The Robertson family finally brought me home. My parents got straight to business: marrying me off to a rich, mentally disabled man.
My mother, Judy, looked me over with?undisguised condescension.
Darren Blackwood is…special. But the Blackwood fortune is immense. You’ll want for nothing.
I looked at Darren, who was giggling to himself, drooling slightly, and flat-out refused.
“Isn’t he Tiffany’s fianc? Rumor has it, he ended up like this after falling off a cliff trying to save her. So why isn’t Tiffany fulfilling her duty?”
Tiffany, the?stand-in daughter?hovering nearby, went pale.?Tears sprang to her eyes, tracing perfect, practiced tracks down her cheeks.
Judy bristled. “Tiffany is delicate. How could she possibly marry someone like that?”
My father, Robert, cut in, his voice like ice. “Julian, the most powerful CEO in the city, has already expressed interest in Tiffany. A man like Darren is beneath her station.”
So that was it.?They hadn’t wanted a daughter. They’d wanted a?sacrificial lamb.
I smirked and dialed Julian.
“Darling, I heard you’re getting married? How come you didn’t tell me?”
“The city’s most powerful CEO? Julian Hayes?”
Judy’s eyes narrowed with?instant suspicion. “You will watch your tone when speaking that name.?And don’t you dare get any?delusions.”
“A man like Julian is?so far out of your orbit, it’s laughable.?Only a young woman of?refined upbringing, like our Tiffany, could ever?stand beside him.”
“As for you, consider a blessing. If not for his condition, a girl with your background wouldn’t even be considered. Know your place.”
These people didn’t bring me back for a family reunion at all. They just wanted me to be a substitute bride.
Funny enough, I’d prepared for this. For the lack of love, the cold calculations. So when the words finally came, they didn’t hurt.
“Let me get this straight,”I said, my voice cold. “You won’t let Tiffany, the daughter you raised, marry a disabled man. So your solution is to drag in your biological daughter as a replacement?”
“Even by your standards, that’s?exceptionally?cold.”
“If Tiffany doesn’t want him, she can break the engagement.?Pay them off. Make it go away.?Why force me to marry a man who can’t even?wipe his own drool?”
“We have a contract!”Robert blurted out, his face flushing. “The gifts are exchanged. We can’t just back out.”He caught himself, his jaw tightening. “Matters of reputation among our kind aren’t for you to question. You will marry him. It’s a matter of honor.”
Now I saw the full picture.?They’d taken the Blackwoods’ money and promises, but balked at giving up their prized Tiffany. So, they’d fetched a spare part. Me.
Clever. Pity their plan was about to fall apart.
A wry smile played on my lips. “I get it. What a shame, though…I can’t marry Darren either. Because I-”
…already have a husband. The words never made it out. Judy’s hand cracked across my face.
“I knew you were trouble! Don’t tell me you’re delusional enough to think Julian would look at you!”
“He’s the city’s most powerful CEO! A country girl like you isn’t even fit to be his assistant, so don’t even think about it.”
Clutching my stinging cheek, I stared at her in disbelief.
“What I was trying to say, is that Julian cannot, and will not, marry Tiffany.”
“Oh, so Chloe wants to marry Julian? In that case, I’ll marry Darren. Mom, please don’t make things difficult for Chloe.”
Tiffany immediately acted as if I’d stolen her beloved, throwing herself into Judy’s arms, tears streaming down her face.
It left me speechless. I wanted to ask, if you’re so deeply devoted to Julian, does he even know who you are?
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. What I mean is-”
“Enough!”
Judy held Tiffany tightly, cutting me off coldly.
“Chloe, how can you be so shameless? You just got back and you’re already trying to snatch your sister’s sweetheart.”
“What do you mean? If Julian isn’t interested in your sister, why would he be interested in a useless outsider like you?”
“Let me tell you, our family has already received an invitation to Julian’s gala! Do you understand what that means?”
I feigned ignorance, shaking my head. “No, I don’t.”
Robert snorted, a smug look on his face.
“Julian invited our family to his exclusive event as soon as he returned! It can only mean he’s interested in our Tiffany, and wants to get closer to her!”
“Tiffany is our meticulously cultivated socialite, the most beautiful debutante in the city! Julian must have heard of her beauty, which is why he’s so eager to approach her under such a pretense.”
