"Carroll Brown is dead! But you have to marry him in your sister's name." My mother said to me in a cold tone. My sister was engaged to the hottest billionaire. It should have been a perfect marriage. Unexpectedly, Carroll was dead in an accident. My sister didn't want to become a widow, so she forced me to marry her dead fiance. And I had no right to refuse her. Actually, I was the biological daughter of the Smith family. My sister was an adoptive one. My sister and I had been swapped at the hospital when we were just born. My parents had already had a deep relationship with her. So they chose to sacrifice me. On the wedding day, I was taken to the mourning hall. "Ma'am, please keep Master company and let him feel warm." The housekeeper said with a cold expression. I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat at this glance. The man in the portrait was more handsome than the superstars in Hollywood. Carroll Brown? My dead husband? Wow, he was really handsome! I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel. After one glance at the coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed. "Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?" "I do." "Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!" Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?"
I was getting married today!
However, my newly wedded husband was dead.
Yep, you didn't hear me wrong. I would become a widow right after the wedding.
I knew, this sounded incredible.
But, it was true.
My biological father asked me to marry a dead man to protect his other daughter.
To understand how I got here, we need to go back a few years...
I had no parents, and was raised by my uncle since I could remember things.
A few months ago, the Smith family, wealthy in the city, suddenly found me.
They said that I was a Smith by blood. They also said that I had fallen into the wrong hand because of the fire in the hospital where I was born.
Like Cinderella, I became Miss Kelly Smith overnight.
However, this fact didn't change my life.
They told me my mother had died in that fire in the hospital.
My father soon got married with his current wife.
The girl, who had taken my place for years, was their beloved daughter.
I was a tool for the Smith family to play up to the Brown family.
So even on the day of the wedding, they didn't show up.
They sent a housekeeper over. The housekeeper gave me a golden velvet jewelry box and said, "Miss Kelly, this is a wedding gift from Mrs. Smith. Please take it!"
A necklace, which seemed to be of great value, was in the jewelry box. The pendant was an orchid gem with countless small diamonds around it. I didn't know much about jewelry, but this necklace looked expensive.
"Thank you."
I took the necklace and put it on my neck.
Perhaps, my father and stepmother loved me.
They just didn't know how to get along with me.
I was still in a daze when the car stopped at the gate of the Brown family.
The magnificent building was like a castle described in books. The driver led me into the house. I saw a large coffin in the living room. The coffin, made of obsidian, looked horrible against the light.
A white-haired old man greeted me.
He wore a black suit with a white flower pinned on his left lapel. I couldn't tell whether the expression on his face was happy or sad.
"Nice to meet you," I said hesitantly.
"Madam, you may call me Joey, the butler here. Please keep Master company tonight. Let him feel the joy of wedding."
After that, Joey raised his wrinkled hand and pressed hard on the corners of his eyes to wipe those, invisible tears.
I stood by the coffin and felt the situation ironic.
The butler couldn't shed a drop of tear for Carroll Brown.
However, he asked me, who had never met Carroll before today, to company him.
Did the Brown family really think that an outsider like me cared about Carroll more than them?
Many people looked at me when I walked into the house.
They heard Joey and then began a heated discussion.
"Is she the wife of the dead Mr. Carroll?"
"Watch your mouth. This is a posthumous marriage, but it doesn't mean she has to die with Mr. Carroll. She'll be Mrs. Brown anyway."
"The Brown family is so ridiculous. Mr. Carroll is dead, so what's the point of his getting married? I feel sorry for this girl!"
The discussion gradually turned in another direction, and the crowd began to speak evil of Carroll and felt sorry for me.
It seemed that Mr. Carroll was not popular.
None of these mourners were sad for his death.
Therefore, I thought that Mr. Carroll and I were of the same kind.
I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat for this glance.
The man in the portrait was the most handsome one I had ever seen. He was more gorgeous than the superstars in Hollywood.
He had beautiful eyebrows, bright eyes, fair skin, and a deeply lined face.
However, his expression was a bit cold.
Nobody dared to get close to him for his intimidating aura.
"Ahem." Joey coughed softly.
Only then did the crowd shut up. They said the usual pleasantries and then left with some excuses.
Joey said to me with fake grief on his face, "Madam, I'll have to leave you now."
I looked at Joey in shock. "Will I be alone here?"
"Yes, you will have to stay alone here. Mr. Carroll owns this house, so the others can't come here at will. You will have to pray for Mr. Carroll here tonight."
Before I retorted, Joey had left.
I could change nothing.
Therefore, I sat near the coffin.
I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel.
After one glance at the pitch-black coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed.
"Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?"
"I do."
A low male voice suddenly came from behind, so I quickly turned my head.
I saw a tall man in white shirt leaning against the door.
The man was undeniably handsome, with a roguish charm that seemed effortless. He had casually tucked the hem of his shirt into his pants, leaving three buttons undone, a style that added to his allure.
Then...
His face!
I looked at the man and then at the portrait.
The two faces were exactly the same!
"Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!"
Ugh.
My mouth was fully stuffed by the pastry in the male hand, and then I was picked up like a chick.
"If you alert the bodyguards, I'll kill you."
The man gripped my neck and didn't let go of it until I nodded.
"You're warm."
I murmured because of the lingering warmth on my neck left by the man, "You... Are you a human?"
