Afraid that I might suffer after marrying into the Blackwell family, Dad offered up nearly half his wealth as my wedding gift, only for the Blackwell family to give me nearly three times the amount as gifts.Everyone in the Blackwell family showed me nothing but respect and warmth.I had thought that leaving the Langston family would leave me unsettled, maybe even aching with regret over the past.But slowly, all those memories—both joyful and painful—had been replaced by this new life. Now, even when I remembered them, it felt like someone else's story, no longer bothering me in the slightest.On the day I went to try on my wedding gown, I received a call from Mr. Langston Senior."Yvonne, we heard you're getting married. Is it true? My grandsons nearly lost their minds when they found out. They're just… They still feel guilty, you know. You—"Before he could finish, I spotted two familiar figures outside the shop's window.Our eyes met.Their faces were dark as they stared
I smoothed out the wrinkles in my gown caused by their interruption and said slowly, "You had too many women you wanted to marry. Joseph only chose me."Ever since Dad returned to Nautilis, the Blackwell family had extended an olive branch to him.At the time, I was still tangled up with the Langston brothers, so I rejected that offer without a second thought.But the news that the Blackwell family's heir wanted to marry me seemed to set off something.Suddenly, every family in Nautilis was scrambling to marry their eligible daughters into the Blackwell family.Many of those young women were better than me in every way.Strangely enough, the Blackwell family turned down every single one of them.Then, when I finally said yes, they accepted without hesitation.I didn't bother to ask why.From beginning to end, Joseph only ever chose me, unlike the Langston brothers, who wanted to build a home for every pretty woman they met.Shawn sneered, stepping right up to me."And yet yo
Shawn's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Joseph, "That woman standing next to you slept with us brothers for over a decade! She's used and ruined! And now the golden boy of the Blackwell family is marrying a used good? What a joke!"I turned to Joseph nervously and asked softly, "Do you believe him?He was quiet for a moment before pulling me into his arms. "I'm only afraid that you'll be hurt."Then, with a calm wave, he signaled the bodyguards to take care of the Langston brothers.Fists slammed into their guts, and they collapsed to the ground, howling for mercy.They could only act like tyrants in front of a sickly woman like me.In comparison, Joseph, who was standing beside me, held power over all of Nautilis, yet he remained humble and respectful, never needing to assert dominance over the weak to feel important.He lightly rested his arm around my waist as we walked out.He lowered his head and asked gently, "Did you finish the last round of medicine? I can have the
Lying in the hospital bed with a bunch of tubes attached to my body, I stared blankly at the ceiling.Shawn Langston, the younger of the Langston brothers, called.His voice came through the phone, thick with anger."Yvonne Sachman, where the hell have you been these past few days? You knew Queenie wasn't doing well, and you still faked being sick just to mess with her, didn't you? She hasn't been able to sleep for days and just got rushed to the hospital!"It was then followed by another voice—Nigel Langston, the older brother."Say something! Playing dead won't work unless you're actually dead. Otherwise, get over here right now and apologize to Queenie!"The monitors around me started beeping in warning as my emotions surged in that instant.Tears slipped down my cheeks.At that exact moment, a thought crossed my mind—perhaps I should have just died on my way to the hospital earlier.I was born with a weak constitution and have suffered from asthma since I was little. But t
A sharp sting shot through the back of my hand as cold liquid flowed into my veins via the IV. The nurse told me I needed another week of rest.One week…That was enough time for me to put my past behind me.Once discharged, I returned to the Langston residence.The moment I opened the door, a few heavy books flew straight at me and hit me square in the face.I stumbled back and tumbled down the front steps. In the process, my legs scraped against the jagged stones on the floor, staining the cold, hard ground with my blood.I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright, then looked up to see who it was.It was none other than Queenie. She was carrying a stack of books in her hands."Oh, you're back? Why didn't you say anything? It's all my fault for not noticing you earlier."She casually tossed the rest of the books beside me, some even smacking me right in the forehead.The rage inside me boiled over instantly.Those books were all medical collections that I painstakingly c
Back when I first arrived at the Langston residence, I was always quiet and withdrawn. Seeing that, Nigel gave me a little pet turtle as a gift.It was the one companion that stayed by my side through many long, lonely nights.Looking at those bite marks, it was, without a doubt, the handiwork of Queenie's stupid dog!Not only did it trigger my asthma, but it also killed my turtle.I resisted the urge to sniffle. Carefully, I wrapped my turtle's tiny body in a silk scarf and stormed out of the room with clenched teeth.Right then, I bumped straight into Nigel, who was walking upstairs with Queenie.The moment he saw the turtle in my hands, his eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise. However, it was quickly replaced with anger."Yvonne! What kind of doctor are you? You let an innocent life die just to throw a tantrum and spite us?"A cold smile tugged at my lips.After all these years, he should have known exactly what kind of person I was. But ever since Queenie showed up, ev
