Everyone said I only accepted the engagement because my brother couldn't do it due to his current condition. No matter how many times I flirted with his fiancée, Vincenza Bernadotte kept rejecting me. Her hands would twist the rosary beads. She didn't even want to touch the corner of my coat.

It wasn't until that night that I witnessed her kneeling in front of Bartholomew Osborne's hospital bed with my own eyes. She held my brother’s hand, who was still in a vegetative state. She placed Bartholomew’s hand on her chest. I could hear that her voice was hoarse.

“Bartholomew, you have to know that I'm willing to agree to marry your brother just so I can come see you every day.”

The next day, I cancelled the engagement immediately after the woman’s confession yesterday.

I suddenly said, “I'm not marrying Vincenza Bernadotte, Mom, but I will marry Liewellyn Martinez.”

My mom was shocked and shouted, “Patrick! Did you know that Liewellyn was kidnapped by another family a few years ago? Because of that accident, her uterus was removed. She will never be able to have a child in her life!”

I was not disheartened. “Mom, it doesn't matter who I marry.

——

I still won’t marry Vincenza, but I'm marrying Liewellyn, okay?”

I put down the teacup in my hand. My voice was very light but also very firm. On the other hand, my mom's face changed drastically. She grabbed my hand tightly.

“Patrick, hold on! Are you crazy? That Liewellyn was three years ago…”

She lowered her voice. My mom leaned close to my ear and whispered, “She was kidnapped by her family's enemy. They take out the uterus. In this life, you will never have a child, Patrick. She will never be able to have children in this life.”

“Moreover, I heard that her character became especially terrible after being kidnapped. She always shouts about war and killing. If you marry her, isn’t that the same as a death sentence waiting for you in the future?”

I gently drew my hand back and revealed a bitter smile. “Mom, it doesn’t matter who I marry now. Besides…”

I pointed towards the living room. “Do you think we can reject the Martinez Family in this situation?”

My dad was pouring tea for two men in suits with a big smile on his face in the living room.

“It's a great blessing to my family that the Martinez Family’s eldest daughter thinks highly of my family! It's a big honour for us. But my eldest son is in a coma right now and my second son has already engaged with the Bernadotte Family.”

The man who was sitting in the main seat slowly put down his coffee cup. “I think the engagement is just an engagement, just cancel it.”

My dad rubbed his hands together. The fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead. Indeed, the Martinez Family was extremely powerful; their reputation in the Liechtenstein circle was truly not to be underestimated at all.

The man suddenly said, “If Mr. Patrick accepts this engagement, our Martinez Family is willing to give out a six-petal crystal heirloom flower as a betrothal gift. I heard that this medicine has a miraculous effect on vegetative patients.”

I saw my dad's eyes light up instantly when he heard about the medicine for my brother.

“Okay, I accept this engagement!”

I suddenly stood up. My voice was so loud that everyone looked shocked. I thought that in this way, my marriage with the Martinez Family would be released soon.

After the envoy from the Martinez Family left, my father frowned. He then asked me, “Patrick, haven't you always liked Vincenza before? Why did you suddenly change your mind like this?”

I didn't answer my dad’s question. I chose to turn around to go back to my room.

Ever since my brother turned into a vegetative person. Everyone said that I was the one who snatched the engagement that he couldn't do at the moment.

I had liked Vincenza for ten whole years, but she was always cold to me. After my brother got into trouble, his engagement ended up being between me and Vincenza. I didn't care if people said I had no self-respect and took this engagement for granted.

I happily moved into her house as her legal fiancé. I wanted to take care of her. I thought that she might eventually come to love me slowly and honestly.

But no matter how many times I looked at her affectionately, she just looked at me indifferently and then turned away. Until last night, I ghostly followed her out of our house. She went to the hospital.

I would forget this scene. She knelt in front of Bartholomew’s bed. Her body was trembling. She pressed Bartholomew's hand to her chest. Her hoarse voice whispered in his ear. Her face and ears became red.

“Bartholomew, I agreed to marry your brother just so I can come to see you every day like this.”

At that moment, I realised that my ten years of infatuation were nothing but a joke.

