I’m the illegitimate daughter the Sullivan family keeps hidden—a dirty secret whose only value is to marry into the Garrett family in my sister’s place, to that man rumored to be violent and wheelchair-bound. At the wedding, when the priest asked if I was willing, I grabbed the microphone in front of all the city’s elite. “I’m not willing.” The entire venue erupted. My father was shaking with rage, pointing at my nose and calling me insane. But they didn’t know—there was a voice in my head. [Congratulations on rejecting this arranged marriage. The Single Life Extension System is now activated！Day 1 of being single: reward of one million dollars, Vitality +1.] “Clara! You dare say that again!” My father Harrison Sullivan’s roar nearly lifted the cathedral roof. Beside me, my sister Vivian, dressed in her bridesmaid gown, hissed under her breath. “Are you insane? If you ruin this marriage, Mom and Dad will kill you!” I looked at her calmly, then at the shocked guests below, and finally at the man in the wheelchair—Damien Garrett. A powerful business elite in New York. Six months ago, an accident left his legs paralyzed and his temperament dark and ruthless. Everyone said the Sullivans were throwing me, the bastard daughter, into a pit of fire. But what they didn’t know was that my parents had begged on their knees for the privilege of connecting with the Garrett family. Damien’s face showed no expression. His deep eyes fixed on me from several meters away, as if watching a farce that had nothing to do with him. Behind him, his assistant’s face had turned iron-gray, already preparing to handle this unexpected situation. “I’m not willing.” I repeated, my voice not loud, but clear enough to echo through the entire cathedral. Suddenly a sharp slap landed on my face. My mother. She rushed onto the stage, her whole body trembling as she pointed at me. “You bastard! You’ve really lost your mind! You’ve humiliated the entire Sullivan family! Apologize to Mr. Garrett right now!” I licked the taste of blood from my lip and smiled. “Why should I apologize? It’s my marriage. If I don’t want it, do I need someone to force me?” My father’s lips trembled with rage. “You… you wretched thing! Today you’ll marry whether you want to or not!” He moved to grab me. “Enough.” Damien controlled his electric wheelchair, slowly approaching the stage, his gaze calm as he looked at me. “Give me a reason.” I looked at him—this supposedly brutal man. At this moment, his eyes held no anger, only curiosity. I took a deep breath and said what I’d prepared. “I don’t like you. And I definitely don’t want to marry… a disabled man.” The words were poison, harsh even to my own ears. Sure enough, the entire venue gasped. Harrison’s face went completely white. He nearly fainted. Vivian looked at me like I was already dead. Damien’s eyes finally darkened. His assistant, Owen, stepped forward coldly. “Miss Sullivan, the Garrett family is not yours to insult.” The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing. But in my mind, I was silently counting. “System, pay me.” [Ding! Day 1 of being single: reward of one million dollars, Vitality +1. Cash has been deposited into your anonymous account.] The cold mechanical voice in my head was my only comfort right now. With money and life, what did I have to fear? I straightened my spine and met Damien’s icy gaze. “I’m telling the truth. Mr. Garrett, I won’t marry you!” With that, I lifted the hem of my wedding dress and, under everyone’s disbelieving stares, turned to leave. But I didn’t make it out of the cathedral. Two bodyguards in black suits blocked my path. My father Harrison said in a trembling voice to Damien, “Mr. Garrett, please don’t be angry. This girl’s not right in the head. I’ll tie her up and deliver her to you right now…” “Dad!” Vivian quickly grabbed him, though her eyes darted toward Damien. “Mr. Garrett, my sister doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against her.” Damien ignored their father-daughter performance, only looking at me with unreadable eyes. “Miss Sullivan, you agreed to this wedding yourself. Now you’re backing out publicly, playing games with me?” I clenched my fists. “I’m not playing games. I just came to my senses. I don’t want my life depending on anyone.” “Is that so?” Damien laughed softly, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Miss Sullivan’s pursuit of independence—I admire that. However, everything has a price.” As soon as he finished speaking, Owen stepped forward and said to Harrison, “Mr. Sullivan, according to the agreement, if the marriage alliance fails, Sullivan Corporation must pay Garrett Corporation one billion dollars in breach of contract penalties. Additionally, Garrett Corporation will withdraw all investments and project collaborations with Sullivan Corporation.”
