Chapter 1
On the day of their blind date, Helen Bond impulsively married a stranger.
She had expected that after the wedding, they would lead a respectful yet ordinary life.
But she never anticipated that her hastily married husband would be as clingy as chewing gum.
What surprised her the most was that every time she found herself in trouble, as soon as he stepped in, everything would effortlessly fall into place.
When she asked him about it, he always claimed it was just good luck.
It wasn’t until one day, when she watched an interview with the richest man in W city, whose wealth was in the billions, and learned he was famous for doting on his wife, that she was stunned to realize the billionaire looked exactly like her husband.
He was spoiling his wife to the extreme… and that wife was her!
The weather in W city in October was still scorching hot, with only the mornings and evenings offering a hint of coolness that hinted at autumn.
Helen woke up early to make breakfast for her sister and her family of three, then tidied up the scattered toys in the living room.
After mopping the floor, she grabbed two slices of toasted bread, slipped her ID card into her bag, and quietly left her sister's house.
“From now on, we’ll go Dutch. Whether it’s living expenses, the mortgage, or the car loan, everything needs to be split! Your sister's staying with us, so she should contribute half.
What’s two thousand a month supposed to cover? It’s the same as freeloading.”
These were the words Helen overheard from her brother-in-law during an argument with her sister the night before.
In order to keep her sister's life from spiraling into chaos, Helen knew she had to move out. But to ease her sister’s worries, there was only one way: get married.
Since she had no boyfriend and needed to marry quickly, she agreed to her grandmother’s request and decided to marry her grandmother’s grandson, Zane Doyle, who had been struggling in the getting marriage.
She walked downstairs and made her way to the main road.
Just in time, a bus was parked by the curb. Helen jogged over and, noticing the bus passed by the Civic Center, hopped on before the driver could start the engine.
She picked a window seat and, as the bus started, stared out at the street scenes.
W city was a bustling metropolis, with towering buildings lining the streets, showcasing its prosperity.
Twenty minutes later, Helen got off at the Civic Center.
“Helen.”
The moment she stepped off the bus, she heard a familiar voice calling her name. It was Grandmother Doyle.
“Grandmother Doyle!”
Helen quickly walked over, and saw the elderly woman standing next to a tall, cold-looking man. This must be Zane Doyle, the man she was supposed to marry.
As Helen got closer, she couldn’t help but be taken aback.
In her grandmother’s words, Zane Doyle, thirty years old, had struggled with relationships and hadn’t even managed to get a girlfriend.
His grandmother had been worried, especially after Helen had once helped her when she fell while out by herself, rescuing and sending her to the hospital.
After they became acquainted, the elderly lady grew fond of Helen’s character.
Learning that Helen, at twenty-five, also didn’t have a boyfriend, she began trying to pair them together.
Helen had always assumed that Zane, being thirty and unable to get a girlfriend, must be unattractive.
After all, her grandmother had described him as a senior executive at a large corporation with a high income.
Men with successful careers but still single were either too picky or, in her mind, unattractive—unattractive enough to deter even gold-diggers.
Now that they were face-to-face, Helen realized he must be the former.
Zane was quite handsome, with a cold demeanor. Standing beside his grandmother with a grim expression, he gave off a "don’t come near me" vibe.
Not far away, there was a black business car with the Ford logo.
It wasn’t an ultra-expensive car, but it made Helen feel that the distance between her and Zane wasn’t as vast as she’d imagined.
She had been living under her sister’s roof mostly out of reluctance to leave her sister and nephew, but truthfully, her income wasn’t bad.
She and an old classmate ran a bookstore near W Middle School.
W Middle School was a prestigious institution that encompassed elementary, middle, and high school levels, with nearly ten thousand teachers and students.
The demand for supplies and stationery was huge, though the competition was fierce since most of the neighbors ran bookstores too.
In her spare time, Helen also crafted small items to sell online, with good sales numbers.
