Chapter 1

1

I chose the only doctor amongst a sea of trust fund bros for my arranged marriage.

It wasn't until after the wedding that it hit me: wasn't he just like that doctor friend in all those romance novels, the one always getting called away in the middle of the night to patch up the heroine?

After witnessing this firsthand a few times, I dropped the idea of trying to develop any real feelings for him.

Seriously, who knows, one day I might end up having to fight one of his billionaire buddies for his attention.

But I didn't expect him to develop mind-reading abilities.

…

For people like us, arranged marriages are inevitable.

It's fine, I guess. After enjoying so many privileges, it's normal to have to give something back.

I was actually pretty lucky; I got to choose my own partner.

From the pool of eligible bachelors in our circle.

Honestly, it didn't really matter who I chose. Everyone knows arranged marriages are just for show, a strategic alliance between families for business purposes.

But since I had a choice, I still wanted to pick someone normal.

Based on my intel, one guy was head over heels for his high school sweetheart, so he was out.

Another was playing hard to get with some Instagram model, so nope.

And yet another had just hooked up with a pop star, so definitely not.

After sifting through the options, I thought of Ethan Shaw.

My few memories of him were of a polite and refined man.

The name sounded like typical rich-guy material, but he was the only one in the bunch who wasn't a CEO.

Ethan was a doctor, a genuine scholar who got into the country's top medical school and breezed through his MD-PhD program.

His appearance matched the image of a doctor perfectly. He spoke gently and politely, and had a calm and clean aura about him.

Every time I saw him, he was in a light-colored suit. Combined with the occupational halo effect, he had an almost saintly air.

Our engagement went smoothly; our parents practically sealed the deal after a single conversation.

I asked Ethan, and I heard he agreed immediately.

So, within a month, I went from being perpetually single to a married woman.

On our wedding day, I moved into the house he bought. The beige decor suited him.

That day, after showing me around, Ethan led me to the master bedroom door. His voice was warm as he said, "Even though this is an arranged marriage, I don't want it to be just a formality. I hope we can take things slowly, get to know each other, and build a real relationship."

He pointed to the guest room across the hall. "I'll stay here," he continued. "Don't feel pressured. Until we both feel ready, I won't force anything on you."

I went back to my room and closed the door.