Chapter 1
Chapter 1 My fiancé’s childhood sweetheart returned from abroad, and the first thing she did was make a bet with me, Samantha. The agreement stated that if my fiancé, Ethan, left me nine times for her, I would willingly give up my position as his wife. I agreed. On the ninth time, his childhood sweetheart, Willow, cried, “Ethan, if you don’t marry me, I’ll marry that spoiled rich kid from the Johnston family in the city!” He frantically hung up the phone, abandoned me yet again, stole his family’s household registration book, and got married to Willow. That day, they announced their relationship on social media, and everyone in our circle eagerly awaited to see me and the Johnstons make fools of ourselves. Then, Jaxon Johnston approached me, saying casually, “Your fiancé stole my wife, so it’s only fair that you become my wife, right?” I nodded. “Fair. When are you getting married?” His jaw dropped. He stared at me for a long time, his ears turning red. “Since you don’t have any objections, it’s settled then.” “We’re getting married in three days. If you dare to run away, you’re dead!” He said this as he ran off, bumping into people and knocking over ornaments, in a panic as if I were going to eat him alive. I let my fingers glide across the piano keys, a slight smile playing on my lips. As soon as Jaxon left, Ethan arrived. I glanced at him, then coldly looked away. His face turned pale, and he rushed towards me. “Samantha, are you angry?” “I can explain. Willow is timid; if she marries that womanizer, Jaxon Johnston, her life will be ruined. I can’t just watch her jump into the fire.” So, he broke his promise to me and married her. But even if he hadn’t married her, him leaving me for her a ninth time meant there was no future for us. I said calmly, “You should go. Now that you’re married, I don’t need to deal with the breakup.” Ethan frowned, looking at me even more anxiously. “Samantha, Willow and I are only married in name. I only married her to help her out of trouble.” “I promise you, I only see her as a sister, I’ll never touch her!” “And Willow and I have agreed that we’ll divorce in six months, then she’ll go abroad. I’ll have to ask you to bear with it for this time and let’s have a secret relationship. Don’t worry, I’ll marry you.” “Please don’t make things difficult for her. Get along with her peacefully.” I understand his concern for Willow, but why does he have the audacity to ask me to go from his girlfriend to his mistress, and wait for him unconditionally for six months? Even if I wanted to, my parents wouldn’t let me degrade myself. I said softly, “A woman from the Stevens family would never marry a divorced man.” Ethan’s face darkened. “Divorced man? You know I won’t betray you, why say such hurtful things? Besides, I’m only her husband in name, but my heart belongs to you.” “We can have a secret relationship, and everyone will think you’re my real wife. Why can’t you understand? Do you have to watch Willow fall into the pit of fire before you’re satisfied?” My eyes flickered. He said his heart belonged to me, yet he abandoned me nine times for his childhood sweetheart. She said she couldn’t eat, so he ditched my birthday party, ordered her a meal, and fed her. She said she had a headache, so he left me in the pouring rain to go home alone and bought her medicine. Time and time again, my heart was tormented. Yesterday, she said she didn’t want to marry that spoiled rich kid, so he stole the household registration book and married her, making me the laughingstock of the circle. Now, he wants to have a secret relationship with me while he’s married, which is no different from making me his mistress. Is it not enough to make me a laughingstock; does he want to see me disgraced? I looked down at the piano. “I’m sorry, I don’t like secret relationships, and I won’t marry a divorced man. Mr. Lucas, please leave.” After being repeatedly humiliated, Ethan finally lost his temper. “Samantha Stevens, everyone in this circle knows we’ve been together for years, our parents have met, and you even lived in my house. If you don’t marry me, who else will you marry?” With that, Ethan stormed out. My face was pale, and I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I knew that the Ethan who was willing to spend a fortune on me, who would fight tooth and nail to protect me, was gone. From now on, he was just Willow’s husband. Perhaps, from the moment he abandoned me repeatedly for Willow, I should have stopped in time and cut my losses. Unfortunately, I was too naive. I always fantasized that our years of relationship wouldn’t lose to a woman who left him when he was at his lowest. However, I was wrong. They were childhood sweethearts, and I was just a pastime to fill the void. As if afraid I’d change my mind, Jaxon came to my family’s house the next day