"Of course it's true. I will in no way lie to you." Richard laughed heartily and said, "tell me, what do you want?"

Brian chuckled and looked at Phoebe. He flopped down on his knees and shouted, "I only have one request. I hope you can marry Phoebe to me!"

His voice echoed throughout the room, and everyone felt the desire in his heart.

Phoebe's pretty face turned red all of a sudden. She was flustered and at a loss. Frankly speaking, Brian had been pursuing her for many years but she had never felt the same way for him. At most, she didn't detest him. But she was so moved and fell for him after he spared no efforts in rescuing Logan the day before yesterday. Every woman loved powerful men. Brian's masculinity gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

Compared with him, Tom was overshadowed. Sometimes you could know your heart only after comparison.

Tom's face darkened in an instant. Brian was so snooty that he actually said those words in front of him, clearly not taking him seriously!

All of a sudden, everyone's eyes were fastened on him, brimmed with mockery and derision like they were watching a harlequin.

Right, he was a plumb harlequin now.

He clenched his fists, his eyes widened, his chest burning with anger.

Richard said meaningfully, "Brian, Phoebe is married. Do you mind that?"

He didn't turn him down flat but asked him whether he cared Phoebe was married.

"Of course not!" Brian said ardently. "Grandpa, to be honest, I fell in love with Phoebe at first sight. My love for her is abiding, and I believe that Phoebe is the one for me! So I muster all my courage to ask grandpa to marry Phoebe to me!"

Under the stage, Elizabeth's face turned red with excitement. She couldn't be more satisfied with Brian who was handsome, rich, and reverent. He was a perfect son-in-law.

Unmarried women of the Scott Family all stared at Phoebe jealously since they all wished they could marry Brian instead.

Richard was beaming with pleasure. He was overjoyed. Although HY Group was not a big company, its assets also were worth tens of millions, wealthier than the Scott Family at its zenith. If Phoebe really married Brian, it would mean huge profits for the Scott Family!

As for Tom, his son-in-law, he ignored him directly. In Richard's eyes, Tom was not a person in a sense, just a talking dog.

Richard smiled at Phoebe and asked, "dear, what do you say to that?"

"I..." Phoebe was in a fluster and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Brian got down on one knee in front of her and took out a dainty ring box from his pocket. He opened it and presented a dazzling diamond ring, which looked priceless.

"Phoebe, I've been in love with you since the first time I met you! I didn't have the courage to say this before. It's my lifelong regret to watch you in someone else's arms!" Brian looked at Phoebe affectionately. "Now I understand that happiness can only be earned. Phoebe, I love you from the bottom of my heart! I swear I will make you the happiest woman in the world. Will you marry me?"

As he spoke, he took out the ring and was to put it on Phoebe's finger.

Tom was so incensed that he couldn't bear it anymore. He rushed over and grabbed Phoebe, kicking Brian over. "Enough, Brian! Phoebe is my wife. How dare you propose to her?"

Sitting on the ground, Brian was not provoked at all. Instead, he wore a smug smile that only appeared when one's conspiracy succeeded. He wanted Tom to hit him. The more Tom lost control, the more Phoebe hated him.

Sure enough, when Phoebe saw Tom kick him, she immediately became angry and snarled, "Tom, what's the matter with you!"

Then she went over to help Brian up. "Are you okay?"

In fact, Tom could easily take that kick, but he pretended to be seriously injured. "Phoebe, I'm fine... Don't blame Tom. I just couldn't wait anymore...I really like you. Without you, my life will be meaningless." As he spoke, he coughed on and off.

Brian was a good actor, which evoked people's sympathy for him and more repulsion for Tom.

Richard went on a rampage. He slammed the table and cursed, "have you lost your mind! Tom, you useless trash, how dare you to hit the young master of the HY Group? You don't even deserve to wipe his shoes! Someone, take Tom down!"

A few young men of the Scott Family on Richard's order immediately subdued Tom, kicked him violently, and pressed him to the ground.

When Brian saw this, the smile on his face could no longer be concealed. He looked at Tom triumphantly and his eyes were saying, "trash, you're no match for me."

However, when Phoebe looked at him, he immediately returned to his aggrieved expression. He was extremely pretentious.

"Phoebe, marry me, okay? I can't love you more!" Brian reached out to grab Phoebe's hand, but Phoebe dodged in panic.

Phoebe was distraught now, her mind in a mess. She didn't know what to do.

