The Stone family, one of the wealthiest in the city, had three sons who grew up with me since childhood. Mr. Stone asked me to pick one of the three to be my husband. Matteus, the oldest, was the first to state his opinion. “I’d rather stay single for life than marry her.” Noah, the second brother, chimed in. “Then I’d rather die than marry her.” Caleb, the youngest, quipped with a sneer. “If my brothers, Matteus and Noah, wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole, why would I? I’m not some charity case for unwanted goods.” But I wasn’t trash. I was Avery Hayes, the daughter of a New York billionaire, staying with them temporarily, and they were definitely not who I was marrying. “Avery, I’m not marrying you. Get that idea out of your head, seriously.” Matteus, the oldest, glared at me with his usual icy expression. I knew he was saying this because of Chloe, the girl the Stone family adopted. I was clutching a secret, desperate to tell him, but before I could even open my mouth, Noah, the second brother, chimed in. “Don’t even *think* about marrying me. The thought of it makes me want to die. If you’re so desperate to get hitched, I’ll ask one of the security guards at our law firm to do you a favor.” Noah was always the most verbally abusive of the Stones, especially when it came to me. Caleb, the youngest, looked at me with pure disgust. “You better tell my dad you’re not interested in marrying any of us yourself, or I’ll make sure your reputation is in tatters.” Caleb hated me the most in the Stone family. He genuinely believed I’d stolen the affection that belonged to Chloe the moment I arrived. Chloe was the adopted daughter of the Stones, practically groomed to marry one of the sons once she graduated college. I’d been living with the Stone family since I was sixteen. At first, the three brothers were reasonably polite. But after just a month, everyone but Matteus started treating me like I was a plague. All because Chloe would constantly cry and whine to them, claiming I was trying to steal all three brothers for myself. The truth was, I’d been engaged to a wealthy New York family since I was a kid. My parents were going abroad for business and couldn’t take me with them, so my dad called up his best friend, Mr. Stone, to look after me. Only Mr. Stone knew my true identity. My dad was worried that if the Stones knew who I really was, they’d treat me like a princess and turn me into a spoiled brat. So he asked Mr. Stone to keep it under wraps. Seven years I’d lived there, and seven years I’d been despised by the Stone brothers. Thinking about it, a mischievous idea suddenly sparked in my mind. “Whether I marry one of you or not is up to Mr. Stone and my dad. I don’t get a say.” My dad never actually intended for me to marry into their family, but *I* had a crush on Matteus. Mr. Stone, seeing through my crush, never let on. He just figured he’d let me pick one myself. So, today, Mr. Stone decided it was time for me to make my choice. “How about you choose one of my three sons to be your husband? I’ll handle your father.” I was thrilled. My plan was to choose Matteus and then talk my dad into it. With how outstanding Matteus was, I figured my dad wouldn’t object. But as soon as the three brothers heard the news, they absolutely erupted. Seeing my refusal, the brothers all went beet red with fury. Suddenly, Martha, our housekeeper, came rushing in. “Young masters, you have to go help Miss Chloe! She’s threatening to hurt herself!” At that, their faces drained of color, and they sprinted toward Chloe’s room. Chloe, having lost too much blood, was rushed to the hospital. By the time I got to the hospital, Chloe was out of the woods. But the moment she saw me, she tried to struggle up, as if to kneel at my feet. “Avery, please don’t take Matteus and the others away from me! I’m just an adopted daughter of the Stones. If I can’t be *truly* one of them, how can I ever show my face in this family again?” The three Stone brothers rushed to help her up. Then Noah shot me a look of pure hatred. “Avery, listen up. If anything, *anything* happens to Chloe, I swear I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your life.” I almost laughed. “Her wanting to hurt herself has nothing to do with me.”
