My Ex-Boyfriend Married My Best Friend, So I Married His Uncle On our fifth-year anniversary, Lucas Sterling ditched me to marry my best friend, Chloe Miller. Their lavish wedding was live-streamed, going viral across every social media platform. I was branded a homewrecker, my own family disowned me, and even the funds for my life-saving treatment were frozen. That notorious playboy, Lucas’s uncle, Julian Sterling, came knocking on my door, a cold smirk playing on his lips. “My nephew stole my fiancée. To repay him, shouldn’t I take care of his ex-girlfriend?” I gripped my phone, staring at the dozens of unread messages I’d sent Lucas, then turned to pull out the paperwork. “Know where we go to register a marriage?” “Isn’t that Eleanor Hayes? Stealing her best friend’s boyfriend? How utterly shameless!” “And look who she’s with—Julian Sterling. He’s such a player. Seriously, they’re a match made in hell.” Ever since Lucas Sterling and Chloe Miller’s live-streamed wedding, the rumors hadn’t stopped. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling. You’ve had to endure so much because of me.” “What did you just call me?” Julian’s face clouded with displeasure. “Since you married me, don’t you dare pine for other men. Go home, pack your things, and come with me.” Julian drove me back to my place. He held my hand possessively and greeted my parents politely. But Mom and Dad weren’t happy. They both disapproved of Julian. Dad’s face turned crimson with rage. He raised his hand, ready to strike me, but Julian swiftly intervened. “Dad, Eleanor isn’t just your daughter; she’s my wife.” His voice was a low, dangerous warning. Only then did Dad lower his hand. “Once you walk out that door, don’t ever come back. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a daughter anymore!” I silently packed my belongings and moved into Julian’s house. “I’m busy these days. If you want anything, just say it.” He handed me a black card and, with practiced ease, typed a number into my phone, saving it as “Hubby.” I’d been so nervous, wondering what Julian would do to me, but he just said that and left. This was nothing like the rumored wastrel who only knew how to spend money and cause trouble. Before I could think too much, Lucas’s call came in. “Eleanor, I’m coming back tomorrow. Can you pick me up?” He and Chloe had immediately gone on their honeymoon after the wedding. Pictures of their ‘love’ kept popping up online. Now he remembered me? “As what? Your mistress?” “It was all a misunderstanding. I was just trying to save Chloe. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you for our anniversary when I get back.” “No need. I have plans tomorrow.” I hung up before Lucas could respond. I actually did need to go to the hospital tomorrow; my medication was running out. My doctor spoke earnestly, urging me to have surgery as soon as possible. The success rate for heart valve disease surgery was quite high. If I kept relying on medication, it would only get worse. But he didn’t know my finances were controlled by Dad. I didn’t have any extra money for surgery. After leaving the hospital, I walked aimlessly down the street. Luxury ads played on a huge shopping mall screen. One set of jewelry, a mother-and-child design, looked familiar. I took off the bracelet on my wrist and went to the counter. Sure enough, the sales associate told me it was a free gift, worth far less than the matching necklace sold separately. Lucas had given me this bracelet for my birthday last year. I remembered Chloe wearing a similar necklace the very next day. At the time, I hadn’t thought much of it, but now, it felt like nothing more than Chloe’s discarded trash, yet I’d cherished it like a treasure. I tossed the bracelet into a nearby trash can, tears silently streaming down my face. “Eleanor? You really came to pick me up.” Lucas’s voice held a note of surprise. “You know Chloe is a benefactor to my company. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. But she was going to marry an asshole like my uncle, and I couldn’t let that happen.” Seeing Lucas, I realized I was only half an hour from the airport. “So you could just ruin me? Do you know what people are saying about me? My father even cut off all my funds.” Lucas hugged me, his expression pained. “Anything Uncle doesn’t give you, I will.” I pushed him away, shaking my head. “You should keep it for Chloe.”