Shawn roared, "You still haven't apologized to Queenie! If you don't, don't expect to have a single peaceful day in Nautilis!"The look in his eyes was vicious—like he wanted to tear me apart. He was nothing like the boy who once made silly faces to cheer me up.But I'd always know who they really were.Nigel, the older brother, always had the polished charm of a gentleman—warm on the surface but ruthless underneath.Shawn, the younger brother, came off like a spoiled playboy, but in truth, he was just as cruel.Never in my life did I think they'd use those very tactics against me."I did nothing wrong. If you want to come after me, go ahead."I had nothing left to fear.They didn't need to chase me away. I would stay far away from them on my own. And as for the peaceful days he mentioned? I never had any to begin with.Shawn blocked my path.Nigel, meanwhile, descended the stairs. Seemingly out of guilt, his tone softened."Forget it. Yvonne got a kick to the stomach. She's
"You look terrible. I've always seen you as my granddaughter-in-law, but now you're going to marry into the Blackwell family. I just can't bear it!"I quickly reached out and held Mr. Langston Senior's hands. "Mr. Langston Senior, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."He let out a long sigh, his cloudy eyes filled with pain and heartbreak. "It's those two scoundrels' fault! No matter what happens from now on, I’ll see you as my granddaughter!"I sniffled and nodded quickly, trying my best not to cry. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a card, placing it gently on the table."Thank you for everything you've done for me all these years. The rest… I'll repay them someday."Mr. Langston Senior instantly flared up, slamming his cane hard against the floor."Scoundrels! Those little punks must've said something to you! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"He stood up shakily and shoved the card right back into my hands.Finally, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.Ov
Shawn's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Joseph, "That woman standing next to you slept with us brothers for over a decade! She's used and ruined! And now the golden boy of the Blackwell family is marrying a used good? What a joke!"I turned to Joseph nervously and asked softly, "Do you believe him?He was quiet for a moment before pulling me into his arms. "I'm only afraid that you'll be hurt."Then, with a calm wave, he signaled the bodyguards to take care of the Langston brothers.Fists slammed into their guts, and they collapsed to the ground, howling for mercy.They could only act like tyrants in front of a sickly woman like me.In comparison, Joseph, who was standing beside me, held power over all of Nautilis, yet he remained humble and respectful, never needing to assert dominance over the weak to feel important.He lightly rested his arm around my waist as we walked out.He lowered his head and asked gently, "Did you finish the last round of medicine? I can have the
I smoothed out the wrinkles in my gown caused by their interruption and said slowly, "You had too many women you wanted to marry. Joseph only chose me."Ever since Dad returned to Nautilis, the Blackwell family had extended an olive branch to him.At the time, I was still tangled up with the Langston brothers, so I rejected that offer without a second thought.But the news that the Blackwell family's heir wanted to marry me seemed to set off something.Suddenly, every family in Nautilis was scrambling to marry their eligible daughters into the Blackwell family.Many of those young women were better than me in every way.Strangely enough, the Blackwell family turned down every single one of them.Then, when I finally said yes, they accepted without hesitation.I didn't bother to ask why.From beginning to end, Joseph only ever chose me, unlike the Langston brothers, who wanted to build a home for every pretty woman they met.Shawn sneered, stepping right up to me."And yet yo
Afraid that I might suffer after marrying into the Blackwell family, Dad offered up nearly half his wealth as my wedding gift, only for the Blackwell family to give me nearly three times the amount as gifts.Everyone in the Blackwell family showed me nothing but respect and warmth.I had thought that leaving the Langston family would leave me unsettled, maybe even aching with regret over the past.But slowly, all those memories—both joyful and painful—had been replaced by this new life. Now, even when I remembered them, it felt like someone else's story, no longer bothering me in the slightest.On the day I went to try on my wedding gown, I received a call from Mr. Langston Senior."Yvonne, we heard you're getting married. Is it true? My grandsons nearly lost their minds when they found out. They're just… They still feel guilty, you know. You—"Before he could finish, I spotted two familiar figures outside the shop's window.Our eyes met.Their faces were dark as they stared
