Đang tải thông tin quảng bá...
Abandoned for His Sister-in Law，Returing as Another Man's Bride
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
For the fifth time, the Ramirez family drew lots to select a daughter-in-law for the family, and Kayden Ramirez once again ended up drawing his widowed sister-in-law. No one present looked surprised, ...
Chương (4)
第1章
For the fifth time, the Ramirez family drew lots to select a daughter-in-law for the family, and Kayden Ramirez once again ended up drawing his widowed sister-in-law.
No one present looked surprised, and the gazes directed at me gradually became mocking.
“Five years already, and he still can’t draw her. Looks like even heaven refuses to let her become young Mrs. Ramirez.”
I forced out a bitter smile, my nails pressing hard into my palm, and even breathing felt painfully sharp.
According to the Ramirez family rules, anyone who wanted to properly enter the family and become the young madam had to draw lots, one person at a time.
Once, Kayden hugged me and made a promise. In this lifetime, if he could not marry me, he would remain unmarried.
Because of that promise, I gave up my hobbies, my friends, and my social life.
I learned how to manage the household, memorized all of Bernice Ramirez’s preferences, and handled every big and small matter in the Ramirez family.
Everyone in the capital’s upper circle laughed at me for wanting to climb into a rich family and rushing to serve as a free babysitter.
I kept telling myself that the lot drawing was only for appearances’ sake, but during the first year, Kayden included his widowed sister-in-law in the draw.
He claimed that because his elder brother died young, the infant could not be apart from its mother, and Evie Gordon needed to stay in the Ramirez family properly.
I chose to understand and accept it, forcing myself to endure the hurt and act generously.
Yet the second year, third year, and fourth year remained exactly the same.
Now, the child could already run around freely, but Kayden still used the very same reason to draw his widowed sister-in-law once again.
Kayden softly patted my head, his tone calm and gentle.
“Aveline Simmons, next year it will surely work out. We’ll have a beautiful wedding then.”
I looked up at the man I had loved for eight long years and smiled bitterly.
Kayden, there won’t be a next year. This time, I no longer want to keep waiting.
……
As I watched Kayden’s departing figure, I dialed a number that had long been buried in my contacts.
The call was answered within seconds, and the person on the other end sounded slightly surprised.
“What made you willing to call me? Did someone wrong you?”
In an instant, the bitterness I had been holding back rushed to my nose. Tears fell without warning, and I crouched on the ground, crying loudly.
Khalil Robinson immediately panicked, but he held back his worry and coldly mocked.
“Looks like the man you desperately loved for eight years completely broke your heart.”
Tears blurred my vision, and it felt as though I had returned to eight years ago.
I had been kidnapped by enemies and taken to an underground boxing arena to be used as entertainment.
In that dark and damp corner, those men tore at my clothes.
Just when I was drowning in despair, Kayden kicked the man away and lifted me up.
He removed his coat and gently wrapped it around my shaking body, constantly trying to comfort me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take you away.”
From that moment on, I fell for the man who saved me, and for eight years, I stayed hopelessly devoted to him.
I ignored my parents’ advice, left behind my family and friends, and came to an unfamiliar city to love him with all my heart, desperately wanting to marry him.
Because of the Ramirez family’s tradition of drawing lots to choose a wife, I rejected every other opportunity and made sure to appear on time each year.
When I was severely injured in a car accident, and my parents came to visit me, I gave up the chance to see them for the last time so I would not miss the lottery drawing. It became my greatest lifelong regret.
On the other end of the call, Khalil sighed softly, his voice filled with concern.
“Aveline, stop being foolish. I need a partner for a marriage alliance. Interested?”
I wiped away my tears, my voice hoarse yet calm.
“Okay.”
Khalil paused, clearly not expecting me to agree so quickly.
“You’re not allowed to regret this. I’ll come pick you up in two days.”
After the call ended, my phone rang again. It was Kayden.
“Aveline, come to the hospital. Evie caught a cold, so make some soup and bring it over.”
When he noticed my silence, he quickly softened his tone and explained gently.
“My sister-in-law is raising the child alone. It’s not easy for her, so we should take better care of her.”
“Besides, we’re about to get married. In the future, we’ll all be one family!”
Those familiar words had already entered my ears countless times before.
When Evie suffered from palpitations, he had me brave the heavy snow to bring her calming soup.
But by the time I arrived, I saw him carefully feeding Evie dessert himself. The soup I made was dumped into the trash simply because she said it was bitter.
After that, he hugged me and gently persuaded me, saying that since we were family, we should take better care of his sister-in-law.
At the Ramirez family banquet, I rushed around like a servant while he held Evie’s hand and stood beside her as they welcomed guests together and accepted everyone’s congratulations.
