The Rules of a Perfect Marriage Contract

What John Dyke and I had was nothing more than a business marriage. In my previous life, I failed to understand that from the very beginning. I foolishly wanted love from him. I wanted us to be a real husband and wife. Worse, I kept throwing my weight around as Mrs. Dyke and constantly targeted the woman he truly loved. In the end, I destroyed the marriage alliance and ruined the partnership between our families. When my family went bankrupt, I was driven to my death by debt collectors. Meanwhile, John rose to become the richest man in the country, married the love of his life, and walked away with both power and happiness. Then I opened my eyes again. I had returned to the very first time I caught John and his precious first love together in a private club room. John frowned at me. "Naomi West, we had an agreement before this marriage. Other than appearing together when necessary, we don't interfere in each other's private lives. What exactly are you doing right now?" His tone carried barely suppressed anger. But in my previous life, not only did I fail to notice, I arrogantly slapped his true love in the name of being Mrs. Dyke. That was the beginning of my road to destruction. The memory of my car plunging off a cliff while I desperately tried to escape debt collectors flashed through my mind. I immediately waved my hands. "Whoa, don't misunderstand. I just walked into the wrong room. Please, carry on. Don't worry, I understand the rules of a business marriage." I backed out of the private room and even thoughtfully closed the door behind me. Then I turned around and went to find a few handsome young men to keep me company. Endless money to spend, a lot of time to enjoy my life, a husband who never came home... I really must have lost my mind in my previous life to waste time begging John for love. Chapter 1 After running my hand over the young man's sculpted abs and taking a few sips of wine, I received a voice message from my best friend, Vivian Carter. "Naomi West, don't tell me you actually went to the club to confront John Dyke and Claire Rogers? "Don't do anything stupid! Everyone in our circle knows Claire is John's first love. If you lay a hand on her, he'll never let you off easy. It's just a business marriage, don't take it so seriously!" She could not have made it any clearer, but in my previous life, I refused to listen. Even though I knew full well that after John lost both his parents at thirteen, he had practically grown up in Claire's home, and that the bond between them was far deeper than ordinary friendship... I still acted like I had lost my mind. Not only did I agree to the arranged marriage, I spent the entire marriage picking fights with Claire. The time I cornered John and Claire at the club, I even slapped Claire across the face in the name of being 'Mrs. Dyke.' After that, John forced me to kneel in a room for three days straight. The West family was also pressured into giving up five percentage points in a major collaboration project. At the time, I was drowning in resentment over how openly John favored Claire. What I never realized was that those five percentage points were exactly what planted the seeds for the West family's eventual bankruptcy. Just thinking about the way I died in my previous life, hunted down by debt collectors, sent a chill through my body. I quickly replied to Vivian: "I'm not that crazy. It's just a business marriage. I don't care if she's his first love or whatever. As long as John keeps the cooperation projects between our families moving and helps me make a fortune, I couldn't care less about the rest." To prove just how 'unbothered' I was, I even snapped a few photos of the handsome young men around me and sent them to her. Vivian nearly lost her mind after seeing the pictures. She praised me for finally being clear-headed and immediately declared she was coming over to join the fun. I sent her my location. Not long after, the private room door was pushed open. However, the person who walked in was not Vivian. John stood at the entrance, his black suit outlining his tall frame, his entire presence cold enough to freeze the room. His gaze swept across the scattered wine glasses and the young men lounging around the booth before finally landing on me. His voice was low and unreadable. Chapter 2 "Did you have fun?" I froze for a second, then quickly nodded. "Yeah, I did. Though my kind of fun is just strength in numbers. It can't compare to having your beloved Ms. Rogers by your side." Something in my answer must have displeased John, because the coldness around him deepened instantly. In the past, the moment I saw that expression, I would have rushed over to comfort him, carefully trying to cheer him up. However, now, I only looked at him in confusion. So he came all the way here just to ask whether I was having fun? Puzzled, I reached out and casually squeezed a man's abs again. John suddenly moved, taking a few steps toward me before saying coldly, "There are reporters outside the club. We need to cooperate for appearances." Realization hit me immediately. No wonder he had stopped accompanying Claire. So it was because the media were outside. Of course. To avoid the paparazzi catching anything inappropriate and causing public backlash that might affect the cooperation between the Dyke and West families, he had no choice but to come find me. Since it involved business, I did not argue. I got up cleanly and flashed those handsome men a regretful smile. "Sorry, everyone. I have something to deal with. Next time we can–" Before I could finish the word 'meet,' John grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight out of the private room. Faced with his complete lack of gentleness toward women, all I could do was purse my lips in silent irritation. Once outside the club, I looked around. Forget reporters. There was not even another person in sight. I raised a brow. "Where are the reporters?" John ignored the question. After the valet brought the car over, he opened the passenger door for me like a perfect gentleman and guided me inside. His movements were smooth and natural, as though