A bombshell hit my wedding. The Harrington heiress Seraphina was back and she was dying. Terminally ill, covered in sores, with two weeks to live. My stepbrother Jeff collapsed, sobbing. “Take my place or I’ll kill myself!” I calmly brushed off my formal suit, unmoved. “Seraphina chose me. You begged Dad to switch our names. You stole my wedding. Now she’s dying, the money’s gone, and you have regrets? I’m married, Jeff. You think I’d walk into hell for you? Dream on!” To my utter disbelief, my fiancée, Celeste Blackwood, rushed to embrace Jeff. Then she turned on me, her eyes full of scorn. “The wedding hasn’t started! The papers aren’t signed! None of this counts!” “I can’t bear to watch Jeff suffer. He has to be the groom today. You’re his older brother. You should sacrifice for him!” I stared, struggling to process her words. My father and my stepmother, nodded in frantic agreement. They threw my identification documents at my feet. “Seraphina’s notorious for her wild parties and reckless behavior. She swore to have one last fling as a bride before she dies. Jeff’s too delicate to risk sickness or become a widower. The Harringtons will destroy us if we back out. You will marry into that family.” The people closest to me in this world were shoving me straight into a death trap. I closed my eyes, my heart shattering, and let out a cold, bitter laugh. “Fine. Have it your way.”
The moment I gave my groom’s suit to Jeff, he slid his arm around Celeste. “Celeste,” he asked, his face flushed, “Do I look good?” Celeste’s gaze was full of open admiration. “Perfect,” she said softly. “When I was designing this, I must have been thinking of your measurements. It fits you like it was always yours.” I flinched. So that explained the tight waist. She’d designed the suit herself. I’d thought I’d gained weight. She was always sewing it for him. Seeing my compliance, my stepmother Veronica held back her usual eye-roll. For once, even my father Robert offered a shred of approval, stating I was finally starting to act like an older brother should. I watched the four of them laughing together. I let my voice drip with cold sarcasm. “You didn’t honestly think I’d marry into the Harringtons for free, did you?” The laughter died. “What do you want?” Robert asked, his tone strained. “Ten percent of Sterling Corp.” My father’s face darkened. “You greedy bastard! That’s your brother’s legacy! I thought you were finally being reasonable, and now you’re trying to steal from him? You don’t deserve a cent!” I’d always known his bias, but the words still cut deep. “That company was built by my mother,” I shot back. “If your bastard child gets a share, why shouldn’t I? Or have you forgotten I’m also your son?” Robert’s face turned purple. If he weren’t terrified of delaying the wedding, he would have struck me. He forced the rage down. “Your mother was my wife! Everything she had belonged to the Sterlings, including that company! I decide who gets shares! I’ve fed and clothed you your entire life! You should be on your knees with gratitude!” He had been saying that ever since he brought Veronica and Jeff into our home. I used to wonder why other fathers saw providing for their children as a given, while I was expected to grovel for it. Eventually, I stopped thinking about it. What could you expect from a man who installed his affair partner before his wife’s body was cold? Celeste saw the redness in my eyes. She stepped closer, linking her arm with mine, her voice softening to a venomous purr. “Alex,” she cooed, “are you afraid of being alone after Seraphina dies? Or are you just scared of getting sick with no money?” “Don’t worry. When it’s all over, I’ll take you back. I’ll find you a doctor. It’s not that I’m cruel. Jeff is just so… sensitive. I can’t bear to see him suffer.” A wave of nausea hit me. I ripped my arm from her grasp. Then, mimicking Jeff’s earlier pathetic display, I pressed a knife to my own wrist. “No shares?” I sneered. “Then I’ll end it right here. You’re the ones who said the Harringtons can’t be crossed. Seraphina chose a Sterling. If I’m dead, Jeff can face the consequences himself!” On hearing this, Veronica quickly tugged on Robert’s sleeve. “Honey, we absolutely cannot let Jeff go into that hellhole!” “Seraphina is dying. The Harringtons will pick a new heir. Do you want Jeff to become a widower? To catch her disease? His life would be ruined! If anyone’s going to die from that illness, let it be Alex. He’s expendable. But not our Jeff!” Jeff’s eyes welled up with tears again. Robert immediately snapped for his assistant, who produced the share transfer agreement. He signed it without another word, then turned to reassure a trembling Jeff that he’d compensate him with even more shares later. A cold laugh echoed in my mind. Go ahead. Give him whatever you want. I’ll be taking it all back in the end. My mother’s life’s work would not remain in the hands of these vultures. The officiant urged. “The ceremony is ready to begin. Groom and bride, to your positions.”