I cried so hard that I nearly collapsed and asked him why.
He pulled me into his arms and comforted me, saying he only wanted to support Evie. Otherwise, people in their social circle would laugh at her for being widowed and alone. He told me not to think too deeply about it.
So many times, he had used the same excuse to push me away, making me willingly back down.
“Aveline, make sure it’s neither too hot nor too cold. Evie also hates bitter tastes, so remember that.”
Kayden’s reminding voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I gave a mocking laugh and hung up.
After drying the tears from the corners of my eyes, I didn’t make the soup. I picked up my bag and went out.
I planned to reclaim the safety charm I had once obtained for Kayden after kneeling three thousand steps, paying respects three times, and bowing nine times.
Now that my love for him was gone, I would take my things back with my own hands.
From this moment on, I would completely cut ties with Kayden.
第2章
Kayden carried Evie into the hospital room, slowly pushing the door open while holding her close in his arms. He patiently fed her medicine one spoon at a time, treating her with endless care and kindness.
The two of them looked just like a sweet and loving pair.
I stayed by the entrance like someone who did not belong there, my entire body turning cold and stiff.
I stepped toward Kayden, lifted my eyes to face him, took a slow breath, and spoke the words I had repeated in my mind so many times.
“Kayden, let’s break up.”
“Give back the safety charm I gave you. It belongs to me, and I want it back.”
Kayden’s hand stopped halfway while giving the medicine, and his eyebrows pulled together at once, like he thought I was causing another scene because of jealousy and anger again.
He faced me, sounding a little annoyed.
“Aveline, why are you acting like this again? It’s only because you didn’t get picked. I already told you I am marrying you next year.”
When he noticed my hand still raised without moving, he seemed to realize the seriousness in my eyes.
At last, he set the medicine bowl aside, quickly walked over to me, pulled me into his arms without saying anything more, and softly comforted me.
“Alright, wife, don’t stay upset. You know my brother cared for me the most since we were young. He died, so I should properly look after my sister-in-law.”
The familiar hug carried Evie’s sweet perfume smell, so strong and unpleasant that I quickly turned my face away and pushed myself from it.
My nose started to sting, and warm tears nearly came out.
He only cared about Evie being ill, yet he forgot that today marked the death anniversary of our lost baby.
One year before, I nearly suffered a miscarriage. The doctor carried a critical notice and hurriedly asked for a signature for the operation.
With shaking fingers, I called him, but he said Evie’s son had suddenly come down with a high fever, the matter was serious, and he had to rush the child to the hospital first.
I remained alone on the cold surgery bed, losing a huge amount of blood and suffering so much pain that it felt like life and death. When he finally arrived, the baby was already gone.
He wrapped his arms around me and quietly comforted me, saying we could still have children later, but I did not even get to see our child one last time.
Before, he gave up on our child because of Evie, and now he has once more forgotten our child’s death anniversary because of her.
For eight years, I loved him completely, but inside his heart, I was always less important than Evie.
My tears spun heavily in my eyes, and I firmly bit my lips to keep them from dropping.
I laughed bitterly, met his eyes, and said every word slowly and clearly.
“Is this truly for your brother, or is this for you?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Evie slowly leaned on the bed to support herself before walking toward me one step at a time.
She lightly took hold of my hand. Her eyes carried pride that could not be hidden, though her voice sounded full of guilt when she talked.
“Aveline, don’t blame Kayden. If blame is needed, then blame my weak body for always troubling him.”
While speaking, she lifted her hand and cleaned the tears pressed out from the corners of her eyes.
“But I am still deeply thankful to you. If not for your help back then, I could not have lived at all. Thank you for agreeing to turn your child into a medicinal primer to save me.”
Her words crashed heavily into my mind.
I instantly stood frozen, my blood turning cold at once as I stared at her with shock, my hands and feet losing all warmth.
My child? Medicinal primer?
At that time, after I lost the baby, I cried in terrible pain and desperately wanted to see the child one last time.
Kayden pulled me into his arms and softly comforted me again and again. He said my body was too weak after the miscarriage, and he feared seeing the child would leave me even more heartbroken and harm my health. He promised he would properly handle everything for the child.
Later, he also brought me to the children’s cemetery. The place rested beside mountains and water, and the view was very beautiful.
I always believed our child was resting there, but I never expected it was only an empty grave used to fool me.
And he had already turned our child into a medicinal primer to save Evie.
My entire body shook badly as I suddenly pulled my hand away from Evie.
I turned and looked straight at Kayden, my voice rough and shaky beyond recognition.
“What she says is true? You really turned our child into…”
Kayden stayed silent, and a small sign of guilt passed through his eyes.
I lost control, grabbed my bag, and threw it at him while screaming in pain.
“That was our child… that was my baby!”
