I Took the Fall for Him, But He Married My Sister

Chapter 6 One More Month

After she was released from the hospital, Beatrice immediately asked Orion to meet her to finish the paperwork.

Ever since she'd been left with a bad leg, Beatrice had been filled with self-doubt—too ashamed to meet anyone's eyes.

She stepped into the elevator, kept her head down, and huddled in the farthest corner.

A man said, "Wait, really? Beatrice's disabled now. Are you actually gonna marry her? Just pay her off and be done with it."

Beatrice's ears pricked up when she heard her name—she glanced over at once.

It was Zander and his two childhood friends.

Their company wasn't even in this building—what a terrible coincidence.

They were talking about her. Beatrice couldn't help stepping off the elevator and following them quietly.

Zander shook his head and sighed. "Who else in this world would risk their life to save me, take the blame for me? She doesn't love my money—she loves me, more than she loves herself."

One of his friends asked, "What about Wenda? Mrs. Green can't be some crippled ex-con. That'd be so embarrassing to show her off in public."

Zander replied, "Beatrice and I won't go public. We'll just sign the marriage papers, have a tiny, secret wedding with people we know—no one else will find out. To the world, Wenda's still Mrs. Green. I'll take her to all the big events."

The other one laughed out loud and gave him a thumbs-up. "You're the smart one—this is basically just keeping her as a mistress on the side."

Zander chuckled. "Look at her now—ugly and old. Twenty-six but looks forty. She's not even mistress material. I couldn't stand to touch her."

They walked into a nearby office building.

No one noticed Beatrice, standing in the corner, head bowed, tears streaming down her face.

Before she went to prison, she'd been a well-known beauty. She was this broken, unrecognizable version of herself—all for Zander.

And yet he despised her, even as he claimed to love her.

He thought marrying her was enough to keep his promise.

But to her, marriage was about loyalty and love—the things that truly mattered.

And all Zander wanted to give her was a cold, empty marriage certificate.

Beatrice felt like a ghost. She met Orion and signed the papers.

'One more month. Just one more month, and I can get far away from this suffocating place.'

Wenda had noticed Beatrice's self-consciousness and how she avoided people.

She started planning a welcome-home party for Beatrice, inviting all their old friends.

Beatrice refused right away. She looked at Zander and said firmly, "No. I don't want to see my old friends."

Wenda smiled and said, "Beatrice, you've been so shut-in since you got out. Hang out with friends more—you'll get back to your old, outgoing self soon."

"Zander, I don't want to..." Beatrice shook her head frantically.

'Can't he see? The last thing I want is for everyone I know to see me like this—broken, disabled, humiliated.'

But Zander agreed after Wenda talked him into it. "Beatrice, Wenda's only looking out for you. Hiding away every day isn't right. You have to stand in front of people openly again."

His words sounded noble, but hadn't he planned to hide her away from everyone? Beatrice let out a bitter laugh.

'Why does he listen to her the second she suggests it? He doesn't care about how much this hurts me at all.'