I never expected to fall for my husband, especially since I married him under false pretenses. My half-sister, Natalie, was supposed to be Alexander Merchant’s bride, but she was terrified of him and begged me to take her place. Desperate for money to pay for my mother’s medical bills, I reluctantly agreed. Two years into our marriage, Alexander turned out to be nothing like the rumors suggested. He was loving, attentive, and incredibly clingy. Just before our third anniversary, Natalie demanded I “return” him to her. But as I stood frozen in the doorway, Alexander gently caressed my cheek, his eyes dark with possessiveness. “Lily,” he growled softly, “have I been too lenient with you?” “Lily,” Alexander’s low voice called my name. In bed, his husky tone combined with his devastatingly handsome face made him utterly irresistible. “Alex~” I breathed. “Relax, Lily. Don’t be afraid,” he soothed. Alexander was always so considerate in these intimate moments, completely unlike the ruthless, cold-hearted man described in rumors. I could confidently say there wasn’t a more perfect husband out there. But the painful truth was that Natalie, my half-sister, was Alexander’s first love. I was just a stand-in. “Focus on me,” Alexander growled, displeased by my wandering thoughts. He nipped at my collarbone, making me wince. “Alexander, are you a dog?” I complained. His lips curved into a smile. “Mm, I’m only yours, Lily. If you don’t want me, I might just go wild.” I couldn’t help but laugh, which only encouraged him further. “Gentle,” I pleaded. “But you’re so irresistible, Lily. I can’t help myself,” he murmured, his eyes darkening with desire as he pressed me into the mattress. When I woke the next morning, Alexander was already preparing for work. “Lily, help me with my tie?” he asked. Ever since he learned I could tie a tie, he’d asked me to do it for him almost every day. As I carefully knotted his tie, I failed to notice his increasingly intense gaze. His large hands caressed my shoulders, and I frowned at him. “Don’t distract me.” As soon as I finished, he pulled me close and kissed me deeply until my lips were swollen. “Lily, I want to spend every moment with you,” he murmured. “You scoundrel!” I laughed, shooing him off to work. I didn’t take his words too seriously. Around me, Alexander was always the gentle, loving husband, so different from the rumors. I was about to go back to sleep when my phone rang. “Hello?” “It’s Natalie. I’m sending you an address. Meet me there. We need to talk.” She hung up before I could respond. The truth was, I wasn’t really Alexander’s wife. My sister was.
Apparently, when Alexander had first set his sights on Natalie, she was terrified of him, fearing he’d be abusive and unpredictable like the rumors suggested. So she found me. At the time, I desperately needed money and had gone to the Sinclair family for help. “Didn’t you say you’d never take a penny from the Sinclairs?” Natalie had sneered. “Didn’t you say you’d never come back to this family, even if you were dead?” I ignored her taunts and begged our father on my knees. Natalie was Father’s daughter from before his marriage, a fact she never let anyone forget. My mother had been from a respected family, and after marrying Father, she had helped him climb the social ladder. But when her family fell on hard times, Father divorced her without hesitation. Mother and I had no choice but to move to my grandmother’s place in the countryside, struggling to make ends meet. Mother’s health had always been fragile, and the hard work eventually took its toll. When I went to beg Father for help, he agreed to lend me money on one condition: I had to marry Alexander in Natalie’s place. Young and naive, I agreed. The day I moved into the Merchant house, Natalie mocked me. “Congratulations, your life is about to become a living hell,” she sneered. “I heard Alexander is abusive. I wonder if your delicate frame can handle it.” I thought I was walking into a nightmare, but after the wedding, Alexander showered me with love and affection. He sent a constant stream of jewelry and designer goods to the house, insisted on bodyguards accompanying me everywhere, and never let me lift a finger. Every time I felt Alexander’s love, I couldn’t help but think how much he must have loved Natalie. How else could he have transformed from the rumored violent man into this incredibly gentle person? When I wanted to go out, I had to lose the bodyguards. Reluctantly, I called Alexander. “Missing me already? I just got to the office,” he teased. “Be a good girl and wait for me to come home tonight.” Steeling myself, I said, “I want to go shopping with my friends. I feel embarrassed asking them out when you always have bodyguards following me.” There was a moment of silence before he replied, “Alright. Keep your phone on. Will you have dinner with me tonight?” Hearing his plaintive tone, I quickly agreed. “Of course, I’ll definitely be there for dinner with you.” “Okay, have fun, sweetheart.” After hanging up, Alexander sighed and gazed out the window at the flying birds. No matter how beautiful the cage, it couldn’t keep her forever.