After all expenses, she shared the profits with her friend, and together with the income from her online store, she made over three thousand dollars a month.
In W city, earning three thousand a month was enough to be considered part of the white-collar class.
However, her brother-in-law didn’t know about her income. He thought her bookstore wasn’t profitable due to the fierce competition, which was why he always criticized her.
In reality, she gave her sister five hundred dollars every month for food and rent.
She had always been strategic, telling her sister to save half of it for emergencies without letting her brother-in-law know.
Her sister was somewhat aware of her income and often reminded her not to spend it recklessly. Instead, she should save to buy a house in a couple of years, for a more secure future.
“Helen, this is my grandson, Zane. He's thirty and still single, but despite being a bit cold, he’s actually very considerate and caring.
You saved my life, and after three months of getting to know you, I’m sure he’s a good match for you. Trust me, I wouldn’t try to match you with a bad man.”
Zane glanced at Helen when his grandmother described him, his eyes dark and cold, but he didn’t say a word.
Helen knew that Doyle’s grandmother had three sons, each of whom had three sons of their own. So, she had nine grandsons in total, with no granddaughters.
After Helen helped her, they bonded, and the elderly lady treated her like a granddaughter.
“Grandmother Doyle.”
Helen felt a little embarrassed but still confidently extended her right hand, smiling as she introduced herself: “Mr. Doyle, hello, I’m Helen Bond.”
Zane gave her a cold, sharp look, his gaze sweeping from head to toe and back again.
It wasn’t until his grandmother cleared her throat that he reluctantly extended his right hand to shake hers, his voice low and cold: “Zane Doyle.”
After the handshake, Zane glanced at his watch and said, “I’m busy. Let’s get this over.”
Helen nodded.
Grandmother Doyle hurriedly said, “You two go inside to handle the paperwork, I’ll wait out here.”
“Grandmother, go back to the car. It’s too hot out here.”
Zane said as he helped his grandmother back to the car.
Watching his actions, Helen believed what his grandmother had said. Zane might be cold, but he was indeed considerate and attentive.
Though they were strangers, the fact that Zane owned property and had already paid it off made Helen believe that marrying him would allow her to move out of her sister’s house, making her sister feel at ease and ending the constant quarrels between her and her husband.
Her marriage, after all, was just about living together for mutual benefit.
Zane quickly returned to Helen’s side and said, “Let’s go.”
Helen nodded quietly and followed him into the Civic Center.
At the marriage registration office, Zane reminded her, “Miss Bond, if you’re unwilling, you can still back out. Don’t worry about what my grandmother says. Marriage is a big deal. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
He hoped she would reconsider.
In truth, he didn’t want to get married at all, let alone marry a complete stranger he had just met today.
Helen, however, was exactly as his grandmother had described—young, beautiful, and with a literary charm—but they were still strangers to each other.
His grandmother had been talking about Helen to him for months. Growing up with busy parents, Zane had been raised by his grandmother and was extremely filial to her.
After her repeated requests, he felt he had no choice but to come to this meeting.
“I’ve already agreed, so I won’t back out.”
Chapter 2
Zane listened to her and didn’t try to persuade her further. He took out his identification and placed it in front of the staff.
Helen did the same.
The entire process of handling the paperwork was done without any conversation between them.
The staff repeatedly, both directly and indirectly, reminded them that this was a marriage registration.
They didn’t want to see a newlywed couple become bitter spouses right after getting their certificate.
But both of them were determined, and the staff could only proceed with the formalities.
After receiving the two marriage certificates from the staff, Zane opened one and glanced at it before handing it to Helen. “This one’s yours.”
Helen accepted the small booklet and thanked him.
The two walked out together.
Outside, Zane stopped and waited for Helen to catch up. He pulled out a set of keys that had been prepared in advance and handed them to her.
