Granny Rebecca went on, "After that incident, I had Nelly keep going to school in Riverton, and that ticked off a lot of people who weren't even related to us.
“Once Nelly left, a bunch of folks showed up at our house, going on about how Nelly’s reputation was ruined. They told me to find a man for Nelly to marry. They said there was no use for her to go to school anymore, no amount of learning would do her any good, and no man would want a woman with a bad reputation.
“They even introduced a man who was old, crippled, and abusive. His previous wife committed suicide because she couldn't stand his abuse. They even had the audacity to try to set Nelly up with this kind of man, saying he was willing to marry Nelly and that she should be grateful for his kindness.
“I was so mad that I kicked them all out of my house. They never dared to come and bother me again, but they started spreading more and more nasty rumors about Nelly.
“Some even threatened that either Nelly marries that man, or she'll never be able to get married. I never told Nelly about these words, I was afraid it would hurt her."
Just hearing about this, Marcus was already livid, he wished he could punish those people right there and then, "Granny, I promise, no one will talk about Nelly like that again."
Granny Rebecca asked, "How can you guarantee? There are too many gossip mongers in town. Last year when Nelly came home to take care of me, there were still people causing trouble for her. Some used the previous incident to slander her, to insult her."
Hearing this, Marcus felt ashamed, "Granny, I'm sorry!"
At that time, Nelly was already his wife. He should have been there for her, but he misunderstood her, and when she needed him the most, he wasn't there.
Granny Rebecca said, "You didn't know Nelly then, and there's nothing for you to apologize for! It's my fault that I wasn't able to protect her, that's why that incident happened. I could have stayed with Nelly during the holidays, but I didn't, I left her alone at home..."
Marcus replied, "Granny, it's not your fault. The ones to blame are those who framed Nelly, who slandered her. It's been so many years, and you shouldn't blame yourself anymore. You should forget the past with Nelly, and live each day of the future well."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Impulsive Vow to an Enigmatic Husband