I didn’t want to say anything more. As I turned to leave, I bumped into Chloe. It wasn’t a hard push, but Chloe crumpled to the ground, her eyes quickly welling up with tears. “Eleanor, if you’re angry with me, why take it out on Chloe!” Lucas harshly yanked me aside. I lost my balance and fell against a nearby trash can. A sharp pain shot through my chest, and combined with the putrid smell, my head grew dizzy. “It’s not Eleanor’s fault, I came here myself.” Chloe nestled into Lucas’s arms. “Eleanor, Lucas still loves you. He only married me to help me escape his uncle.” They embraced tightly, a picture of mutual understanding. “Fine, then I wish you both well.” I forced myself to stand up and slowly walked away. Back home, I immediately took a shower, but I still felt as if the foul smell hadn’t entirely vanished. My palm was still oozing blood, and my waist hurt with every touch. Lucas and I had been together since college. As an illegitimate child, he wasn’t well-regarded in the Sterling family. Even when he had little money, he always wanted to give me the best, spending all his part-time earnings on gifts for me. He used to be a staunch commitment-phobe. Yet, on graduation day, he took off his pinky ring—a symbol of his independence—and placed it on *my* ring finger. Later, he wanted to start his own business and needed significant seed money. To protect his ego, I secretly invested a substantial amount of money in his venture, disguised as an anonymous benefactor. Eventually, he established his company and gained a foothold in the Sterling family, but the Hayes family was in decline. I didn’t want to be a burden, but he gave me 50% of his company shares. He swore that with him, I would always remain the respected Eleanor Hayes. So what is true love? True love can change in an instant. These past few days, Julian had been coming home late. I’d drift in and out of sleep, feeling myself held close, but every morning, there was no trace of it. It seemed even a ‘wastrel’ had a busy schedule. I mechanically ate breakfast; now, eating was merely about fulfilling the bare minimum for survival. My phone suddenly vibrated. It was Dad. “Eleanor, I was wrong about you before. Your bank accounts are unfrozen. Just… be happy with Julian from now on.” “Dad, I might need to go abroad for surgery.” After much deliberation, I finally told Dad about my illness. There was a silence on the other end for a few seconds, then he burst into tears. I could feel his self-reproach, so I tried to comfort him. In that moment, I couldn’t help but shed a few tears myself. “Have you told Julian?” “No, and I don’t want you to tell anyone else. I can handle this myself.” After a brief chat, I hung up. The hospital called for a follow-up appointment, so I quickly got ready to leave. To my surprise, Lucas was at the door. “What are you doing at Uncle’s house? If I hadn’t gone to your place looking for you just now, I never would have known you were hooking up with my uncle.” Seeing my indifferent expression, Lucas started to sweet-talk me again. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have pushed you yesterday. I brought you breakfast.” He’d brought me a heavy breakfast—something rich and meaty. Not only did I despise strong-smelling foods, but my condition meant I couldn’t eat anything like that. “Just throw it away. I don’t need it.” I had no strength left to argue. “Where’s your bracelet? It’s okay if you lost it, I’ll buy you a new one. Let’s go to the mall after breakfast.” He still hadn’t changed his habit of not listening. I couldn’t win against him, so I went to the mall with him. All the way there, he kept explaining his relationship with Chloe. “Once this is all over, I’ll divorce Chloe. Just wait for me a little longer.” “Oh, and don’t get too close to Uncle. He’s been acting strange lately, targeting me in business, and he’s even started a new conglomerate.”
No wonder Dad had suddenly called me. He must have heard some things about Julian. “Lucas!” Chloe waved from a distance. “Perfect timing, you’re here! I was just about to find you to take our wedding photos.” Lucas awkwardly cleared his throat. “Well, then let’s go pick out some outfits. Isn’t your birthday in a couple of days?” Chloe acted as if she’d just noticed me, graciously inviting me to her party, clearly intending to make a spectacle of me. I ignored her and stepped into the high-end boutique in front of me. The sales associate at the counter eyed me up and down, then turned back to chat and laugh with her colleagues. But when Chloe walked in, the women immediately swarmed her with fawning smiles. I wandered around by myself, my gaze drawn to a fitted dress. Just as I reached out, another hand snatched it first. Chloe’s eyes were full of scorn. She glanced at the dress. “Eleanor, this dress won’t suit you. You’re too big for something like this.” I tried to take the dress, but the sales associate firmly pushed my hand away. “Who do you think you are, trying to snatch Ms. Miller’s dress!” She then fawned over Chloe, guiding her to the fitting room. “Ms. Miller has such a great figure, this dress will look stunning on you.” Chloe took the dress, pleased, and went to change. But when she emerged, she wasn’t wearing the dress, and her expression wasn’t good. The sales associate immediately realized the dress didn’t fit and eagerly offered to find another. “Give me that one. I’ll pay double.” “With those bargain-bin clothes, you honestly think you can afford this? Stop bluffing.” The sales associate scoffed. “Just give it to her. I’d actually love to see Eleanor in it.” Chloe smiled, but as she passed me, she whispered, “I heard your father froze all your cards. Let’s see how you pay for it