Chapter 1
Kathleen Silva was in high spirits—her two-year long-distance relationship had finally ended. She had a bright smile on her beautiful face, and even the winter chill couldn’t dampen the excitement of seeing Ryan Page again.
She stood at his front door with her suitcase, heart full of joy, as she entered the passcode.
The moment the door opened, she froze. Two bodies were entangled on the couch, and her mind exploded in shock.
She clenched her fists tightly. The people on the couch hadn’t even noticed her.
Fighting back nausea, Kathleen pulled out her phone and turned on the video recorder.
The woman finally spotted her and let out a sharp scream.
Ryan was also startled. He quickly grabbed a blanket to cover himself while shielding the woman behind him.
“Kathleen, what the hell are you doing?”
Kathleen’s eyes were red as she replied, “This is too good not to share. I’m posting it to my story.”
Hearing that, Ryan no longer cared that the woman behind him was naked. He wrapped the blanket around himself and lunged forward to snatch Kathleen’s phone.
“Take one more step, and I’ll send it to everyone,” Kathleen warned.
Ryan didn’t believe her and kept approaching.
She immediately hit “Send all”.
He was stunned. He couldn’t believe the woman he thought was gentle and sensible could be this ruthless.
“Kathleen, are you out of your mind?” Ryan roared, the veins on his forehead bulging with anger. He looked like he wanted to kill her on the spot.
Kathleen raised her phone, where 911 was already dialed in. “I’ve called the cops.”
Ryan’s eyes widened. “You…”
Seeing how cold and ruthless she was, he pointed at her and snapped, “Fine. This isn’t over!”
Her eyes were frosty. “I wasted two years on you for nothing. Even a dog would’ve been more loyal.”
…
After leaving Ryan’s place, Kathleen went straight to her best friend, Chelsey Reid’s house.
She stayed there for five days, and Chelsey had been cursing Ryan nonstop.
This morning, Chelsey noticed Kathleen staring gloomily at her phone. She leaned over and hugged Kathleen, cajoling her, “Don’t feel bad. You should be glad that you saw his true colors.”
Kathleen shook her head. “I’m not upset anymore. I’m just hesitant about the marriage my dad arranged.”
“What?”
Apparently, Kathleen’s father, Peter Silva, had set up a marriage for her. He kept urging her to come home and talk about it.
The guy came from a wealthy family. He was tall, handsome, and an only child.
If she agreed to marry him, his family would offer a seven-figure wedding gift. If she got pregnant within two months, she’d receive a reward of millions. And if she bore him a child, she’d become the lady of the family, inheriting endless wealth.
Chelsey clapped and scoffed. “This must be your stepmother’s idea. If it were really such a good deal, wouldn’t she have her own daughter marry him? It’s a trap.”
“So, do you know anything about it?”
“Well, they’re not lying. But there’s one key detail she left out.”
“What is it?”
“The guy’s name is Shawn Vance. He’s rich, good-looking, and powerful. Women in Neviton City used to dream of marrying him or at least spending a night with him.”
“Shawn Vance…” Kathleen repeated the name. “Sounds familiar.”
Chelsey snorted.
“In Neviton City, everyone knows that name. Last year, he was exposed for having a terminal illness and doesn’t have much time left. He used to have a girlfriend, but she went abroad after finding out about his illness. In short, marrying him is like marrying a dead man.”
So that was the catch. It was pretty tragic, though.
Chelsey scoffed. “That saying about stepmothers being evil is spot on. Yours wants to marry you off to be a widow.”
“I can always remarry after he dies,” Kathleen commented.
Chelsey’s eyes widened.
“Wait, are you actually considering this? The guy’s practically on his deathbed. How awful must he look now? And wanting to get married at this point? He obviously just wants to leave behind an heir before he dies. A man at a time like this is a total psychopath!”
Kathleen said softly, “But he gave a lot.”
Chelsea was speechless.