Celeste’s eyes shone with triumph as she locked arms with Jeff, leading him away like a prize. My father forced me to stay for the wedding, claiming it was about family respect. A last-minute groom swap was the joke of the season among the city’s elite, and I felt the weight of every mocking, curious stare. As soon as it was over, I tried to slip away. Celeste stopped me. “Alex, I’m sorry about today.” “I know I wouldn’t be where I am without you. The moment Seraphina is gone, I’ll bring you home and make it right. Jeff won’t mind.” Celeste and I were college sweethearts. Back then, she was a broke student. and I was disowned by my family. We were each other’s only support. We dreamed of building our own empire, without the Sterling fortune. For her, I humbled myself, gathering investors for her startup. I studied relentlessly to be her advisor, her shield against a cutthroat world. She had once held my hand and sworn she would give me a home, that I would never be bullied again. But she broke her promise. I had no patience left for her hollow apologies. I turned and walked away. I bumped into Jeff, who was holding a glass of wine. “Alex,” he said timidly, “let me propose a toast. Thank you for stepping aside for Celeste and me… and for taking my place with the Harringtons.” Celeste gently praised him for being considerate, then looked at me. “Alex, Jeff means well-” I cut her off coldly. “Celeste, do I need to remind you that I’m allergic to alcohol?” “And you. You knew his exact size. You knew his body well enough to tailor that suit blindfolded. Tell me, how long have you been sleeping with him? Save your toast. I don’t accept drinks from a bastard and his mistress!” I didn’t bother to lower my voice. The remaining guests turned to stare. Jeff’s face instantly paled. He covered his face, sobbing. “I know you’re angry, Alex. If slandering me as a homewrecker and ruining my reputation makes you happy, then so be it. It’s my fault for not knowing my place.” The moment he finished, Celeste’s face turned glacial. “Alex, just drink the wine. Or I’ll have someone pour it down your throat.” When I met her threat with a cold stare, she let out a scornful laugh, snatched a full bottle of hard liquor, and slammed it on the table between us. “Drop the act. I know about all those nights you spent drinking with your rich cougars. Since when are you suddenly allergic?” “You embarrassed Jeff in public. A glass won’t cut it. You’re not leaving until you finish this entire bottle.” Whispers and sneers spread through the crowd. “How much do you think Alex Sterling charges for his services? Those old women must pay well.” “No wonder Celeste switched grooms. Who would want used goods? He’s perfect for that promiscuous Harrington girl. Jeff, at least, is pure.” My eyes widened in disbelief, my nails digging deep into my palms. Celeste had always prided herself on being above begging for favors. To secure projects and investments, I had no choice but to schmooze, drinking until my stomach bled. Yet, I had always remained pure. Coupled with long hours and irregular meals, my immune system broke down, and I suddenly developed an alcohol allergy. I hadn’t told her, afraid she’d worry. Before I could speak, Celeste lost patience. She turned and ordered her bodyguards, “You have three minutes. Force that bottle down his throat. Jeff is tired and can’t stand here much longer.” My arms were pinned, my mouth forcibly pried open. The fiery, acrid liquid poured down my throat, making me choke and bringing tears to my eyes. Almost visibly, my face and neck erupted in a rash. I clutched my throat, collapsing to my knees, suffocating. Celeste’s face changed drastically. She kicked away the bodyguard who was trying to force more alcohol down my throat. “Get out! Don’t touch him!” “Call 911! If Alex suffers any harm, I’ll end you all!” When the ambulance arrived, Celeste rushed over, trying to get into the vehicle with me. “Alex, I’m so sorry, I thought you were lying to me, I…” Despite the doctor’s repeated objections, I pulled off my oxygen mask. I spat directly into her face, enunciating each word. “Trash. Don’t touch me. You’re disgusting!” Celeste froze. Behind her, Jeff cried out, “Celeste, I twisted my ankle, it hurts so much, hurry and help me up…” She hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran to Jeff. I was taken to the hospital. After treatment, I could finally breathe normally, and the rash gradually faded. The next day, Celeste and Jeff went shopping. Pictures of their interlocked fingers flooded social media, a grand romantic gesture for all to see. No one came to see me. Only my father’s assistant stopped by, on his own accord. Seeing my pale face, Mr. Davis sighed with compassion. “Mr. Alex Sterling, you’ve been through a lot.” “It’s just a pity that beyond secretly visiting you, I can’t stop you from falling into the Harrington family’s hellhole seven days from now.” He was trained by my mother and stayed to help protect the company. After my mother passed, he remained by my father’s side, assisting him, and often looked out for me in private. I curved my lips into a knowing smile. “You’re wrong. That won’t be a hellhole.” “Mr. Davis, interested in a partnership?”
