Chapter 3

~Charlotte

"The man I love is with your fiancée, and if I marry you, don't you think this is too dramatic?" 

I couldn't find words to describe my emotions at this moment. It all just seemed incredibly implausible..

"You only need to tell me your decision," Adam responded, retracting his gaze. A newfound resolve flickered in his eyes, a determination he had never displayed before.

"I won't marry you! I don't love you at all. Why should I marry you?" I blurted out without hesitation.

"You love him. So, as long as you marry me, you can see him every day! My legs are already paralyzed. Even if you marry me, I won't be able to touch you. We'd only have a nominal relationship! 

I just can't accept this. Can you tolerate a situation like that?" I blurted out.

Adam gazed at me with an icy stare. 

I found myself at a loss for words. Like any ordinary person, I had blood, flesh, and feelings. But I had also been deeply hurt by the man I had once loved so dearly. How could I possibly contain my anger?

"I want you to marry me because our situations are exactly the same," he continued, his voice unwavering. "There is no one else who can understand your feelings better than me. 

We're meant to be together. Don't you feel any trace of jealousy? Once you become my wife, you'll be Dylan's sister-in-law. Just your presence alone will torment him invisibly."

He paused, his words hanging heavy in the air. 

"After six months of marriage, we can divorce. I have a house in this city, and once we part ways, it'll be yours. I've said what needed to be said. You can leave the car now."

My hands were tightly clasped together, and my heart was in turmoil. Logically, I should have rejected his proposal, but the man's words had started to influence me.

"Can I really get a divorce at any time?" I questioned. How about satisfaction?

"In six months, as long as you mention it, I'll agree to it," he assured me.

"Our relationship is only in name," he continued. "I've lost the ability to be a husband in every sense. Physically, I can't satisfy you, but you can ask for anything else."

I looked at him and straightforwardly replied, "Sorry, that's not what I meant." I blushed and struggled to explain myself.

"This is an indisputable fact," Adam reassured me. "You don't have to apologize to me. I'm already accustomed to it. When can you give me an answer?"

"I don't know," i replied uncertainly.

"I shook my head, feeling utterly lost. My thoughts were tangled, leaving me uncertain of my next move. Adam gazed at me  in silence before lowering the car window. Arthur, his driver promptly returned to the vehicle.

"Let's head back to the apartment," Adam instructed Arthur , his expression dark.

"Alright," Arthur replied, starting the car and driving toward Adam's apartment.

"Should we drop you at your place now?" 

"Do you believe you can return home in your current condition?" Adam asked me coldly, studying me intently.

I turned my head to Adam , puzzled by his intentions. I shook my head helplessly once more."

Ever since my father passed away ten years ago, my mother had cherished me as the hope of her life, harboring a deep desire for me to marry into the Morgan   Family. If i were to return today and reveal everything to my mother, the emotional impact would be more than she could bear.

I couldn't bring myself to go back.

"Drive!" Adam ordered Arthur in a deep, commanding voice, noticing my silence.

The car started slowly and headed toward Adam's apartment. I clutched my bag tightly, feeling as though there was a gaping hole in my heart — it was empty!

Before today, my life had been filled with happiness and sweetness. As i entered Dylan's office, i had been eagerly anticipating whether he would propose. I had dreamed of wearing a wedding dress in the near future and becoming the happiest, most beautiful bride, smiling joyfully in front of everyone.

But now, everything had been shattered into pieces.

"So, ten years have just been a beautiful dream," I thought as the car pulled up to Adam's apartment. Memories of the past ten years played in my mind, each heartwarming scene causing my heart to ache and suffocate me.

"ten years, Dylan ! Even if you didn't like me, why make me wait like a fool?" I wondered aloud, tears streaming down my face.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the Land Rover finally stopped in front of Adam's apartment.

"Get out of the car! After we get married, this will be your new home," Adam's voice was emotionless as he spoke, looking at me coldly.

Upon hearing Adam's words, Arthur quickly exited the car and held the door open for me . I gazed at the luxurious apartment outside the window, biting my lip lightly while my slender fingers tightly gripped the handbag on my lap.

Adam sat beside me, motionless, as if waiting for my decision. 

After an uncertain pause, i turned my head to face Adam and replied, "Okay. Let's go register now." 

Adam nodded. "Would you like to retrieve your household register from home?" I nodded silently, choosing not to utter a word.

Arthur promptly shut the door and settled into the driver's seat. He swiftly started the car and drove away from the neighborhood. 

I had never imagined that i would one day become a member of the Flashing Marriage team, joining the Flashing Marriage family!

The most surprising revelation was that the man i had just wed was the older brother of the man i held dearest! 

As i left the Marriage Registration Office and settled into the black Land Rover, my tears once again welled up with disappointment. I was now married, but to my despair, not to the man i cherished most. 

In the past, i had envisioned myself walking into the Marriage Registration Centre with boundless happiness. Little did i anticipate that fate would play such a cruel joke on me! The person i had married today turned out to be Dylan's elder brother!

"Are you feeling wronged?" Adam asked, his gaze icy, before shifting his eyes elsewhere.

I silently shook my head and carefully stashed the vibrant red marriage certificate into my bag.

"Arthur , let's head to the mall," Adam commanded Arthur , his tone icy.

"Yes, Sir," Arthur replied obediently.

I sat beside Adam , my gaze fixed on the window. Everything felt unfamiliar.

"Baby you are strong, you are wise," an untimely song played from my cell phone. Each word felt like a painful jab in my heart.

It hurt.

I didn't need to wonder who the caller was. In the past, i would eagerly answer his calls, but now I had no desire to hear his voice. I reached out and rejected the call.

The car fell into a sudden silence, and the atmosphere turned somewhat stifling.

"You gotta get up... You gotta get up and make a move..." My phone once again stubbornly rang.

I reached out to press the reject button, but a large hand suddenly gripped my wrist.

"Answer the phone! You're family now. You'll be seeing each other often in the future!" Adam stated firmly before retracting his hand.

I hesitated for a moment. Although i wasn't ready to face Dylan , I couldn't deny the truth in Adam's words. I would soon become Dylan's sister-in-law.

With resolve, I pressed the answer button and brought the phone to my ear.

"Charlotte , where are you? Are you alright?" came Dylan's anxious voice. He had been feeling uneasy ever since I left the guest house, worrying that he wouldn't be able to explain my absence to his family if something happened to me.

"Is it any of your business where I am?" I asked faintly, gazing out of the window. I didn't attempt to appease him in his presence.

"Charlotte ... I'm sorry," Dylan  still felt guilty, hearing my cold tone.

"Forget it, I'm fine," I replied indifferently.

"Today's matter was rather unexpected. Go home and take a break for a while. I'll come find you in two days! Don't worry, I'll make it up to you!" Dylan  spoke sincerely.

"Do you want to offer me financial support?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes! Charlotte , just name your request, and I'll do everything I can to fulfill it!"

A smile graced my face, though it carried a hint of sadness. "Make me the "Vice President of Operations" of the Morgan Group!"

Hahahaha, Dylan chuckled over the phone, obviously taunting me. "You must be dreaming if you think I'd do such a thing. That's my current position in the company, come on!," he remarked.

"What's so funny?" I inquired.

I gazed out of the window while keeping the phone to my ear. Was he making fun of me? Did he consider me a joke? I pondered.

Lowering the phone from my ear, I muttered, "If he won't comply, I'll have to take it by force. I can't wait to see him cry blood by the time I'm finished with him." With that thought, I promptly ended the call.