Elizabeth walked up, shoved her, and scolded, "silly girl, why are you waiting for? Just say yes! Few men can be better than Brian. Do you really want to spend your whole life with Tom, a prat?"

Phoebe looked up at Brian and then at Tom. It was apparent that Brian outshone Tom in every aspect.

Seeing that she was really going to say yes, Tom anxiously shouted, "Phoebe! Don't say yes! He's a liar! He doesn't really love you. He just wants your body! That day, I heard him tell others that he just wanted to sleep with you. He has a fiancée!"

When Brian heard this, he panicked and refuted excitedly, "bullshit! My affection for Phoebe is indisputable. You are ineffectual trash who can't give Phoebe happiness. Get out of here!"

Richard walked over, gave Tom a cold look, and said, "throw him out."

"Let go of me! I have something to say. I have something to say!" shouted Tom, struggling desperately.

"Wait. What do you have to say?"

Everyone looked at him impassively, including Phoebe, and there was no longer any trace of love in her eyes.

Tom took a deep breath and said, "you always thought I was useless. Now let me tell you the truth I've been hiding all these days. The day before yesterday, it was for my sake that Dylan was willing to let Logan go. It had nothing to do with Brian."

Upon his words, Brian burst into laughter. "Hahaha, that's so funny. Tom, do you have any decency at all? How dare you say that?"

James and Elizabeth laughed too, deeming Tom ridiculous.

Phoebe did not laugh. She was extremely disappointed in Tom. Originally, she wanted to save face for Tom and refuse Brian's proposal. Now it seemed that there was no need for that!

"What happened the day before yesterday?"

The crowds were curious and Brian told the whole story eloquently. After that, he said sarcastically, "Tom, at least you should fabricate a plausible story, shouldn't you? You probably don't even know who Dylan is. Listen, he's the son of the Howard Family which is the most powerful family in H City. Would you, a useless prat who can't even find a job, have any influence on him who has tens of billions of assets? Do you take us as idiots?"

Phoebe said, "Tom, you can go. I don't want to see you anymore."

Tom said anxiously, "Phoebe, you have to believe me. What I said is true. It was because of me that Dylan let Logan go. And I've already asked Dylan to come over personally with Samuel, the elder of the Howard Family, to celebrate grandpa's birthday. I was not lying when I said I would make you proud!"

However, Tom's words did not move Phoebe at all. Instead, her gaze on him became colder and colder, even with some sympathy. She thought Tom was out of mind. Only a madman would say such a thing.

Brian's face was almost twisted from gloating. He had never seen anyone as retarded as Tom. How could he actually mention Samuel? "Tom, I think you have a hallucination. You think you are a Howard, so you're related to the Howard Family? Did you just say Samuel? Haha. Don't you know that there are more than 50,000 people with the given name Howard in H City?"

Tom wrenched free and walked to Phoebe, looking deeply into her eyes. "Phoebe, it's really I who saved Logan. Brian didn't..."

"Get lost." Phoebe enunciated every syllable.

Tom was desperate. "Phoebe, you really have to believe me!"

Phoebe raised her voice. "Get lost! I told you to get lost!"

Tom was so anxious that he tried to seize Phoebe's hand and explain, but Phoebe slapped him hard on the face. With a loud bang, she said, "Tom, you disgust me more than maggots in a dung pit! Marrying you is the biggest mistake of my life! Get lost. Get lost!"

In the end, she almost shouted those words in hysteria.

Tom froze like a stone. His eyes were red, his heart was wrenching, and he almost couldn't breathe.

He put his hands over his chest like he had lost his strength all at once. He staggered and almost fell.

He wanted to laugh to allay his current pain, but he couldn't. His face was so taut that he could only squeeze a poignant smile. He asked Phoebe, "Phoebe, have you ever loved me for one second over the past four years of marriage?"

Phoebe was not herself now, or she would give the right question: yes, she had. But now she was too angry, too disappointed, and too disgusted with Tom, so she didn't care about his feelings at all and replied coldly, "no."

Tom stumbled and closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks silently. "I'm sorry for the past four years you spent with me. I wish you happiness for the rest of your life."

Thereupon, he resolutely turned around and left.

Behind him, people were shouting "get lost" and throwing things at him.

Not long after he left, everyone sat down again. Phoebe was about to say yes to Brian's proposal and put on the diamond ring when right on cue, an excited and trembling voice came from the door. "Oh my god! Samuel, the elder of the Howard Family! Come over personally to celebrate grandpa's birthday!"