later.” I ignored Chloe and walked straight to the fitting room. As my condition worsened, I’d grown thinner. The fitted, tasseled dress hung loosely on me, with plenty of room to spare. When I opened the door, I distinctly heard everyone in the room gasp, followed by murmurs of admiration. Even the sales associate who’d been so rude just moments before immediately plastered on a flattering smile. “Miss, this dress was practically made for you! You look absolutely stunning!” Lucas stared at me, completely lost, not even noticing when Chloe tugged at his arm. “Lucas, Eleanor insisted on taking my dress just now and even bid against me.” Chloe clung to Lucas’s arm, her voice pitiful. Lucas’s face turned scarlet with rage. “Can’t you just let Chloe have her way? You can’t afford it anyway…” He seemed to realize he’d said too much and trailed off. I scoffed, a cold smile playing on my lips. I reached for my card, then remembered that while Dad had unfrozen my accounts, I’d forgotten to bring them. Everyone in the store was watching me. Gritting my teeth, I pulled out the black card Julian had given me and handed it to the sales associate. “I’ll take it.” “And, I didn’t steal it. She couldn’t fit into it herself. I’ve never stolen anything from anyone.” I spoke deliberately loudly, hoping to make it clear to everyone that I wasn’t a homewrecker. But Lucas clearly misunderstood. “That’s Uncle’s black card! You really *are* involved with him!” He lunged at me, his eyes red. “You shameless woman…” He didn’t finish his sentence before he was suddenly lifted off his feet and tossed aside like a rag doll. Julian Sterling’s face was livid. “Well, well, isn’t it my dear nephew, the one with a penchant for married women? And my wife is *not* someone you get to eye up.”
Lucas’s bravado instantly deflated. “Uncle, what are you doing here?” He lowered his head, not daring to meet Julian’s gaze. Julian ignored him, walking directly to my side. “See anything you like? Feel free to pick anything out in *my* store.” As soon as he spoke, the manager led a group of employees who respectfully lined up. “We apologize, Mr. Sterling. Our oversight. We didn’t know you were here.” Only then did I realize this store belonged to Julian. “How did you know I was here?” Julian shook his phone. “Text message.” I shyly smoothed my hair, but he saw right through me. “It took you this many days to finally decide to spend some money. Keep it up.” Even though we were only married in name, it still felt inappropriate to be out with my ex-boyfriend. I couldn’t help but explain, “Lucas dragged me out here.” “Nothing else you want to tell me?” I nervously looked away, then heard a faint sigh beside me. “How much longer will you hide it from me? We’re going abroad for surgery next week.” I couldn’t refuse his kindness and nodded in agreement. Just then, a SnapChat message popped up from Chloe, inviting me to her birthday party again. After some thought, I decided to go. After all, Julian and I were married, and it wouldn’t be good for him if I kept being labeled a homewrecker. I had to clear my name of these baseless accusations. I hired someone to do my makeup and wore the fitted, tasseled dress. As soon as I arrived at the venue, many people noticed me. I ignored their probing stares. If I remembered correctly, I had originally booked this venue under Lucas’s name. It was meant for our fifth-anniversary party, but he’d apparently used it to impress Chloe. “Eleanor, what are you doing here? Are you trying to ruin Chloe’s birthday party? Just leave her alone; she can’t handle any stress right now.” Lucas looked at me with disgust, then quickly walked to my side, as if afraid I might do something to Chloe. “Didn’t I say we’d get divorced in a couple of days? Are you in such a hurry?” I pushed him away a bit. “Nephew, please show some self-respect.” Lucas’s face immediately darkened. “Don’t put on an act for me. You used to beg me to touch you.” “I know you’re deliberately using Uncle to make me jealous. Just wait for me, okay?” “How long should I wait?” I couldn’t help but retort, but he hadn’t expected the question and was momentarily speechless. “Eleanor, you’re here too! I was just wondering if I should invite you.” Chloe’s words drew everyone’s attention. The unbearable insults came flooding in again. Everyone believed I was the mistress who destroyed their marriage. “Chloe, you’re so kind! How can you be so generous as to invite a wretch like Eleanor?” “Yeah, Mr. Sterling, say something! How are you going to apologize to Chloe?” Chloe had invited me, but now it seemed I’d crashed the party. “Eleanor and I have nothing going on. Everyone, please don’t misunderstand.” Lucas hastily tried to distance himself from me. The man who had just asked me to wait for him was abandoning me so quickly. “What do you mean, ‘nothing going on’? I’m your aunt, you know.” At my words, the venue fell silent for a few seconds. Lucas’s expression was a mix of shock and disbelief. “Eleanor, you can’t just say things like that.” “You’re the one who shouldn’t be talking out of turn.” The main doors opened again. Julian Sterling stood there in a perfectly tailored navy suit, which highlighted his athletic build. Julian stopped about half a meter from me, knelt on one knee, and pulled out a ring box, all in one fluid motion. “Eleanor, will you marry me? Give me a chance to take care of you.” I hadn’t expected Julian to propose so suddenly. A long-forgotten flutter of emotion stirred within me. I didn’t know his true intentions, but I could feel he was helping me. It was Chloe’s meticulously planned birthday party, yet Julian and I had become the center of attention. I had no reason to refuse. I gave my hand to Julian.