“The house I bought is in Harris Garden. I heard from Grandma that you run a bookstore near W Middle School. My place isn’t too far from there—about a ten-minute bus ride.”
“Do you have a driver’s license? If so, I can help with the down payment on a car, and you can pay the monthly loan. A car would be more convenient for you, especially for commuting.”
“I’m very busy with work—early mornings and late nights, sometimes even business trips. Just take care of yourself. You don’t need to worry about me. As for household expenses, I’ll transfer the money to you after my salary is deposited on the 10th of each month.”
“Oh, and to avoid any unnecessary trouble, let’s keep our marriage private for now.”
Zane seemed accustomed to giving orders at work, as he didn’t wait for Helen to respond before continuing.
Helen had agreed to the marriage because she didn’t want her sister and brother-in-law to keep arguing over her staying at their house.
She needed to get married to move out, so her sister could rest easy. This was just a marriage of convenience.
When Zane handed her the keys to the house, she didn’t hesitate and took them.
“I have a driver’s license, but I don’t need a car for now. I usually ride an scooter to work, and I just replaced the battery, so it’d be a waste not to use it.”
“By the way, do we need to split expenses equally?”
Her sister and brother-in-law had a foundation of love, yet her brother-in-law still brought up the issue of splitting everything equally, thinking that her sister was taking advantage of him.
Who knew how much time it took to look after a child, cook, and clean? Men who hadn’t experienced it often assumed their wives had an easy life staying home.
But with Zane, they were strangers—she had only met him today, and they were getting married. An equal split might make things more comfortable.
Zane didn’t think twice before responding coldly, “Since I married you, I can support you and this family. There’s no need to split things.”
Helen smiled. “Then, we’ll do as you say.”
She wouldn’t take advantage without contributing. If she lived in his house, she would pay for whatever was needed herself. After all, she was saving on rent.
Mutual effort and understanding were essential for a marriage to last.
Zane glanced at his watch, then said to Helen, “I’m busy and need to go back to the company.
You can either drive my car back home, or take a cab—I’ll reimburse you for the fare. I’ll take Grandma to my younger brother’s place.”
“Oh, and let’s exchange numbers for easier communication.”
Helen pulled out her phone, exchanged numbers with him, and said, “I’ll take a uber. You go ahead and do what you need to.”
“Alright, contact me if you need anything.”
Before leaving, Zane gave Helen fifty dollars for the uber fare. She didn’t want to take it, but when he glared at her, she instinctively accepted it.
The newlywed couple didn’t leave the Civic Center together. Zane went out first and returned directly to the car.
“Where’s my granddaughter-in-law?”
When Zane’s grandmother saw only him, she asked suspiciously, “You two went in together, why didn’t you come out together? Did you back out? Or did Helen back out?”
Zane buckled his seatbelt and pulled out his marriage certificate, turning to hand it to his grandmother.
“The certificate’s done. I’m really busy at the company, need to go for a meeting. I gave her fifty dollars to take a uber back.”
“Grandma, I’ll drop you at the intersection ahead, and the bodyguard will take you home.”
“You’re busy, but you can’t just leave Helen alone. Stop the car, wait for her to come out, and take her home first. Then you can go to work.”
Grandma insisted on getting out, but the car doors were locked.
“Grandma, I’ve already agreed to marry her. Don’t worry about the details. I’m the one who’s marrying her, and I’ll be the one to handle things. As for her character, I’ll observe. Until I’m sure, I won’t consider her my true wife.”
Grandma huffed, “...Our family doesn’t divorce!”
“Well, it’ll depend on whether the wife you chose for me is worth spending my life with.”
As Zane spoke, he started the car.
“You brat, is this how you treat your wife? You just got married and already left her behind to drive off?”
Zane didn’t care about his grandmother’s scolding. He knew that if Helen was a good person, he would give her a happy life.
But if she was deceiving Grandma, pretending to be good, he’d divorce her in half a year. Since they were in a private marriage and didn’t even live together, she could still marry a good man afterward.
