The night before the wedding, my fiancée, Irene Stanley, tied me up with ropes and tossed me onto the bed of a mysterious, wealthy woman who was seventy years old.

"Chester just graduated," she said flatly, her tone cold. "He's too innocent, too naïve. He won’t be able to handle the torment from that old rich woman."

Irene paused, her expression unreadable, before continuing, "Gregory, I have no choice but to have you take his place and complete this transaction. Think of it as helping me repay a life-saving debt to Chester."

She smiled faintly, almost mockingly, then added, "Don’t worry, I’ll keep this secret."

Before I could protest, she shoved the pill into my mouth, turned off the lights, and walked out, not sparing me a second glance.

The following day, the whole internet was flooded with pictures of me and that old woman in bed.

Everyone mocked me, calling me desperate for sleeping with someone old enough to be my grandmother.

They said I was trash—worthless.

Right after that, Irene quickly called a press conference.

I thought she was going to clear my name.

But instead, she stood there, calm under the flashing lights, and said, "I’ve already talked to the Nicholsons. Gregory's marrying into the rich woman’s family, and I’m marrying his younger brother, Chester."

It felt like a lightning bolt struck me.

I was the one who helped Irene rise to power and become the business powerhouse she is today. And now she's throwing me away.

"Gregory," she said quietly afterward, her eyes glinting with triumph, "as long as you’re willing to stay by my side, without any titles, I’ll find a way to keep you from marrying into the family."

The press conference ended.

I locked eyes with Irene's proud gaze and shook my head firmly.

"I’ll marry that rich woman."

——

When Irene announced her engagement to my brother, Chester, I was stunned.

"Why lie?" I demanded. "He angered the wealthy woman and was forced to sleep with her! You drugged me and threw me onto her bed! You both know the truth. Why are you hiding it?”

Countless cameras flashed, all trained on my hysterical face, as if I were some circus animal throwing a tantrum.

Irene, however, remained calm. Her eyes turned toward me, and she casually asked, "Food can be eaten recklessly, but words can’t be spoken carelessly. Do you have proof?"

That one sentence left me speechless.

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

I remembered back to university when someone falsely accused me of stealing a girl’s underwear. They dragged me to the school playground, where all the students were encouraged to criticize me.

Back then, Irene, the school beauty, had courageously stepped forward to defend my innocence.

At the time, we exchanged no more than five words.

But from that day forward, she became my light. I fell for her deeply and chased her for three years.

Now, a similar scene but with a different outcome.

Right there, the reporters swarmed in with their questions.

"Why sleep with a seventy-year-old woman when you have such a beautiful girlfriend like Irene Stanley?"

"Gregory, is it that Miss Stanley can’t satisfy you, or do you have some peculiar fetish?"

"Are you really that desperate? You won’t even spare someone who could be your grandmother!"

Their words came to me one after another, like demonic whispers.

I glanced at Irene.

She still wore that calm expression, watching the scene unfold as if it had nothing to do with her.

"I’m the victim!" I threw the words out, clenched my teeth, and hurriedly left, retreating from their endless mockery.

With that, I went directly home, hoping my father would help me set things straight. Before my mother died, my father had cried and promised that he would protect me and that I would never be harmed.

As soon as I entered the house, Chester rushed over and knelt with a thud.

"Gregory, I’m sorry. You can hit me or scold me, just please don’t blame Irene or Dad. It’s all my fault. Please forgive me, okay?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped his own face.

I stood frozen, then noticed the glint of cunning in Chester’s eyes.

Before I could say anything, an angry voice came from behind me.

"Gregory!" Irene stormed in, her eyes blazing. "You're such a jerk, always acting tough at home, huh? You don’t have the guts to act outside, but you come home and bully Chester."

Irene forcefully pushed me away, stepping between me and Chester with her stunning eyes full of pure hatred. It was as if we had never loved each other, as if we were locked in an old, lasting feud.

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

One was my half-brother, who always showed me respect; the same brother who used to trail after me everywhere when we were kids.

The other was my fiancée, the woman I’d pursued relentlessly for three years and loved deeply for five.

Both of them had been the people I trusted the most in the world.

But now, they stood together with their fangs bared, exposing the betrayal they had been hiding.

“What’s going on here?”

At that moment, my father and stepmother, Rowena, slowly made their way down the stairs.

“Please don’t blame Gregory,” Chester hurriedly spoke up, his voice choked with emotion.

His act was so convincing that Irene immediately rushed to his defense.

“Uncle David, Auntie Rowena, it’s Gregory who’s been holding a grudge," she said. "He came home and forced Chester to kneel.”

But I hadn’t done a damn thing!

“Gregory, you bastard!”

Rowena burst into tears at the accusation.

She hurried over to help Chester to his feet, then turned around to scold me, “How can you bully someone younger than you like this? Are you trying to drive us to our graves?”

I looked at my father, silently hoping he would step in and bring some sense of justice. But to my shock, he walked over to me, his face stern, and slapped me hard across the cheek.

The blow left me dazed.

“Father...” I said hoarsely. “Aren’t you even going to ask what actually happened? Did you forget what Mom asked of you before she died?”

But he glared at me. “Shut up! Don’t you dare use your mother’s memory to guilt me, Gregory!”

Then, in a cold, steady voice, he continued, “Chester just graduated. As the eldest, do you really have the heart to ruin his future? Even Irene is willing to help Chester. Is it so hard for you to make a sacrifice for him? What’s the worst that could happen? Will it kill you?”

Three sentences, each like a sharp blade stabbing into my heart, twisting and turning, causing me to tremble with pain.