we were truly a loving couple. But I knew better. He was only acting. Since he kept refusing to say where the media were hiding, I stopped asking. He would not be so bored as to lie to me about something like this. The reporters were probably lurking in some corner nearby. After John got into the car, it suddenly hit me. This was the first time since our arranged marriage half a year ago that we had ever been alone together. If this had been my previous life, I would have treasured an opportunity like this. I would have gone out of my way to show my best side, hoping to move his heart. But now, I could not even be bothered. As soon as the car started moving, the alcohol hit me properly. Without saying another word, I leaned back against the seat and fell asleep. By the time I woke up again, we had already arrived at Moonlake Villa. Moonlake Villa was our marital home, though I had always been the only one living there. John stayed in a luxury apartment near Dyke Group headquarters instead, conveniently next door to Claire. Not expecting him to keep up the gentleman act and open the door for me, I pushed it open myself and lightly hopped out of the car. After taking only a couple of steps, though, I realized John had gotten out as well. I could not help staring at him in surprise. "John, you're not staying at the apartment tonight?" He glanced at me indifferently without answering and continued walking toward the villa. Since the house was technically shared marital property, there was not much I could say. I simply followed behind him. The moment we entered, I was about to call for the housekeeper, Mrs. Morgan, to make me some soup to combat the hangover when John interrupted me. "It's late. Don't wake anyone up. I'll make it for you." He rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen. Watching his back as he busied himself there, my chest tightened slightly. John was always like this. He clearly did not love me, yet in private he would always do these strangely gentle things. Like making me soup tonight. Like holding my hand during our wedding ceremony and telling me not to be nervous. And because of moments like these, the me from my previous life had mistakenly believed we could become a normal married couple someday. Chapter 3 His inappropriately tender gestures caused me, even though we had agreed before the arranged marriage to not interfere in each other's private lives, to repeatedly act like Mrs. Dyke and make trouble for Claire, finally managing to ruin myself. The moment I remembered how it all ended–my family ruined, everyone dead–a heavy feeling settled in my chest. Even my expression toward John turned cold. After he finished making the hangover soup and brought it to me, I drank it silently without even saying thank you, then headed upstairs to sleep. John followed behind me. Just before I closed the bedroom door, I noticed him stop right outside, looking almost as if he intended to sleep in the same room. I let out a self-mocking laugh. As if that were possible. John was absurdly disciplined when it came to relationships. Other than Claire, there had never been another woman by his side. There was no way he would want to share a room with me. At most, he was only escorting his drunk wife back to her room out of basic courtesy and good upbringing. I did not want to misunderstand things again, so I said flatly, "You can stop here." Then I shut the door directly in his face. Before the door closed, I caught the look of surprise in his eyes. But I was too tired to think about why he looked surprised. I climbed into bed and immediately fell asleep. By the time I woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky. My phone was flooded with messages from Vivian, and only then did I suddenly remember. I had arranged to meet her at the club yesterday, but before she even arrived, John had already dragged me away. I quickly apologized to her and explained what had happened. Vivian replied almost instantly: [So John dragged you away? Don't tell me he got jealous seeing you surrounded by other men?] I stared at the message speechlessly. Seriously. Broad daylight, and she was already dreaming. After chatting with Vivian for a bit, I headed downstairs for breakfast. To my surprise, John was still home, dressed in casual loungewear and sitting on the sofa reading financial reports. I froze for a second. This had never happened before. John was a complete workaholic. Back then, he had even interrupted our wedding vows just to answer a business call. Seeing him not go to work was practically unheard of. A little worried, I asked, "John… the Dyke Group hasn't gone bankrupt, has it?" Forgive me for immediately thinking of bankruptcy. The collapse of the West family in my previous life had left too deep a scar. John lowered the documents and looked up at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "No. I just wanted to give myself a day off." "Oh." I let out a relieved breath. "That's good then. If there's anything you want to eat today, just tell Mrs. Morgan to make it." After saying that, I hurriedly finished my milk and prepared to leave. John visibly paused. "You… you're not staying home today?" I was busy changing my shoes and did not even look up at him. "Yeah, I've got something to do." Then I walked straight out the door, completely missing the strange look on his face behind me. I drove all the way to my parents' villa. The moment I entered, I saw my mother watering flowers in the garden while my father sat nearby in the pavilion, leisurely drinking tea. Looking at them beneath the warm sunlight, my nose suddenly stung. In my previous life, when the car accident happened, my parents had ignored their own injuries and thrown themselves over me, trying to shield me with their bodies, desperately hoping to give me even the slightest chance to survive. But in the end, I failed them. Not long after watching them die right in front of me, I followed them into death myself. "Naomi, why are you crying?" My mother noticed me standing there and quickly put down the watering can before walking over to wipe my tears away. I shook my head and hugged her tightly. "Mom, I'm