No sooner had I been discharged from the hospital than I heard my father had given Jeff another 15% of Sterling Corp. He even complained that Jeff and Celeste’s new home was too far from their mother’s family, fearing he would miss his son, and insisted on buying Jeff another mansion nearby. He and Veronica spent their days busy decorating Jeff’s new place. The entire social circle mocked me, the son of the first wife, saying I was worth less than the illegitimate child born of the mistress who climbed her way up. I didn’t care. With them gone, I was happy to have some peace. While I was replying to Mr. Davis’s messages, when Jeff suddenly pushed the door open, carrying a bowl of something dark and murky. He placed the bowl on the coffee table, sat beside me, and linked his arm through mine, smiling. “I heard you were in the hospital by yourself for two days, brother?” “It’s all Celeste’s fault. She kept dragging me to lavish auctions for my wedding gifts. I thought it was a waste, but I couldn’t bear to spoil her fun, so I didn’t have time to visit you, brother. Don’t be angry.” I stared at his theatrics with cold eyes. “What do you want, Jeff?” Jeff’s gaze swept over the safe in my room. His face flushed as he smiled. “Celeste also wants us to have a baby so soon after marriage. I heard a Blessed Mother painting can help with fertility, and I wanted to get one for our living room, but I haven’t found one I like.” “I heard your mother was a devout believer and an excellent painter. She once painted a Blessed Mother. I was hoping you’d let me have it, brother…” “I won’t take it for free. I told Celeste that if you stay healthy, she should take care of you on the side. After all, successful women always have men chasing them, so instead of letting some unknown creeps have you, it’s better if brother…” I violently yanked my hand free and grabbed his collar, yanking him closer. “That Blessed Mother painting is the only relic my mother left me! My father, the company, women-I can give all of that up, but that painting, no one touches it!” “Only you and your mother, you despicable opportunists, would eagerly become mistress and illegitimate child. I, Alex Sterling, wouldn’t stoop so low!” When I was six, I fell gravely ill, and nothing seemed to cure me. My mother, desperate, turned to faith. She painted a sacred image, had it blessed, and knelt before it. For three days, without food or water, she prayed without ceasing, begging a higher power to spare her son. n the end, my health returned. But not long after, my mother was taken from me. Her final act was one of courage, a sacrifice that took her from me. That painting embodies my mother’s love for me. No one can take it away! Jeff was thrown to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. “Brother, you misunderstand me. I just wanted to repay you.” Celeste suddenly appeared, pulling Jeff into her embrace. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. Her eyes were as cold as ice. “I’m the one who chose the new groom. Jeff was never a homewrecker. He was even worried you might get sick, that the Harrington family wouldn’t care for you as a widower, and no one else would want you. That’s why he begged me to find you a doctor and care for you for the rest of your life.” “You can bear to lay a hand on such a considerate brother, yet you care so much about a painting from a dead person. You’re truly unreasonable!” Celeste pinned me down with one hand and ordered the bodyguards, “Since he won’t hand it over willingly, saw open the safe now and get the painting.” Her words stabbed at my heart like a thousand knives, hurting far more than the slap. Soon, they retrieved the painting and handed it to Jeff. I stared at Celeste, a cold laugh escaping my lips. “So, you’re completely on Jeff’s side now, helping him steal my things, is that right?” Celeste knew my history. Her past sympathy was now replaced by a barely concealed guilt. She released me, her tone softening slightly. “Alex, it hurts me when either of you is sad.” “Anyway, your mother isn’t coming back. It’s just a worthless painting. Just let Jeff have it. If you like, I’ll buy you a hundred more, okay?” I grabbed the glass from the table and smashed it against Celeste’s head without hesitation. “No!” Seeing blood stream from Celeste’s forehead, Jeff screamed and ran over, shoving me hard. “How dare you hit her?! It’s just a painting! We don’t want it anymore, take it back!” The scroll suddenly unfurled in his hands. The next second, the Blessed Mother painting was torn into two halves. One half was in my hand. The other half, Jeff tossed into the nearby fish tank.