"Nonsense." Carroll shot a contemptuous glance at me and then crooked his finger at the man behind me. " Jason, open the coffin."
Jason came over and quickly pried open the coffin.
There was nothing inside the coffin.
I became slack jawed. Why was the coffin empty?
"How impatient they are!"
Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?"
He fixed his eyes on the coffin. His big hand returned to my neck since there was no response from me.
"Do you like to join my show?"
I felt oppression and couldn't think at all.
Show?
With the pastry in my mouth, I couldn't say anything. I sped up my chewing and then said, "Yes."
The sweetness melted in my mouth. The delicious pastry energized me, so I added, "Then your pastries will be mine."
Carroll loosened the grip on my neck, let go of me, and then asked in a cold voice, "Are you a gluttonous rat?"
"No, I'm human. A starving human."
I was thin and petite but didn't look like a rat, did I?
Carroll lifted my chin with his hand, which was bigger than my face. He looked at me carefully and then said, "Well, your face is pale. You look more like a ghost than me."
"I've been a bit underfed," I retorted, rolling my eyes at his teasing tone before stepping away and grabbing another pastry.
Then, I said with a sweet smile, "May I have another piece, Mr. Carroll? Your pastries are simply divine."
Lucille was one of the most skilled female assassins, and on the previous night, she embarked on a top-secret mission. However, the mission's details were leaked, leading to her untimely demise at the hands of a traitorous companion. She never discovered the identity of the person who betrayed her before her death. But by some miracle, she was granted a new life, and was reborn as a girl with the same name. Determined to uncover the truth and seek revenge for her family, Lucille seized her second chance at life. She planned to avenge her loved ones. However, her plans were complicated by Joseph, an apparently frail man who was actually skilled in martial arts. And he seemed to fall for her deeply, now this newfound knowledge only added to the complications of Lucille's revenge plan...
Sharon was a common college student who dreamed of being a journalist. Two years ago, her father had a car accident, and the expensive medical expenses almost drove her insane. Stanley, an overbearing president, helped her get rid of the predicament. After that, she married him, and he was in charge of all her father's medical expenses. Every night, he often got drunk and called another woman's name when he was making out with his wife. Who was this woman? And why did he marry her? It seemed she didn't have the right to ask these questions even though she was his wife. She didn't know these answers until the woman her husband called every night showed in front of her...
He loved me for eight years, but in the end, he drove me out in person. In pain, I saw him and my sister love each other and treat me as a tool to cure my sister. He even killed our child! Hatred is burning like fire. I'm determined to take revenge. Two years later, I came back forcefully. I was no longer the woman who loved him in the dust. The man who had been cruel and indifferent to me before had become as gentle as water. He even knelt on the ground and begged for my forgiveness. "I'm sorry, in the future, I am willing to atone for my sins with the rest of my life." Just as I was about to continue my revenge, I slowly realized that I was not completely ignorant of what had happened in the past two years. Should my revenge plan continue?
Six years ago, Lance Hardwicke, the most powerful member of the Hardwicke family, had an unexpected encounter with a young girl. As a result, Carley Chambers lost her innocence and was sent abroad by her evil stepmother. Six years later, Carley returned as a world-renowned doctor, accompanied by her two adorable children. Fate brought Carley and Lance together once more. When Lance visited the hospital, he was mistaken for a street thug by Carley. Despite this, Carly took him in as he was the father of her children. However, he had to abandon his gangster lifestyle and find legitimate work. As the head of the Hardwick family, Lance struggled to accept such a drastic change. ... Lance: I will not accept this arrangement! Karly: Well, don't come home today. Lance: I'm sorry, Honey. Their two babies clapped their hands and laughed, "You deserve it! Never mess with mom!"
Last night, I spent an erotic night with a stranger in a bar. I'm not a random woman. I did this because I was too sad yesterday. The boyfriend who had been in love with me for three years dumped me and flash-married a rich girl. Although I act as if nothing happened in front of my friends, I'm really sad. To ease my mood, I went to the bar alone and got drunk. Accidentally, I ran into him. He is beyond attractive and incredibly sexy. As desire controlled my mind, I had one-night stand with him. When I decided to forget everything and move on, I found my one-night stand turn to be my new boss. A possessive guy.
To outsiders, Aileen was the adopted daughter of the Jefferson family, dismissed and scorned by all. Yet, in the underground racing world, she thrived as the dark rose, savoring the thrill and speed of night races. But her life took a new turn when Derek returned home, leading to a passionate night that diverted Aileen from the Jefferson family's path. Derek, the ruthless heir to the Jefferson legacy, tactfully steered the family's ambitions. Despite his control, he found himself captivated by Aileen-his adopted sister, business partner, and an exceptional racer-drawn to her enigmatic allure.
Scarlett was left betrayed and broken beyond repair when her best friend Megan set her up with the male escort who stole her virginity...Or at least, that's what she thought he was. There was something odd about the strong and strikingly beautiful man that she spent a night with. Despite the pure hatred she felt for him, the deals he ended up offering wasn't one she could refuse. Scarlett always thought she'd marry her soulmate but turns out, that won't be the case for her. But could her mysterious husband make his way through her broken heart and fix it? It's hard to imagine but love has funny ways to manifest in places where it's least expected....
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation. Pierce is Kelly’s first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart. Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly. *** Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned. She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby. *** Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself. But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on? To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his. *** Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother? How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!