Chapter 3
Theodore and I weren’t actually in an arranged marriage.
I met him in high school.
Back then, my parents had already arranged a marriage partner for me–Alexander Thompson, heir to the Thompson family of Washington.
But I didn’t want to marry him, because my parents were the product of a marriage of convenience.
Since childhood, I watched them act lovingly in front of others, but privately they each brought their lovers home.
The few times they were both home together, there were endless arguments and mutual accusations.
I despised this hypocritical, broken family dynamic, so strongly resisted arranged marriage.
In our junior year that fall, Theodore sat behind me.
When I was at my lowest emotionally, he approached me like a happy little puppy.
Accepting his confession felt completely natural.
We were together from our student days right up until we were
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preparing to get married. We even returned to our alma mater together recently to give speeches–we were the couple everyone envied.
Everyone said we were the real–life version of a sweet campus love story. I basked in everyone’s envy, thinking I had found true love.
But what I didn’t know was that the person I thought would never betray me had somehow gotten a mistress.
In the videos, Isla sweetly called him “honey” and posted content about “daily life with my sugar daddy.” Many viewers even urged her to post more updates.
Theodore would hold her and film popular dance trends with her.
Though his face never appeared on camera, I could tell he was enjoying himself.
Every business trip he claimed to take, he brought Isla along.
Countless nights when I thought he was working overtime, he was actually at another woman’s tender refuge.
Once I told Theodore not to work so hard.
He replied, “I want to earn your parents‘ respect, and I want to make more money to give you a wedding that everyone will
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envy.”
&
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Five minutes before the “accident,” Theodore sent me a message: [No matter what happens, I will always love you.]
Every time I read that text, I cry.
But it all shattered like a soap bubble.
[Theodore had already planned his explanation for after faking his death. He would say he was swept downstream and rescued by a family, and that he had lost his memory.]
[The key thing is that Chloe actually believed it when she heard this, chose to marry him, and then began a life of suffering. In the end, she died of depression after repeatedly forgiving Theodore. How are there still authors writing this kind of story that abuses women?]
[But now the plot has suddenly changed. Chloe found out the truth early. I hope she won’t follow the same old path.]
I went downstairs to the first floor.
Seeing me come down, Theodore’s mother Naomi Lopez, who was sitting on the living room sofa, glared at me with her red, swollen eyes from crying.
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She cursed: “If you hadn’t urged my son to come back, he wouldn’t have driven into the river. You’re the one who killed
my son.”
Theodore had originally been on a business trip out of town. The day after his “accident” was when we had scheduled to try on wedding dresses, and he had driven into the river on his way back that night.
When I first learned of Theodore’s death, I suppressed my grief and went to comfort Naomi first. But she pushed me away and cursed: “It’s you, you jinx, who killed my son.”
[A blessed girl wouldn’t enter an unlucky family. Chloe, you should run away while you’re still not married.]
[She won’t run. A few days ago, when Theodore’s mom called her a jinx, she felt so guilty and took all the blame on herself. After being bullied by this old woman, she’ll continue to be bullied by Theodore when he fakes his return from the dead.]
Naomi and I never got along. Before Theodore’s accident, he promised me that after marriage, we wouldn’t live with her.
But these past few days, out of guilt, I let Naomi take her anger
out on me.
Now, however, I found her clutching Theodore’s portrait looked ridiculously like a clown.
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I don’t know what came over me, but I laughed out loud.
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Naomi immediately became furious and demanded: “What are you laughing at?”
She stood up, ready to rush over and slap me.
Micah quickly rushed over to stop her: “Mrs. Lopez, please don’t be angry. Chloe is overwhelmed with grief and isn’t in a good mental state. Please don’t hold it against her.”
Gabriel also tried to mediate: “Chloe, you should apologize to Mrs. Lopez.”
I slowly walked over to Naomi.
