"You're already legally married! Why are you trying to register another marriage?"
"Don't you know that's bigamy—and it's against the law?!"
I stood frozen at the counter of the civil courthouse, my mind racing to make sense of the clerk's words. The actor I'd hired to pose as my husband shot me a suspicious look before backing away.
"Miss Johnson, you're already married. Why did you hire me for a fake marriage registration?" He handed me a printout of what appeared to be my marriage certificate. "The deposit is non-refundable," he added before hastily retreating from what was clearly a messy situation.
I bit my lip, stunned into silence. Married? Me?
I'd never even had a real boyfriend, let alone a husband. Liam Ricardo had pursued me for four years in college, but on graduation day, he'd proposed to my sister instead. The ultimate humiliation.
I stared down at the printed marriage certificate in my trembling hands. The woman in the photo was unmistakably me—constrained posture, forced smile, the distinctive mole at the corner of my eye. But the man beside me...
He had strong features, a prominent nose, and thin lips curved into the faintest of smiles. Even in this black and white photo, there was something commanding and mysterious about him that seemed to pierce through the paper. I read the name: Nathaniel Ricardo.
Ricardo? Like Liam Ricardo?
I'd never met this man in my life. How could I possibly be married to him?
My hands shook as I pulled out my phone, snapped a picture of the certificate, and sent it through WhatsApp to a contact with a black avatar.
"Help me figure out who this is," I typed.
The response came instantly: "Got it."
Setting aside my confusion temporarily, I climbed onto my old electric scooter and made my way to the upscale villa area where the Johnson family resided.
Today was Imogen's big day. Her future husband, Liam Ricardo, was coming over for the formal betrothal. The same man who had once professed his undying love for me.
The house was elaborately decorated, servants rushing about in precise coordination. Several temporary workers had been hired for the special occasion. As I parked my scooter in a corner, I couldn't help but overhear their whispers.
"Who is she? She's gorgeous!"
"Shh, that's the illegitimate daughter. Mr. Johnson doesn't even acknowledge her."
"I heard her mother was just a mistress. Showed up pregnant when Mrs. Johnson was about to give birth, and they both delivered on the same day. That woman's got nerve, making up excuses to stay in the house all these years."
"At least Miss Juliana knows her place. She moved out in junior high and barely comes around anymore. Wonder what brings her here today..."
I kept my eyes down, pretending not to hear their gossip. It wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. The story of my birth and my status in the Johnson family was common knowledge among the staff.
As I entered the living room, my mother, Ivy Ollie, was waiting at the door. Still attractive despite her age, she immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me upstairs.
"Come with me to see your sister," she hissed. "Did you get the marriage certificate?"
"Yes," I answered flatly. It wasn't a lie, technically.
"Good. You need to remember your place. Liam Ricardo is your sister's fiancé. He comes from nobility—something an illegitimate child like you could never hope for. Only Imogen deserves him!"
A bitter smile touched my lips. Liam Ricardo had chased after me for four years, only to propose to Imogen the moment he learned of my "illegitimate" status.
When Ivy found out about Liam's proposal to Imogen, she had immediately demanded I find someone—anyone—to marry, to eliminate any potential competition for my sister's perfect match. That's why I'd gone to the courthouse today, to hire an actor for a fake marriage.
That's how it had always been in my life. Whenever there was even the slightest chance of a conflict between Imogen and me, I was expected to step aside. Because I was the illegitimate daughter. My mere existence was considered a sin.
As a child, I'd accepted this treatment as normal. But not anymore.
"We agreed," I said firmly, pronouncing each word with deliberate clarity. "This is the last time."
Ivy was the one who clung to the Johnson family to be near Cameron Johnson. She was the one desperate to appease Imogen. I wouldn't ruin my life for her sake anymore. Today was about repaying my debt for giving birth to me. After this, we were even.
"I heard you," Ivy snapped, clearly annoyed.
We arrived at Imogen's room, where my half-sister sat like a princess in her stunning dress, selecting jewelry from an array of glittering gemstones spread before her.
I stood straight in my simple clothes, refusing to be diminished by the contrast.
"Juliana, what brings you here?" Imogen asked when she saw me.
Before I could answer, Ivy jumped in. "Imogen, Juliana got married today."
Imogen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "So soon? Who's the guy? Is he better than Liam?"
"Of course not!" Ivy scoffed. "There isn't a single man in all of Oceanion who outranks Liam Ricardo! Do you really think she could find a decent suitor? The loser she married didn't even dare to come here with her. He's too afraid his poverty-stricken appearance would offend your sight!"
Imogen studied me with a hint of jealousy. "How can that be? Juliana's so pretty. That's why Liam chased her for four years."
"What's the use of being pretty?" Ivy sneered. "A shabby shoe matches a ragged sock. Given her status, only the scum of society would marry her. Liam merely saw her as a temporary amusement. Only you, Imogen, with your status, are worthy of a Ricardo."
I frowned slightly. The man in the marriage certificate, with his commanding presence, hardly matched Ivy's description of a "ghetto husband." But I couldn't be bothered to correct her baseless assumptions.
Imogen finished selecting her jewelry and tried to put on her heels, struggling to bend over in her tight dress. She flashed me a small, expectant smile.
Immediately, Ivy pushed me forward. "Useless girl! Always so oblivious! Your sister needs help with her shoes!"
I stared at her, speechless.
It was always like this. Did Ivy still think I was that naive little girl who wouldn't fight back when bullied?
"You can help her yourself," I said coldly, my patience wearing thin.
"Juliana Johnson! What's with this attitude? Do you think you've grown wings just because you're married now? Your husband is nothing but a freeloader! In the end, you'll still need to rely on the Johnson family!" Ivy's voice rose sharply. "If you don't make peace with your sister now, there will come a day when you and your husband will be begging her for help! Besides, the Johnson family raised you, so you should be serving them like a servant!"
A tall figure appeared in the doorway—my father, Cameron Johnson.
"A distinguished guest is about to arrive, and you're arguing in here?" he frowned.
Imogen remained silent, playing innocent as always.
Ivy immediately switched to victim mode. "It's all because of this cursed girl. She's looking down on her mother just because she got married today..."
Cameron fixed his gaze on me. "You got married? Why didn't you let us help introduce someone decent? Where's the marriage certificate? Let me see..."
Faced with this estranged father's sudden interest, I hesitated before pulling the printout from my bag.
The next second, Ivy snatched it away. "Let me see what kind of loser you married!"
"Dad, who's coming that has you so nervous?" Imogen asked curiously.
At the thought of the guest, Cameron's face instantly brightened. He announced excitedly, "It's Nathaniel Ricardo."
My heart stopped.
Who?