with his parents to formally ask for my hand in marriage. Their sincerity was evident. The gifts alone filled the entire living room, and the valuable business contract they brought further showed their seriousness. My parents were moved, but they cared more about my happiness. Jaxon was still a spoiled rich kid, and they were worried that I wouldn’t be happy married to him. I took some effort to persuade them. Love isn’t as tangible as money. Jaxon, despite his flaws, was the only son of the Johnston family. As long as he didn’t commit any crimes, he would live a life of luxury and ease. I was telling the butler to have someone put the gifts away when I turned around and saw Willow walking in arm-in-arm with Ethan. Seeing the dazzling jewelry, a hint of jealousy flashed in Willow’s eyes. Ethan frowned, displeased. “Didn’t I tell you to get married after six months? Why did you tell others that the wedding will still take place? Preparing so much dowry is annoying, you know?” I was stunned. He seemed to have misunderstood something. He thought the dowry sent by the Johnstons was the dowry I was preparing for my wedding with him? Willow looked pitiful. “Samantha, please, lend Ethan to me for a while. I really don’t want to marry the Johnstons.” She reached out to hold my hand. My gaze fell on the diamond ring on her ring finger, and I was momentarily stunned. It was the family heirloom of the Lucas family, which Ethan’s mother wanted to pass down to her daughter-in-law. I had begged him to put it on my finger on our official engagement day, but he only gave me a pair of ordinary rings. And now, it was brazenly on Willow’s finger, and they hadn’t even had a proper wedding. Willow looked at me, her eyes full of triumph. She put her ringed hand affectionately into Ethan’s arms, pulled out a box, and put it in his hands. “You specially prepared a gift for Samantha, don’t be angry, quickly coax her!” Ethan coldly and reluctantly shoved the gift box into my hands. I didn’t take it; the box fell to the ground with a thud, and a crudely made silver bracelet fell out. Ethan became furious. “Samantha Stevens, what are you doing!” What was I doing? That thing wasn’t even as good as our dog’s collar, and he dared to say I was being difficult? My expression must have been too sarcastic because Ethan angrily kicked the bracelet away. “Fine, if you don’t want it!” Willow said sadly, “Samantha, what are you doing! Ethan and I chose this for you!” Ethan glared angrily at me, implying that I was ungrateful. Willow bent down to pick up the bracelet and hesitantly looked at me. “Samantha, I know you’re angry with me, but you can’t disappoint Ethan’s feelings.” She acted as if she were heartbroken, gently wiping the nonexistent dust off the table. I looked at her feigned distress and laughed. She was still as manipulative as ever, using a few words to blame me. Moreover, it was she who proposed the bet. Since she won, I unconditionally gave up Ethan, I didn’t even say a word, yet she was still acting pitiful in front of me? I looked at Willow coldly and said, “Your marriage is done, and I’ve broken off the engagement too. We are parallel lines. If there is nothing else, let’s meet less often.” But they thought I was just saying it in anger and that it wasn’t serious. Willow picked up the silver bracelet and was about to put it on my wrist. “Samantha, don’t be angry. Ethan made it himself; I don’t even have one.” I was annoyed and directly waved her hand away. “I said I don’t want it!” I didn’t use much force, but Willow fell towards a nearby shelf, as if someone had forcefully pushed her. She immediately burst into tears, looking pitiful. “Samantha, I overstepped. I just hope you can accept Ethan’s feelings and get back together with him.” Ethan held her in his arms, looking up angrily at me. “Samantha Stevens, you’re too much! Apologize to Willow immediately!” Seeing my indifference, he grabbed the silver bracelet from Willow’s hand and threw it in the trash can. “Someone who disrespects other people’s feelings like you doesn’t deserve my efforts. I hope you won’t regret it and come crawling back to me like a dog later.” With that, he supported Willow and left without looking back. A few steps away, Willow pretended to casually look back, a silent smile on her face. She said: You lost completely. Willow was an illegitimate child, and she was only brought back to the Johnson family when she was eleven. I heard that she didn’t know table manners and was mocked by her peers. Not only that, but her sister pretended to lose her grip and smashed a piece of cake onto her skirt. It was Ethan who saved her when she was helpless. After that, she, like a bird, kept following Ethan. Ethan, seeing her pitiful state, tacitly allowed her to approach him and would take extra care of her, which led to an