Caleb was so furious he shoved me, making me stumble. “You think you can just bully people because you’re *you*, huh? Let me tell you something, Chloe isn’t alone. She’ll always have us three brothers backing her up!” “My background simply doesn’t compare to Miss Avery’s. I’ll just leave the Stone family, then.” Chloe started crying again. Caleb glared daggers at me, then rushed to comfort Chloe. “Chloe, don’t you dare leave! If anyone’s going, it’s Avery. You’re our family, *you* belong here. Avery is nobody to us!” Watching the three Stone brothers being played like puppets by Chloe, I couldn’t help but sneer, “Looks like Chloe would have to be cloned three times just to go around for all of you, huh?” Caleb heard that and instantly stood up, ready to lunge at me. Matteus quickly held him back, then walked towards me, his face absolutely frozen. “Watch your mouth, Avery. I know what you’re trying to do. I’ll go beg Dad to let me marry you. I’ll sacrifice my freedom for their happiness, if that’s what it takes.” Seeing the sheer disgust and reluctance plastered all over Matteus’s face, it would be a lie to say my heart didn’t ache. For years, I’d chased after him, transforming from a clueless heiress into a dedicated researcher, eventually becoming his most trusted assistant at the institute. I never explicitly told him I liked him, but even a blind man could see how I felt about him. He was arguably the kindest of the three Stone brothers to me; he never let Chloe’s drama turn him against me. When he found out I wanted to apply to the same university, he’d diligently tutor me. And after I got into the research institute, he was always there to help. I genuinely thought he might have feelings for me too, but this time, his attitude shattered any lingering hope I had. The moment I left the hospital, my dad called. “Sweetheart, I heard from Matteus that you want to marry him? Matteus’s a good guy, but I just don’t think he’s the right fit for you. Think about it carefully.” I was fuming at Matteus’s audacity and quickly set the record straight. “Dad, don’t listen to a word he says! I’m not marrying him. You and Mom already arranged my engagement, remember? I’ve thought about it, and I realize now that a union with the Hayes family is the only way to truly strengthen our family.” Dad paused, then sounded relieved. “It seems you’ve truly grown up, sweetheart. Your mom and I will be back in the country in a few days. We’ll set up your wedding right away.” Hanging up, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Finally, I could move out of the Stone household. I’d wanted to since college, but Mr. Stone always refused, claiming it was for my safety. The moment I stepped back into the Stone residence, I overheard Mr. and Mrs. Stone having a heated argument. “Are you losing your mind? Even if Chloe is adopted, I treat her like my own flesh and blood! If anyone gets to choose, it should be Chloe first!” “And my sons are all brilliant! Any one of them is *more* than good enough for Avery. If there’s any choosing to be done, it’s *them* picking *her*!” Mrs. Stone’s attitude didn’t surprise me one bit. She’d never liked me, not since day one. Mr. Stone, however, was still trying his best to defend me. “What do *you* know? Avery isn’t bad at all. As long as Matteus agrees, I’ll arrange their wedding myself.” “And I’ve already picked out a match for Chloe. She and Noah are about the same age, and he’s made it clear he wouldn’t marry anyone else. They’re a perfect fit.”