The Martinez Family's miraculous medicine was truly magical. Within three days, Bartholomew woke up. My dad was so happy that he wanted to hold a banquet for himself.

I stood outside the hospital room. I just watched the medical staff coming in and out of my brother's room. At that moment, I deleted and changed Vincenza’s contact name on my cell phone.

I then sent her a message.

Patrick: [There is a banquet at home tonight. Are you coming?]

The message, as usual, was just ignored by him like a stone thrown into the deep sea.

Until an hour before the banquet began, I finally couldn't help but dial the phone.

Her cold and detached voice came from the receiver, “I’m busy and want to be alone right now. Is there something wrong?”

“My brother, he is awake,” I said softly.

“Snapped!”

The sound of rosary beads falling to the floor suddenly came from the other end of the phone. Her breathing was obviously messed up after hearing my words.

“I will go now.”

See, as long as I told her about my brother, even the purest Christian woman like her would go back on her words. After hanging up the phone, I had just walked to the stairway.

I then saw Bartholomew wearing a suit that was originally made especially for me by my best friend. Now he was busy chatting and laughing among the crowd.

“Patrick, you won't mind if your brother wears your suit, right?”

Bartholomew raised the wine glass in his hand. “I just woke up. So, I don't have time to buy new clothes.”

My mom carefully pulled me and whispered, “Your brother has just recovered from his illness. You can let him wear it, right?”

I forced a smile. “Yes, of course I don't mind at all.”

When I turned around, I heard Bartholomew say to his friend, “This suit will fit me better, right? Patrick, who was as thin as a telephone pole, would not have fit into this.”

I went back to my room in silence. I then changed my clothes into a simple set of clothes.

My dad stood in the middle of the banquet hall with a red face. “My eldest son, Bartholomew, has woken up. From today, Bartholomew Osborne officially takes over the Osborne Family company!”

The guests applauded. Bartholomew smiled at everyone.

 “Thank you, Dad. I will definitely run the company well.”

“What about his second son?” Someone in the corner asked.

My dad seemed to have just remembered my existence. “There is a small store in the south of the city that I’m going to give to him.”

Bartholomew suddenly exclaimed, “Dad! Isn’t that store going to be used to open a small bar? The last time I went there, I already asked someone to draw the design of the room and the concept of the bar.”

My dad immediately changed his plan and said, “What I meant earlier was the shop in the north of Liechtenstein.”

I clenched the wine glass in my hand and casually said, “No need, Dad. I don't need it at all.”

My dad has always favoured his eldest son. Although my mom was legally married to him, she lived like a shadow. With just one look from Bartholomew, my dad would immediately give everything to him.

I had seen my mom cry silently in the middle of the night. I had also seen her smile when scolded by them. My mom could not even speak firmly in front of my dad.

When the banquet had entered its event, the butler suddenly announced something in a loud voice, “Mrs. Vincenza has arrived!”

Vincenza walked in with a long blue dress. She was followed by two servants carrying a gift box. The servants opened the gift box. There was a certificate of ownership for a resort inside the box.

“Congratulations to Mr. Bartholomew on his recovery.”

“This is too expensive.”

Bartholomew initially pretended to refuse. But he continued to hold the property certificate in his hand. Instantly, the entire room was in an uproar.

“It seems that the engagement will soon return to the original plan, which is to be carried out with the person it should be.”

“Yes, Miss Vincenza was originally the fiancée of the eldest son of the Osborne Family. It is only natural that everything returns to its original owner now.”

“I guess the second son is embarrassed now.”

I walked to the balcony alone. The night wind that blew could not dispel the irritation in my heart. Footsteps suddenly came from behind me.

“Are you feeling very sad?”

Bartholomew came in holding a shaking champagne glass. A bright smile hung at the corner of his mouth.

“During the time I was in a coma, you had a good time, didn't you? I heard from what Dad said that it was the Martinez Family that gave the medicine. But don't expect me to be grateful to you.”

“Remember it clearly, Patrick, you only deserve to live only in my shadow forever.”

He leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Just like when we were children, you can only pick up toys that I'm tired of playing with.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly raised his hand and splashed all the champagne on my face.

“AH!”

