On the eve of my wedding, I married a condom salesman I had just met. Just an hour ago, my sister Molly Craig posted a pregnancy confirmation on Instagram with the caption: [Brady is amazing, the doctor says it’s twins.] My ex-fiancé Brady Lambert commented: [Sweetie, you’re incredible, you’re our little hero!] My biological parents commented: [Our little princess and prince are coming soon!] I stared at it for a long time before liking and commenting: [Congratulations, wishing you happiness.] The next second, Brady called me. He yelled, “Norah Craig, how can you be so vicious? You know Molly has mental health issues, yet you deliberately provoke her. She’s your sister! Besides, you share the same blood with those children—they’re practically your own!” I let out a cold laugh, went home and posted my marriage license on Instagram with the caption: [Married.] A few minutes later, I received a call from my mom. She scolded, “Enough! Aren’t you ashamed? You’re Brady’s fiancée—this is an insult to him! Delete that photo right now!” So they still remembered I was Brady’s fiancée after all. I admired the photo of my newly acquired marriage license in my hand, seeing it juxtaposed with Molly’s pregnancy confirmation below, and found it ironic. Her Instagram was filled with congratulations from our parents and Brady, while all I got was their anger. Mom habitually snapped, “Stop trying to get attention with these tactics. If you don’t delete it, don’t bother coming home again!” She hung up without giving me a chance to speak. In the past, whenever she threatened to cut ties with me, I would immediately give in. But now, listening to the dial tone, I felt completely calm. When I refreshed Instagram, I saw Molly had posted again. She stood in the middle of a bridge, teary-eyed, with the river glistening below—quite an aesthetic photo. There was also a pregnancy diagnosis form and a bipolar disorder consultation form. The caption read: [I’m so tired. Was I asking for too much? I’ve tried my hardest but still don’t deserve love. What’s the point of living?] Brady immediately commented: [Sweetie, you deserve all the love in the world. I’ll love you forever, and so will the babies in your tummy!] This was followed by comments from our parents and mutual friends. They all comforted her while criticizing me for being too harsh on someone who was both ill and pregnant. Watching this drama unfold, I could only find it ironic. This wasn’t the first time Molly had threatened suicide, but in reality, she had never been hurt at all. Every time she cried about being depressed and wanting to die, they would rush to surround her with comfort. Then Molly would naturally calm down and receive even more care and protection. Time after time, no one ever questioned her act. Soon, I received another call from Brady. He shouted, “Norah! Come apologize to Molly right now! If anything happens to Molly and the children, I’ll never marry you!” I couldn’t help but remind him, “I’m already married. Didn’t you see the photo?” Brady fell silent instantly. Molly’s tearful voice came through, “Brady, it’s all my fault. Otherwise, Norah wouldn’t have stolen images online to pretend she’s married. I should be the one apologizing to her. Don’t pressure her.” As soon as she finished, Brady angrily said, “Molly, don’t blame yourself. This is clearly her fault. You’re too kind-hearted, which is why she bullies you. I’ll make sure justice is served for you!” Listening to them defend each other, I closed my eyes briefly, then hung up without hesitation.