Seeing they were about to keep arguing, I quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Mr. Stone, Mrs. Stone, my parents will be back in the country soon. Let’s just hold off on discussing my marriage until they return.” I swallowed the lump of resentment in my throat, forcing myself to stay calm. Mr. Stone didn’t say anything further, just nodded. “Alright.” Mrs. Stone, however, gave me a sideways glance, crossed her arms, and settled back into her chair, a smirk already forming. “Surely your high-society parents couldn’t bear to marry you into a humble family like ours, could they, Miss Heiress? That would just be *perfect*.” I didn’t want to engage, so I simply offered a polite greeting and headed to my room. The day my parents were due back was fast approaching. I had my bags packed, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Sweaty and exhausted, I was just about to hop in the shower when Matteus suddenly pounded on my door. “Avery, open up! I need to talk to you!” I hesitated for a moment, but eventually, I opened the door. The second it was ajar, Matteus grabbed my wrist and yanked me out. “What are you doing?! Where are you taking me?!” Matteus’s grip was surprisingly strong. The more I struggled, the more my wrist screamed in pain. But he said nothing, just shoved me into his car. As he started the engine, he finally spoke, his voice ice-cold. “You’ll see soon enough. It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?” I sat there, utterly bewildered, as he drove. Ten minutes later, we pulled up to our destination. Only then did I realize he’d brought me to a church. “Get out. We’re getting married. Your biggest wish was always to marry me, right? Well, this is all I can give you.” He opened my door, roughly pulled me out, and without giving me a chance to speak, dragged me inside. I couldn’t hold back the storm of emotions anymore. Tears streaming down my face, I screamed at him, “Matteus! I’m not doing this! I’m not marrying you! Let go of me!” “Stop pretending, Avery. I’ve always known how you felt about me. You just wanted to choose me this time, didn’t you? You’re using your identity to fight Chloe for a husband. Fine, I’ll give you what you want. But this is *all* you’ll get from me. Don’t expect anything more.” Realizing there was no reasoning with Matteus, I desperately looked around for help. “Help! Somebody, please!” Immediately, a kind couple rushed over and pulled Matteus off me. “What is wrong with you, mister? You can’t just force someone to marry you!” After being chastised by the well-meaning couple, Matteus glared at me, even more furious. “You’re the one who walked away, Avery. Don’t you dare regret this!” With that, he stalked off, leaving me standing there. After thanking the kind couple, I also decided to leave. As I walked out of the courthouse, I decided, then and there, that I needed to move out of the Stone house immediately. The next second, a sleek black sedan pulled up behind me. When I saw who stepped out, a chill ran down my spine. I tried to run, but before I could, a hand clamped over my mouth and nose, and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar room. Noah and Caleb were sitting by the bed. “Finally awake.” “What do you want?!” I scrambled off the bed, fear seizing me, and huddled into the corner. Noah snuffed out his cigarette, then looked at me with a sneer. “We brought you here to make one thing clear: stop fantasizing about marrying Matteus. We’ll never let him sacrifice his happiness for you.” “Caleb chuckled darkly. ‘Noah, why waste words? She’s so desperate to get married, isn’t she? Let’s give her a wedding alright. Today’s the day she gets hitched.’” Caleb’s sinister grin, coupled with his words, sent a fresh wave of terror through me. I never imagined they could be this cruel. But I had to keep a clear head, no matter what. “I promise I won’t marry Matteus. Just let me go!” “Oh, so you just decide you won’t marry him? Matteus already told your parents he’s going to! After today, how will you even *dare* show your face to him, let alone marry him?” The words were barely out of his mouth when a knock echoed on the door. My heart plummeted. I instinctively reached for my phone to call the police, only to find it wasn’t there. My stomach twisted as the door opened, revealing a creepy-looking man in a mask. It was Jerry. “She’s all yours. Be *gentle* now, won’t you?” Noah chuckled, clapped Jerry on the shoulder, then turned to leave, pushing the door open. I saw my chance, bolted past Jerry, pushing him hard, and tried to make a break for the door. But Jerry grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking me back, and dragged me towards the bed. “Sweetheart, once you’re with me, there’s no getting away.” Jerry smirked, tossing me onto the mattress. I watched, horrified, as the door clicked shut. Jerry loomed over me, pressing his weight down. “Get off me!” I thrashed and fought, but his grip was unyielding. I watched in utter despair as he tore at my clothes. “Just stop fighting. You might as well enjoy yourself. You rich folks always know how to have a good time, right?” Jerry leaned in, his foul breath hot on my face, trying to kiss me. Just then, my hand brushed against something on the bedside table – an ashtray. The moment Jerry reached for my underwear, I gripped the ashtray and swung it with all my might, smashing it into his head. “Argh! You f***ing bitch! You dare hit me?!” Jerry clutched his bleeding head, his eyes turning instantly venomous. In a flash, his hand was clamped around my throat, squeezing hard.
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