I looked at the marriage certificate and the massive diamond ring on my finger, then proceeded to block both the Langston brothers' numbers without hesitation.I posted a picture online with the caption, "Goodbye to the past. Officially married to a new start."Dad brought me a bowl of foul-smelling medicine, the kind that reeked of bitterness. Ever since I was discharged, he had been adamant that I take better care of my health."How did you let yourself end up like this? Thankfully, the Blackwells really like you. The wedding can be postponed, but your health is yours alone…"I said nothing and downed the medicine in one go.How could I even begin to explain all that happened with the Langston family? Telling him would only add to his pain.Without hope, there wouldn't be any despair.However, if someone gave you hope—only to snatch it away…Then the despair would be felt all the more strongly.I forced a smile through the lingering bitterness on my tongue."I know. I won't
"You look terrible. I've always seen you as my granddaughter-in-law, but now you're going to marry into the Blackwell family. I just can't bear it!"I quickly reached out and held Mr. Langston Senior's hands. "Mr. Langston Senior, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."He let out a long sigh, his cloudy eyes filled with pain and heartbreak. "It's those two scoundrels' fault! No matter what happens from now on, I’ll see you as my granddaughter!"I sniffled and nodded quickly, trying my best not to cry. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a card, placing it gently on the table."Thank you for everything you've done for me all these years. The rest… I'll repay them someday."Mr. Langston Senior instantly flared up, slamming his cane hard against the floor."Scoundrels! Those little punks must've said something to you! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"He stood up shakily and shoved the card right back into my hands.Finally, I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.Ov
Shawn roared, "You still haven't apologized to Queenie! If you don't, don't expect to have a single peaceful day in Nautilis!"The look in his eyes was vicious—like he wanted to tear me apart. He was nothing like the boy who once made silly faces to cheer me up.But I'd always know who they really were.Nigel, the older brother, always had the polished charm of a gentleman—warm on the surface but ruthless underneath.Shawn, the younger brother, came off like a spoiled playboy, but in truth, he was just as cruel.Never in my life did I think they'd use those very tactics against me."I did nothing wrong. If you want to come after me, go ahead."I had nothing left to fear.They didn't need to chase me away. I would stay far away from them on my own. And as for the peaceful days he mentioned? I never had any to begin with.Shawn blocked my path.Nigel, meanwhile, descended the stairs. Seemingly out of guilt, his tone softened."Forget it. Yvonne got a kick to the stomach. She's
Back when I first arrived at the Langston residence, I was always quiet and withdrawn. Seeing that, Nigel gave me a little pet turtle as a gift.It was the one companion that stayed by my side through many long, lonely nights.Looking at those bite marks, it was, without a doubt, the handiwork of Queenie's stupid dog!Not only did it trigger my asthma, but it also killed my turtle.I resisted the urge to sniffle. Carefully, I wrapped my turtle's tiny body in a silk scarf and stormed out of the room with clenched teeth.Right then, I bumped straight into Nigel, who was walking upstairs with Queenie.The moment he saw the turtle in my hands, his eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise. However, it was quickly replaced with anger."Yvonne! What kind of doctor are you? You let an innocent life die just to throw a tantrum and spite us?"A cold smile tugged at my lips.After all these years, he should have known exactly what kind of person I was. But ever since Queenie showed up, ev
A sharp sting shot through the back of my hand as cold liquid flowed into my veins via the IV. The nurse told me I needed another week of rest.One week…That was enough time for me to put my past behind me.Once discharged, I returned to the Langston residence.The moment I opened the door, a few heavy books flew straight at me and hit me square in the face.I stumbled back and tumbled down the front steps. In the process, my legs scraped against the jagged stones on the floor, staining the cold, hard ground with my blood.I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright, then looked up to see who it was.It was none other than Queenie. She was carrying a stack of books in her hands."Oh, you're back? Why didn't you say anything? It's all my fault for not noticing you earlier."She casually tossed the rest of the books beside me, some even smacking me right in the forehead.The rage inside me boiled over instantly.Those books were all medical collections that I painstakingly c
Lying in the hospital bed with a bunch of tubes attached to my body, I stared blankly at the ceiling.Shawn Langston, the younger of the Langston brothers, called.His voice came through the phone, thick with anger."Yvonne Sachman, where the hell have you been these past few days? You knew Queenie wasn't doing well, and you still faked being sick just to mess with her, didn't you? She hasn't been able to sleep for days and just got rushed to the hospital!"It was then followed by another voice—Nigel Langston, the older brother."Say something! Playing dead won't work unless you're actually dead. Otherwise, get over here right now and apologize to Queenie!"The monitors around me started beeping in warning as my emotions surged in that instant.Tears slipped down my cheeks.At that exact moment, a thought crossed my mind—perhaps I should have just died on my way to the hospital earlier.I was born with a weak constitution and have suffered from asthma since I was little. But t