CHAPTER 2: YOU NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ME

Dexter replied, "Marry me."

Before Mercy could say another word, the man seized her parted lips in a fierce kiss, and the rest of her clothes were torn to shreds in an instant.

Before her consciousness faded completely, the last thing she saw was the bright crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The master bed had been shaking for half the night, only settling down as dawn approached.

The next morning, as the first light crept in, Mercy woke up feeling a bit dazed. She habitually threw off the covers to get out of bed, only to notice the scattered red marks on her skin.

Darn! It all came rushing back to her.

She had run into a scoundrel yesterday!

Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened almost immediately.

Mercy barely had time to wrap herself back in the blanket, leaving only her head peeking out.

She froze when she saw who it was.

The man from yesterday was now sitting in a wheelchair, looking a bit pale but still incredibly handsome.

Wait a minute, how dare he show up in front of her again? Wasn't he afraid she'd beat him up?

"You..."

"Get dressed first, then we can talk outside."

Before Mercy could say anything, the man gestured for someone to bring in several gift boxes and then turned to leave.

When Mercy emerged from the room, the man's eyes lit up as he sat by the coffee table.

Her long hair was slightly curled and she wore a stunning high-fashion piece from a top designer. Even without makeup, she was breathtaking.

She sat down on the sofa opposite him. The man introduced himself as Dexter.

"Sorry, I was drugged yesterday and acted rashly. Here is a marriage agreement. You're still young, so we can wait a couple of years to make it official. If there's anything else you want, I can make it up to you."

After some investigation, Dexter had found out that Mercy was only eighteen and had never been through something like this before. She must have been terrified yesterday.

For the first time, Dexter's usually cold heart felt a touch of warmth. But then his eyes turned icy again. Those people had tracked him down here. Did they really think he was done for? He couldn't wait to see their faces when they found out he married a girl with no background.

Mercy was taken aback. "Are you joking with me?"

"I'm serious," Dexter replied solemnly, then hesitated. "Or is it that you don't want to?"

Of course, who would want to marry a man in a wheelchair? As he thought about it, the slight warmth in his heart was encased in ice once more.

"Forget it. I'll give you some money. Name your price."

His expression turned cold again and the fleeting tenderness seemed like it had been Mercy's imagination.

"Wait, I just didn't process it right away," Mercy said thoughtfully. Better to take control of her own fate than be sold off. Besides, the headmistress... And this man was quite handsome. It wasn't a bad deal!

"Okay, I'll marry you!" Mercy grabbed the marriage agreement and quickly signed her name. agreement and quickly signed her name.

"But there's one more thing." She frowned slightly with disgust.

"Your arranged marriage partner? Don't worry, I'll handle it," Dexter said casually, as if the other person was just a minor annoyance.

"How did you know, Uncle?" Mercy was shocked.

Uncle?

Dexter was taken aback; no one had ever addressed him like that before. He had, of course, thoroughly investigated Mercy's background before making this decision. As someone who almost took control of the Walker family and the entire northern economy, even while recovering from a mysterious poison, he was under constant scrutiny and had to be cautious.

Dexter gazed at Mercy. "I want to know everything about you, my dear wife."

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his intense gaze, Mercy looked away. "Hey, can we keep our relationship a secret until I graduate? Getting married while still in college sounds a bit odd."

She didn't want to become the center of attention.

"Alright," Dexter nodded slightly and handed her a card. "Here's a million dollars for your pocket money. If you need more, just ask."

...

When Mercy was dropped off at home by Dexter's people, she walked in to find the Rivers couple sitting on the couch, ready to confront her.

"Mercy, you think you're all grown up now? Why did you even come back?" Callan slammed his teacup on the table, shouting angrily at her.

Mercy casually tossed a card she had just deposited money onto on the coffee table. "Here's a million dollars, the password is six zeros. This clears all the money I borrowed from you. From now on, I'll handle my own marriage decisions."

The orphanage director who raised Mercy from a young age was diagnosed with a terminal illness. To pay for her treatment, Mercy borrowed a million from her family, even signing an IOU, planning to repay it as soon as she earned enough money.

Unexpectedly, the Rivers family used this as leverage to force her into blind dates, suggesting that if she could secure an investment, the debt would be forgiven.

Michelle paused, then caught on quickly. "Where did you get that money? You didn't do anything illegal, did you? Don't drag us into trouble!"

Mercy let out a sarcastic laugh. "Relax, I just got lucky and won the lottery. Look at how scared you are."

The two were left speechless, mouths agape.

Without wasting more words on them, Mercy returned to her room in the Rivers household—a cramped servant's quarters. Next door was the laundry room, with the washing machine's rumble never ceasing.

Meanwhile, Zara lived in the master bedroom on the third floor, which also had a study, a gym, and a music room, but not a single extra room for Mercy.

Zara spent her days whining for her mom to buy her this and that, while Mercy had to cover her own tuition.

Even the servants knew who to curry favor with, treating people based on their status.

In this world, kindness is often mistaken for weakness, as people take advantage of the gentle-hearted.

...

During dinner, no one brought up the incident from the previous day.

"Sigh," Callan sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked with concern.

"I heard from Patricio that the heir of the Walker family from the capital has come to Linjiang City. If the Rivers family can collaborate with him, we wouldn't have to worry about Wilkins anymore!"

At the mention of the Walker family, Mercy paid a bit more attention.

"Dad, is it the Walker family that opened a branch in Linjiang City?" Zara mused.

"Yes, do you know them, Zara?" Callan asked, intrigued.

"I have a friend whose family seems to have dealings with the Walker family. Maybe I can ask him about it tomorrow?" Zara said confidently, as if the deal was already in the bag.

"Good, good! Zara, you're truly a good daughter, already helping your dad out," Callan beamed with pride.

Hmph, what friend? More like one of Zara's backup boyfriends, Mercy thought with a smirk.

"Mercy, what's so funny? Look at your sister, then look at yourself. You're always causing trouble and never doing anything useful!" Callan turned and shouted at Mercy.

Seeing Mercy get scolded made Zara feel so pleased she could eat two more bowls of food!

Feigning concern, she added, "Dad, don't be mad. It's not her fault that my sister doesn't know how to do anything."

"Hmph, useless! You should really learn more from your sister!" Callan was getting more upset the more she tried to appease him. Michelle just smiled warmly at Zara, not saying a word in defense of Mercy.