We Both Broke Rule No.1

BLURB Hetty Lin lost everything the night a stranger drained her family's fortune. She never saw his face. She never learned his name. She only knew he took her old life and left ashes behind. Then her parents sold her into a marriage with Lucian Williams, the richest, cruelest man she's ever hated, to pay off a debt that was never hers to owe. She swore she'd survive him. She swore she'd find the hacker who ruined her family and make him pay. She never imagined she'd fall in love with her husband first. And she never imagined the man she was falling for was the same man she swore to destroy. When she finds out the truth about her husband she has to decide if she would forgive for love or hate for revenge OPENING CHAPTER "Rule number one: you must not fall in love with me." "Oh Please. Who would ever like a worthless man like you." I said it sarcastically, not even looking at him. "If I remember right, you kissed me in front of your parents last night. That's reason enough to think you already have feelings for me." Lucian said it with that smug look on his face, the one I hated. "Just continue with the rules, dickhead." I am almost annoyed now. "Stop calling me dickhead. Or maybe you want it in your mouth instead." He said it while pointing at his shorts. "I'm done. You're a pervert. This is an arranged marriage, Lucian. Nothing is ever going to happen between us." I screamed it and pointed a finger at him. That was our routine. Mine and Lucian's. We fought. We argued. Sometimes we hit each other. And today, my parents forced me to marry him. His family was the richest in the country. My family had gone bankrupt after a hacker wiped out everything we owned. Our money. Our resources, our power. All of it, gone in one night. My parents borrowed money from Lucian's family to survive. When they couldn't pay it back, I became the compensation. I was the payment they offered instead of cash. "Hetty, please. I'm so sorry. Your father and I are both sorry. Please marry Lucian. He has money, power, and resources. You'll live well. Please." My mother's voice shook while she spoke. Tears gathered in her eyes. "It's okay, Mom. I understand. Besides, it's only five years. Once the contract ends, I'll be free. I'll be okay." I patted her shoulder while her head rested against mine. She was sobbing quietly. I was her favourite daughter. I had a step sister and a brother too, but he smoked, gambled away the little money he earned, and brought different women home every week. My parents never worried about him. To them, he was already a lost cause. — That night, I sat on my bed scrolling through a book on my phone. The title was something about a sister's husband and a s*x doll. The s*x scenes were too much, so I put the phone down. Lucian walked into my room wearing only shorts. He winked at me, and I felt irritated instantly. "Dickhead, why are you in my room?" "We're getting married tomorrow. Why shouldn't I enjoy you tonight?" He rubbed his hands together like he was already planning something. "You're such a pervert." I gripped the hem of my nightgown, trying to steady myself. His body was carved in a way that made it hard to look away. I hated that I noticed. I hated that my eyes lingered longer than they should have. But he was my enemy. I couldn't let myself want him before we were even married. "You want me, don't you? Come here." I said it, gesturing for him to come closer. "Come. Come closer." My voice dropped, softer this time. He stepped toward me without hesitation. The moment he was close enough, I grabbed the baseball bat beside my bed and swung it straight at his head. "You witch! You'll pay for this!" He yelled, holding his head, and stormed out of the room. I sat there afterward, tears sliding down my face. I never imagined I would one day marry my enemy. That one day, the law would call me his wife. My chest ached thinking about everything, from elementary school all the way through university. We had never looked at each other with kindness. Fighting was the only language we knew. "Baby?" My father's voice came from the doorway. "Good morning, Dad. I didn't hear you come in." I forced a smile onto my face. "You've been crying, Hetty. I don't like seeing that. I know you don't want to marry Lucian. You can still say no." His voice shook the same way my mother's had. "Dad, if I don't marry him, he'll take the little we have left. Don't worry, I'll marry him. And I'll also find the hacker who took everything from us." I said it with more confidence than I felt, then wrapped my arms around him. — The next morning, guests filled the courtyard outside our house. Expensive cars lined the driveway. My wedding was grand, extravagant, everything a bride could want. I felt like a queen. A queen who had been bought and paid for. Because that's exactly what I was. Lucian slipped into my dressing room while I was getting ready. "What are you doing here?" I whispered, holding my towel tighter around me. "Nothing, baby. I just wanted to see my bride." "You're not supposed to see me before the wedding. Don't you know anything?" I snapped, still gripping the towel. "And I'm not your baby." "Stop it, Hetty. That rule is for old-fashioned people. We're young. And yes, you are my baby. Sweetie." He smiled like he'd already won something. "Get out!" I reached for a mop to chase him off, but the towel slipped from my grip. It fell to the floor, and I stood there completely exposed. Lucian's eyes moved over my body slowly, his eyes showed satisfaction and lust. "Damn. You have a great body." He said, stepping closer. I grabbed the towel and turned away fast, my whole body burning with humiliation. I wanted to scream, cry, curse him out, all at the same time, but the shame was too much. I ran into the bathroom instead and locked the door. "Please, Lucian." I said it through the door, my voice breaking. "Please don't make this marriage harder than it already is." Tears slid down my face. I let myself cry once, then wiped my cheeks clean so my makeup wouldn't smear. "Oh, I will make this marriage hell for you. I promise you that." He said it, laughing, and walked out. I told myself I wouldn't break. Five years. That was all. And it started today. I had to survive Lucian. But he wasn't going to be the one to ruin me. I was going to be the one who ruined him. “You are seriously going to marry Lucian".