Rebirth: My CEO Husband's Thoughts Are Too Shameless

Meanwhile, Hannah took a seat quietly in the banquet hall, her eyes drifting toward her phone every few seconds.

Earlier, she had secretly taken a few pictures of herself inside the venue and sent them to Mark, hoping he would reply with one of his ridiculous jokes and calm her nerves.

But minutes passed. Still no reply.

She frowned at the screen.

"Why isn’t he replying?" she muttered under her breath. "Did he not see the pictures?"

She tapped the chat once more before letting out a quiet sigh.

Maybe he was busy.

Or maybe...

Something had happened.

The thought only made her more anxious.

Hannah had gathered every ounce of courage to step into the wedding venue. She kept telling herself she was here for closure, nothing more.

Yet the longer she sat there, the more uneasy she became.

"...Maybe I shouldn’t have come."

Meeting Maria and Helena earlier had made her realize something.

Neither of them regretted what they had done to her.

Not even a little.

They had lied to her, manipulated her, and hurt her repeatedly, yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of guilt on their faces.

Especially Helena.

The woman Hannah had called her mother for so many years.

Instead of remorse, Helena had only looked at her with indifference.

The realization stung far more than Hannah wanted to admit.

Taking a slow breath, she tried to push those thoughts aside and looked around the hall.

Unfortunately...

Quite a few guests had already recognized her, and whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

"Isn’t that Hannah Sterling?"

"What is she doing here?"

"I thought the engagement was called off."

One elegantly dressed woman leaned closer to her friend.

"Do you think she’s still unable to move on from Eric?"

Another woman, who happened to be part of Helena’s social circle, scoffed.

"I heard the Swan family canceled the engagement after realizing she wasn’t suitable for their son."

Someone else nodded as if she knew the whole story.

"Wasn’t Hannah the one desperate to marry Eric? I heard she even begged her parents to convince the Swan family."

The women shook their heads, speaking just loudly enough for Hannah to hear every word.

Hannah’s fingers tightened around her clutch.

The accusations weren’t new.

She had heard worse.

Still...

Hearing strangers judge her so confidently made her chest tighten.

She slowly lowered her gaze.

Don’t react.

Don’t give them the satisfaction.

More importantly...

She refused to let Ruby’s wedding become about her.

If people wanted to gossip, they could.

She wasn’t going to create a scene.

After taking another deep breath, Hannah rose from her seat.

"Excuse me," she murmured to no one in particular. "I need to use the restroom."

Without sparing another glance at the whispering guests, she quietly walked out of the banquet hall, leaving the endless gossip echoing behind her.

***

Inside the restroom, Hannah stepped out of one of the stalls and walked toward the sink.

She turned on the faucet, letting the cool water run over her hands before splashing a little onto her face.

The silence inside the restroom was a welcome contrast to the endless whispers outside.

Yet no matter how hard she tried to push them away, the words she had overheard continued to echo in her mind.

"She couldn’t get over Eric."

"The Swan family called off the engagement."

"She was desperate to marry him."

Hannah closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a slow, calming breath.

"No," she whispered to her reflection. "Don’t let them get to you, Hannah."

She reached for a tissue and gently dried her hands.

"You know exactly what kind of man Eric is."

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"The best decision I ever made was walking away from him."

She honestly didn’t care what version of the story the Swan family or Ruby had been spreading. If pretending they had called off the engagement helped them save face, they were free to do so.

She wasn’t interested in exposing them.

Not today. Not on Ruby’s wedding day.

More importantly... Eric was no longer her burden to carry.

She no longer had to worry about his lies, his betrayals, or the constant disappointment that came with loving someone who had never truly loved her back.

That Chapter of her life was over. And for the first time in a long while... she felt relieved.

Hannah lifted her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was still flawless. Her dress remained elegant.

Most importantly, she looked stronger than the woman who had once cried over a man who was never worth her tears.

A faint smile slowly curved across her lips.

"You’re doing just fine," she told herself softly.

With renewed composure, Hannah picked up her purse, took one final glance at her reflection, and walked out of the restroom, her steps far steadier than when she had entered.

***

Hannah was making her way back toward the banquet hall when something caught her attention.

She came to an abrupt stop.

"Wait..." she murmured. "Isn’t she the waitress who got scolded earlier?"

She recognized the woman immediately from the catering uniform she was wearing.

But this time, something was different.

The woman’s shoulders were trembling.

"...Is she crying?"

Hannah frowned.

The scene from earlier flashed through her mind—the waitress repeatedly apologizing to an angry guest, bowing so deeply that it looked painful.

Without thinking, Hannah walked toward her.

"Excuse me," she called gently. "Are you alright?"

The woman stiffened.

Instead of answering, she quickly turned around and walked away.

Hannah blinked.

"Wait..."

Before she could catch up, the waitress stepped into an elevator.

For some reason, Hannah couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

Something about the woman’s behavior didn’t seem right.

Rather than letting it go, she hurried to the next elevator and followed.

A few moments later, the elevator doors slid open.

Hannah stepped into the quiet hallway and looked around.

No one.

The waitress had disappeared.

"Where did she go?" Hannah muttered.

Just as she was about to give up, a door farther down the corridor opened.

The waitress stepped out.

"Hey!" Hannah called, jogging toward her.

The woman looked over her shoulder.

The moment she spotted Hannah...

She took off running.

"...Seriously?"

Hannah stopped in disbelief.

"Why does she keep running away from me?"

She let out a helpless sigh.

"Maybe I should just leave her alone."

She turned to go but froze.

Faint voices drifted through the door the waitress had just exited, and the moment Hannah slowly turned her head, her eyes landed on the plaque fixed beside the door.

GROOM’S ROOM.

Her brows furrowed as a strange feeling settled in her chest. But what she saw next left her stunned.

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