My Fiancé Married Another Woman, and I Married his Enemy

My Oliver Group went bankrupt, my father jumped from the building, and my fiancé, Connor Dale, sent me to the psychiatric hospital.

He came to see me with a wedding invitation. He was getting married to my step-sister, Madeline Oliver. He said with a smile, "Brenna, everything your family has, including your business achievement, belongs to us now."

I died with hatred on that cold hospital bed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back before all the tragedies had happened.

When Madeline came to recognize her identity to me, I slapped her across the face and said, "Get lost!"

When Connor, the scumbag, proposed to me, I tore up the engagement contract in front of everyone. "Who do you think you are?"

This time, I proactively walked up to Jacob Harrison, who was said to be cold-hearted and ruthless and controlled the entire business empire.

Everyone feared him, but only I knew that he held my gravestone for a whole night after I died in a fire in my previous life.

...

"Marry me." My voice was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap, resonating through Jacob's office on the top floor.

"Miss Oliver, do you know who you're speaking to?" Jacob's assistant, Richard Norris, looked at me in disbelief through his gold-rimmed glasses, as if I were a lunatic.

I ignored Richard and walked straight to the giant desk. Placing my hands on its edge, I stared directly at Jacob sitting in the shadow.

It was Jacob.

No one dared to mention his name in the business world in my previous life.

He built the Harrison Group alone. He was ruthless, cold, and unfeeling, like a tyrant whom everyone else was fearful of.

But only I knew that he held my icy tombstone for the whole night in the heavy snow after I died.

Jacob was expressionless. His deep, icy eyes were like a frozen lake, with no ripples.

He simply stared at me, as though inspecting an inanimate object.

"Why?" He finally asked. His voice was colder than I had imagined.

"Because I can give you the core technology of the Oliver family, and I know the next move of your biggest competitor, the Dale Group. And because..." I paused and leaned forward slightly. I lowered my voice as I said, "... I know where the one you've been looking for all this time is."

The air seemed to freeze.

Jacob's gaze finally changed. The frozen surface of the lake cracked open, and he gave a sharp, dangerous gaze.

Richard's face changed dramatically, and he almost instinctively tried to move forward.

Jacob raised his hand and stopped Richard. "Continue."

"Marry me, and I'll help you get everything you want. And you have to help me protect the Oliver family and destroy Connor."

Connor was my fiancé, who seemed to love me dearly.

I felt a sharp pain just as I thought of his name. My hatred felt like a sharp knife carving through my flesh.

Jacob leaned back in his chair. His long fingers gently tapped on the desk. The sound was dull but piercing, like a drumbeat, echoing in my heart.

"Brenna Oliver, the daughter of the Oliver family, and Connor's fiancée. I've heard you're headstrong, domineering, and reckless, and you are willing to do everything for Connor." He was stating facts, with a hint of mockery in his tone. "So it seems the rumors are wrong."

I smiled, but my warmth didn't reach my eyes. "The rumors say that you're cold and heartless and never interested in women. It doesn't seem true, either."

My gaze fell on a photo beside him. The frame was turned upside down so I couldn't see the photo.

But I knew that it was his younger sister. He had searched for her for ten years and never saw her again before her death.

And I knew where she was.

Jacob's gaze turned icy suddenly. The temperature in the office seemed to drop by several degrees. "You have guts."

"I have nothing left, only guts."

We locked eyes, like two beasts facing off. We were testing each other's boundaries.

After a long pause, he picked up the internal phone. "Have the Legal Department bring up the marriage contract."

Richard was so surprised that he almost dropped his glasses.

I was finally relieved. A cold sweat had formed on my tense back.

I knew it. The gamble paid off.

I had started with the first step correctly.

Fifteen minutes later, a marriage agreement, practically an indentured servitude contract, was placed before me.

I didn't get any assets or rights, but only obligations.

I couldn't interfere with any of his private matters.

I picked up the pen without even reading the contract and signed my name at the end.

Brenna Oliver.

I wrote my name more forcefully than ever before in my previous life.

After signing it, I pushed the contract toward him. "Mr. Harrison, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

Jacob stared at my signature on the contract. His gaze was deep and unreadable. "From now on, you'll move into my villa."

"Okay."

"Without my permission, you are not allowed to step out of the door."

"Fine."

"Stop being so clever. Stay in your place and be a good Mrs. Harrison."

I looked up and met his scrutinizing gaze. I smiled brightly. "Of course, my... husband."

I publicly tore up the engagement agreement with Connor and immediately announced my marriage instead.

This act was like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through the entire upper crust.

On one hand, everyone speculated wildly about who would be willing to marry me.

On the other hand, they were convinced I was just a lovesick madwoman, hopelessly devoted to Connor, and this was merely a ploy of playing hard to get to attract attention.

I became the laughingstock of everyone.

Connor and Madeline, of course, didn't miss the opportunity.

They quickly held a press conference. Seated on the stage, one played the part of the heartbroken, deeply concerned man, while the other feigned tearful distress.

"Brenna... she... she was just confused for a moment and was deceived by some scoundrel. I will wait for her to come back to her senses," Connor said in front of the cameras, perfectly embodying the role of the devoted, good man he excelled at playing.

