Chapter 5: Used Goods
When Jared arrived, the groom's wedding party blocked the exit. A young man in a suit and leather shoes emerged from a lavishly decorated car, carrying a bouquet. This was Leyton.
Seeing Jared, Leyton was momentarily stunned. Recovering, he erupted in laughter.
"I forgot today's your release date! What a coincidence. Want to come to my wedding with Sandy?"
Leyton's mocking smile held a mischievous glint. Jared responded with an icy glare and started to leave, unwilling to engage.
"Don't go!" Leyton blocked his path. "Can't afford a gift? Don't worry, you don't need to. Just come to the reception at the Glamor Hotel; you can have the leftovers. Otherwise, you'll miss out!"
Leyton condescendingly patted Jared's cheek. Jared slapped his hand away.
"Idiot, what's so great about marrying 'used goods'? You're just getting my leftovers," Jared sneered. He'd never touched Sandy; he said it purely to spite Leyton and get revenge on Sandy.
Leyton glanced at Sandy. She'd claimed she'd never touched Jared, but now he doubted it. Sandy, noticing Leyton's expression, grew nervous. She thundered at Jared, "Jared, what lies are you spewing? How dare you call me a leftover? I'd never let someone like you touch me!"
Melinda panicked. "Jared, stop this sour grapes nonsense," she scolded. "My daughter would never have allowed someone like you near her!" Then, turning to Leyton, she explained, "Leyton, ignore him. He's just trying to spite you." She was determined not to let Jared ruin her plans for a wealthy son-in-law.
"Mrs. Gibson, don't worry. I won't believe him," Leyton replied, showing he wasn't easily fooled.
"Believe what you want," Jared said, bypassing Leyton and heading out.
"Wait!" Leyton shouted. "Keep your mouth shut! Spread rumors about my wife, and you'll regret it!" He feared Jared would damage the Scott family's reputation.
"My mouth's my own. What are you going to do?" Jared retorted, adding coldly, "You're the one who should watch out. You might not even know what hits you."
Leyton felt a shiver as he met Jared's piercing gaze. Immediately humiliated, he widened his eyes and threatened, "Try it, if you dare. You'll be begging on your knees!" Rage filled him; if not for the wedding, he would have dealt with Jared then and there.
"We'll see," Jared said scornfully.
"Leyton, let's ignore that broke bastard," Melinda said condescendingly.
Leyton and his entourage proceeded to the house. As Leyton walked away, Jared subtly flicked a ray of light at him. Leyton felt a momentary jolt but dismissed it.
"Let's see if you'll kneel and beg," Jared smirked, leaving for the Glamor Hotel.
Meanwhile, at the Glamor Hotel, William waited for Jared, causing much speculation.
"Isn't that Mr. Sullivan? Why's he waiting here? Who's so important?"
"The Scott family's son's getting married here. Maybe he's waiting for them?"
"Makes sense. The Scotts are prominent; he should show respect."
As guests arrived, William paced anxiously, checking his watch.
"Dad, he's lying! This lung injury, this death threat – it's all crap! You just have a bad flu! Stop waiting and let me take you to the hospital," Josephine urged.
William had been waiting half an hour. Josephine believed Jared was fabricating; William had never mentioned a lung injury before.
"Josephine, there are things you don't know. The hospital can't detect this injury. It's been there for over twenty years. I didn't tell you to avoid worrying you," William sighed.
Josephine, stunned, nervously held his hand. "Dad, what's going on? Don't scare me… I've called Dr. Watson; he'll be here soon." She panicked; William had raised her alone, and losing him would devastate her.
"It's a long story. I'll tell you later," William said, checking his watch and looking out.
The cleaned-up version removes informal language, corrects grammatical errors (like subject-verb agreement and tense consistency), improves punctuation, and removes the website promotion. It also enhances the flow and clarity of the narrative.