The Wedding Break
On the wedding day of Elara Gardiner and Julian Shaw, Elara is forced by her mother-in-law, Mrs. Lowell, to sign a document transferring the Shaw family's assets to the son of a mistress. After feigning her signature, she publicly calls off the wedding. She reveals and voids a business deed worth thirty thousand taels annually, which she had intended to gift Julian. She then produces an IOU for three thousand taels from Julian, demanding repayment with interest for a total of four thousand two hundred and sixty taels. When the Shaw family tries to detain Elara, her parents arrive with reinforcements to stop them. Since the betrothal contract was not officially registered, the marriage holds no legal power.