Naomi thought I was going to appease her, so she turned her head away in disgust. She also said: “No matter what you say, I’ll never forgive you. You and my son were only engaged, not married yet. Don’t even think about getting any of his inheritance.”
But I simply bent down and whispered in her ear: “Your son deserved to die. When are you going to join him, you old hag?”
She clutched her chest in rage and fell back onto the sofa.
[The old hag is about to be angered to death. I’m cheering for Chloe! I want to see who dares to mess with her.]
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[So satisfying! Chloe won’t coddle her anymore.]
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A group of relatives panicked and all rushed over to surround Naomi.
With trembling hands, she pointed at me and shouted: “She really did kill my son. Gabriel, call the police and arrest her.”
[Theodore’s mother has really lost it. No wonder she could raise such a bastard son.]
[Chloe has pulled herself together. I’m so happy.]
[I hope Chloe has truly awakened. I’m so worried that when Theodore comes back later, she’ll immediately give in.]
With tears in my eyes, I said: “Since Mrs. Lopez hates me so much, I can only move out of the Lopez house.”
Gabriel said: “Chloe, don’t do this.”
I said: “Enough. Stop trying to persuade me. My being here will only make her more heartbroken. I’ve already decided to move out.”
Gabriel and Micah exchanged glances. Clearly, this situation was something they hadn’t anticipated.
Then Gabriel walked to a corner to text Theodore.
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Theodore replied: [That’s just how my mom is. It wasn’t easy for her to raise me. Please ask Chloe to be more understanding.]
Gabriel: [But your mom keeps yelling at her. She’s determined to move out.]
Theodore: [Then let her move. I can easily get her to move back when the time comes anyway.]
Gabriel: [Alright. I won’t try to talk her out of it then.]
Of course, I had no idea what they were discussing.
But thanks to the real–time comments, I knew the content of their conversation.
I packed up my belongings from the bedroom.
My good friend Stella Thompson helped me call a moving company.
“Chloe, are you really okay?” she asked me carefully.
Stella had seen me crying heartbrokenly a few days ago.
“I’m fine.” I shook my head. “I just want to find a suitable place quickly and move out.”
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Stella suddenly thought of something. “Alexander has an apartment. After he went abroad, he hasn’t lived there for a long time. Why don’t you move there temporarily? You can move out again once you find a suitable place.”
The comments in front of me suddenly increased.
[Our dark and obsessive villain Alexander with feminine energy is finally going to appear. Too bad the original text doesn’t describe much of his storyline. But honestly, I quite like his character design.]
[The message he sent to Chloe, she still hasn’t replied to this day. His darkness level has increased a lot again.]
I thought: “Villain? Alexander?”
I didn’t even have his WhatsApp, only his Facebook that I’d added back in high school.
And his Facebook account seemed to have been hacked, sending me a link every month or two.
I was afraid of viruses, so I never clicked on them and even set his messages to “do not disturb.”
So I had ignored the message he sent me a week ago: [Do you need help?]
That night, news of the rescue team’s full effort to recover
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Theodore spread throughout Washington.
The video of me crying during the interview went viral on TikTok.
Many people felt sorry that Theodore had died so young and expressed sympathy for me.
Alexander’s message was sent that very day.
I hadn’t seen the message, so naturally I didn’t reply to him.
After thinking it over, I politely replied: [No need. Thank you.]
Alexander instantly replied: [Okay.]
I remembered the day Theodore confessed to me.
He asked me to meet him in the woods next to the academic building. The wind was particularly strong that day.
As I brushed away the hair covering my cheek, I saw Alexander on the academic building.
He stood at the end of the corridor, hands casually resting on the railing, with thick eyebrows and deep–set eyes, quietly watching me.
I looked at him, then lowered my head and smiled as I said to Theodore: “Okay.”
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It wasn’t until Theodore kissed my cheek that I looked up again, only to find the young man at the end of the corridor had disappeared.
Only the tree branches swayed violently in the wind.
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