"Yes, I definitely want to wear the style from your village!"
"Exactly like the one the bride was wearing!"
It was just too breathtaking, Gemma marveled!
Barrett nodded immediately. "No problem, we'll start getting things ready right away. We'll have your measurements taken first."
"As long as you give the green light, we'll model our wedding exactly after Edison's."
"And don't worry, my parents already said the wedding gifts will be whatever your family asks for."
Barrett felt validated in hoping some of Edison's wedding luck would rub off on them.
Just a few days ago, his girlfriend had been incredibly resistant to the idea of the James Village, but now she was completely enamored with the place.
Although Barrett had spent most of his life away at school, he felt a deep sense of belonging to the James Village.
The James Village was his home, and as easygoing as Barrett was, it would have broken his heart if his future wife despised his roots.
Barrett was well aware that Gemma's friends and family disapproved of him.
Gemma had even been mocked by her friends for dating him.
They had told her she had to be out of her mind to date some guy from the country.
But what was wrong with being from the country?
The annual dividends for the residents of the James Village amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars per person.
He had been receiving that money since the day he was born.
The payouts increased every single year in a steady stream, and his parents had deposited every cent of it into a separate account for him.
He now had enough cash to buy a house outright in the city she lived in.
He could easily afford a generous wedding settlement.
Paying for the wedding and the reception wouldn't even make a dent.
His family hadn't touched a single dime of his money.
His parents worked in the city and had built up their own substantial nest egg over the years.
Although Barrett had grown up in the countryside, he hadn't exactly lived a life of hardship.
He certainly didn't feel inferior to anyone from the city.
Whatever toys the city kids had, the James Village distributed to the children every holiday season.
If the kids wanted something specific, they just had to put their names on a list, and delivery trucks brought supplies into the village every month.
Pandora protected the entire village flawlessly, ensuring everyone lived a life of abundance.
Barrett had never mentioned any of this to Gemma before.
He hadn't been entirely sure if they would actually make it down the aisle.
This trip had been his final attempt.
If Gemma had visited the James Village and still hated it, or remained completely repulsed by the idea of it,“ Barrett probably would have walked away.
He loved his home too much.
He couldn't bear the thought of his future wife looking down on it.
"Then it's a deal. You can ask your grandparents to pick a good date for the wedding."
"Once you have a date, I'll go home and discuss it with my parents."
Once Gemma made a decision, she wasn't one to drag her feet.
The only thing she needed to double-check was whether Claire could definitely officiate the ceremony.
Claire nodded again. "I can. Just try to pick a date during the holidays. I'm attending school in Cabinda."
"I don't have much free time during the semester, so it has to be during a break."
Gemma hadn't expected the
stunning Clan Successor to be
studying in Cabinda. She spoke
without thinking, "Don't tell me you're a student at The Cabinda University."
If that were true, her future daughter really wouldn't stand a chance of competing for the leadership role.
The standards were just way too high!
"She sure is. Our Clan Successor got into The Cabinda University as the top scholar
in the national exams."
"The village threw a massive open banquet to celebrate."
"I even came back just for the feast."
"I actually invited you to come with me, but you didn't want to....."
As the words left his mouth, Barrett realized his mistake.
He remembered that Gemma had turned him down back then, likely influenced by her friends' comments.
Gemma remembered it too. She had originally planned to travel back with Barrett.
But her friends had warned her
about how isolated his hometown might be, filling her head with horror stories about backward rural villages where women were bought and sold.