Chapter 2 Betrayal And Deception

By the time Yuna bolted out, Marguerite was already gone. She looked around and saw a hot guy approaching her- The guy was decked out in a black and white striped suit, poker–faced, with a resilient aura in his features. Her eyes widened at his handsome face and she stood rooted to the ground, captivated. Suddenly, Hanley grabbed her wrist from behind and yanked her into his arms. “Yuna, you’re not getting away! You promised to be with me last night. Does your family really have 10 million to give me?” Yuna struggled, “Mr. Hanley, I told you, it’s none of my business. You should go find…” “Pah! Your sister ran away, you think you can escape, too? We agreed it was you who would be with me! Where were you last night?” The one who should have been with Hanley last night indeed was Yuna. But Zoe and Ablett couldn’t stand their daughter being mistreated and came up with a plan.

Since Marguerite and Yuna looked identical, they decided to let the less favored Marguerite to take her place. Who knew, Marguerite got the hotel rooms mixed up! “Mr. Hanley, let me go!” Yuna struggled hard. The sight of this greasy man made her sick. But Hanley wouldn’t listen and even planted a kiss on Yuna’s face. Yuna was helpless, she could only scream, “Hanley, don’t touch me! Let’s talk this out! Mom, Dad, come save me…” Suddenly, there was a loud thud. Hanley’s head was struck and he fell to the ground. Yuna was stunned. She looked up at the handsome man in front of her, feeling extremely nervous. Oh my God, he’s so handsome! So strong! She was about to lose her balance, Chuck quickly stepped forward to steady her, “Miss, are Yuna mechanically shook her head, “I… I’m fine.” you okay?”

Chuck glanced at Frederick, then asked, “Miss, were you in room 1205 of Regal Haven Hotel last night?” Last night? It was Marguerite who went to the Regal Haven Hotel last night! Could it be, the man Marguerite was with, is this man? Before she could respond, Hanley on the ground started cursing, You sneaky Yuna, I knew there was a reason you didn’t show last night. You found yourself a new sugar daddy!” A cold glint flashed across Frederick’s eyes. The woman from last night, it was indeed her.   But what’s her relationship with the man on the ground? Why was she supposed to be with him? Frederick glanced at Chuck, who stepped forward and stomped on Hanley’s face. “Shut up! How dare you disrespect Mr. Winston!” Mr. Winston? Who else could it be, but the highly capable and influential Frederick, who would dare to call himself “Mr. Winston” in the whole of Stonebridge City? So, the man in front of her was… was…

This shocking realization made Yuna feel a mix of shock and envy. Damn Marguerite, how on earth did she manage to sleep with Frederick? Seeing Yuna’s shocked expression, Frederick calmly took out the sapphire necklace from his pocket and asked her, “Is this necklace yours?” Yuna recognized it as Marguerite’s necklace at a glance, but she wasn’t sure if she should admit it. After all, Marguerite got involved with Frederick out of nowhere. For someone of his status, he must hate being used by women. He must be furious right now, right? If she admitted it, would his anger blow over to her? Yuna felt torn. Zoe quickly came to her senses, snatched the necklace and said, “Sir, this is indeed Yuna’s. She’s been wearing it for 22 years! I thought she lost it, turns out it’s with you.”

Frederick looked up at Yuna, “Do you remember who I am?” Yuna looked confused, “Aren’t you Mr. Winston, Frederick?” “I’m not talking about that.” Frederick frowned, “Do you remember, 15 years ago, you gave me a piece of bread. You saved me, do you remember that?” “Uh?” Yuna stared at him in surprise. That was something Marguerite did, how could she possibly remember. “Sir!” Seeing this, Zoe quickly stepped in, “The thing is, Yuna had a high fever when she was a kid and she forgot a lot of things.” She forgot?

The man’s deep gaze was fixed on her, his handsome eyebrows slightly knitted. That’s okay. Even if she had forgotten him, as long as he still remembered, that was enough. Frederick thought to himself and stepped closer to Yuna. She was enveloped in his shadow, looking up at his handsome face. Yuna’s eyes widened, once again captivated by Frederick’s handsome face. Frederick seemed to be in deep thought, he leaned in a little and subconsciously sniffed Yuna. Surprisingly, the faint scent from last night was not on her. It seemed, he must have been drunk last night and got it wrong. He Had lost his sense of smell years ago, how could he have sniffed it out so easily? After a long silence, he suddenly spoke, “Bring your ID, come with me.” Yuna was baffled, “What?”

Chuck immediately pushed Yuna towards Frederick, “Miss, Mr. Winston wants to register for marriage with you, go get your ID, you two are going to register for marriage today!” Stonebridge Memorial Hospital. Marguerite walked out of the doctor’s office, She learned that her grandmother’s condition had worsened, but she didn’t have a dime. She had just finished her university course, majoring in perfume development. Although her grades were top of her class, she couldn’t get her diploma because she didn’t have sufficient identification documents, which resulted in her not even getting an interview when looking for a job.” With no other choice, she had to anonymously send the perfume she designed to various perfume design companies, hoping to get a chance to prove herself. This included the globally renowned fragrance company – LuxeScents International.

But Marguerite knew that a big name company like LuxeScènts International would never hire her. Even at the recent perfume design competition, the samples she sent were probably thrown straight into the trash. She let out a sigh and instinctively pulled out her phone, checking for any interview invitations. But there were none. She sat helplessly on the cold bench of the hospital corridor, penniless, jobless, lost, and utterly desperate. She didn’t understand why her parents treated her this way. Was it just because of what the fortune teller said? Even so, they shouldn’t ignore their own mother! To save her grandmother, she even slept with a stranger. And pathetically, she got the wrong man!