Robert glanced at me with disdain. “You wouldn’t understand the complexities of these elite families.”
“Don’t think that just because you’re the Robertson family’s biological daughter, you can rise to prominence. Tiffany is the socialite we invested heavily in from a young age. You can’t compare.”
I shook my head. Not a single person in this family was normal.
They didn’t even consider why a family like Julian’s would send them an invitation.
Just because their publicly traded company was on the brink of collapse?
No, it was because of me, Julian’s wife.
They were invited out of respect for me, and they actually thought it was because of Tiffany’s beauty? No wonder their company was failing.
I couldn’t help but scoff. “So, you meticulously groomed her from childhood to sell her for a good price when she grew up?”
“Besides, Julian isn’t even into your type anyway.”
Julian hated those helpless damsel types. In his eyes, they were just weak and clueless.
Tiffany’s face turned white. Judy, furious, pointed at me and yelled.
“Just as I thought, raised in the countryside, absolutely no manners! How can you say such crude things?”
“And how do you know what Julian likes? I bet you’re just jealous!”
“A beautiful girl like Tiffany? I’m telling you, no man could resist her!”
Robert also looked at me dismissively. “Even if you’re jealous, it’s no use. Tiffany will marry Julian eventually.”
“And with your vulgar behavior, don’t even dream of catching Julian’s eye.”
“From now on, as long as you behave and marry into the Blackwood family, we won’t treat you badly. But if you harbor any inappropriate thoughts, don’t blame us for being merciless.”
That was a threat. Too bad they threatened the wrong person.
I really wanted to see their faces when they found out the truth.
So, I decided not to reveal anything just yet.
I flashed a knowing smirk. “What if Julian actually likes my type?”
“How about a bet? If Julian doesn’t like my type, I’ll agree to marry that disabled man. But if he does like my type, then you-”
Before I could finish, Judy’s mocking laughter cut me off. “You, dreaming of Julian’s affection? How utterly ridiculous!”
“You don’t need to say anything else. We agree to whatever you propose.”
Tiffany shot me a triumphant look. “Chloe, then I’ll thank you in advance for agreeing to marry into the Blackwood family.”
I raised an eyebrow, looking at the messages popping up on my phone. The show was about to begin.
“I hope you get what you wish for.”
The Robertsons arranged a storage room for me. It was dark, damp, and reeked of mildew.
As soon as I entered the room, I checked my phone.
Julian’s messages were practically exploding.
“Hey, babe, how was it? Were they excited to see you? Did they shower you with affection?”
“Did they love you fiercely, crying tears of joy as they hugged you?”
“I said I’d come with you, but you refused. I really wanted to see my babe reunite with her family. It must have been so emotional and touching.”
“Is it too late for me to come now? I miss you the moment we’re apart. Do you miss me?”
I looked at the messages and shook my head. No one would ever imagine that the usually cool, decisive, and ruthless Julian had such a clingy side.
But unfortunately, he was wrong about my family.
I told him what happened.
He immediately called, his voice laced with fury. “Babe, how could they treat you like that? They have no idea who they’re messing with!”
“I’m coming to pick you up right now! I’ll make them realize just how terribly they’ve messed up!”
I flat-out refused. “No need. I have a better idea.”
“Let them be happy for now.”
I explained my plan, and Julian nodded. “Okay, anything you say, babe. But I don’t want you to suffer. How can you stay in a storage room?”
“It’s fine. Only for three days.”
“But could you look into something for me? I suspect I’m not actually their daughter.”
Who treats their biological daughter so outrageously? I suspected this was all a scam.
“Consider it done.”
Julian readily agreed. After hanging up, I sniffed the mildewy air in the room. It really was hard to bear. I’d been a bit too confident earlier; three days really would be tough.
But then, the next second, Judy knocked on the door.
“Julian’s gala has been moved up to tonight. Don’t forget your promise to marry into the Blackwood family.”
I was stunned. Julian actually moved the gala up?
Seeing my silence, she thought I was going to back out and quickly said, “You promised yourself! You can’t go back on your word!”
I met her gaze, a cold smirk on my lips.?”Don’t leave my words unfinished. I said?if?Julian isn’t interested,?then?I’ll marry into the Blackwood family.”
She snorted.?”There is no ‘if’. A man like him would have to be out of his mind to look twice at a country mouse like you.”