“One billion!” Harrison’s eyes rolled back. He nearly collapsed. Vivian’s face went white too. The Sullivan family’s total assets added up to only two or three hundred million. This one billion would drive them to ruin! Harrison dropped to his knees with a thud, facing Damien’s direction. “Mr. Garrett, please show mercy! It’s all this bastard’s fault. Punish her if you want, but it has nothing to do with the Sullivan family!” I watched his performance coldly, feeling nothing but disgust. This was my father—for profit, he could throw me under the bus without hesitation. My mother wailed dramatically. “Mr. Garrett, we’ll send her back to the room right now. Tonight she’ll be yours. Please spare us!” I watched this family’s ugly display, my stomach churning. I turned to Damien. “This was my decision. I’ll bear the consequences alone. Let my parents and the Sullivan family go.” Damien raised an eyebrow, seeming amused. “You’ll bear it? With what? Can you even pay back one billion?” “I will pay it back.” I said with complete confidence. The entire venue erupted in mocking laughter. An illegitimate daughter abandoned by her family—how could she repay one billion? It was fantasy. Vivian sneered sharply. “Clara, what will you use to pay it back? Your life?” I ignored her, only looking steadily at Damien. “Give me three years.” Damien looked at me deeply, then suddenly smiled. “Fine. I’ll give you three years.” He waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to let me pass. “From today, you owe me, Damien Garrett, one billion dollars. As for interest, we’ll use the bank’s highest standard rate.” He paused, adding, “Don’t think about running. You know my methods.” With that, he controlled his wheelchair and left the cathedral without looking back. My parents collapsed on the floor, looking at me like they wanted to devour me alive. “You bastard! You bastard! You’re going to destroy the Sullivan family!” I didn’t look at them again. I lifted the expensive wedding dress and walked out of that cage-like cathedral. The sunlight was blinding, but I felt freer than ever before. The system in my head came online. [Ding! You have successfully escaped your family. Reward: luxury apartment, Vitality +5.] I stood on the street in my wedding dress, looking like a joke. Passersby stared and pointed. I didn’t care. My phone vibrated. A bank text: one million dollars deposited. I smiled. Having money felt good. Then another message came in from an unknown number. [Platinum Estates, Tower A, Unit 3201. Password is your birthday. -Owen] Damien’s assistant. I was somewhat surprised he’d actually given me an apartment. Was he afraid I’d run? Using this to monitor me? Whatever. Having a place to live was better than being homeless. I hailed a cab and gave the address. The driver kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, wanting to say something but holding back. When I arrived at Platinum Estates, I discovered it was one of New York’s famous wealthy districts with extremely tight security. My wedding dress made me incredibly conspicuous. Security stopped me. I gave the unit number and my name. After verification, the guard let me through respectfully. When I opened the door to 3201, I was stunned by what I saw. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows, minimalist modern decor, furniture and appliances all top luxury brands. The walk-in closet even had this season’s new clothing and accessories, tags still attached. The refrigerator was stocked with fresh ingredients and imported fruits. On the table sat a black card and a new phone. A note read: [Behave yourself—Damien Garrett] This didn’t seem like something prepared for someone who owed a billion dollars. More like he wanted to be my sugar daddy. What was Damien trying to do? I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. The priority was to shower, change clothes, and get a good meal.
I soaked comfortably in the bathtub as the system voice rang in my head again. [Day 2 of being single: reward of one million dollars, Vitality +1.] [Current Vitality: 7 points.] [Current account balance: two million dollars.] I looked at my pale face in the mirror, a smile curving my lips. Before the wedding, I’d suffered acute heart failure. The doctor said I had less than a month to live. Then this [Single Life Extension System] suddenly appeared, giving me hope to survive. As long as I stayed single, I could live and gain enormous wealth. Chase men? I’d rather make money and extend my life, living my ideal life on my own terms. Just then, the doorbell rang. I was puzzled. Who would come looking for me here? I wrapped myself in a bathrobe and looked through the peephole. It was actually Vivian. How did she know I was here? I opened the door. Vivian stood there with an arrogant expression. She looked me up and down, her eyes landing on my bathrobe, filled with jealousy and contempt. “Clara, you’re really something! You reject the marriage and still end up living in a place like this. Which old man are you latching onto now?” I leaned against the doorframe, looking at her lazily. “What do you want?” Vivian was infuriated by my indifferent attitude. “Mom and Dad are about to die from anger! The company’s going bankrupt! And here you are, living the high life!” She tried to push her way in. I blocked her with my arm. “This is my home. You’re not welcome.” “Your home?” Vivian acted like she’d heard the biggest joke. “Clara, don’t forget—you’ve got Sullivan blood! You destroyed the Sullivan family. You need to take responsibility!” “How should I take responsibility? Go back and marry Damien in your place?” I laughed coldly. “Vivian, you were the one who refused to marry him. Now you’re blaming me?” Originally, the marriage between the Sullivan and Garrett families specified the eldest Sullivan daughter—Vivian. She was the one who despised Damien for being disabled. That’s when Mom and Dad set their sights on me, the illegitimate daughter. They promised me that if I obediently married him, they’d give my mother a large sum of money so she could live comfortably. For my mother’s sake, I agreed. But the week before the wedding, my mother died suddenly of a heart attack. And I was diagnosed with the same heart condition around that time. Not a single member of the Sullivan family came to see me. They only cared whether I could show up at the wedding on time. From that moment, I was completely done with the Sullivan family. “You… you’re talking nonsense!” Vivian’s eyes shifted. “I just… I already had someone I liked!” She became more agitated, her voice rising. “Clara, I’m warning you—you’d better go apologize to Mr. Garrett right now and beg him to spare the Sullivan family! Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t stay in New York!” “Oh? Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to see how you’ll make that happen.” With that, I shut the door directly in her face. Vivian’s cursing echoed from outside. I pretended not to hear. Wasting even one word on someone like her was wasting my Vitality. The next morning, my name was trending. #Sullivan Bastard Daughter Publicly Rejects Marriage, Humiliates Disabled Tycoon# #Ungrateful Clara# #Sullivan Corporation on Brink of Bankruptcy# I clicked in. All the comments were attacking me. They said I was materialistic and shallow, that I rejected Damien because of his disability, that I was a gold-digger through and through. There were even “insider sources” claiming my private life was messy, that I’d already hooked up with other men. Below were several blurry photos showing a girl with a similar build to mine being intimate with different men. I recognized her immediately. Vivian. She was truly vicious—to destroy me, she’d even release her own scandals and pin them on me. The comment section was full of attacks. “This kind of woman should be fed to sharks!” “I feel sorry for Mr. Garrett, being deceived by this bitch.” “The Sullivan family must have terrible karma to raise such an ungrateful wretch.” I read these comments without anger. I actually found them somewhat funny. This generation of internet users was so easily manipulated. I ignored the online storm and leisurely made myself a lavish breakfast.
