Chapter 2

“The old man has no heirs. Iris, you should quickly get pregnant, give him a child, and then after a few years when he's gone, you'll inherit everything. Instant millionaire!”

He said, still shaking his head with a "tsk."

“Her father played this perfectly! I was just mentally cursing him for selling his daughter for money, but it seems I was wrong.”

Vivian looked at me with feigned pity.

“Iris, why do you have to sacrifice yourself like this? Even if the Sterling family gets richer, you won’t be happy!”

“Or rather, are you really after the billionaire’s fortune?”

She tilted her head, gazing softly at Ronnie.

“If it were me, maybe I’m just not ambitious enough, but I would never give up love for money.”

Ronnie returned a doting smile, but when he turned to me, his face instantly hardened.

“It’s not that *you’re* not ambitious enough. It’s that some people have too much ambition; they’re never satisfied.”

My throat tightened.

But the truth was, Dad had only gone to meet the Hayes family yesterday to discuss business, and today, the news of the arranged marriage broke.

I called him countless times, but he kept hanging up.

When I was completely at a loss, these so-called childhood best friends came to mock me.

Who did they think they were?

“Yes! I’m ambitious! I’m vain! I’m not content just being a minor Sterling. I want to be the billionaire’s wife, and I’ll pay any price!”

“What’s love? Anyone who stands in my way, I’ll kick them aside, including all of you!”

I looked at Vivian, sneering.

“You hastily rounded these guys up. Have you had enough of watching my humiliation? Can you all just leave now?”

“Heh.”

Alex let out a cold laugh, then stood up and walked away.

Noah followed, sighing dramatically and looking back every few steps.

Vivian’s eyes were red.

“Iris, I didn’t know you thought of me so badly.”

“I’m sorry, I meddled where I shouldn’t have and almost messed up your marriage.”

Finally, only Ronnie remained frozen. He grabbed my hand.

“The arranged marriage must be Uncle Sterling’s decision, right? If you don’t want it, I can go with you to beg him.”

Begging him would help?

Years ago, I knelt before him, begging until my knees ached, but didn't he still divorce Mom?

Looking at the concern in his eyes, I suddenly felt confused.

“Ronnie, marry me…”

Just a fake marriage, we’d divorce after a year.

The next second, he brutally pushed me away.

My lower back hit the table corner hard, and I doubled over in pain.

Ronnie’s voice fell from above, cold and steady.

“Iris, from the first moment I saw Vivian, my heart was set on her. For you, there was never anything like that.”

“I’ve always just seen you as a friend, a sister I needed to look after. I’m sorry, I can’t marry you.”

I pursed my lips.

“Not even a fake marriage?”

“No, I can’t let Vivian, in the future, be gossiped about for marrying a man who’s been married twice.”

He paused, then seemed to soften.

“I can convince Noah to marry you. He has a slight crush on you… Alex, though he has a sharp tongue, has a soft heart; maybe he could…”

He said something else, but I didn’t want to hear it anymore.

Tears blurred my vision. I stumbled out of the house, and only when I reached Mom’s grave did I finally cry out loud.

“Mom, I’m getting married.”

“It’s not Ronnie. It’s a sixty-year-old man, even older than you.”

My throat tightened, and I forced a smile.

“At least at his age, he won’t cheat and raise an illegitimate daughter like Dad did, right?”

My phone vibrated. Someone added me as a friend.

“Hello, Ms. Sterling, I’m your fiancé.”

Looking at the animated, comic-book-character avatar, I replied.

“Mr. Hayes, you have a very youthful spirit.”

The other party quickly sent a laughing-crying emoji.

“Actually, I’m not that old. Just a bit older than you, Ms. Sterling.”