Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

"Can't even handle your own women," Ethan frowned, looking at them with a hint of disdain.
The two groomsmen exchanged glances. Okay, this was indeed their fault. Who knew modern women wouldn't give them a break? They had
underestimated their opponents.
Aaron tried again, slipping a thick wad of dollar bills through the door slit. But the door remained steadfast, showing no signs of opening.
"Phoebe, you can't be this cruel. We've given you the money. Can't you at least say something? You can make us dance. You can make Ethan say
sweet nothings. We'll do anything you want. Just don't stay silent. It's making us nervous."
He and Aaron had prepared for this, even taking dance lessons especially for this day. Yet, all their preparations seemed redundant now.
The bridesmaids giggled quietly. Ashley cleared her throat, "Noel, this isn't your show. We don't need you to do anything. Tell Ethan that being a
groom isn't easy. Being impatient won't help."
"Ashley, stop fooling around. We haven't even had breakfast yet. We're waiting to get inside so we can eat. Ethan has a sensitive stomach. He can't
handle hunger. If he faints from hunger, Ines won't let you off the hook." Aaron had to play the sympathy card.
"Aaron, Ines isn't here. Your words won't work on us. We aren't falling for it."
"Then you tell us, what do you want?"
Ines had been listening intently to the commotion downstairs, but it seemed like there was no progress. Just then, her phone received a text
message. Picking it up, she saw a message from Ethan: [Izzy, your bridesmaids won't let us in. We're still stuck outside.] And there were several

crying emojis attached.
Ines couldn't help but chuckle. This man was clearly trying to act cute. He wasn't afraid of being overly dramatic.
Rita had been silent all along, watching Ines laughing alone with her phone. She patted the kids' shoulders. "Look at your mom and aunt. They're so
happy they're acting silly."
The kids might have sensed the unusual atmosphere in the house today. They were unusually well-behaved, smirking quietly.
Ines was too engrossed in her delight to pay attention to her surroundings. But since Ethan had asked for help, she couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
She dialed Phoebe's number, interrupting the bridesmaids' silent test of the men's patience. As soon as Phoebe put it on speaker, Ines' soft voice
came through, "Phoebe, that's enough. Don't torture them too much. It's already hot outside. They'd get sunburnt."
Since Phoebe had put the call on speaker, the men outside could hear Ines' words too. They couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Emma was laughing so hard she was almost falling over. She found her sister incredibly hilarious. This was unlike the Ines she knew.
Phoebe stomped her foot in annoyance, "Izzy, you can't just betray us like this. We've been holding the line for you, but now you're doing this."
Ines pouted. She heard everyone's laughter. She couldn't back out now, so she braced herself and said softly, "I'm already married, and I already
have kids. It's too late to talk about this now."
Well, that was the end of it.
Ashley growled, "Ethan, you cheated. You must have made your wife do this." Ashley knew her brother too well. He was capable of this.
Ethan smiled, not saying anything. But in his mind, he was thinking, "My wife is the best".
Noel teased, "You guys should just give up. The bride can't wait any longer. You're preventing the couple from seeing each other. That's not nice."
Then he whistled.

Since the bride had spoken up, the bridesmaids couldn't resist anymore. They retreated to the second line of defense and let the maid open the door.
Once the first line of defense was breached, the second and third were easy to break through. After all the money was spent, Aaron and Noel looked
at Ethan helplessly. "Ethan, what do we do now?"
Ethan rolled his eyes at them. He thought his buddies were smart. Why were they acting so stupid today? All they could think of was money. They
had no other ideas.
"Move," Ethan said flatly.
The two exchanged glances, shrugged, and stepped aside. They seemed to be saying, "We'd like to see what you're capable of".
Ethan paused, then said in a deep voice, "Phoebe, Ashley, what goes around comes around. Don't push too hard, or you'll have to face the
consequences."
What did he mean? Ashley was taken aback. Then she realized what he meant. She was furious. "Ethan, you're despicable. Threatening me on your
wedding day. Don't you think that's too much?" Ethan's words had two implications. If Ashley continued to mess around, he'd spill the beans about
her secret relationship with Aaron. And he wouldn't lift a finger to help.
"Ashley, enough said. Think about it." After that, Ethan looked at Noel. Noel immediately got the hint and said somewhat grudgingly, "Phoebe, don't
push it. We're next in line. We can't afford to set a bad precedent. Otherwise, we'll be doomed."
Phoebe thought about it and found it reasonable. Given Ethan's vindictive nature, if she went too far today, who knew how he'd retaliate in the future.

Now that Phoebe and Ashley seemed to soften, Emma quickly blocked the lock. "You two are so spineless. We haven't even used all our tactics yet."
"Emma, it's easy for you to say. You're already married. You have nothing to fear. We can't afford to offend Ethan. We'd be finished."
Before Ashley could finish her sentence, Ethan's voice came from outside, "Emma, do you still want to work at the sales center?"
Emma shivered. Aiden's recent persistence had been causing her a lot of troubles, and the last thing she wanted was for her identity to be exposed
even further. Her mind was in a twist. Emma immediately turned around and flung open the door. It was too late for Phoebe and Ashley to dash back
to the room. Ethan and his two groomsmen had already beat them upstairs, and even the wedding videographer was quicker on the uptake than
them.