When Molly and her group returned, I was packing my things in my room. This was the marital home Brady and I had bought together, each of us paying half of the down payment. During every excited discussion about decoration, I had looked forward to moving into this home that belonged to us. But as soon as the renovations were complete, Brady let Molly move in. Only then did I realize that every decoration suggestion Brady made wasn’t because he liked it, but because Molly did. I wasn’t even sure whose marital home this really was anymore. There was no point in me staying here any longer. I’d only met my husband once at City Hall when we got our marriage license. Apart from knowing his name was Gideon Barnett and that he sold condoms for a living, I knew nothing about him. With that profession, his salary probably wasn’t high enough to afford an expensive house in Los Angeles. But my original goal was simply to escape this suffocating family. I quickly rented a place outside and would figure out the rest later. Brady kicked my door open, his face dark with anger. “Norah, why haven’t you deleted that Twitter post yet? Are you playing dumb? Molly was finally feeling a bit better, and now because of you, she wants to kill herself again!” he demanded. I ignored him and continued packing. Brady finally noticed what I was doing and asked coldly, “What are you doing? Moving out?” Before I could answer, he sneered, “First you begged me to buy this place and move in early, and now you’re making a scene about leaving. What game are you playing?” I looked up, truly looking at Brady for the first time this month, and calmly said, “Brady, I’m married now, so naturally I need to move in with my husband.” He grabbed my wrist painfully and smirked, “Norah, you think this will threaten me? Molly is pregnant and needs care. We don’t have time for your attention-seeking drama. Even if you end up on the streets, I won’t stop you! Whether I marry you or not is my decision. Don’t try to manipulate me, or I’ll postpone the wedding date even further!” I irritably shook off his hand and continued packing my things from the desk. I had very few possessions, just essentials. Growing up, Molly had pretty dresses and dolls, while I wore patched-up old clothes and wasn’t allowed to develop any hobbies. Only the design competition trophies on my desk had moved with me from place to place—they were my most precious possessions. I carefully wrapped a trophy and placed it in the box. Suddenly, Molly rushed over and grabbed the trophy from my hands. “Norah, I’m really sorry, please don’t hate me. I’ll move out of your home right now and give Brady back to you.” She sobbed as if she’d suffered some terrible injustice. I hardened my expression and pulled back forcefully. “Let go!” With a crash, the glass trophy fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. I quickly bent down to pick up the pieces, but Molly came over and forcefully pushed my hand down, letting out a sharp scream. Brady rushed to support her as Molly cried in his arms. “I’m fine, Norah didn’t mean it, don’t blame her.” She opened her palm to reveal a tiny cut. Brady shouted at me, “Norah, who do you think you are? How dare you hurt Molly?” I curled my fingers, blood flowing from the cut on my palm that Brady completely ignored. The sight of blood seemed to trigger something in Molly. She began frantically smashing things, grabbing my trophies from the desk and throwing them to the floor like a madwoman. I panicked instantly and lunged forward, but could only touch the scattered fragments. “Molly Craig!” I slapped her hard across the face.
In the next moment, Brady grabbed a porcelain doll and smashed it against my head, leaving a purple bruise on my forehead. This was a handcraft we had made together—one for each of us—which took an entire month to complete. He once said these dolls represented us and promised to cherish them forever, yet now he hurled it at me without hesitation. I looked down at the white porcelain fragments on the floor, feeling my heart shatter along with them. Brady couldn’t care less and continued comforting Molly. He wasn’t worried about my broken possession but feared she might hurt her hand. At that moment, my parents rushed upstairs, drawn by the commotion. Seeing Molly crying, my mom didn’t even ask what happened before slapping me twice across the face. “Norah, how dare you hit your sister!” My dad approached and berated me, “How could I have given birth to such a vicious daughter? Molly’s condition is flaring up because of you!” I was shoved backward, bumping into a box from which my permanent residence certificate fell out. I instinctively picked it up, only for Brady to snatch it away. He snarled, “Norah, faking a marriage with photoshopped pictures is one thing, but you even made a fake permanent residence certificate?” I coughed a few times and looked at Brady mockingly. “Can’t you tell whether it’s real or fake? I’m already married, and that’s my husband in the photo. He’s much more handsome than you.” His face darkened, and forgetting about Molly, he walked over and gripped my throat tightly. “You wouldn’t dare!” Molly exclaimed in surprise, “Norah, even if you’re angry with me, you can’t just marry some random man! Your wedding with Brady is tomorrow—you’ll humiliate him!” I sneered, “I’m giving him to you. Aren’t you happy?” Molly fell