curtis Brooks’s daughter?”

“Of course you’re not!” Hannah spat. “You just want to use Curtis’s name for your own gain! Your mother—” her voice turned venomous—”no man ever wanted her! She was nothing!”

Selina looked at her quietly… then smiled.

She had once thought Hannah’s madness came from fear—fear of her mission’s failure as a spy for Country Y.

But now, it was clear.

Hannah’s hatred had always been about a man.

Pure, pathetic obsession.

She wasn’t even pretending anymore.

How pitiful.

Victoria’s life had never been about love or jealousy.

Her mission was to save the Hill Family, to protect her people, and to carry forward the Brooks legacy.

Hannah could never understand that.

Now she was raving—accusing, screaming, demanding why no one would believe her.

She shouted that Curtis had loved her, that Selina was a liar, that everyone in the room was blind.

Her voice rose and cracked, trembling between hysteria and despair.

Her love for Curtis had long since twisted into madness.