About ten minutes later, the car stopped at an intersection.
There were several luxury cars parked there, one of which was a Rolls-Royce.
Zane parked at the curb, got out, and threw the car keys to the waiting bodyguard, ordering, “Take the old lady home.”
“I’m not going back. I’m staying with you to be with my granddaughter-in-law.”
Grandma resisted.
But her beloved grandson had already climbed into the Rolls-Royce and ignored her protests.
She could only watch as Zane drove off in the luxury car.
Zane was actually the prince of W city’s business world, the head of the city’s richest family, and worth billions!
“You rascal, so ruthless!”
Grandma cursed him under her breath, muttering, “I hope one day you’ll fall madly in love with Helen. I’ll be waiting for that day when you’re proven wrong.”
No matter how angry she was, she couldn’t call him back. She quickly dialed Helen, who was already on her way home in a uber.
“Helen, Zane is just so busy with work. Don’t hold it against him.”
Helen touched the marriage certificate in her pocket and replied, “Grandma, I understand. I won’t mind, and you don’t have to feel guilty. He gave me uber fare, and I’m already on my way home.”
“You’re already calling me ‘Grandma’ now, even after the marriage?”
Helen paused for a moment, then smiled and addressed her as “Granny.”
The old lady chuckled in satisfaction.
“Helen, from now on, you’re family. If Zane dares to bully you, let me know. I’ll teach him a lesson for you.”
Chapter 3
"Grandma, I will."
Helen simply responded.
Although Granny Doyle was very kind to her, Helen knew that Zane, as her grandson, was the priority, while she was just a granddaughter-in-law. If there were a conflict, would the Doyle family really side with her?
Helen didn’t believe that.
It was just like her sister’s in-laws.
Before marriage, they treated her sister very well, so well that even their biological daughter was jealous.
But after marriage, they turned into completely different people. Whenever her sister and her brother-in-law had conflicts, her mother-in-law would always blame her sister for not being a good wife.
At the end of the day, the son was always the one they favored, while the daughter-in-law was always the outsider.
"You’re going to work now, right? Then I won’t bother you. I’ll ask Zane to pick you up for dinner tonight."
"Grandma, I’ll be closing the store quite late tonight, so it might not be convenient to come back for dinner. Would the weekend be okay?"
On weekends, the school was on holiday, and business was slow for bookshops near schools. She might even be able to close the store, so she’d have time.
"That’s fine."
Granny Doyle said understandingly, "Then let’s do it on the weekend. You go ahead and take care of your work."
With that, she ended the call.
However, Helen didn’t go to the store immediately. She first sent a message to her friend Sherry Fulton, telling her that she would go back to the store before noon, after the students finished school.
After handling a major life event, she needed to inform her sister and then move out of her sister’s house.
A Few Minutes Later.
Helen returned to her sister’s home.
Her brother-in-law had already gone to work, and her sister was drying clothes on the balcony.
Seeing Helen come in, her sister asked with concern, "Helen, why are you back? Aren’t you opening the store today?"
"I’ll go back at noon. It’s busy in the morning. Is Yuri awake yet?"
Yuri Kent, Helen’s nephew, was only two years old and at the mischievous age.
"Not yet. If he wakes up, this house will definitely not be this quiet."
Helen helped her sister with the laundry and asked about the argument from last night.
"Helen, your brother-in-law isn’t trying to chase you out. He’s just feeling too much pressure since I don’t have any income."
Heather explained on behalf of her husband.
Helen didn’t speak. Her brother-in-law was, in fact, trying to push her out.
Her brother-in-law worked as a manager in a company, with a high income.
He and her sister were university classmates and had worked together in the same company before marriage.
After they married, her brother-in-law, who had once been very romantic, said, "I’ll take care of you in the future. You can quit your job and focus on having children."
Believing she had married the right person, her sister did quit her job and became a full-time housewife.