fine. I just missed you guys." Chapter 4 My mother finally relaxed and affectionately tapped the tip of my nose. Now that I was home, both my parents were overjoyed. Even though it was still early, long before lunchtime, they had already started bustling around the kitchen preparing food. At the dining table, I looked at the spread of dishes, every single one my favorite, and warmth flooded my chest. But almost immediately, my vision blurred with tears again. I reached out and held my parents' hands, speaking with complete seriousness. "Mom, Dad, don't pour all of West Corporation's capital into the partnership with the Dyke family. Keep some funds aside and invest in energy projects instead. That industry is going to explode in the future." My parents exchanged worried looks. "Naomi, what's wrong? Did John bully you?" I could not blame them for thinking that way. Every time I came home before this, all I ever talked about was how wonderful John was. I kept pushing for deeper cooperation between the Wen and Fu families so our engagement would become even more tightly bound together. I ignored every risk assessment my parents gave me and stubbornly pressured them into investing more and more money into the joint projects. In the end, I even demanded that they pour all of West Corporation's liquid capital into the partnership. That was why, in my previous life, once the collaboration collapsed, West Corporation spiraled into bankruptcy almost overnight, and the three of us were dragged toward ruin along with it. This was the first time I had ever told them to reduce investment instead. I looked at them earnestly. "Mom, Dad, I was immature before. I treated West Corporation like a bargaining chip for my own relationship games. I won't do that anymore." To my surprise, tears welled in my parents' eyes instead. "This is wonderful. Our Naomi has finally grown up." I gently wiped away their tears and added, "There's one more thing. I want to come work at West Corporation. I'll start in the marketing department and help share the burden." In my previous life, my parents had suggested countless times that I return to the company, but back then my entire world revolved around John. I never cared about our own business. But now, armed with memories of the future and knowing where the market was headed, there was no way I would sit back and watch my family company walk toward disaster again. My parents were shocked, but they had always supported every decision I made. Without hesitation, they agreed. The three of us shared a warm, peaceful meal together. Since I was supposed to report to West Corporation the next day, I decided to stay at home for the night. Late that evening, while lying in bed, I unexpectedly received a message from John. "It's already this late. Aren't you coming back?" I stared at the screen for a moment, stunned. Ever since our engagement arrangement began, this was the first time John had ever taken the initiative to message me. Before this, I had been the only one desperately performing a one-woman show. More importantly, was he still at the Moonlake Villa? Why? The more I thought about it, the stranger his behavior seemed. Had he fought with Claire? Was he trying to use me to make her jealous? Yes. That had to be it. I curled my lips in annoyance. What a scheming man. There was no way I was stupid enough to throw myself between the two of them again and suffer for it. Having lived through everything once already, I was very clear about my role this time around. I was nothing more than the tool connecting the Dyke and West families' business partnership. As for the engagement itself, I might as well just let it rot. I ignored John's message, turned off my phone, and went to sleep. The next morning, I officially reported to West Corporation. Things in the marketing department did not go smoothly at first. Everyone assumed I was just another rich girl parachuted in for fun, and nobody allowed me to get involved in any real projects. That only changed after I used memories from my previous life to produce a proposal for Sheldon Corporation's smart home project. Only then did the entire marketing department finally start taking me seriously. Honestly, it was almost funny. Originally, I knew absolutely nothing about smart home systems. But in my previous life, I had watched John struggle endlessly over this project. Wanting to help him, I forced myself to learn everything I could about the field and eventually created a proposal impressive enough to stun everyone. Chapter 5 When I handed the proposal to John, the surprise in his eyes was impossible to miss. But in the end, all it took was one sentence from Claire: "I don't want Naomi using this as an excuse to cling to you." And just like that, he abandoned my proposal without hesitation and chose a far more conservative version instead. The company still won the bid in the end, but the partnership with Sheldon Corporation was plagued with constant friction because the proposal lacked polish. As for my version, I had thought it would never see the light of day again. Yet after being reborn, it became the very thing that secured my footing in the marketing department. The day the smart home project won the bid, the way everyone in the department addressed me completely changed. No more fake smiles and sarcastic 'Ms. West.' From that day on, they called my name sincerely. Hearing it, I could not help feeling emotional. Back in my previous life, I spent all my time chasing after John and trying to please him. I never imagined I would one day achieve something on my own. From then on, I worked like someone possessed. For a long stretch of time, I was full of energy every single day. I left early, came home late, and whenever I returned to Moonlake Villa, I would shower and go straight to sleep. Until one day, I finished work earlier than usual and came home to find John sitting at the dining table eating dinner. I froze for a moment. "John… don't tell me you've been living here this whole time?" He lifted his eyes calmly and looked at me as if the answer was obvious. That only confused me more. After hesitating for a second, I walked over