A shout that managed to attract everyone's attention. Before I could react, Vincenza had already rushed over. She pushed me away fiercely.

“What are you doing?”

I stumbled. I accidentally bumped into the dining table behind me. Instantly, the cups and plates shattered all over the floor. The sharp shards cut my calf.

I looked up to see the chaos. Instead, I was met with the gazes of the guests who were either sarcastic or sympathetic towards me.

“Patrick, what made you go crazy like this?”

My dad's face was livid. On the other hand, my mom hid behind the crowd. She did not dare to look at me. Meanwhile, Bartholomew was being held aside by Vincenza. The man smiled at me arrogantly.

There was a strong sense of disgust in Vincanza's eyes as he looked at me. My eyes couldn't bear to see all this. I chose to immediately turn around and leave them.

I stepped on shards of glass as I turned around, but I still had to straighten my back to prevent anyone from seeing my embarrassment. I found my friend, Theodore Hemerford, among the guests. I stayed at his house for a few days.

After hearing everything I said, Theodore was so angry that he started to curse, “Even if Vincenza, the most beautiful girl in the whole city, doesn't want you, you don't have to marry that crazy woman from the Martinez Family!”

“You paid so much for Bartholomew, but Vincenza didn't even have a thank you. What kind of a Christian woman is that? She is simply…”

Theodore was suddenly silenced. At the entrance of the gallery, Vincenza carefully put her arm around Bartholomew.

They walked in together. Bartholomew was wearing a casual suit. He looked exceptionally handsome.

“This painting is good!”

He suddenly pointed at the painting in front of us. Vincenza immediately gave a signal to the staff in the gallery.

“We will take this painting.”

Theodore immediately stood in front of them and said, “What do you mean? We saw it first!”

Bartholomew's expression was somewhat unhappy. I said coldly, “Never mind, just give it to them.”

“On what grounds?” Theodore was shaking with anger.

I pulled his hand. “Let's go, I don't really like that painting anymore.”

Throughout the afternoon, Bartholomew followed us like a shadow. In the end, all the paintings in the gallery were bought by Vincenza.

Just as we were about to leave, the crystal chandelier suddenly crashed down. A child was standing under the crystal chandelier.

In the nick of time, I rushed over and pushed the frightened child away from there. At the moment of severe pain, I saw Vincenza's hesitant steps approaching me.

“Vincenza.”

Bartholomew suddenly pulled Vincenza somewhat weakly. “I don't seem to be feeling well. Can we get out of here now?”

Vincenza supported Bartholomew. They turned away without hesitation.

When I woke up again, Theodore cursed with red eyes. “Vincenza! She is a cruel woman!”

I turned on my cell phone with a pale face. On the Instagram account, a photo appeared of Bartholomew accompanying Vincenza to see flowers in the city park.

“Don't be angry, Theodore.”

I said softly, “Have you forgotten? The person I am going to marry is Liewellyn.”

He was even more angry after hearing what I said. In order not to let my mom worry about me, I lied to her that I went on a trip. But in fact, I was alone in the hospital for three days.

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, Vincenza actually took the initiative to contact me. She asked to meet at the most expensive restaurant in the city centre.

She pushed a very beautiful gift box. There was a scarf inside.

“I will fulfil the engagement, as long as you stop targeting Bartholomew.”

I laughed at myself. “No need, it was originally my brother's engagement with you.”

“Bartholomew was not feeling well that day,” she explained for the first time.

Before she finished speaking, Bartholomew walked over in big steps. He was wearing the latest watch from a certain brand in his hand. The scarf, however, was just a bonus item that was given to him when he bought the watch.

“Patrick.”

He pulled Vincenza's hand affectionately. “I especially asked Vincenza to pick out a gift for you. Do you like it?”

The watch on his wrist pierced my eyes. I forced a smile and left them.

When I got home, I saw my mom limping down the stairs. I immediately went to her.

“Mom!”

I rushed over to help her. I then accidentally found a bruise on her wrist.

“Did Bartholomew push you again?” I couldn't stop my voice from shaking.

Over the years, Bartholomew had always scolded my mom. He treated my mom as a mistress. He even dared to hit her, even though my mom married his dad after his biological mom passed away.