He Dumped Me, I married His Twin Brother

‎"Winnie, how dare you, a murderer, come back here? You're not worthy of being a daughter of the Coker family!" ‎ ‎There was a loud "smack" that echoed through the bedroom. I was slapped to the ground by her mother, and my fair cheeks turned red. I bit my lip tightly and grabbed my aunt's arm, pleading, "Aunt, I didn't kill anyone. I'm innocent! Don't hand me over!" ‎ ‎At this moment, my cousin, Dorie, sneered behind her mother's back. ‎ ‎"Mommy, please send my cousin away quickly. Ethan has already issued the final warning. If we don't hand her over, our family will go bankrupt. She killed Ethan's fiancee because he broke up with her. It's not too much to hand her over, right?" ‎ ‎"Your cousin is right, Winnie. Not only did you kill someone, but you killed her because Ethan broke up with you. We can't keep you in this house!" Dorie's mother looked at me with disgust. ‎ ‎After speaking, Dorie's mother looked at her husband, with a hint in her eyes: "honey, say something!" ‎ ‎My heart sank, and I looked at her husband who had not spoken. Although my aunt had always been harsh on me since my parents passed, and her husband had ignored her unkindness towards me, I couldn't believe that my only family left would watch me being wrongly accused. ‎ ‎I had never seen Ethan's fiancee before except on their engagement day when the news carried it, nor have I seen Ethan after the break up, but I inexplicably became a murderer! ‎ ‎"Uncle, I'm innocent. Please believe me!" my eyes were red, and I placed my last hope on my aunt's husband. ‎ ‎He looked at me, his face seemed to be struggling, but in the end, he closed his eyes and said, "Take the murderer out and close the door." ‎ ‎As soon as he spoke, my eyes widened in disbelief. ‎ ‎ ‎I never expected them to be so mean and heartless. ‎ ‎Outside, the rain was pouring down heavily accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. I covered my head with a scarf and ran in the rain, stumbling and falling. ‎ ‎I dragged my suitcase aimlessly down the street, my thin shirt soaked through, my pale face devoid of any color, and my fragile figure looked especially pitiful on this stormy night. They couldn't just wait until morning to have me thrown out. ‎ ‎“Chase him quickly, don’t let him get away!” ‎ ‎In the distance, I heard footsteps, muffled by the sound of the rain but still audible to me. ‎ ‎To avoid getting caught up in whatever was happening, I hurriedly dragged my suitcase around the corner. ‎ ‎Once the group of men had run past, I let out a sigh of relief. ‎ ‎Just as I was about to leave, a sight in front of me nearly made me scream. ‎ ‎In the corner, a man covered in wounds leaned against the wall, a pool of blood around him and being washed away by the rain. ‎ ‎My heart raced as I approached him, reaching out to check for his breath. ‎ ‎ I let out a long breath, speaking to myself, “He’s still alive." I gave him a long stare for clarity. ‎ ‎Ethan? ‎ ‎Is he Ethan? ‎ ‎No, Ethan doesn't have broad shoulders. ‎ ‎"Save me," came the two sentences from him. ‎ ‎With great effort, I managed to drape the man’s arm over my shoulder and began dragging him forward, standing by the roadside. I tried to hail a cab, but no driver dared to stop when they saw his battered body. ‎ Feeling defeated, I abandoned the idea of taking a taxi and finally managed to get him to the nearest hospital, my own little body was heavy with exhaustion. ‎ ‎As I watched the operating room doors close, I sank into a chair in the hallway, my mind flooded with memories of the day my parents passed away… ‎ ‎In just one day, I had gone from being the beloved princess of the Coker Family to losing both parents, and finding myself homeless with nothing added to my name. My aunt claimed my parents' assets, leaving me to nothing. ‎ ‎The operating room door swung open, pulling me back from my thoughts as the doctor stepped out. ‎ ‎"How is he?" ‎ ‎The doctor replied, "the surgery was successful, once the anesthesia wears off, he should wake up. He lost a lot of blood, which is why he may be unconscious for a while, he is a strong man." ‎ ‎"Thank you, doctor. Can I see him?" ‎ ‎After leaving the hospital room, I went to the payment desk to settle the hospital fees. Once that was done, I turned and left the hospital, heading to the nearby hotel to lodge in. After a quick tidy-up, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep. ‎ ‎The next morning as I sat on a stool, to think my life through, a text notification popped in: ‎ ‎ "Marry me and you will have your name cleared. Meet me at Grayfield by noon." ‎ ‎Fear gripped me. Grayfield was owned by Scout's family and it must be Louie. He occupied the place. I knew nothing much about him, except being my ex-boyfriend's twin brother. We only exchanged pleasantries