silent, avoiding my gaze. Brady continued to roar in rage, his reaction intense, but my situation was deteriorating rapidly. Suddenly, I found it difficult to breathe. My throat itched, and I couldn’t stop coughing, as if my internal organs were about to come out. I collapsed to the floor, only then noticing that my mother had brought up a bouquet of flowers, which now lay beside me. They had forgotten again that I had asthma and couldn’t be around pollen. I frantically searched through drawers and boxes, struggling to find my asthma medication. But all I found were empty bottles—the several inhalers I’d kept in my room had vanished. Molly feigned surprise, saying, “I saw some trash on Norah’s desk a few days ago and threw it away. It wasn’t your asthma medication, was it?” Brady immediately defended her, “Norah leaves her things everywhere. You were just being helpful by cleaning up. You did nothing wrong!” As if suddenly remembering something, my mom walked over to pick up the flowers. “I almost forgot, I need to put Molly’s flowers in water before they wilt.” I felt a ringing in my ears as the sounds around me gradually faded. I desperately searched for my phone to call an ambulance. Before losing consciousness, I heard Brady’s cold laugh: “Stop pretending. It’s just a few flowers. She’s such a nuisance! Let’s go!” When I woke up, I smelled the antiseptic scent permeating the air and saw nothing but white all around me. Nearby, nurses were whispering among themselves. “Did you hear about those two women who came to the hospital last night? They’re both Craigs, apparently sisters. One was in shock when the ambulance brought her in, while the other just had a small cut on her palm. Yet her parents and husband were completely freaking out. So dramatic…” I felt sad hearing this but remained silent as I struggled to sit up. Seeing me move, a nurse quickly came over to help prop me up with a soft pillow, looking at me curiously. “That man who paid your hospital bills last night—was he your husband?” I froze, thinking of Brady, then quickly dismissed the thought. It couldn’t be him. The nurse continued, “He was very tall and thin, wore glasses, and was quite handsome!” I frowned, still trying to figure out who this person could be, when Molly’s voice came from the doorway. “Norah, did Brady come by last night? You’re sick, and he’s not even by your side. Don’t tell me you two had a fight and you got fake-married just to spite him?” Her face was all innocence, but every word dripped with malice and provocation. My mother immediately flared up, rushing over to slap me hard on the head, hitting exactly where Brady had struck me earlier. My head started ringing. She shouted, “Norah, how did I end up with such a shameless daughter? You were so jealous of your own sister that you went and married some random man? You have no dignity!” “Call that man here right now. He needs to provide proper engagement gifts. The mortgage on the house you and Brady bought isn’t fully paid off yet—he can pay it all at once. That way, your sister and Brady can live there without worries.” My mother spoke with complete self-righteousness. Even though I’d always known she didn’t consider me her daughter, I still felt disappointed. Molly secretly smiled, pretending to calm her down. “Mom, is that appropriate? If her husband is poor, it would put Norah and Brady in an awkward position.” Brady glared at me darkly. “Well, she chose him herself!” This only emboldened my mother. “Exactly! She ignored our advice. Even if that man beats her to death, she deserves it!” She didn’t care that I had just woken up from being sick, nor that we were in a hospital. She grabbed my hair, demanding I call my new husband immediately. The man and I were complete strangers—I couldn’t possibly drag him into this. Gritting my teeth, I said, “He’s just an ordinary person. He doesn’t have money to give you!” My mother’s grip tightened. My body hadn’t fully recovered, and as I struggled, something fell from my pocket. Molly quickly picked it up and exclaimed, “A condom salesman? Norah, why do you have this kind of business card? Don’t tell me this is your husband I’ve never met?!” With each word she spoke, Brady’s face grew darker. “Norah, all these years you’ve been acting cold with me, but behind my back, you’ve been this desperate? A condom salesman? Is he better at satisfying you than I am?” The spot where Brady had hit my head throbbed with pain, leaving me unable to respond. Meanwhile, my mother was already urging Molly to call my husband. I struggled to stop them, but Brady gripped my wrist tightly. His face was dark, yet he smiled and said, “You really like this husband of yours that much? You’re so protective of him?” I stared at him hard, then suddenly smiled. “Indeed. After all, he’s a thousand times better than you! Are you jealous now?” Brady’s expression changed, but before he could speak, the call Molly had placed connected. “Hello.” Molly glanced at me, then quickly said, “Hello, is this Gideon? I’m Norah’s sister. My mother and I just found out about your marriage to Norah, and we’d like to meet you.” The man paused briefly, then replied, “I’ll be right there.” They arranged to meet at a restaurant near the hospital. Although I didn’t want to spend time with them, especially facing Brady’s gloomy and sharp gaze, this situation had dragged Gideon into it, and