“Ah, brother, I… I didn’t mean to…” I ignored him, rushing to the fish tank to retrieve the half of the painting. The colors were already ruined by the water, beyond repair. I couldn’t even protect the last memento my mother left me. My heart felt torn to shreds, tears falling onto the floor. Celeste’s eyes flashed with pity. She gave Jeff a reproving look. “Alex…” Jeff suddenly remembered something and quickly handed me the bowl from the coffee table. “This is a folk remedy I found for you. They say it can prevent all kinds of illnesses. Drink it and you’ll forgive me~” A pungent, fishy odor emanated from the black liquid, and I could vaguely make out the corpses of scorpions and maggots. I snatched the bowl and smashed it against Jeff. “You want me to forgive you? Over my dead body!” It had been sitting out for a while, so the liquid in the bowl was already lukewarm. Yet, Jeff clutched his arm and shrieked, “Ah, it’s so hot…” Veronica burst in. Taking in the scene, she rolled up Jeff’s sleeve, revealing the red patches on his arm. They exchanged a knowing glance before she pulled him into a hug, sobbing. “My poor Jeff! Why trouble yourself over that ungrateful wretch? Has he ever treated you as a brother?” “You’ve been delicate since birth. What if it leaves a scar? Daughter-in-law, are you just going to stand there and watch your husband get bullied?!” Celeste looked at me with immense disappointment. She closed her eyes, then spoke in a deep voice, “Get a basin of boiling water.” At her signal, the bodyguards pinned me to the ground. A basin of scalding water was placed before my eyes, the steam stinging them shut. A sense of foreboding instantly filled my entire being. “Celeste, what are you doing?!” She looked down at me from above. “Alex, you’ve repeatedly betrayed Jeff’s good intentions and hurt him. You have to pay the price.” Vaguely guessing her intent, I struggled desperately. “The liquid in that bowl was already cold! Jeff is just acting with his mother! Can’t you see?!” At my words, Jeff immediately began to wipe away tears. “Brother, it’s bad enough that you bully and target me, but Celeste has been so good to you, how could you bear to lie to her?!” “Are you saying my injury isn’t severe enough? Fine, I’ll scald myself with boiling water again right now, as compensation for your mother’s painting!” He had barely lifted his foot before Celeste pulled him into her arms. “Jeff, you’re just too innocent. That’s why he always slanders and bullies you. I believe you.” Jeff whimpered pitifully. “Actually, since Seraphina is so promiscuous, perhaps ruining your skin with boiling water would be a good thing, brother. Maybe she won’t want to touch you then? At least you wouldn’t get sick.” Celeste actually nodded in agreement at such an absurd suggestion. “Jeff, you’re so clever.” I burst into maniacal laughter, tears streaming down my face. “Celeste, I misjudged you completely. You and Jeff truly are a perfectly vile pair, a match made in hell!” Celeste frowned, her expression grim. “Alex, if you’re angry, you can curse me, but do you really need to target Jeff at every turn? He’s thought about you enough. You can’t be so heartless!” “Jeff is right. Perhaps this is also a way to protect you. Besides, you owe him this!” “Don’t worry, even if you’re covered in scars, I won’t abandon you. The moment Seraphina passes, I’ll come take you away!” As her words fell, the entire basin of scalding water was poured onto my back. The pain was excruciating, tearing through me, yet I couldn’t move. My whole body convulsed and trembled uncontrollably. My father rushed in, his voice anxious. “Stop, all of you! The Harrington family is here! Their heiress is critical. The doctors say she has three days left, tops. She wants a wedding, right now. She’s determined to go out with a bang.” “The Harrington family wants to take him now. They said they’ll hold a small ceremony at home first, so Miss Harrington won’t have any regrets!” When the butler changed my clothes, he was terrified by the shocking blisters covering my back, afraid of bursting them and causing bleeding or infection. My father, upon hearing this, showed no pity, only blame. “It was I who told Jeff to get the Blessed Mother painting from you. I can’t believe how disobedient you are, even slandering Jeff. You’ll never change!” I violently looked at him, hatred practically spewing from my eyes. So, he was the one who told Jeff about the painting! “Don’t look at me like that. Are you regretting it? Do you think being injured will get you out of the wedding?” “Let me be clear,” my father snarled, “the Harringtons have promised Sterling Corp a substantial reward for this. A single project from them is worth a decade of our profits. I’ve fed and housed you all these years. Now, you will repay me. You will marry into that family today!” He ordered the butler to suit me up, injuries be damned. “Dark fabric hides blood.” My back was raw, the pain blinding. When the car moved, the suit was already stained dark. Through the window, I saw Celeste silently form the words. “Alex, just endure it. I’ll come for you.” Three days later, news came that a Harrington had died. Celeste, counting the days, was certain it was Seraphina, the city’s darling heiress. She rushed to the funeral home with Jeff to pay their respects. But when she looked into the coffin, she froze. The body lying there wasn’t a young woman at all. It wasn’t the heiress. It was 102-year-old Grandfather Harrington, with a shock of white hair.
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