Just after I finished eating, my phone rang. An unknown number. I answered. An arrogant female voice came through. “Is this Clara? I’m Fiona Lee.” Fiona Lee? I thought for a moment—Vivian’s rich friend. “What do you want?” “Clara, you dared offend Mr. Garrett. Now the Sullivan family is finished. Are you satisfied?” Fiona’s tone was full of schadenfreude. I was too lazy to waste words with her and was about to hang up when she spoke again. “But I’m in a good mood today. I can show you a way out.” “What way?” “Tonight at eight, Mr. Smith is hosting a party at Empire Club. Mr. Smith loves girls like you—pure but with a wild edge. If you serve him well, forget one billion, he’d give you two billion.” Mr. Smith was a man in his fifties who loved young women’s bodies. Vivian and Fiona were trying to push me into the fire. “You don’t dare come?” Fiona goaded. “If you want to survive in New York, you’d better show up. Otherwise, face the consequences.” She hung up. I looked at my phone, my eyes going cold. Did they think I was still the Clara who could be manipulated at will? I hadn’t planned to pay attention to them, but they kept provoking me. Did they really think I was made of clay? That night at eight, Empire Club. I changed into a black cocktail dress, applied delicate makeup, and showed up on time. Just outside the private room, I heard Fiona’s voice inside. “Don’t worry, Mr. Smith. That little bitch will definitely come. She’s desperate now. If she doesn’t latch onto you, what else can she do?” A sleazy male voice responded. “You really understand things, Fiona. When this is done, you’ll get your reward.” “Thank you in advance, Mr. Smith.” I pushed open the door and walked in. The private room was filled with smoke. Besides Fiona and Mr. Smith, there were several scantily dressed men and women. Vivian was there too. She looked surprised to see me. “You actually came?” Fiona said sarcastically. “Quick, come toast Mr. Smith.” Mr. Smith’s lecherous eyes roamed all over my body, making my skin crawl. “Not bad, not bad. Even prettier than the photos.” He rubbed his hands together, grinning obscenely. I didn’t move, just looked at them coldly. “Clara, what are you standing there for? Hurry up!” Vivian urged, afraid I’d ruin her scheme. I picked up a glass of red wine from the table and slowly walked toward Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith thought I was going to toast him. He smiled and raised his glass. Just as he was about to clink glasses with me, I flicked my wrist. The full glass of red wine splashed all over his greasy face. “Ah!” Mr. Smith screamed. The entire room went silent. Everyone stared at me in shock. Fiona was the first to react, shrieking, “Clara! Are you crazy!” Vivian’s face went pale with fright. “What… what are you doing!” Mr. Smith wiped his face, trembling with rage. “You bitch! You dare splash me! Grab her! I’m going to destroy you tonight!” Several men immediately closed in on me. I was prepared. I grabbed an empty wine bottle from the table and smashed it hard against the edge. “Bang!” The bottle shattered. I gripped the remaining half, the sharp glass edge pointed at the man in front. “Who dares come closer?” I said coldly. Those men were intimidated by my aura and didn’t dare advance. Mr. Smith screamed furiously, “Useless! All of you! Get her! I’ll take responsibility if anything happens!” Just then, the private room door was suddenly kicked open from outside. “I’d like to see who dares touch her.” A cold voice came through. I looked toward the voice and froze completely. Damien? Why was he here? He was still in that custom wheelchair, followed by the expressionless Owen and several bodyguards in black. His appearance instantly dropped the room’s pressure to zero.
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