Chapter 100: Getting the License

"Hey, hey, hey!" Arthur Davis was so startled that his eyes widened. He quickly grabbed Sam Clarke’s arm, trying to persuade him earnestly, "Clarke, just drop this nonsense! Do you know what the consequences will be if this blows up? I don’t want to live a miserable life with my tongue cut out!" Her face was serious, with even a hint of panic in her expression. After all, Mr. William Foster in this circle was someone whose stomp could shake the whole community. It’s definitely not something to mess with if he’s provoked. Sam Clarke remained silent for a while, finally loosening his tightly clenched fingers slowly. His body seemed to lose support as he leaned against the wall, and he said in a low voice, "Forget it, I won’t make things difficult for you." After saying this, his expression became more exhausted, and he looked completely deflated, like a frostbitten eggplant. However, hearing his decision, Arthur Davis couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief and finally smiled, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. ... When Clara Bennett returned home, her face was brimming with uncontrollable excitement. As soon as she walked into the living room, she couldn’t wait to pull out the newly issued wedding certificate from her bag. She spread it open with both hands in front of her three elder brothers, her voice so loud it was almost piercing the ceiling. "Brothers, come and look at this! He and I are officially married now! No one can take him from me anymore!" The three brothers, originally chatting and laughing in the living room, instantly froze. James Bennett’s hand holding a teacup stopped mid-air, the water inside swayed a little. Edward Bennett, with his mouth slightly open, hadn’t swallowed the fruit in his mouth yet, and the juice slowly dripped down the back of his hand. As for the youngest but most impulsive Charles Bennett, he directly threw the remote control on the ground, making a loud noise. Despite their minds being as chaotic as a storm, the three of them tried hard to maintain a calm facade. They forced a extremely strained smile, trying to cover their complex inner emotions with words of blessing— "That’s great, our little sister has finally found true love." "Yeah, we’ve always supported your choice." "Hmm, wishing you a lifetime of happiness together." But actually, their minds had already burst like an explosion. A tangle of thoughts swirled around, making them feel all mixed up inside. Each of them felt like their worldview had been ruthlessly torn apart, especially thinking back to a few months ago when they heard their sister almost got involved with a man named Samuel Grant. It kept them tossing and turning with anger for nights. In their eyes, he was someone not worth entrusting a lifetime. However, thinking back now, compared to the current situation, that time seemed much more relaxed! Now, Clara hadn’t married Samuel Grant but had lightning-fast married a man who was both paralyzed and blind! This news hit the hearts of the three Bennett men like a bolt of lightning. No matter how they adjusted their mindset, they couldn’t calm the complex emotions within them. The three of them exchanged glances, reading the full extent of sadness and helplessness in each other’s eyes. That feeling of being on the brink of collapse made them feel like crying out "life no longer has meaning." Seeing this, Clara couldn’t help but clapping her hands, with a hint of teasing and playfulness, she said, "Brothers, today I’m getting married, not going to the grave. All of you are pulling such long faces, as if someone owes you money. Can you give me a smile? Today is one of the most important days of my life, can’t we make the atmosphere a bit more celebratory?" James Bennett, upon hearing this, suddenly wore a solemn expression and sternly scolded, "You silly girl! What nonsense are you spouting? How can you mention such an inauspicious thing out of nowhere? Today is your big day, don’t say such things!" Edward Bennett, on the side, also wore a serious face as he agreed sternly after hearing his sister mention "going to the grave": "Exactly, exactly, that’s so inauspicious! Hurry up and spit three times! Quick, don’t make us worry more." Seeing her two brothers’ serious looks, Clara couldn’t help but stick her tongue out, playfully performed a "ptu ptu ptu" motion with a deliberate pause between each "ptu". Then she put her hands on her hips, purposely raised her voice and said, "Bro, seeing you all so glum, I also understand it’s hard for you to let me go or maybe you’re worried about me. But since it’s such an important day, we should happily celebrate! Here’s the deal, tonight’s dinner is on me! I’ll personally cook a hotpot and a lavish dinner for everyone! How does that sound? Satisfied?" Charles Bennett raised an eyebrow after hearing, apparently skeptical of her words. He crossed his arms while leaning on the sofa, lips curling a bit with a teasing tone as he said, "Oh, you’re cooking? Please, with your skills? If you can fry a complete egg, we would be burning incense to thank the heavens and earth. If you don’t blow up the kitchen, it would be a miracle, let alone making a hotpot? Haha, that’s really something." Hearing this, Clara pouted immediately, shot him a glare, and retorted defiantly with a "hmph"! "Hmph! Who said I can’t secretly practice my skills and give you all a big surprise? I’ve spent not a small amount of time studying recipes over the years, alright? I’ve already planned today’s menu, and it definitely won’t disappoint everyone. I assure you, after this meal, you’ll be amazed, and from now on hold me in high regard!" James Bennett looked somewhat convinced, nodding slowly: "Alright, who says no? Since my dear sister has this intention, of course, we should support her. Besides, we’re hungry too, so we’re just waiting to see how your culinary skills will showcase their magic." He finished with a wink, seemingly full of anticipation for this dinner. Clara was thrilled to hear her eldest brother’s support, and she nodded forcefully to show her determination, ready to head to the kitchen to start preparing these sumptuous dishes. However, before turning to leave, she quietly looked up at the three brothers to observe any change in their emotions. Yet she quickly found that although on the surface they had calmed down significantly, deep down in their eyes lingered faint worry and sadness. She pondered for a moment, then got an idea. She reached into her pocket, carefully retrieving the ring that had amazed even Samuel Grant during the day. Then, she held the ring up to her eyes, speaking in a lighthearted and joyful tone, she laughed and said, "Brothers, you really don’t need to worry so much about me! I know marriage is no small matter, and finding a good match is really not an easy task. But I can responsibly tell you, William Foster is truly special to me, really genuine and kind! Not only is he attentive to me normally, but even his proposal was seriously romantic." "This noon, he specially planned a very grand proposal ceremony, setting up the scene so beautifully, and finally gave me this gorgeous diamond ring. I feel that meeting him is my luck." Speaking of the ring, everyone’s attention naturally turned to the palm of her hand.