“Besides, I’ll inherit everything if he dies. I’ll be rich and free. Everyone will envy me.” Kathleen’s expression was nonchalant as she spoke.
Chelsey looked stunned. “Have you lost your mind?”
“Not at all,” Kathleen replied, completely serious.
“I’ve thought it through. Love is like a ghost—everyone talks about it, but no one’s actually seen it. There’s no point chasing after it. Besides, we work so hard just to make money and be free. If there’s a shortcut, why wouldn’t I just take it?”
Chelsey replied, “Why does that almost make sense?”
Kathleen smiled. “Because that’s the reality.”
…
That night, Ryan called Kathleen from someone else’s number. He screamed at her, calling her pretty but useless.
When she hung up, he switched numbers and called again. She blocked several numbers until she finally turned off her phone.
…
The next morning, messages flooded in after she powered it on. Most of the messages were from Ryan. He had said everything imaginable.
Their group chat had blown up, too. He accused her of having fake boobs, calling her a slut who faked innocence…
Each message was nastier than the last.
Kathleen took a deep breath and forced down her rage. She called Peter and agreed to the marriage.
…
They went to the Vance residence, but Shawn wasn’t there. His parents met them instead.
Hearing that Kathleen was willing to marry Shawn, they could barely contain their excitement.
She had only one condition. They had to first register the marriage as she wanted to make it legal. As for a wedding, she didn’t need one.
They had no objections. If anything, they were terrified she might back out.
Both sides quickly reached an agreement. Shawn’s father, Henry Vance, even arranged for a staff from the city hall to come to the house and issue the marriage certificate on the spot.
That was when Kathleen first saw a photo of Shawn.
The man in the photo looked just like Chelsey had described. He was strikingly handsome, with deep, magnetic eyes that seemed to draw one in.
If he weren’t dying soon, a man like this would never have been within her reach.
The marriage certificate was handed to Kathleen.
She studied the wedding photo that the Vances prepared to commemorate the marriage. Although it was photoshopped, it looked decent enough.
Shawn’s mother, Judy Smith, handed her a bank card. Even without a wedding, they still gave her a wedding gift. On top of that, they provided her with a hefty living allowance.
They were extremely generous. The amount was staggering, and the card itself felt heavy in her hand.
She didn’t refuse and accepted it with ease.
She glanced again at the marriage certificate, eyes lingering on the name “Shawn Vance”. She wondered how he would feel knowing his parents had “sold” him off.
…
Peter was beaming as they left the Vance residence.
“The Vance family must have given you quite a lot, right?”
He stopped, looking uneasy. “What are you talking about?”
“Drop the act.”
Kathleen stopped and looked at him. “You only thought of me because it benefits you.”
Peter looked awkward. “Kat…”
She raised a hand to stop him. She didn’t want to hear any of his self-righteous nonsense. Walking ahead of him, she said indifferently, “This is the last time. Don’t ever contact me again.”
…
When Chelsey found out Kathleen had actually married Shawn, she paced in circles, distraught.
But what was done was done. There was no undoing it.
“Your dad’s ruthless. He knew it was a fire pit and still shoved you in. You’re silly, too. Why were you so quick to sign the papers? If he ends up hurting you, at least without a marriage certificate, you could’ve just run. Now that you’re legally married, you can’t even escape even if he wants you dead.”
She was so worked up and worried that her eyes reddened.
Seeing Chelsey so upset warmed Kathleen’s heart. She smiled and tried to soothe Chelsey. “I may be married, but I don’t plan on showing up in front of him anytime soon.”
Chelsey stared at her.
Kathleen’s eyes glinted mischievously. The thought might be a bit wicked, but it was the truth.
“Didn’t you say he won’t make it past February? That’s less than three months away. I’ll just lie low until he can’t move anymore. Then, I’ll show up.”
It sounded like the perfect plan, but reality was cruel.
A few days later, someone came looking for her. “Mr. Vance would like to meet his wife.”