One year into their marriage, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and became fully occupied with raising him and taking care of the household.
As a result, she had no time to dress up or maintain her figure, let alone return to work.
Three years later, her sister had changed from the young, beautiful woman she used to be into a fuller, casually dressed housewife.
Without her own income, her sister’s brother-in-law started suggesting splitting expenses, which was forcing her to re-enter the workforce, while still being responsible for everything in the house.
Helen, who was five years younger than her sister, had lost both parents in a car accident when she was ten, and since then, she and her sister had relied on each other.
The compensation money from the accident had been enough for both of them to finish their studies, but it had been partly taken by their grandparents and partly by their maternal grandparents.
The little that was left had to be saved for their education.
Because their grandparents had taken over their family’s house, Helen and her sister had been renting a place to live until her sister got married.
Her sister loved her dearly, and before marriage, she had told her brother-in-law that Helen would live with them after marriage. He had agreed readily, but now, he was beginning to complain about her staying there.
"Sis, I’m sorry for being a burden to you."
"No, Helen, don’t think like that. When Mom and Dad passed away, I became your support."
Helen felt touched. When she was younger, her sister had been her support, and now, she wanted to be her sister’s support.
After a brief silence, Helen took out the marriage certificate and handed it to her sister, saying, "Sis, I’m married. I just got the marriage certificate. I came back to tell you, and I’ll pack up and move out later."
"You’re married?"
Helen’s voice immediately rose several decibels, almost in a scream.
She stared at her sister in disbelief before quickly grabbing the marriage certificate and flipping it open. It was indeed a marriage certificate with a photo of Helen and a strange man.
"Helen, what’s going on? Didn’t you say you didn’t even have a boyfriend?"
The man on the marriage certificate looked handsome, but his eyes were sharp and cold, giving off an aura that suggested he was not easy to get along with.
Helen had already planned what to say on her way back. She replied, "Sis, I’ve been in a relationship for a while. His name is Zane Doyle. He’s just been too busy with work to come and meet you."
"He proposed to me, and I accepted. We went to the civil affairs bureau and got married. Sis, he’s a very outstanding man, and he treats me well. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely be happy in this marriage."
Heather still couldn’t accept it.
She had never heard her sister mention a boyfriend, and now she suddenly said she was married.
Remembering the argument from last night, Helen felt her heart ache and her eyes turned red. She said to her sister, "Helen, I’ve already spoken to your brother-in-law about you contributing to the household expenses, and you can continue living here."
"There’s no need to rush to get married or move out."
She dared say that her sister’s boyfriend must be someone she hadn’t known for long, otherwise, her sister would’ve told her earlier.
The sudden marriage certificate was likely because her brother-in-law had started resenting Helen living there, and to avoid her marriage being at risk, Helen was in a rush to marry and move out.
Helen smiled and comforted her sister, "Sis, it really has nothing to do with that. Zane and I have a great relationship. I’ll really be happy. You should be happy for me."
But Heather cried uncontrollably.
Helpless, Helen hugged her sister, and after her sister calmed down, Helen promised,
"Sis, I’ll visit you often. Zane’s house is in Harris Garden, which isn’t far from here. I can get there in ten minutes by electric bike."
"What’s his family like?"
With the situation set, Heather had no choice but to accept. She asked about her brother-in-law’s family background.
Helen actually didn’t know much about the Doyle family. Although she had known Granny Doyle for three months, she didn’t really ask much about the Doyle family.
When Granny Doyle mentioned things, she simply listened. All she knew was that Zane was the eldest son in his family, with several younger brothers (including cousins).
Zane worked in one of the largest companies in W city, had a car, a house, and it seemed like his family background wasn’t bad. Helen shared this information with her sister.
When Heather heard that her brother-in-law had bought the house with cash, she said, "That’s his property before marriage. Helen, can you ask him to add your name to the property deed?"
