Chapter 3

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, Ruth showed up. She walked into my room, looking exhausted.

I thought she'd come to apologize. Instead, she rubbed her temples impatiently and said, "I can't take this anymore. I'll marry you."

Then, she turned and left.

The abruptness of her words left me stunned for a moment. It wasn't until later that I learned the truth. During the days I was hospitalized, the Lonsdale family ran into the same crisis they had in my past life. They were on the verge of bankruptcy.

Ruth's parents were forcing her to marry me. But she had always been proud, so there was no way she'd bow her head and ask for help.

So, in a fit of rage, Ruth's father arranged for Jack to marry someone else instead. The other party was a well-known tycoon from Havenport, but his daughter had been intellectually disabled since birth. She couldn't even say her own name without drooling.

Left with no choice, Ruth begrudgingly accepted her fate. But from the looks of it, she still believed that everything—from the Lonsdale family's downfall to Jack's forced engagement—was my doing to coerce her into marrying me.

What she didn't know was that I had long since lost all feelings for her. Whether the Lonsdale family lived or died had nothing to do with me.

I ignored her and focused on preparing for the wedding with my mother.

News of my wedding spread fast. Soon, the entire city of Fairmont knew that the eldest son of the Jones family was getting married.

…

That day, I was at a bridal shop picking out a suit when I unexpectedly ran into Ruth and Jack. The moment Jack saw the custom-tailored tuxedo I was wearing, his eyes lit up.

Reading his expression instantly, Ruth didn't hesitate. She turned to me and ordered, "Take it off and give it to Jack. You can choose another one."

I scoffed and shook my head. "Why should I?"

She frowned. "Jack is going to be your best man at the wedding. He should look good. It's normal."

The smile on my face turned cold. "Since when do you get to make decisions for my wedding?"

Ruth's tone turned impatient. "That's enough. Jack once saved my life. I just want to fulfill a small wish of his."

Jack put on a pitiful expression. "I just want to attend the wedding with Ruth. I'm not trying to steal the spotlight."

I didn't even look at him. My gaze locked onto Ruth's cold face as I asked, "Who told you I'm marrying you?"

Ruth froze for a moment, then sneered. "What? Micah, do you think playing hard to get works on me? Besides, once we're married, Jack is going to be your brother-in-law. Why are you being so aggressive?"

Hearing that, Jack stepped up his act. "Forget it, Ruth. It's not meant to be. I shouldn't have made Micah angry."

Without hesitation, Ruth pulled out a black card and handed it to the store manager. She barked commandingly, "Take that suit off him. I want it. Name your price!"

The manager looked uncomfortable. All the ruckus had ruined my mood, and I lost interest. I tossed the suit aside and walked out.

That night, Jack sent me a photo of him wearing that suit, smirking proudly with Ruth in his arms. He said, "Micah, you've never beaten me since we were kids, and you still can't. Ruth is mine. Don't even think about taking her!"

I replied coldly, "I don't want trash."

…

On the wedding day, inside the dressing room, Jack walked toward me holding a glass of red wine, smiling brightly. As he passed me, he clumsily "tripped", his act horribly obvious. Wind spilled all over my chest.

Before I could react, he cried out first. "Ouch! My hand hurts!"

Looking at the tiny scratch on his hand, I nearly laughed. But Ruth rushed over in a panic, grabbing his hand to inspect it. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Jack looked wronged. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have dirtied Micah's suit. Micah, if you want to scold me, go ahead."

I watched the performance coldly. "There's so much space. You just had to crash into me?"

Ruth's expression darkened instantly. "That's enough! Jack already apologized. What more do you want? It's just an ugly suit anyway. Is it more important than a person?"

With that, she hurriedly helped Jack up. "I'm taking him to the hospital to treat his wounds. Let's postpone the wedding."

Watching her scurry off, I snickered coldly. Of course, she was in a hurry. Any later, and the wound would've already healed.

I wasn't worried about my suit at all. After all, I'd expected Jack to pull something like this.

The dressing room door opened. Isabelle walked in, carrying a suit handcrafted by a renowned Emalian tailor. She was already in her wedding gown, nervousness written all over her face.

I changed into the new suit, then gently took her hand. "Let's go. Everyone is waiting for us."

Her cheeks flushed, her nerves obvious. After hesitating, she whispered, "Should we wait for Ms. Lonsdale?"

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm marrying you. Why do we need to wait for her?"