"Abandoned by her mother the night she was born, Layla was taken in and raised by her grandmother in the countryside. Her life was peaceful and uneventful until one day, right before she turned twenty, a group of men came to her home and told her about her true identity. It turned out that she was the daughter of the wealthy Reed family, and her parents suddenly wanted to take her back. She thought that they were going to make up for lost time, but to her horror, they only wanted her back for one reason: for her to marry a disabled man instead of Sandra, their other daughter. They even went so far as to use her vulnerable grandmother as a bargaining chip to force her. Clark was the heir of the powerful Smith family, but his family was on the brink of bankruptcy. As if that wasn't enough, thanks to a car accident, the grumpy man was now also wheelchair-bound. Desperate to get out of this plight, he married Layla. However, on their wedding night, Clack and Layla signed an agreement, agreeing to get divorced after two years. Would this marriage really last two years? Would Clark find out that his wife was not a rich pampered princess but a simple country girl? Between her persistent pursuer and her cold husband, who would Layla choose?"
The ornately decorated wedding car trundled into a quiet villa alone. It was supposed to be a happy day, filled with fun and laughter. But the atmosphere was depressing as a funeral.
Layla Reed looked ahead, with her chin held high, her back straight, trying to look strong and confident. She recalled what her mother, Alina Wallace, had told her before she got in the wedding car. "If you bring any shame or disgrace to the Reed family, I will drive that old woman out of the hospital."
Alina was referring to Layla's grandmother. Although Layla knew she and her grandma weren't related by blood, she still loved the woman with all her heart.
A month ago, Layla was just a country girl.
One day, a group of men in black brought the police to Layla's house, saying she was the daughter of the Reed family who had gone missing for many years. Someone had mistakenly taken Layla away after she was born. Now, her parents found out the truth and wanted to take Layla back.
Layla had always yearned to meet her parents and experience their love and care. Thinking that God had finally heard her prayers, Layla followed the men to the Reed family's villa. However, her heart sank with disappointment when she saw her biological parents, Alina and Jim Reed.
"Is this the child?" Alina looked her up and down, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "Gosh, look at her skin. It's terrible. Give her a facial."
The servants immediately took Layla to a room for beauty treatments. The cozy bed and the relaxing massage made her sleepy. Just as her eyes closed and she was about to fall asleep, she heard the servants whispering to each other.
"Is this the country girl, who is going to get married on behalf of Miss Sandra Reed?"
"Yes. That's sad. I heard the eldest son of the Smith family is a cripple and has a bad temper. Now, the Smith family is on the verge of bankruptcy. They are borrowing money everywhere. Mrs. Reed doesn't want Miss Sandra Reed to suffer, so she has brought the country girl back to marry him. She is the substitute bride."
"I heard Miss Reed is in love with the eldest son of the Lawrence family. Is that true? Then, why didn't Mr. Reed cancel the engagement right away?" one of the servants asked.
"Are you silly? Mr. Reed values people's opinions of him above everything else. Why would he call off the engagement and make a fool of himself?"
Layla's eyes sprang open. A sense of betrayal resided in the pit of her stomach. Anger surged through her veins. She quickly stood up and walked toward the door.
She wanted to go back to her hometown. This place was not her home. They were not her parents! They regarded her as a substitute. Nothing else.
Unexpectedly, just as she stepped out of the room, she saw Alina standing at the door. As if she had anticipated such a reaction from Layla, Alina threw a diagnosis report at her.
"Take a look at this."
Layla frowned and picked it up. Her heart ached when she saw the name on it.
It was her grandma. She was diagnosed with primary myocardial infarction. It was already in the advanced stage. The estimated cost of the operation was five hundred thousand dollars. Layla froze. Where would she get so much money?
"If you marry into the Smith family on behalf of Sandra, I will pay for the old woman's treatment."
This woman, who claimed to be Layla's biological mother, didn't even bother pretending to be nice to her. She instantly proposed a deal, firmly believing that Layla would do anything to stop her grandmother from dying.
"Mrs. Smith, here we are."
The wedding car stopped, and the driver's voice snapped Layla from her thoughts.
"Okay."
She hurriedly grasped the hemline of her wedding dress and ducked out of the car. Unfortunately, she hit the car's roof. She looked up and saw the servants eyeing her with mockery. Loosening her grip on the hemline, she glared at them, took a deep breath, and strode forward.
Just then, her sharp heel stepped on the hemline of her dress, ripping it apart.
Layla lost her balance and fell backward.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for her back to collide with the ground. However, she didn't feel any pain.
Layla slowly opened her eyes. A frown creased her forehead as she found herself lying in the arms of a strange man. She looked up and found his deep eyes set on hers.
The man looked grim. He was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing his wedding suit. A white silk handkerchief peeked out of his breast pocket.
Was he Clark Smith, her husband-to-be?
"Abandoned by her mother the night she was born, Layla was taken in and raised by her grandmother in the countryside. Her life was peaceful and uneventful until one day, right before she turned twenty, a group of men came to her home and told her about her true identity. It turned out that she was the daughter of the wealthy Reed family, and her parents suddenly wanted to take her back. She thought that they were going to make up for lost time, but to her horror, they only wanted her back for one reason: for her to marry a disabled man instead of Sandra, their other daughter. They even went so far as to use her vulnerable grandmother as a bargaining chip to force her. Clark was the heir of the powerful Smith family, but his family was on the brink of bankruptcy. As if that wasn't enough, thanks to a car accident, the grumpy man was now also wheelchair-bound. Desperate to get out of this plight, he married Layla. However, on their wedding night, Clack and Layla signed an agreement, agreeing to get divorced after two years. Would this marriage really last two years? Would Clark find out that his wife was not a rich pampered princess but a simple country girl? Between her persistent pursuer and her cold husband, who would Layla choose?"
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?