Chapter 3 — Happiness in Hand

Arthur curled his lips into a disdainful smirk, projecting the air of someone far above lowering himself to bicker with me. He exhaled a thin plume of cigarette smoke, his tone dripping with mockery.

You saw everything that happened in the parking lot just now, didn’t you?

I know you adore me, that you simply cannot live without me.

However, I have made myself abundantly clear. The grand wedding ceremony belongs to you, but the actual marriage registration—the legal union—will be with Star. To be entirely frank, she is the one drawing the short straw here.

In the future, she shall be my lawful wife. It is only natural that we share certain intimacies.

As for our marital home, she may occasionally drop by to stay the night, so you would do well to get used to it.

I am only doing this for your own good.

Even though I had long since abandoned any intention of marrying him, I never imagined he could sink to such depths of shamelessness, baring his despicable nature right before my eyes without a shred of concealment. I turned on my heel, intending to walk away, but he caught my arm and held me back, issuing a final instruction.

My uncle will also be attending this evening. The entire family relies upon him for our standing, so this banquet is of the utmost importance.

I have already shown you an immense amount of grace. Once we go inside, if the elders inquire about the marriage registration, you are to tell them that all the paperwork has been finalized.

Furthermore, regarding the incident this afternoon where you hurt Star, you must apologize to her properly after the banquet concludes.

Otherwise, before the official wedding takes place, I reserve the absolute right to call the whole thing off at any moment!

With that, Arthur strode straight into the private dining hall and took his seat. I let out a long, quiet sigh. It mattered little; very soon indeed, he would discover precisely whom I was actually going to marry. I stepped into the room. Benjamin had not yet arrived, but the elders were already seated around the large table. I deliberately distanced myself from Arthur, choosing a seat slightly apart, leaving the chair directly beside me empty for Benjamin. Noticing where I had sat down, Arthur furrowed his brow, stood up, and dragged his chair over to sit right next to me.

You are becoming more and more troublesome by the day. Your seat was already assigned, so what is the point of making a scene?

I frowned, intending to inform him that this particular seat was being saved for his uncle. At that exact moment, a tall, commanding figure appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall. Benjamin walked in, clad in a meticulously tailored designer suit, every measured movement exuding composure and aristocratic elegance.

Years had passed since our last meeting, and he had matured far beyond the hazy outlines of my childhood memories. Everyone in the room immediately rose to their feet. Over the past few years, Benjamin’s empire had expanded overseas, and even the formidable household here depended heavily upon his influence and support. All eyes converged upon him as he entered, yet his gaze locked exclusively onto me. When he noticed Arthur standing directly beside me, a dark, fleeting shadow crossed his eyes. I parted my lips to offer an explanation, but Arthur suddenly received a phone call and excused himself to greet an arriving guest. I glanced toward Benjamin with a flicker of apprehension. I watched as he calmly approached, stepping forward without a moment's hesitation to take the seat right beside me—the very spot Arthur had usurped moments earlier.

I trust everyone has not been waiting too long. Please, let us eat.

With those words, he gently guided me down into my seat. Without missing a beat, he began to peel a shrimp and placed it neatly on my plate. I hurriedly tried to explain:

Arthur just sat down there on his own initiative—

It is quite all right. Let us eat first.

He focused entirely on gathering delicacies for my plate, and strangely enough, every single dish happened to be my absolute favorite. Before long, a small mountain of shrimp shells accumulated in front of me. Pieces of fish were meticulously deboned with a level of attentiveness that left no room for fault. I ate until my cheeks were slightly puffed out, and at that precise moment, the banquet doors swung open to admit a familiar, cheerful voice.

Good evening, elders and aunts and uncles!

The moment they laid eyes upon her, the expressions of the family members darkened visibly. Star was the illegitimate daughter of my uncle, an outsider who had never once been accepted by high society. If not for the sake of giving face to my family, she would never have possessed the qualifications to set foot in such a gathering. The face of Arthur’s father turned glacial, and he rebuked her in a severe tone:

This is a proper family banquet! Why on earth would you drag an outsider in here?

Star’s eyes flushed red with aggrieved tears, and she cowered pathetically behind Arthur’s broad back. Overwhelmed by a protective impulse, he shielded her immediately.

Star is Nam’s sister, which makes her my sister as well. When all is said and done, she is part of this family. Why shouldn’t she attend this banquet?

It was only then that he realized the chair next to me had been usurped by Benjamin. His expression darkened instantly into a thunderous scowl, though he lacked the audacity to voice any complaints. The sight of Benjamin casually serving soup and morsels of food onto my plate only served to curdle his mood further. My phone buzzed abruptly against the table. It was a text message from Arthur. [What is the meaning of this! Just because I brought Star along, you deliberately summoned my uncle here to put on a show and provoke me, didn’t you?!] I turned my phone face down on the polished wood, pretending I had never seen the notification. Seated across the table, Arthur looked ready to combust with fury, his blade-like gaze practically striving to impale me. At that juncture, Arthur’s father raised his wine glass and cleared his throat to speak:

Recently, the joyous news regarding our family has been spreading across the entire city.

Today’s family gathering serves to officially ratify this union.

Afterward, we must finalize the details concerning the marriage registration and the wedding ceremony. We should discuss and settle those matters tonight—

Before the elder could finish his sentence, Arthur broke in hastily:

Father, you need not worry. We have already handled nearly all the arrangements for the marriage registration ourselves. We know how to manage our affairs, so there is no need for you and Mother to fret over it.

Isn't that right, Nam?

He called my name, signaling frantically with his eyes, commanding me to corroborate his lie. I lowered my gaze, refusing to dignify him with a response. After all, I had no intention of marrying him, meaning I was under no obligation to play along. Arthur’s complexion turned the color of ash, his eyes brimming with unadulterated rage and dissatisfaction. He hastily fired off another message: [Say something! If you continue this childish rebellion, I will actually call off the wedding!] [Do not test my limits, Bai Nam!] Finding his incessant harassment tiresome, I opened my phone and blocked him without a second thought. When Arthur saw this, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief, his hands clenching so tightly that the veins stood out prominently against his skin. At that exact moment, beneath the cover of the table, Benjamin’s hand reached over to gently clasp mine, his low voice murmuring softly:

Regarding all of these arrangements, I yield entirely to Nam’s wishes. Whatever she desires is what we shall do.

The steady warmth radiating from his palm sent a sudden, traitorous skip through the rhythm of my heart.