and asked politely, in the spirit of maintaining a cooperative relationship: "Did you and Claire have a fight? Do you need me to help smooth things over?" Not that he should actually say yes. I was just being polite. John stared at me with a strange look in his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of frustration, like he was disappointed in someone hopeless. "Naomi, do you really want me and Claire to end up together that badly?" I was speechless. What did he mean, I wanted it? Wasn't that already the reality? I wanted to argue back, but seeing the expression on his face darken, I wisely kept my mouth shut. The entire dinner was painfully awkward. The moment it ended, I immediately got up to head upstairs, but John suddenly stopped me. "There's a charity auction tomorrow. We need to attend together." I nodded in understanding. Got it. Time for the political marriage couple act again. The next day, on the way to the auction, the car once again became a private space occupied by just the two of us. I was just about to fall asleep when John suddenly handed me a catalog. "These are tonight's auction items. If there's anything you like, tell me. I'll bid on it for you." I raised a brow and accepted the catalog, but never opened it. It was not that I lacked interest in the items. I simply knew that whether I liked them or not, none of them would ever truly belong to me. In my previous life, it had been this very same auction where I fell in love with a sapphire necklace. After several rounds of bidding, John had decisively called for an unlimited bid. At the time, everyone looked at me with envy. The internet was flooded with articles about how deeply John adored his wife. When I received the sapphire necklace, I had been overwhelmed with happiness. I genuinely thought I had finally moved his heart. But by the time our political marriage came to an end, when the West family went bankrupt and creditors chased me to the brink of collapse, I tried to use the necklace to pay off my debts. That was when I learned the necklace John gave me had only ever been a fake. The real sapphire necklace was worn around Claire's neck on the day she married him. Remembering how desperate and broken I had been back then, I could not help letting out a self-mocking laugh. Seeing that I never opened the catalog, John looked puzzled. "What? Not interested in this auction?" My tone remained calm. "Interested or not, I still have to attend. The two of us showing up together is basically part of the job when it comes to a political marriage. "Don't worry. I understand the rules. I won't make things difficult for you." Chapter 6 John's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a second before he said through clenched teeth, "You really are dedicated to your job." Well, obviously. We arrived at the auction venue soon after. During the bidding, I was not sure if my changed behavior had somehow created a butterfly effect, but this time John never raised his paddle. In the end, the sapphire necklace was won by a middle-aged man. Sitting for so long made me restless, so I told John I was stepping out and headed to the restroom. When I returned to the auction hall, John's assistant came hurrying toward me in a panic. "Mrs. Dyke, Mr. Dyke isn't feeling well. Please go check on him." I followed him over and found that John had already been moved into a private lounge. He was leaning against the chair, face pale, sweat beading at his temples. After examining him, the doctor's expression turned serious. "Something was added to Mr. Dyke's champagne. Rather than taking him to the hospital, it would be better if you personally took care of him." The meaning behind his words was obvious, and I immediately understood what he meant by 'take care of him.' If this had happened in my previous life, I would have thrown myself at him without hesitation. But now, all I felt was annoyed. I pulled out my phone and called Claire, asking her to come over. This kind of situation was better left to the happy couple. Claire arrived quickly. After taking over from me, she shot me a smug, provocative look. "At least you know your place. Calling me was the smart move." I could not be bothered arguing with her. Just as I was about to leave, a message from Vivian popped up on my phone. [Naomi, are you at the auction? There are reporters everywhere outside. I think they're targeting John. Be careful!] I immediately looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows and, sure enough, spotted several shadowy figures lurking outside with cameras in hand. My heart sank. It clicked instantly: someone had deliberately set this up for John. They wanted photos. They wanted a scandal involving the Dyke family. The cooperation between the Dyke and West families was still underway. If the Dyke family got dragged into controversy, the West family would inevitably suffer too. Which meant I couldn't leave John alone right now. Not only that, I had to create the illusion that I had been with him the entire time. The whole thing irritated me, but after thinking about the business partnership between the two families, I swallowed my frustration. I booked a room next door to John's. Before going to sleep, worried I might overhear something I really did not want to hear, I even put in earplugs. But whether the earplugs actually worked or the hotel's soundproofing was just excellent, I heard absolutely nothing all night. The next morning, I knocked on John's door. After quite a while, the door finally opened. John looked terrible. He was wearing a bathrobe, his whole body carrying a chill, his hair still dripping wet. Anyone seeing him would think he had just been dragged out of the water. I glanced around the room but saw no sign of Claire. Confused, I asked, "Where's Ms. Rogers?" John suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me into the room. The door slammed shut behind me with a loud bang. Before I could react, he pinned me heavily against the door. He stared at me intensely, eyes burning with an anger I could not understand. "Naomi, are you really that eager to push me into someone else's arms? "Don't forget. You are my wife."