uncontrollable situation. Anything delicious or fun, he would remember Willow’s share. After Willow went abroad, Ethan and I met, got to know each other, and fell in love. But the stories of them two kept circulating in the circle. When she wasn’t around, I often got jealous of Willow, and he would comfort me: “You know, I just pity her situation.” I really thought his feelings for Willow were pity and sympathy. But I never expected that as soon as Willow returned, he changed. He abandoned me nine times for her, and after receiving the news that she was going to marry Jaxon Johnston, he directly took her to get a marriage license, performing a fait accompli. Their marriage announcement filled my social media with blessings, childhood sweethearts, a perfect match. And I, was the one he could easily abandon. His feelings for me changed, or maybe they never existed. I couldn’t help but feel self-deprecating. Why did I bother to get involved with him when I couldn’t let go of someone else? The day before my wedding was Valentine’s Day. Every year, I would ask Ethan to spend it with me. This year, I just wanted to be alone. I went to my favorite flower shop to buy a bouquet of roses, only to be told that all the flowers had been bought. I was still wondering who was so extravagant, then I heard the florist say enviously, “Mrs. Lucas is so lucky! Mr. Lucas bought all the flowers just because she said she liked them.” “It’s another day of envying other people’s love! You know, I heard that Mr. Lucas gave up his girlfriend of many years for Mrs. Lucas!” “He must really love Mrs. Lucas. They say don’t envy long-term relationships that last for ten or eight years because they probably won’t get married. True love is possession, and flash marriage shows true love!” I never thought that one day, I would be the subject of the gossip. Without saying anything, I turned to leave. Before I walked too far, I heard someone calling my name. “Samantha!” I subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ethan with his arm around Willow, and Willow was holding a bouquet of roses. “Samantha, are you here to buy flowers?” Ethan was cold, probably because of what happened earlier. Willow said casually, “Samantha, I’m sorry, Ethan bought all the flowers for me, but you can have this bouquet.” She was about to hand me the flowers. I cautiously took a big step back, not wanting to fall for Willow’s tricks again. It’s just a bouquet of flowers. I have plenty. Besides, I don’t have a habit of taking second-hand goods, whether it’s people or things. Ethan was angry at my evasive attitude. “You’re so kind, but some people are ungrateful.” With that, he pulled Willow and walked towards a restaurant in the mall. As soon as they left, Jaxon’s assistant found me. “Ms. Stevens, the boss asked me to give this to you.” I looked at the gift box in his arms with some surprise. It was a bouquet of roses made of rubies. I was really shocked by Jaxon’s extravagance! This bouquet was enough to buy me several rose gardens! Undeniably, it was the most exquisite and beautiful bouquet I had ever received. I went home with the flowers, satisfied. The next day, I got up early to get ready. Putting on my wedding dress, I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but feel dazed. I always thought I would marry Ethan, but things didn’t go as planned. Marrying the infamous Jaxon Johnston was something I never even imagined. It was truly ironic. I was about to go downstairs when I heard a commotion outside. I thought it was Jaxon, but it was Ethan. Seeing me, Ethan immediately frowned. “What are you dressed like that for?” “Didn’t I say I can’t marry you until six months later?” Perhaps my previous image of being completely at his beck and call had sunk in too deeply, making him think I couldn’t live without him. I looked into his eyes and said seriously, “Ethan, it’s over between us. The person I’m marrying today isn’t you.” “My husband will be here to pick me up soon. If you have nothing else, just leave.” Ethan sneered, “Samantha Stevens, who else will you marry if not me? I never thought you’d push me this far, wearing a wedding dress, preparing your own dowry. You’re shameless, aren’t you?” “You were so aloof and proud before, why are you so eager to marry me now? I said I had to protect Willow, at least for six months. If you push me this way, I won’t marry you either. Change out of that wedding dress, or you’ll be humiliated.” I was tired of dealing with his stubbornness. I was just about to call for someone to take him away when the sound of celebratory gunfire interrupted us. Ethan looked at me. “Is someone having a wedding next door?” Before he finished speaking, Jaxon walked in with a group of groomsmen. He glanced at Ethan and smiled, “Wow, I didn’t expect you, Ethan, to come to my wedding with Samantha.”