I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. However, when Gideon walked in, I barely recognized him. His features were the same, but his entire aura was completely different. The first day we met, he was wearing just an ordinary shirt and slacks, pushing a cart selling condoms in the mall. Though he was handsome, he didn’t have this noble air about him that he had now. That’s precisely why I had the courage to approach him and ask if he wanted to get married. As soon as Gideon entered, he walked straight toward me, sat down beside me with remarkable ease, put his arm around my shoulders, looked at Molly and the others across the table, and whispered in my ear, “Honey, why don’t you introduce them to me?” I was stunned by his natural familiarity in both gesture and term of endearment, and just as I was about to speak, Molly jumped in first. She stared at Gideon’s face with obvious jealousy for a moment, then feigned innocence while asking a question dripping with malice: “Gideon, I heard you sell condoms…” Gideon nodded. “You could say that.” Molly’s expression grew even more smug as she affectionately wrapped her arm around Brady’s. “Gideon, let me introduce you to Brady. He’s a director at Solaris Group. Sales must be tough these days, right? Since we’re going to be family, you could ask Brady for help.” Brady stared at me and sneered, “As it happens, Solaris Group collaborates with Apex Group—you know Apex Group, right? The domestic leader in all product categories, even ranking first in the condom business. If you beg me, I could throw a small contract your way—enough for you to make some serious money!” I couldn’t take it anymore and reached for the water on the table, ready to splash it in his face. Gideon stopped me by holding my hand, his face still wearing that gentle smile, as if he wasn’t the one being humiliated. Then he made a phone call. “Mr. Walsh, does a mere director from Solaris Group dare to bully Apex Group? My wife is very angry right now, and if you don’t handle this properly, I won’t let Solaris Group off the hook!” Molly’s laughter stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with shock and panic as she looked at Gideon. Brady’s eyes also flashed with momentary panic, but he quickly composed himself and smirked at me: “Norah, if you’re going to hire an actor, at least find someone convincing—not someone wearing cheap clothes pretending to be a CEO!” As Brady spoke, he casually flashed the luxury brand logo on his jacket with a contemptuous expression. “He can only afford cheap suits—must have just finished meeting with clients, right? Norah, when did your taste become so poor? If you just admit this is all an act, our wedding can proceed as scheduled!” Molly’s smug expression froze as she looked at Brady in disbelief. “Brady!” I found it both ironic and amusing. “Who are you to look down on honest work? Brady, don’t think too highly of yourself. I’d choose a homeless person off the street over a hypocrite like you—someone who pretends to be decent while secretly sleeping with his fiancée’s sister and getting her pregnant!” “Norah!” Brady was furious with embarrassment and raised his hand to slap me. Gideon effortlessly caught his hand and smiled. “Hitting people isn’t appropriate, is it?” The commotion attracted attention from nearby diners, and many glances were cast our way. “Isn’t that the Barnett from Apex Group…” “Yesterday’s financial news…” Fragments of conversation drifted over, and Brady frowned. His company collaborated with Apex Group—more accurately, even a small contract from Apex Group would cover their entire year’s profit. However, he sized up Gideon standing before him. He thought to himself that while Apex Group’s CEO also had the surname Barnett, that CEO was reportedly a decisive middle-aged man, while this man before him was clearly a nobody. He sneered, “Don’t think you’re special just because you share a last name with Apex Group’s CEO. Want to bet that with just one word from me, you won’t even be able to work as a salesman anymore?” Gideon raised an eyebrow. “Does your boss know how arrogant you are outside the office?” Brady’s expression grew even more mocking. “You think you can intimidate me by mentioning my boss? You’re not worthy! Apologize to me now, and I might still forgive you!” “Brady, who do you think you are?” My anger flared, and for the first time, I realized how poor my judgment had been. Gideon gently restrained me, his face still wearing that unchanging smile. “Mr. Lambert, I think you should start packing up for unemployment.” Molly stirred the pot from the side, crying, “Norah, we were just trying to help. It’s one thing if you don’t appreciate it, but why insult Brady?” Hearing this, Brady’s expression darkened further. The next moment, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Brady quickly answered, his tone extremely fawning: “Mr. Cortez, what can I do for you…” Before he could finish, furious shouting erupted from the other end, loud enough for everyone to hear. “How dare you offend Mr. Barnett from Apex Group? Because of you, Apex Group is withdrawing their investment—a hundred-billion-dollar project gone! Brady, you’re fired!” Brady froze, his face turning ashen. Finally seeming to grasp the situation, he looked at Gideon in disbelief: “You’re the CEO of Apex Group?”
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