Irene nodded in agreement, making matters worse.

“As his older brother, Gregory, shouldn't you be more responsible? Besides, Chester is so kind. He risked his life to save me. Can’t you stop being unreasonable?”

Why should I be the one to repay her debts?

When have I ever caused trouble?

My father always emphasized the importance of family staying united and encouraged me to be more considerate towards Chester. Therefore, during times when my father was working hard to grow his business and our family faced financial difficulties, I consistently gave Chester the better share.

I wore the same clothes for years while Chester got new ones every year.

When we both liked the same phone, I gave it to him without hesitation.

There were countless situations just like that.

Even when Rowena showed blatant favoritism, I never complained to my father. I didn’t want to increase his stress.

Irene knew all of this. She used to say she felt heartbroken for me and promised to take care of me.

But now, everything had changed.

"Even though I'm marrying Chester," Irene said, her tone calm and decisive, "and you're marrying into the rich woman's family, we can still have a close connection."

A non-romantic love?

Separate body and soul?

Irene really had a talent for cruelty.

She was practically grinding my face into the dirt.

Did they really take me for a fool?

I could only laugh bitterly in my rage, my body tense with anger.

Speechless, I felt a lump form in my throat. The longer I stayed, the more disgusted I grew.

So, I turned and walked away, leaving them behind.

Behind me, I heard Chester’s feigned, sympathetic voice. "Aren't we being too harsh on Gregory?"

Irene sighed, her voice dripping with false sincerity. “We’ll figure out a way to make it up to him later.”

Make it up to me?

Forget it.

I don’t want this pity!

The light rain outside dampened my face, making me look even more disheveled. I wiped the water from my forehead and kept walking, my mind cloudy with frustration. Suddenly, a limited edition Rolls-Royce pulled up beside me, its sleek black exterior shining in the rain.

A maid stepped out, holding an umbrella.

“Mr. Nicholson, I’m Ms. Livingstone’s housekeeper. She would like to invite you for a drink,” she said.

Ms. Livingstone... She was seventy years old and still insisting on being called 'Miss?'

Ridiculous!

Before I could even speak to refuse, several burly bodyguards rushed over, covered my mouth, and forcefully dragged me into the car.

I struggled, but my vision began to blur, and shortly after, I lost consciousness.

When I finally woke up, I realized I was completely naked.

Panic flooded through me, my heart pounding in my chest.

Standing in front of me was a seventy-year-old woman, her wide smile as she assessed me. She looked just like the rich old woman from the intimate photos that had circulated in the media.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

'It’s over. Don’t tell me… it happened again. What a damned miserable life!'

“Not bad! Not bad at all!” she chirped. “You’ve got a fine, strong body, young man.”

Then, she gave me a thumbs-up and turned to the maid and instructed, “Get this young man a new outfit and send him to his new place."

After that, the old woman added, “And make sure the Nicholsons know. The engagement party’s happening the day after tomorrow. I’ll be inviting all the local elites.”

With that, she turned and walked off.

The maid rushed to get me dressed and pushed me into the car.

Through the tinted windows, I caught a glimpse of the old woman and a young girl in the living room, both looking at me. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

"Unbelievable," I muttered. "A woman her age still trying to seduce younger guys, and right in front of her granddaughter, no less?"

The car suddenly came to a stop. The bodyguards in the front and passenger seats turned to look at me, their faces showing shock and uncertainty.

I froze, instinctively shutting my mouth.

I didn’t want to end up in the ocean, feeding the fish, simply because of their impulsiveness.

When we finally arrived at the place, I was stunned.

It was a huge manor, ten times larger than my family’s villa.

Everywhere I looked, I saw gardenias—my favorite flower—planted all around.

I hadn’t been there long when Irene arrived, walking in with a frown of disgust.

“Well, Gregory,” she said, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction, “You looked like you were on the verge of death earlier, but now you’re living in a manor prepared by the old woman. I can’t believe I wasted my time trying to come up with a plan to help you avoid all this.”

I honestly couldn't believe she had the nerve to say such things.

She spoke as if she were the one who had been wronged, as if I hadn’t been humiliated, betrayed, and forced into this nightmare.

“What kind of plan did you come up with?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my anger.

“As long as you’re willing to stay by my side without any title,” Irene began, her voice lowering, “I can hide you away. I’ll erase your identity, and no one will be able to find you.”

Then, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, that familiar, calculating smile. “But the condition is, you must transfer your company shares to Chester.”

A dull ache formed in my chest.

So, that was her big plan to keep me locked up and owned, with nothing of my own. Or this was another way to help Chester get the company shares.

“How about it? Are you satisfied?” Irene’s smile grew wider as she handed me an agreement. “Sign this, and the three of us can live happily together.”

Her eyes revealed no guilt, only a desire for control.

I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and swiped the agreement off the table, knocking it into the air.

Under Irene’s surprised gaze, I said clearly, word by word, “I’m willing to marry the rich woman."

“What?” Irene was stunned, her mouth opening and closing as she processed my firm response.

Then, a knowing smile spread across her face, as if she had seen through everything.

“Oh, come on. I know you better than that,” Irene said. “You only get one chance. Don’t throw it away out of spite.”

Her confidence was nearly laughable. She still believed I was stuck deep in my love for her and still saw me as her obedient fool.

But my heart was already dead. I had nothing left to lose.

Before I could respond, my father and Chester arrived.

“You ungrateful bastard!”

My father’s face contorted with anger as he delivered a hard kick to my stomach.