Chapter 1 I'm Not Getting Married

"Conor, after discussing it, we've decided the house should go into Kaiden's name."

Conor Sanderson stood frozen, the pen in his hand, as he listened to the words of his girlfriend's mother, Lydia Lawson, his expression one of disbelief and shock.

The property was located in the bustling center of Chasey, the city where they lived.

At four thousand per square meter, the total came to a staggering four hundred and forty thousand!

And now they intended to transfer ownership to his girlfriend's younger brother, Kaiden Lawson?

Why should he?

"Lydia, wasn't this the home Madisyn and I planned to settle in once we're married? Why should Kaiden own it?" Conor asked Lydia.

"Why speak to me with such disrespect? My daughter isn't your wife yet. You're showing a bad attitude. If you plan to marry my daughter, the house must be put in Kaiden's name first! That's non-negotiable, so think it over."

She stood firm, her demeanor indicating she was in complete control.

Lydia had done her homework - knowing the market for eligible bachelors was competitive.

This was her chance to secure an advantage for her son, who would struggle to marry without such benefits.

Meanwhile, Conor's girlfriend, Madisyn Lawson, who had been silent until now, finally said, "Conor, this isn't just about what my mom wants. Kaiden's new girlfriend has her eye on this house, and with real estate prices skyrocketing-"

"You expect me to purchase a house just so they can use it?" Conor said, his brow furrowed in frustration.

"It's not quite like that. They're now just dating, and it will take likely two or three years before they get married. We'll still be living here in the meantime and just need to move out after their marriage. Then, we can look for a new place," Madisyn hurriedly explained.

"Conor, just let me have the house. It's only hundreds of thousands, isn't it? You make tens of thousands every year. In a few years, you'll be able to buy another one. Isabella is a wonderful girl - kind and beautiful. I don't want to end things with her," Kaiden added his voice to the conversation, his mind filled with the happy life of living with Isabella Kirk in this house.

Just buy another?

Was it truly that simple, as Kaiden suggested?

Real estate prices had been soaring.

A 20% increase in just a few years seemed inevitable.

And working life wasn't a breeze - far from lounging with coffee and newspapers.

Conor's job kept him swamped, barely allowing him any downtime. He had even taken time off just to handle this house purchase!

The bigger question was, why must he help and even sacrifice his own assets for his girlfriend's brother? If Kaiden was that eager to have a house, why couldn't he work hard and buy one with his own money?

That seemed utterly unreasonable, didn't it?

"Conor! Have you decided yet? If you won't give the house to Kaiden, then you can forget about marrying Madisyn. Do you have any idea how many wealthy men are lining up to be with her? Remember Andrew Holt? His family owns a factory, and they drive luxury cars. If Madisyn hadn't been so set on marrying you, I would've had her wed that man a long time ago. With him, she could lead a far better life!" Lydia's threat was clear.

Turning to Madisyn, who looked visibly distressed and tearful, Conor asked softly, "What's your take on this, Madisyn?"

They had shared three years together; to deny any deep feelings would be false.

Yet, the stark reality was hard to ignore.

"This time, I'm siding with my mom," Madisyn replied coldly.

She had been against this initially, but after continuous coaxing from Lydia and Kaiden, her resolve had hardened.

Should the house be titled in Kaiden's name, it would remain in her family even in the event of a divorce.

Conor's genuine love for her was under question: why wouldn't he secure a home for her family if he truly cared?

Considering this, Madisyn suggested nonchalantly, "Conor, you know several business owners, right? Ask them for a loan. I'm sure they'd help you out! If that doesn't work, maybe your parents could get a loan? And then we can buy another house."

"What are you saying? You expect my parents to take out a loan?"

Conor could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, they're only in their fifties. Two or three years later, when we move out of this house, they could take out a loan to buy us a new one. Then, they can pay back the loan for us, and it wouldn't be too difficult to spend several thousand dollars on that monthly. Just ask them to save money from now on. That's totally doable."

Doable?

Madisyn, who lived off him and took two thousand from him every month, actually thought that it was acceptable for someone to spend several thousand dollars on repaying loans every month for many years.

Conor's parents, who worked on a farm in the countryside, had already sold their house and taken big loans from relatives to help him initially.

Now, they were living in a rented basement.

The reminder filled Conor with a deep sadness.

He sighed deeply and looked towards Henrik Lawson, Madisyn's father, who offered him a slow, meaningful nod.

The family's stance was apparent.

"Conor, the choice is yours alone. But I'm the one calling the shots here!" Lydia interjected. "You have three minutes to decide - let Kaiden have the house, or else..."

The threat hung in the air, unspoken yet evident.

"Come on, Conor, just let Kaiden have it. Then we can be married," Madisyn urged.

"She's right. Conor, go ahead, and you can be with her," Lydia said, her gaze flickering with unease.

"Ding!" A chime sounded abruptly.

"Host identified as having difficulty making a decision!"

"Activating the Infinite Choice System!"

"Option one: agree to let Kaiden have the house, and you will receive a boost in Madisyn's affection."

"Option two: keep the house, and you will earn a reward of ten thousand dollars."

"Option three: keep the house and confront Lydia aggressively, and you will gain a one-time cashback reward ten times your purchase value!"

While Conor pondered, an unfamiliar mechanical voice resonated in his mind.

An Infinite Choice System?

Conor was taken aback at first, but the shock quickly gave way to excitement.

Systems like these, reminiscent of sci-fi adventures, were well-known to the younger generation.

"Just let Kaiden have it! Quit stalling and make up your mind!" Lydia exclaimed, her patience wearing thin as Conor continued to hesitate.

A soft "Ping!" resounded.

With a decisive motion, Conor slammed the pen down on the table and said, "I'm not getting married!"