Kayden’s expression darkened a little. He frowned and let out a sigh, while his voice still carried blame.
“Aveline, that was only an unborn embryo, only flesh and blood without form. Being able to save Evie is already a good fortune.”
I stared at him in shock, my heart fully shattered by his words, hurting so badly it felt torn open.
I looked at the man before me, the man I had loved for eight years, the one who once saved my life, and my tears finally poured out.
I cried out word by word, my voice full of pain.
“Kayden, you are too heartless!”
After saying those words, I did not want to see him anymore. I turned around and ran out of the ward.
But before I could reach the stairs, the bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me back.
第3章
Kayden looked at me with disappointment, his expression cold and hard, without any warmth left in his eyes.
“Aveline, Evie has severe anemia. She has already fainted many times. Her blood type is exactly the same as yours, so she needs you to donate blood to her.”
I leaned against the wall to keep myself standing, my trembling voice slowly asking him.
“Why?”
Evie weakly stepped forward at once and reached out to hold my wrist, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Kayden, don’t force Aveline. If she does not want to do it, then forget it. My life is worthless and not important enough to trouble you.”
The perfume scent from her body made me feel so sick that I almost wanted to throw up. I immediately tried to pull away from her hand with force.
Instead, Evie curved her lips slightly, pushed me away before I could react, and fell backward.
She slipped and fell onto the floor, her forehead hard against the table corner, and a red mark quickly appeared.
The next moment, her eyes became red as big tears rolled down her face, her whole body shaking from grief.
Kayden’s eyes suddenly tightened. He rushed over in panic and roughly shoved me away.
My body slammed hard against the wall, and the pain made me breathe in sharply.
He carefully lifted Evie into his arms, his eyes toward me full of anger and disgust.
“Aveline, how can you be this heartless? It is only a small blood donation. Do you really need to hurt her this badly?”
I held the shoulder that was sore from the impact and gave a bitter smile.
He knew better than anyone that after I was kidnapped eight years ago, I would faint whenever I saw blood and become terrified of it. The moment I saw bright red blood, I would lose control and start shaking, yet now he wanted me to donate blood to Evie.
I forced myself to stand properly and lifted my head, but suddenly noticed what Evie was wearing around her neck.
It was the safety charm I got after paying respect three times, bowing nine times, kneeling through three thousand steps, and praying for three hours. I gave it to Kayden and wished for his safety and health.
But now the safety charm was hanging on Evie’s neck. He gave the thing I poured all my love into to another woman.
My heart felt like it was being sliced apart piece by piece, and the pain made me unable to stand straight.
I bit the soft flesh inside my mouth and barely held back the burning in my eyes before asking him word by word,
“Kayden, who gave you the right to hand my safety charm to her?”
Hearing that, Evie quickly removed the safety charm, covered her face, and cried painfully.
“Aveline, I’m sorry. When I became seriously ill before, Kayden gave this to me. I did not know it belonged to you.”
“I know you hate me for being a widow nobody wants, and someone not worth loving, but Kayden and I truly are not the way you think…”
After those words, Kayden’s expression became even darker.
He grabbed the safety charm and threw it straight into the nearby trash can without hesitation before yelling at me.
“Aveline, how can your thoughts be this filthy? Your mind is full of disgusting ideas!”
“I never even looked down on you after so many men touched you back then. You are already dirty enough!”
His words felt like a knife stabbing straight into my heart.
I stood frozen, my whole body turning cold as pain spread through my chest until I could barely breathe.
After I was kidnapped back then, I suffered nightmares every night and woke up covered in cold sweat.
Kayden was the one who held me and softly told me not to be afraid. He stayed beside me the entire time and slowly helped me leave those painful memories behind.
But now, with his own hands, he turned my deepest wound and most painful past into the thing hurting me the most.
Before I could argue back, the bodyguards stepped forward and tightly grabbed my arms.
Kayden looked at me coldly.
“Take her blood by force. Don’t let her slow down Evie’s treatment.”
The cold needle stabbed my vein as bags of bright red blood were drawn out one after another.
I became dizzy and confused, my hands and feet turning cold. I did not know how much blood they took, only that my mind became blurrier and blurrier.
After it finished, they let go of me with disgust. I fell onto the floor like a torn rag, then dragged my nearly broken body and slowly walked outside.
As I reached the ward entrance, I ran into Evie’s son.
The little boy gripped a toy gun and slammed it hard at me, angrily yelling, “Bad woman! If not for you, my dad and mom would have already gotten married long ago!”
The hit made me stumble backward, and I leaned against the wall without enough strength to stay standing.
The child rushed over, grabbed the only necklace around my neck, and roughly yanked it away. It was the only thing my parents left for me. He snatched the necklace and turned around to run.