just once. ‎ ‎By mid-day I found myself ‎admiring the chandeliers and marble floors of Grayfield's guest sitting room. Louie's cold domineering nature dominated the living room. He didn't look weak like a person recovering. His eyes examined my fragility. ‎ ‎‎I was afraid Louie would be disgusted knowing I was the one last night, but I felt a little relieved when I saw him put down his computer. ‎ ‎"So it was you last night!" Louie's deep gaze fixed on me. ‎ ‎I was stunned. What was Louie talking about? I didn't understand the meaning behind his mysterious words. He had the message delivered to me. ‎ ‎ Basically, he had already figured out who I was. ‎ ‎"How's your health? Are you feeling better?" I asked, pointing at him. My clear eyes scanned him up and down. ‎ ‎ "You look quite different; I didn't recognize you at first last night." ‎ ‎"Let's get straight to the point," Louie's voice broke in, his tone cold and low. ‎ ‎I swallowed the words on my lips and took a deep breath. My smile was shallow, with a hint of distance but still polite. Even though I was asking something as important as his health, he ignored. ‎ ‎"This document is just a gift for our meeting, you sign it, I will have your name cleared, he muttered." ‎ ‎I went through the agreement, something in it caught my eye. I would have to submit to him within the one-year interval as his wife, doing what couples do and bear him a child. ‎The memories of the day Ethan cheated on me came flooding in, he ghosted me for days for no reasons. I tried reaching out to no avail until I went to his house. My heels clicked against the steps as I climbed, faster and faster, fueled by hope to meet him in his room. I steadied myself, clenching my fists, and moved towards the slightly ajar bedroom door. My breath came in short gasps. I could heard the sharp sounds of pleasure coming in from the bedroom. My stomach tightened, but I shoved the pain deep where it couldn't reach me. I pushed the door open, wide enough to see inside and there it was exactly as I remembered. Ethan my supposed boyfriend, his body moving against another's, my cousin, of all people. ‎ ‎My thought drifted back to reality. To get back at Ethan and my cousin, I need to accept whatever fate, I will face in this marriage. I don't have a choice, I have no intention of going to jail. I signed the documents without thinking twice. ‎ ‎Even though we were separated by a table, I could feel the coldness emanating from Louie. The way he looked at me made my heart tremble. ‎ ‎"Well..." I broke the silence, trying to sound calm. ‎ ‎"I am offering myself as a candidate for this contract. During this one year, I will be like a painting hanging on your wall. You can take me out and show me off during festivals and holidays, but after the holidays are over, you can just put me away without even looking back, but then, you must promise me something." ‎ ‎Louie's eyes turned icy in an instant. He didn't say anything, just stared at me for few seconds. ‎ ‎"You must promise me to reclaim my family's business back and that my safety is guaranteed," I muttered innocently. ‎ ‎I wasn't worried about Louie holding me back when our contract expires, because he had no regards for female companions, only men, and no scandals. He probably didn't like women. ‎ ‎ And I was also marrying him to make Ethan kneel before me. ‎ ‎Louie's sharp eyes stared at me, and a rare smile appeared as I spoke, for the first time. After I finished speaking, he stood up and walked away. ‎ ‎His sudden movement looked so unusual and a hint of panic surged through my mind. ‎ ‎"Louie," I called out innocently. ‎ ‎He heard my voice behind him, he stopped and turned to look at me, his voice low, "What are you standing there for? If you're late, the civil affairs office will be closed." ‎ ‎My mind went blank for a second, then filled with intense, I'm going to get married to the city's most dangerous man. I quickly picked up the document and followed him, trying to keep up with his unhurried pace. Louie noticed my actions and deliberately slowed down his steps. ‎ ‎Suddenly, I remembered my scores with Ethan, I froze and my heart panicked. ‎ ‎"Louie, I still have some title with your brother." I spoke up. "I am still your brother's ex-girlfriend. Are you still willing to marry me?" ‎ ‎"Ex-girlfriend and wife are two different things," Louie replied calmly, without even looking back. ‎ ‎I was stunned by Louie's words. Indeed, being a girlfriend was not the same as being a wife. ‎ ‎When we came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, I looked at the handsome and elegant Louie and said, "I have already signed this contract. Louie, please have it." ‎ ‎He didn't even look at the document. "No need, the wedding is already over," he said, stepping into his car with his long, straight legs. ‎