When I met Natalie, she was dressed in an expensive designer outfit, exuding an air of superiority. “What did you want to see me about?” I asked coldly. I couldn’t forget how she and her mother had driven my mother and me out of our home. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have suffered so much. My mother wouldn’t have worked herself sick trying to pay for my college tuition. Natalie stirred her coffee, smirking. “Mrs. Merchant, have you gotten so comfortable in your role as a wealthy man’s wife that you think you can keep what isn’t yours?” I knew Alexander loved her, which always made me feel insecure and guilty in our relationship. “You didn’t want him,” I reminded her. “Well, now I do,” Natalie declared, shocking me into silence. Seeing my surprise, she continued, “It’s time we all returned to our rightful places.” Return Alexander to her? No, give him back to her. My heart sank, and I couldn’t hide my reluctance. Natalie noticed and warned, “Your mother’s medical bills are still being paid by the Sinclair family. Are you sure you don’t want to give Alexander back to me?” Frustrated, I snapped, “He’s not an object you can just claim whenever you feel like it!” Natalie laughed coldly. “Lily, don’t overestimate yourself. You have no right to negotiate here. Alexander has always loved me. You’re just a substitute. Don’t think you actually belong in his world.” Her words silenced me completely. I’d heard that when Alexander came to propose, the value of his engagement gifts alone was worth two years of the Sinclair family’s profits. They didn’t dare refuse the marriage, fearing Alexander’s retaliation. Everyone in the city knew Alexander was ruthless and vengeful. Rumor had it that when he was driven out by his father’s mistress and illegitimate son, he went to the countryside with his mother to recover. Years later, when he returned, he single-handedly brought down the entire company. Now, that illegitimate son couldn’t even find a job, let alone start a business. Alexander wouldn’t give him any chance to succeed. He even took down our father, personally reporting him for bribery and sending him to prison. This ruthless man was only gentle with me. But I knew it wasn’t because he favored me, but because of Natalie, his first love. “Lily, everything that’s mine, you can’t take away,” Natalie hissed. “Not Dad, not Alexander.” I felt suffocated, unable to breathe. I didn’t dare to take the risk. I was afraid of Alexander’s retaliation if he found out the truth, and I couldn’t gamble with my mother’s safety. I also didn’t dare to bet on Alexander’s love for me, which felt so intangible. If there was one thing I’d learned from my father, it was that love was the most fleeting thing in this world. “Give me a month,” I finally said. Alexander’s birthday was at the end of the month. “Two weeks,” Natalie countered. For the first time, I stood up to her. “If you’re willing to wait, I’ll give him back. If not, forget it.” As I walked away, I heard Natalie’s voice. “Fine.” After I left, Natalie cursed under her breath. “That little bitch, she dares to threaten me now!” Natalie hadn’t really wanted Alexander back at first. But seeing how good he was to me made her insanely jealous. After all, it should have been her life. As I walked out onto the street, I felt homeless. Did I really have to give Alexander back to Natalie? Without thinking, I found myself at the foot of Alexander’s company building. Suddenly, I desperately wanted to see him.
Alexander was in a meeting, so his assistant asked me to wait in his office and brought me coffee. Lowering his voice, the assistant said, “Mrs. Merchant, it’s lunchtime, but the CEO is still in the meeting. He’s not satisfied with any of the proposals. Could you possibly…” I understood what he meant and immediately stood up to go to the meeting room. This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to do this. I knocked on the door of the meeting room. As soon as I opened it, Alexander’s piercing gaze met mine. Even through his glasses, the intensity was breathtaking. But his expression quickly softened as he stood and walked towards me. “What brings you here?” he asked gently. “I wanted to have lunch with you,” I replied. Behind him, I could see the relieved expressions of his employees. With the CEO’s wife here, they could finally catch a break. Alexander ordered food and gestured for me to look out the window. “I heard you can see the most beautiful fireworks in the city from here on New Year’s Eve. Let’s come here then,” he suggested. New Year’s was indeed approaching, but by then, I would probably be gone. “Mm… okay,” I mumbled. He immediately noticed my mood shift and frowned. “What’s wrong? Didn’t enjoy your shopping trip? Or don’t want to see the fireworks? Would you prefer to stay home?” I looked into his concerned eyes, thinking about how I had deceived him. “It’s nothing. I just realized how happy I am with you,” I said softly. My childhood hadn’t been happy. After it was discovered that my father had a child before marriage, my parents argued constantly. I never felt secure. Later, when Natalie was brought to live with us, I was too timid to stand up for myself and was often bullied. My father usually turned a blind eye, only addressing the issue when my mother made a fuss. Alexander, on the other hand, loved me unconditionally. He bought me whatever I wanted, came home on time and avoided unnecessary social engagements, and never had any scandals. He was the perfect gentleman. Sometimes he would get angry if he saw other men talking to me, but I knew it was because he cared too much. No, he cared too much about Natalie. Hearing my words, Alexander’s expression softened. “Me too.” “Lily, you’re a gift from heaven.” There was something in his eyes that I couldn’t quite understand… was it nostalgia?
I looked at Alexander, knowing he had no idea I wasn’t Natalie. In the early days of our marriage, he used to call me “Nat.” But it always felt wrong, so I told him my nickname was “Lil.” He was overjoyed then, repeating it many times. He said that by telling him my nickname, it meant I was starting to accept him and become closer to him. “Alex, do you really love me?” I asked suddenly. Alexander didn’t understand my question and teased, “What’s gotten into you today?” “Tonight, I’ll prove that I only love you. I’ll save all my energy for you,” he winked. I blushed at his words, and Alexander’s gaze remained tender. That night, I was unusually proactive. Perhaps it was the fear of our impending separation. After all, we would soon be strangers. Alexander held me close, my legs wrapped around his waist, my arms tight around his neck. In the heat of the moment, my neck arched beautifully, and he placed a kiss there, sending shivers through my body. He wasn’t faring much better, his breathing ragged and uneven. “Lily, you’re so good tonight,” he groaned. Encouraged by his praise, I tried to match his passion, but he always maintained the upper hand. Eventually, exhausted, I drifted off to sleep. Just before I lost consciousness, I thought I heard him whisper: “Lily, I will love you forever.” “When will you finally recognize me?” “You silly girl.”
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