“Isn’t that Julian Sterling, the wastrel who only knows how to party? I heard he’s gained a lot of power in the Sterling family recently, even Lucas can’t stand against him.” “He was just hiding his true strength. They say he has a ton of private businesses. The Sterlings are practically begging him to come back and inherit the family fortune.” Listening to the whispers around me, I increasingly felt like I’d gotten involved with someone incredibly powerful. Julian drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other gripping mine. “Are you scared of me?” I shook my head. “You’re helping me. Why would I be scared of you?” In fact, I started to wonder if I was just a burden to him. Without me, he might find someone better. Suddenly, the car screeched to a halt. I looked up and saw Lucas standing in front of the car, arms outstretched. I rolled down the window. “Are you crazy? Get out of the way.” “Eleanor, you can’t go with him! Don’t you love me most of all?” I rolled my eyes, feeling a sense of helplessness, like I was stuck with a bad record. “Well, I don’t love you anymore. You can marry someone else, so why can’t I?” Something I said must have hit a nerve because his eyes suddenly widened. “You won’t be happy with a monster like him.” Just as I thought he was about to lose it completely, Chloe appeared from somewhere and hugged him. “Lucas, aren’t you supposed to be with me for my birthday? What are you doing here? Have you forgotten that you only get the inheritance if you marry me?” Lucas slowly calmed down. “Eleanor, I’m giving you one last chance. Come back to me.” I signaled Julian to drive away. I wasn’t coming back to him. Julian booked flights for tomorrow. From Julian, I learned that Mr. Sterling Sr. had declared that only married heirs would be eligible to inherit the family fortune. “But that’s not why I asked you to marry me,” Julian added afterward. The smile on my face froze, like a blurry, out-of-focus photograph, indistinct and panicked. Julian, however, wasn’t about to let me off the hook. “I’m serious. My reputation wasn’t the best before, but now I can give you everything you want. We’ll have our wedding after your surgery.” I didn’t answer him, my mind still reeling. Meanwhile, Lucas, though Chloe had dragged him back to her party, remained distracted. He still couldn’t believe Julian and I were married. He went to my father again, seeking clarification. “You have the nerve to come to me? You abandoned my daughter to marry someone else. What more do you have to say?” Lucas anxiously grabbed my father’s arm. “Did Julian tell you that? I was just repaying a debt. I didn’t have much money when I started my company, and Chloe anonymously donated to me.” My dad looked confused. “What are you talking about? That money was Eleanor’s own secret savings. She even told me not to tell you, afraid you wouldn’t accept it.” Lucas stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. His throat tightened, and he could only manage short, ragged breaths. All the innocent, warm memories from college flooded his mind. Only then did he realize he had been deceived all along. He thought I would always love him, so he’d shamelessly squandered my affection. “Where’s Eleanor now? I need to find her.” “Eleanor has already gone abroad for surgery. You won’t find her.” Lucas’s temples throbbed. “She’s sick?” My dad looked at him with disdain. “You say you care so much about Eleanor, yet you didn’t even know she had heart valve disease! While you were on your honeymoon, Eleanor was in the hospital!” Lucas’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, repeatedly muttering, “Impossible…”
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