Chapter 2 Sudden Bride

*RENEE*

When I got home that evening, I found my parents and my sister, Catherine, seated on the couch. It seemed as if they were waiting for me.

My father, Rocco, stood up to his feet.

"Catherine just told us that you found out about her involvement with Andrew."

I was stunned. "So you all knew she was having an affair with Andrew?"

"Well, they both seem to like each other. It's only natural they got together."

That made me speechless. I knew the Hudsons never took my side, but this was the height of it all.

"What about me?"

"We have other plans for you, Renee."

They always had other plans for me, and that was why I badly wanted to escape from their hold.

"Jessica King is searching for a wife for her son. The prize money could change our life forever."

"What... what are you saying?"

"You are going to marry Marcelo King."

I almost laughed at that. "Marcelo is Andrew's cousin. I was Andrew's fiancée until a few hours ago, and now you want me to be the wife of his cousin?!"

"Yes. I already spoke to Jessica. I told her you and Andrew ended things, and she said she's okay with it as long as you are capable of taking care of her son."

"Why should it be me who has to marry Marcelo?! What about Catherine?!"

"Oh, shut up!" my mother, Grace, yelled as she stood up. "You would have been dead if it wasn't for us! And now you expect *my* daughter to marry a cripple when you are available?!"

Tears pricked my eyes.

This was the saddest part of it all. I wasn't related to the Hudsons. I didn't even know who my birth family was.

Grace and Rocco only told me that they found me close to their home when I was a baby and that they knew nothing about me.

I had tried to find my biological family on my own, but there were no clues and no answers. The Hudsons were the only family I knew-but they never treated me like family.

Sometimes, I wondered why they even took me in.

Grace moved closer to me. "If you can't do this for anyone, then do it for Nana. We need money to pay for her medications to keep her alive. You know that if things were up to us, we'd have stopped funding her medication. She's old anyway, and it's time she dies..."

"Don't you dare say that!" I yelled tearfully.

Nana had been the family's housekeeper for years. She had fallen sick a year ago. Nana was the only person who had ever shown me genuine love. She had made my childhood bearable, often protecting me from the Hudsons' abuse.

My fists clenched.

Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all. This could give me the freedom I needed from the Hudsons. I could also pay for Nana's medical bills.

I just had to take care of a cripple, right?

"Fine. I will marry Marcelo King."

************

And that was how I found myself in a wedding dress.

My groom wouldn't be present at the small wedding because, strangely enough, he wasn't even informed that there was going to be a wedding.

His mother had arranged everything. She had even found a way to get his original signature stamped on the wedding certificate.

My phone rang, and I saw that it was Andrew calling. I ignored the call, but he sent a text.

Andrew: *I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function.*

I deleted the text immediately. I had never imagined myself ever marrying a cripple, but I had no choice.

At the very least, the Hudsons had no control over me anymore.

After the wedding certificates were signed, I was sent off to Marcelo's mansion.

I tried not to fidget as I sat in the back seat of the car. I sat up when I saw the big gates opening automatically.

As the car drove into the mansion, I looked out the window. Everywhere looked so spooky and unnerving.

When I watched movies on TV, the billionaires' houses were always littered with workers.

I took a deep, calming breath as the car pulled over in front of the mansion.

I saw a man walk out of the mansion and open the car door for me.

"Welcome, Mrs. King."

Mrs. King.

When I had thought about being Mrs. King before, I had thought I'd be married to Andrew. I never imagined marrying his cousin.

I wordlessly followed the man into the house. I had heard a lot about Marcelo King.

It was said that he had the temper of a demon, which only became worse after he became crippled.

"This is your room. I'm the butler. I'm Chad," the man introduced.

"Renee," I replied. "Where is my hu-I mean, where is Marcelo?"

I didn't know if I should see him as my husband yet, since this was a marriage he didn't even know about.

The butler didn't reply to that but instead walked away.

I didn't know what to do with myself after that. I changed out of the wedding dress and remained in my bedroom.

I tried to get some sleep, but sleep eluded me.

I just wanted to know what my fate would be like with this husband of mine.

How was he going to react to his sudden bride?