Chapter 4

“My reputation is ruined. I’ve lost my boyfriend. I’ve lost my job. You owe me.”

I whispered, barely able to get the words out, “Owe you… how?”

A sharp glint flashed through Aileen’s eyes. She turned to the camera and announced loudly, “I want you to marry me! Since you ruined me, you’ll be responsible for me for the rest of my life!

“And you’re signing all your assets over to me—as a wedding gift! That’s what you owe me!”

I almost laughed from sheer anger. Aileen did not just want to destroy me; she also wanted to drain me dry.

Unbelievably, the live chat erupted in applause:

[Perfect punishment! Make him grind for the rest of his life to pay for it!]

[Aileen is savage! That’s exactly how men like this should be dealt with!]

[Say yes! If you don’t, let him rot in prison!]

Aileen stepped closer and lowered her voice, “If you don’t agree, I’ll make sure your parents get hit by a car the moment they step outside. I know where your family lives. I even know you’ve got a younger sister still in elementary school.”

My pupils shrank. Family was the boundary I would never allow to be breached, and she had just crossed the line.

A rage I had never felt before ignited in my chest. She wanted to play? Fine, I would play along.

I took a deep breath, turned to the camera, and forced a weak smile.

“Okay. I’ll marry you. I’ll get discharged from the hospital right now. We’ll go get our marriage certificate.”

Aileen froze for a moment, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily. Then, ecstasy flooded her face. I ripped out the IV, bit back the pain, and swung my legs off the bed.

“Let’s go. To the city hall.”

I wanted to see what her expression would look like when we got there.

Aileen was afraid that I would back out, so she warned me, “Let’s see how long you can keep pretending when we get there! Use your real identity when you register!”

She kept livestreaming the whole time, hauling me to the city hall like I was some kind of criminal.

On the way there, she chatted cheerfully with her viewers.

“Yes, we’re going to get married right now. He’s a piece of trash, but for the sake of my reputation, I’ll just have to suffer a little.

“Thank you, top gifter, for the Porsche! I’ll make him work to pay off our debts after the wedding!”

When we arrived at the city hall, the lobby was packed. Crowds had gathered because of the online controversy. Some were even reporters who had caught wind of it.

Aileen slammed her identification documents onto the counter with her chin raised high.

“We’re here to get married.”

I placed my ID and registry beside hers.

The clerk was a middle-aged woman with glasses. Her gaze flicked from Aileen to me, analyzing us both. Her expression turned strange.

“Are you two certain you want to register for marriage?"

“Yes! Absolutely!” Aileen snapped. “Hurry up, the whole internet is watching!”

She shoved her phone toward the clerk. “Ma’am, please move faster. Let’s not miss the auspicious timing.”

The clerk shook her head helplessly. She picked up my ID and swiped it through the reader. Then, she looked up, slid the card back across the counter, and said flatly to Aileen, “This can’t be processed.”

Aileen’s smile froze. “Why not? Is the system down? Does he have a criminal record? I don’t mind!”

The clerk pointed at my ID, then at Aileen.

“According to the marriage law, marriage requires one man and one woman. You’re both female. This marriage can't be registered.”