Recalling the events of last night, Marguerite thought it was too crazy and absurd. Because of the darkness, Marguerite didn’t really see the man’s face. She shook her head, not willing to recall such a humiliating night again. Her priority now was to find a way to raise money for her grandmother’s treatment. Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. [I can save your grandmother.] Marguerite was stunned.

Possibly because of her desperation to save her grandmother, she didn’t consider if it was a scam and called the number without thinking, “Who are you?” The voice on the other end was metallic and processed, making it hard to tell if it was a man or a woman, “Who I am is not important, what’s important is, I can save your grandmother.” “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You won’t help me for no reason,” Marguerite responded. The person on the other end chuckled, “You’re a smart girl. I do need your help.” “What?” “I need you to marry someone.” Marguerite paused, “Who?” “Frederick.”   To save her grandma, Marguerite was willing to pay a huge price. She would do anything. But getting married was hard for her. She hesitated, “I don’t have enough identification.“– “I’ve taken care of it for you,” the voice on the other end said “My guy is waiting for you at the hospital entrance. The last two digits of the license plate are 25 Come down now.” Marguerite hung up the phone, her mind foggy. With just a few words, had she entrusted her life to a stranger? But who was this Frederick? Why was he so keen on marrying her? Marguerite was puzzled. But she couldn’t afford to ponder these questions. Her grandma’s life was at stake. She took one last look at her unconscious grandma in the hospital room, then made up her mind and left.

But just as she was about to step out, Zoe and Ablett appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Marguerite’s heart leapt. “Mom, Dad, have you decided to save grandma?” If Zoe and Ablett were willing to save grandma, she wouldn’t have to marry this stranger called Frederick. But Zoe slapped Marguerite across the face. The burning pain seared across her cheek. “Dream on! Do you know that Yuna was almost taken away by Hanley because of you? You should be with Hanley, not causing us trouble, you wretch! Put this mask on!”

Zoe tossed a human–skin mask at Marguerite. Marguerite was fuming, her heart filled with both hatred and pain. “Mom, Hanley’s debt is yours, not mine. Why should I wear this mask?” Ablett picked up the mask and handed it back to Marguerite. “From now on, the Lockwood family only has one daughter, Yuna. You shouldn’t look like her. Wherever she is, you can’t be.” At home, Zoe and Ablett had guessed that last night, Marguerite might have mistakenly entered the room and confused Frederick for Hanley. That was why that incident happened. So, the person Frederick wanted to marry was actually Marguerite, not Yuna. To keep this secret from being discovered, Marguerite had to wear the mask and never let Frederick find out about the truth.

Marguerite, clutching her aching face, looked at her parents in disbelief, crying out, “Mom, Dad, I’m your daughter too. Why are you treating me like this?” “Ha! I don’t have a daughter like you! If it weren’t for your inauspicious birth, would our casino business be in decline? Your face is mine to control, I have the right to make you wear this mask!” Zoe’s eyes were bulging out of their sockets. Marguerite, having cried herself out, felt completely dead inside. “What if I don’t want to?”

Zoe pushed Marguerite aside, walked straight to her grandma’s bed, and swiftly reached for the respirator. “Then I’ll pull out your grandma’s breathing tube right now! If you don’t wear the mask, your grandma’s death will be on your hands!” Hearing this, Marguerite’s mind went blank, as if she had been struck by lightning. “Mom, that’s my grandma, your mother–in–law. How could you do such a thing?” Marguerite asked Ablett anxiously, “Dad, she’s your mother. Why are you doing nothing?” Ablett pressed down on Marguerite’s shoulder, angrily retorting, “You heartless girl, if you don’t wear the mask, you’ll be the one who kills your grandma!”

Marguerite felt weak, her worldview shattered. These two people were not human, they were demons! How could the world be so cold and ruthless! “Marguerite, I’ll count to three. If you don’t put it on, I’ll pull the tube!” Zoe arrogantly lifted her chin, her eyes threatening, “One…two…three” “I’ll wear it!” Marguerite’s voice was filled with despair and sorrow. With trembling hands, she put on the lifelike mask. The two of them left triumphantly. Marguerite, drained, stumbled to her grandma’s side. Looking at her sleeping face, tears rolled down her cheeks. “Grandma, I’m sorry I can’t protect you. Please wait for me, wait for me to find a way to cure your illness. Then we can leave this city forever.” Wiping away her tears, Marguerite hurried downstairs and found the luxurious car mentioned in the mysterious phone call.

But as soon as she sat in the back seat, before even getting a good look at the driver, she suddenly passed out. Half an hour later, in the registry office. Frederick had already filled out the paperwork with Yuna. They were waiting for the staff to review it, then they could register their marriage. Yuna felt like she was in a dream, completely unable to believe what was happening. The man beside her was the king of the city! And she was about to become the wife of the king, to enjoy a life of luxury. For a moment, she felt it all too surreal.

Would Marguerite be insanely jealous if she knew? Just as Yuna was basking in her triumph, an unexpected voice shattered her fantasy, “Mr. Winston, you can’t marry Ms. Lockwood.” Frederick furrowed his brow, “Why not?” The staff member swallowed nervously, “Because our system shows you’re already married.” Already married? Frederick was stunned, an aura of terror radiating from him. But the most shocked of all was Yuna. How could Frederick be married? He was the city’s most eligible bachelor! “Did you make a mistake?” Yuna asked anxiously.

The staff member looked embarrassed, “The system shows this result. There can’t be a mistake.” Soon after, Chuck rushed in, his face covered in sweat. “Bad news, Mr. Winston! Sadie just called saying there’s a passed–out woman at the back door. She’s clutching some marriage papers, and your name’s on it.”