My sight turned dark. I could not keep holding on anymore and collapsed straight onto the floor, fully losing consciousness.
第4章
While I was asleep, someone suddenly grabbed my neck and woke me up. The feeling of not being able to breathe made me quickly open my eyes.
Kayden stood in front of me with red eyes, shouting at me loudly.
“Aveline, what did you put on the child? Why does he suddenly have a fever that won’t go away and keep saying nonsense?”
I could barely breathe from how tightly he held me. Weakly, I shook my head and hit his hand.
“I didn’t… I don’t know what you mean.”
Suddenly, Evie pushed the door open and came inside. Her eyes were red as she rushed to my bedside and knelt down, crying hard.
“Aveline, I know you hate me. You hate that I took your chance to enter the Ramirez family for five years because of the lottery draw.”
“If you want payback, then come after me. Why hurt my child? Why put poison on the necklace your parents left behind and give it to him…”
I used all my strength to push away Kayden’s grip and loudly argued back.
“The necklace was taken by him! Your son forcefully ripped it off my neck!”
Kayden looked down at me coldly, without any warmth in his eyes.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Did you poison it or not?”
“No! I really didn’t!”
I screamed as tears uncontrollably fell onto the back of my hand.
Kayden’s eyes became colder, his voice harsh.
“Since you won’t admit it, then don’t blame me for not showing mercy.”
He turned and coldly told the bodyguards, “Go to her parents’ cemetery, dig open the grave, and scatter all the ashes.”
My face instantly turned pale. I rushed over like a crazy person, grabbed his pant leg, and cried painfully.
“Don’t! Kayden, I’m begging you! I really don’t know anything! Please let my parents rest, okay!”
His body paused for a moment, and a small bit of hesitation flashed through his eyes.
Evie immediately cried and spoke.
“Kayden, forget it. Just treat my child as repayment for these five years you always choose me instead of her…”
The moment those words came out, Kayden instantly threw my hand aside, his eyes cold as ice.
“I already told you to wait one more year. Why are you so heartless?”
After saying that, he ordered the bodyguards to hold me down, carried Evie away, and left without looking back at me again.
“Watch her carefully. Let her learn how to behave, so she can become a proper Mrs. Ramirez later.”
The bodyguards forced me onto the floor while I helplessly watched the people on the screen dig open my parents’ grave.
They broke the urn apart, and the pale ashes scattered into the dirt, blowing away with the wind.
I clenched my fists tightly, my nails cutting into my palms until flesh and blood mixed together, while my lips were bitten until they bled too.
The day my parents passed away in a car crash, Kayden held me with lifeless eyes and comforted me with a shaking voice.
“Don’t worry, Aveline. From today on, I will always be beside you. I will take care of you for mom and dad, and I will love you forever.”
Lies.
Every promise was a lie!
After a long while, the bodyguards threw me onto the floor with disgust, brushed the dirt from their hands, and mocked me.
“You chased Young Master Ramirez for eight years and still mean less than a dog. You still want to become his wife? Keep dreaming.”
I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, my eyes dull as I slowly walked outside step by step.
As soon as I left the villa, my phone started ringing. It was Evie.
[You probably still have no idea, right? The Ramirez family has a rule. If someone is chosen by drawing lots five times, the marriage must happen immediately.]
[Kayden and I will marry very soon.]
Not long later, Kayden sent a text, too.
[Aveline, I forgive today’s incident. Starting now, you should learn to become a qualified Mrs. Ramirez.]
I ignored both of them and silently blocked every way they could contact me.
I casually called a car and went straight to the cemetery.
I kneeled on the ground and, little by little, picked up my parents’ ashes mixed into the dirt, crying so hard my whole body trembled, and I almost stopped breathing.
Just as I was about to lose strength, someone quickly rushed over and supported me.
Khalil came.
He gently carried me into the car, his hands shaking as he wiped the tears from my face.
Then he pulled a ring from his pocket and held it before me, looking at my swollen, red eyes while speaking in a soft but serious voice.
“In front of uncle and aunt, Aveline, are you willing to marry me?”
I looked into his eyes full of pain and honesty, and tears slowly fell again as I used all my strength to answer.
“I am willing.”
I wiped my tears away, softly touched the urn in my arms, then turned and entered the car with Khalil.
After entering the car, I anonymously sent a file to an entertainment reporter and added a message.
“I know Kayden once pressured and targeted you. I have a video of Kayden and his sister-in-law secretly being together. I believe you won’t let this rare chance slip away?”
A minute later, my phone shook.
The entertainment reporter replied, “Of course. Happy working together.”
A faint smile appeared on my lips. The show I prepared was finally about to start.
Kayden, since you betrayed my love because of another woman, I will make both of you lose everything and destroy your names.