Chapter 1

Saul Grant sat in his wheelchair. Despite being extremely pale and weak, he was still the picture of power and authority. He lifted his chin and looked at Jason Grant, his son.

"This is Hazel Youngblood. She will be your stepmother from today onward."

As soon as he was done speaking, he started coughing so violently it sounded as if his lungs would fly out.

There was a loud crash.

Brianna Lewis stopped short before me with her huge, protruding belly, the plate of fruits falling from her hands and crashing onto the ground into a million pieces.

Her voice shook as her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Hazel? How's that possible? How could you marry my father-in-law? How dare you?"

I smiled gently and answered, "He wanted me, and I wanted him, so why wouldn't I dare? Didn't you also marry Jason after all?"

Brianna's eyes were filled with unshed tears. She held a hand to her heart and cried, "How's that the same? How could siblings marry into the same family, one to the son and one to the father?

"How would the Grants see us next time? How would they treat us if they knew? Have you even thought about how outsiders would make a joke out of us if they ever found out?"

I shook my head despite Saul's concerned eyes on me. "My last name is Youngblood, and your last name is Lewis. We don't even share the same last name, and there are no other living relatives of ours who would ever point us out.

"Nobody would ever know if you didn't tell them. They wouldn't even know we were siblings! Also…"

I kneeled down next to Saul's wheelchair and held his icy-cold hands in mine. "...Who are you to say that we aren't deeply in love with each other?"

"Haha!"

A mocking look appeared on Brianna's face, but Jason clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything else.

"Dad, don't fall for other people's tricks. She's nothing but a gold digger. She only married you because she has other ulterior motives!"

Saul narrowed his eyes at him and said faintly, "It's not like everyone close to me doesn't have any ulterior motives anyway."

"I don't—"

Jason wanted to retort instinctively. However, he gave up on the idea when he saw the look in his father's eyes.

Meanwhile, I calmly wheeled Saul up under Brianna's death glare.

…

I patiently fed Saul in his bedroom as he leaned back against the headboard.

"So, did you get close to me on purpose?"

"Why would you say that? I didn't even know Brianna was your daughter-in-law before today," I said. "I cut off all ties with her after our parents died."

Saul pushed my hands away and covered his mouth, coughing violently again. Then, his bright, sharp eyes bored into me.

"Hazel, I don't care if you have an ulterior motive or not. Whichever it is, we are now legally husband and wife. It just so happens that I don't like this daughter-in-law of mine anyway.

"She's rude, obnoxious, and doesn't know when to quit. Jason's behavior has become more and more unacceptable ever since she seduced him.

"As of now, you are her stepmother, so you should do something about her attitude. I'll take care of Jason."

I lowered my gaze and smiled gently at him. "Don't think too much about this. What's important now is nursing you back to health."

Saul held my hands. "Hazel, it's only after meeting you that I realized I'd been living the majority of my life in vain. I promise that I will give you a huge wedding ceremony as soon as I get better."

I just smiled and said nothing.

He had no idea that Brianna wasn't the only person I was planning to deal with.

…

I fed Saul as usual and helped him massage his legs. By the time I was done with his usual physiotherapy exercises, it was already late at night.

I waited until he was deep asleep before carefully closing the door behind me.

Brianna was waiting for me in the corner for goodness knows how long. She neared me with a dark look on her face.

"Divorce him at once and leave the Grant residence. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise, what? You'll kill me?" I asked, looking down at her coldly.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand a single word you said," Brianna replied with a frown. Her eyes flashed with a hint of unease.

"It's alright, Brianna. The old Hazel is dead. You should refer to me respectfully as your mother-in-law now.

"We can still be a big, happy family if you serve me well. Otherwise, I won't mind telling Jason about your little secrets. I can show him what a despicable woman his perfect little wife really is and what kinds of methods she uses to seduce other men."

Brianna took a few steps backward until she backed into the wall behind her. She kept shaking her head in denial.

"Shut up! I never did it! I don't know what you're talking about! You're framing me on purpose!"

One second later, her facial expressions changed. She frowned hard as she looked behind me with tears in her eyes.

"She's always been a liar! Honey, don't listen to her!"

Ah, so Jason was here. He'd heard the commotion and came out to the corridor some time ago. I didn't know when.

I had to admit that Brianna's skill of changing her attitude and emotions were very well polished. Her teary eyes indeed made her look very sad and pitiful.

No wonder she'd been able to stand out from among the throes of women who'd been after Jason.