A Forbidden Love with My Ex-Husband's Uncle

Ethan Hayes stood before the wedding altar, his arrogant gaze sweeping across the lavish banquet hall filled with guests. Ethan was accustomed to being the center of attention as a scion of the Hayes family, the city's most renowned real estate dynasty. But today was different. Today, he was marrying a woman he had never met. This grand wedding was prepared for Ethan Hayes and Olivia Bennett, the eldest daughter of the Bennett family. A week ago, when Olivia Bennett learned that her father had traded her marriage like a commodity to the Hayes family, she had expressed strong protest. "My dear mother, how could you and father let me marry such a man? Not only do I have no emotional connection with him, but from what I know, he's also a notorious womanizer!" Olivia had complained bitterly. However, her mother's response seemed tinged with desperation as she tried to persuade Olivia. "Darling, you don't understand. This marriage isn't as simple as it appears on the surface. It's our family's last hope. Your father's resort business began facing a financial crisis three months ago. If we ally with the Hayes family through marriage, they will invest money to help us through this difficult time. We must become one family in exchange for mutual trust and shared interests. Your father has also agreed to share part of the resort's land use rights with their family. If your father and I had any other way to resolve this economic crisis, we wouldn't trade your marriage and happiness. But if we don't do this, we'll lose everything - our company, our home, the reputation we've built over the years." After hearing her mother's explanation, Olivia Bennett felt no better. As the eldest daughter of the Bennett family, her parents had always held her to extremely high standards, burdening her with the entire family's responsibilities. At the same time, her brother William was allowed to be idle and unproductive. Olivia Bennett knew that with her abilities alone, she couldn't escape this predetermined arranged marriage. So she stopped arguing with her mother. A week later, this day, Olivia Bennett walked down the red carpet wearing an extremely luxurious designer wedding gown, a limited-edition sapphire tiara with matching jewellery, trailing a 2-meter-long train. Opposite her, the groom of this wedding - her new husband - stood at the other end of the red carpet, waiting for her. He was dressed in an expensive, perfectly tailored, limited-edition suit. Their wedding venue was a feast of wealth and luxury. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the attending celebrities and high society figures wore priceless gowns and suits. Throughout the banquet hall, exotic flowers adorned every corner, their sweet fragrance mingling with the scent of expensive perfumes. As the newlyweds walked down the aisle, gold foil paper fluttered from above. Guests lining the red carpet burst into applause of congratulations. It was a dreamy, fairy-tale wedding - at least on the surface. "Olivia Bennett is one lucky woman, marrying into the Hayes family, one of the city's most elite households. She hit the jackpot!" remarked a woman in an elegant gown from the audience, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "If you were as beautiful as the bride, maybe Ethan Hayes would have married you instead," another woman nearby retorted with a contemptuous smile. "You!" The woman in the elaborate gown was furious, her face stiffening. But she quickly quieted down as the groom, Ethan Hayes, walked past arm-in-arm with the bride, Olivia Bennett. "Let's raise our glasses to celebrate this moment!" Ethan Hayes said, flashing a handsome smile. The woman in the elaborate gown naturally didn't want to offend the Hayes family on such an occasion, so she reluctantly raised her glass. Olivia Bennett had overheard the woman's sarcastic comment, but she didn't care. In truth, she had indeed hit the jackpot by marrying Ethan Hayes, who appeared to be such a talented husband. Apart from being a playboy, Ethan Hayes seemed to be an extremely high-quality husband. He had a good physique and chiseled features, came from the prestigious Hayes family, and possessed unimaginable wealth and power. Even if such a man was unfaithful, plenty of women in this city would throw themselves at him, wanting to marry Ethan Hayes. In comparison, the Bennett family was barely a drop in the ocean. For decades, Olivia Bennett's father, Alexander Bennett, had worked diligently to maintain a decent income from the family's resort business. However, due to the global economic downturn in recent years, the resort's business has been declining year by year. If the Hayes family hadn't been interested in the Bennett family's resort land, such a noble family wouldn't have given a second glance to a merchant family like the Bennetts. The wedding reception was in full swing. The exquisitely beautiful bride and the noble, cold groom officially became husband and wife, exchanging rings under the officiant's declaration. As Olivia gazed at the enormous diamond ring now adorning her finger, she still couldn't believe she was the protagonist of today's perfect wedding. She tried to console herself, thinking that although her husband was a notoriously infamous playboy, at least he made her appear very respectable in the eyes of others. However, this naive thought was quickly shattered. For the upcoming evening banquet, Olivia needed to go to the dressing room to change into another glamorous gown and freshen up. She heard low, heavy breathing and a man's voice as she approached the dressing room door. When she pushed open the door, her face fell. Ethan stood there, his arms wrapped around a sexy redhead. His bow tie and shirt were undone. The woman was dishevelled, leaning against the dressing table. However, when she saw Olivia enter, she quickly exited. "Ethan Hayes, don't you think this is going too far?" Olivia hissed, her face flushing with anger. "Our wedding ceremony ended less than two hours ago, and you're already betraying me?" Ethan straightened his tie, his face full of impatience and disdain. "Calm down, darling. Let's be realistic, shall we? As you can see, I'm a playboy. And we both know our marriage has nothing to do with love, right?" "That doesn't mean you can humiliate me like this right under my nose!" Olivia retorted. Ethan sighed, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. "Look, you marrying me is just for family interests. It doesn't mean you have the right to interfere with my private life. Why don't we keep up appearances in public, but in private, we live our own lives? No strings attached, no expectations."