“Remember, tonight’s guests are all important people. You are not to embarrass the Robertsons, or I’ll make you regret it.”
I nodded indifferently.
As I turned to leave, Robert frowned at me. “You intend to attend the gala in that? Not even a proper gown? Is this your idea of sabotage?”
“Well, you didn’t give me…”
Tiffany immediately batted her red eyes and spoke dramatically, “Dad, don’t blame Chloe. She’s always lived in the countryside, so she doesn’t know you’re supposed to wear an evening gown to a gala.”
“Chloe, I have a few gowns in my room. You can wear one of mine, but the gala is about to start, and this…”
Judy waved her hand dismissively. “With her, no gown will make her look like a lady of high society. Let’s just go.”
A triumphant smile flickered on Tiffany’s lips.
But just as I was about to open the car door, Tiffany blocked me.
“Chloe, there’s no room in this car. Why don’t you call for a ride?”
The car sped away, leaving me behind. This was an exclusive residential area. Where was I supposed to get a taxi? Then I simply made a phone call.
“Your wife has been dumped on the side of the road. Send a car. Now.”
Forty minutes later, I arrived at the ballroom in a custom-made evening gown.
Julian had insisted on accompanying me, but I’d declined. I didn’t want to reveal the truth so soon.
When people saw me, they all started to size me up, their eyes filled with admiration.
“Who is that? Her poise…it’s breathtaking. I’ve never seen her before!”
“An absolute vision. I must know her name.”
The murmur reached the Robertsons’ circle. Tiffany’s face?contorted, the pleasant mask slipping into something ugly and raw with envy.
Then, on cue, the performance began. Her eyes welled with theatrical tears. “Chloe, how could you steal an evening gown? It’s a?one-of-a-kind piece from the Paris ateliers. I remember Julian buying it. How dare you steal it?”
Judy immediately chimed in, “How dare you steal even Julian’s things? This is a gift Julian was planning to give our Tiffany! Take it off right now!”
“Stealing things at home was bad enough, but now you’ve dared to steal from Julian? You have a death wish!”
I actually laughed, infuriated. This family’s lies just flowed out so easily.
Upon hearing their words, the admiration in the crowd’s eyes turned to disdain. “So she’s from the countryside, and she dared to steal Julian’s gown? She really is asking for trouble!”
“From what they just said, this gown was meant for Ms. Tiffany. I heard Julian bought a lot of jewelry abroad for his sweetheart. It must be true!”
Hearing this, everyone started flocking to Tiffany, trying to curry favor.
“Ms. Tiffany is a vision! A true goddess. She and Mr. Hayes are a perfect match.”
“Once that marriage is official, the Robertsons will be untouchable! Our heartfelt congratulations!”
“Absolutely!?Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding banquet!”
Tiffany played her part to perfection,?her cheeks flushing with a practiced, demure pink. “The details are still being finalized. But of course, all of you will be on the guest list.”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Tiffany, does Julian even know he’s supposed to marry you?”
Tiffany’s face turned pale. “Chloe, what do you mean by that? Do you think just because you’re wearing the gown he intended for me, you can pretend to be me?”
I rolled my eyes. What kind of upbringing produces this level of fantasy? Julian had stated that he’d never met Tiffany. Yet she’d woven an entire marriage fantasy from one invitation. She truly was delusional.
I pointed to the gown I was wearing. “It was a gift from my husband. I didn’t steal it from you.”
Everyone burst into laughter. “Your husband gave it to you? Don’t tell me your husband is?the?Julian Hayes?”
I sneered. “What do you think?”
“But Julian doesn’t need to marry me, because-”
“How utterly pathetic!” Tiffany cut me off. “You actually want to throw yourself at Julian to be his mistress? Just because you grew up in the countryside doesn’t mean you can drag the Robertson name through the mud! You’re a walking scandal!”
Judy’s face was a mask of icy disapproval. “Chloe, that’s enough! Are you determined to turn us into the city’s laughingstock? Go home. Your only duty is to prepare for the Blackwood marriage. Stop this disgraceful display at once!”
All I’d wanted to say was that Julian didn’t need to marry me because he already had. Three years ago, in a private ceremony overseas.
Seeing the farce had reached its peak, I was done playing their game.?I pulled out my phone and dialed.
“Julian, I heard you’re getting married. Did you forget to tell me?”
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