The Billionaire's Contracted Wife

Katherine's POV "Stop the wedding! I won’t let you marry a woman you don’t even love. Love, you told me you’d only marry me. You promised that I’m the only one you would ever love!" My voice echoed throughout the chapel. All eyes turned to me. I admit, this is incredibly humiliating, but I have no other choice. "Who is that girl, Lawrence?" an elderly man asked in a trembling voice. I assume he’s the groom’s father. The groom looked at me and slowly stepped down. He walked closer and closer, and I instinctively stepped back. “Kath.” I froze when he said my name. How does he know me? “Katherine is dead! That’s not Kath, Lawrence! She’s probably an impostor trying to ruin our wedding!” the bride shouted angrily and rushed toward me. “And who told you I’m dead? Can’t you see I’m standing here, talking?” I replied, though my heart was pounding hard. “I’m here to claim what’s mine.” “What nonsense is this? We saw you buried! Lawrence, you must marry my daughter!” another woman spoke as she approached her now-crying child. Honestly, I feel guilty. If it weren’t for the money I desperately need, I wouldn’t have done this. “You’re dead!” The bride suddenly pushed me, shocking my entire system—but Lawrence quickly caught me in his arms. “Don’t you dare hurt her, Abegail!” He pulled her away and glared at her. “The wedding is over,” he said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. “Are you serious, son? Katherine is dead—we don’t even know who this woman is,” his father said again. Who is this Katherine they say is dead? Do we really look alike that they’re this confused? Now I’m getting nervous. “D-dead? So you all want me dead?” I cried in front of them. Yes, I’m good at acting—maybe I should be an actress. “If that’s what you want… then I’ll give it to you.” That’s the only thing I could think to say in order to escape. I ran out of the church, but Lawrence caught up with me. He embraced me tightly. “Please don’t go, love. I missed you so much.” I couldn’t move. It felt like my feet were paralyzed. My heart was pounding wildly, and then a sudden pain struck my head, forcing me to cling to him for support. “Are you alright?” I saw the worry in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lawrence, for ruining your wedding… but I’m not the Katherine you think I am,” I said, then ran away again. I looked back—and I saw the deep sadness in his eyes. “Get in, quick!” A black car stopped in front of me. I jumped in, panting. “What happened?” Sir Anthony handed me a bottle of water and some tissue. “I think I ruined everything… not just the wedding,” I said, shaking my head and taking a deep breath. “But the plan worked.” “Very good. Like I said, I’ll pay you one million. That should be enough to pay for your grandfather’s treatment and maybe even your schooling.” I hope they can forgive me for what I’ve done. I promise I’ll come back to clear everything up. But for now, I need to focus on what’s important. “Do you hate them?” I asked Sir Anthony, who was quietly driving, though I could see the satisfaction in his eyes. “Very much. They’re the ones who ruined my life in the past.” “Do you know Katherine too? Do I look like her?” I couldn’t help but ask, knowing he knew that family well. “Katherine… you are Katherine.” I shook my head and laughed. “I mean, Lawrence’s ex-girlfriend—everyone says she’s already dead.” I gripped my seat tightly when he suddenly slammed the brakes. “What happened? Did we hit something?” I asked in confusion, but he just looked at me and shook his head. “I just remembered… my flight back to America is tomorrow. May I have your number? Who knows—when I return, I might hire you as my personal assistant,” he said with a smile. Something feels off. I know he knows something about Katherine, but he doesn’t want to tell me. It was obvious he changed the subject to distract me from asking questions. Just as he asked, I gave him my phone number. His offer was good. Who knows—he might actually keep his word. “Imagine, we just met at a restaurant, and now you’re helping me get revenge on the Llego family.” He smiled and held my hand. “I hope Lawrence doesn’t find you. Move to a different place after your grandfather’s surgery.” “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. I’m scared he might look for me. I don’t even know anything about them. I don’t know what they’re capable of.” “For your information, Lawrence is a billionaire. He’s the only son—and his father is in the Mafia.” I was speechless after Sir Anthony dropped me off. The words billionaire and Mafia kept echoing in my head. “Are you alright, my dear?” My grandfather tapped me gently and sat beside me. “If you're worried about the money for my treatment—” “Lolo, I can already pay for your treatment. Your surgery is scheduled for next week, so start getting strong,” I said, which changed his expression. “Katkat… where did you get the money?” His voice broke, and tears welled up in his eyes. “I’d rather die than let you—” “Lolo, someone helped us. Please don’t think too much about it.” I hugged him and gently patted his shoulder. “I’m so lucky to have you. If only your twin were still alive… we could’ve been happier.” My eyes widened at what he just said. I have a twin? “She was still a baby when we lost her. It was stormy when your mom gave birth. I was the only one with her in the hospital… and you were the only one I was able to save. I lost them both. You’re all I have left.”