Madeline handed him a tissue and said with sobs, "Brenna's been naive since she was a little girl. It's all our fault for not protecting her better. Please, everyone, stop blaming her. Let me bear all the blame."

Their well-rehearsed duet perfectly cast themselves as the victims, while I was painted as the ungrateful, promiscuous villain.

A torrent of online abuse came flooding my way.

"Brenna, get out of the business world!"

"Whoever marries her is asking for trouble. I felt sorry for Mr. Dale."

"Madeline is truly like an angel. Even after being treated this way, she still defends Brenna."

I sat on the couch in Jacob's villa and scrolled through these comments. A smirk played on my lips.

Good. The bigger the commotion, the better.

Then the harder they would fall.

"Mrs. Harrison, the car is ready."

Richard stood at the door and looked at me with a complicated expression.

He probably thought Jacob had married a huge trouble-maker.

I turned off my phone and stood up. "Let's go to watch the show."

At the press conference, camera flashes were incessant.

Connor and Madeline were basking in the sympathy and admiration of the crowd, pushing their act to its climax.

Just then, the main doors to the venue were flung open.

Dressed in a sharp white pantsuit and towering ten-centimeter heels, I walked in step by step under the gaze of everyone present.

"Connor, you said you'd wait for me?" I walked up to the front of the stage and smiled as I looked at him.

Connor's face immediately froze. He clearly hadn't anticipated my appearance.

Madeline shrank back in fright, and her eyes were filled with guilt.

"Brenna? What are you doing here? You are not well. Come home with me now." Connor quickly regained his composure. He stood up and tried to pull me back, continuing his act of deep love for me.

I sidestepped and tossed a voice recorder onto the table. "How about we listen to this before you decide whether you want to wait for me or not?"

I pressed play.

Madeline's familiar, coquettish voice echoed throughout the entire venue. "Connor, don't worry. My dad loves me the most. As long as we get him to catch Brenna fooling around with another guy, he'll get mad at her and hand the company over to you."

Then, Connor's gentle and smug voice followed. "Madeline, you're so smart. Once I get my hands on the Oliver Group, I'll dump Brenna, that idiot, and marry you, with all the glory you deserve."

"And what about Brenna?"

"She has mental problems, so the best place for her is a mental hospital."

The recording ended.

Dead silence filled the room.

All the reporters went wild. Camera flashes lit up the room as they focused on the two pale-faced figures on stage. The sound of shutters clicked incessantly.

The expressions of Connor and Madeline were as vibrant as a painter's palette.

"Not that... It isn't real! It's fake!" Connor screamed in a hoarse voice.

I glanced around slowly before saying, "Everyone, I've already sent the original file of the recording to each of your inboxes. Besides, I've included a little gift." It's a detailed account of all the transactions, starting three years ago, when Connor embezzled funds from the Oliver Group to cover the losses of his own company. It's not a large sum, just two billion dollars."

I smiled deeper as I looked at Connor's deathly pale face. "Connor, how do you plan to repay the two billion?"

I left the chaotic battlefield at the press conference unscathed.

Behind me, Connor and Madeline were trapped in the reporters' crossfire. Their voices were hoarse as they tried desperately to defend themselves.

Those things had nothing to do with me anymore.

When I went back to Jacob's villa, it was already dark.

The vast house was ablaze with lights, but it was desolate and devoid of any human warmth.

As soon as I changed my shoes and stepped into the living room, I saw a figure on the couch.

Jacob was actually home.

He was lounging on the sofa in a luxurious black silk robe. The collar was slightly open, revealing the sharp line of his collarbone.

Under the dim golden light, his cold, sharp features softened a little, though he still carried an untouchable aloofness.

A laptop was in front of him on the coffee table. Its screen was showing a replay of my decisive victory at the press conference.

"You're back?" His eyes stayed fixed on the screen, and his voice betrayed no emotion.

"Yes," I answered.

I was not sure what else to say.

What existed between us was merely a deal.

He offered me shelter, and I provided him value.

Beyond that, there was nothing.

I was about to head upstairs and maintain a safe distance from him.

"Stop." His voice came from behind me.

I halted and turned around.

He finally lifted his head. His gaze settled on me, scrutinizing me from head to toe.

It was like the most precise scanner, leaving me nowhere to hide.

"Come here."

I hesitated for a short moment before walking over.

Before him, I felt like I was facing an insurmountable mountain. He exuded an absolute sense of oppression.

"Give me your hand," he said briefly.

I didn't understand what he meant, but I still offered him my hand.

His long fingers reached out and caught my wrist.

His fingers were cool. The touch sparked a faint shiver across my skin.

Only then did I notice a small cut on my wrist, scratched by a reporter's camera, with a trace of blood seeping out.

I hadn't noticed it earlier when pushing through the crowd.

He stared at the cut and frowned slightly.

Then, a first-aid kit landed on the coffee table.

"Take care of it yourself." With that, he let go of me. His gaze was turned back to the laptop as if nothing had happened a moment ago.

I was stunned.

Jacob was always cold, but he was making the most meticulous gestures.

In my previous life, when he held my tombstone, had he been like this-silent, yet...tender?

A part of my heart softened uncontrollably.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He didn't respond. The glow from the screen carved shadows across his profile, leaving his expression unreadable.

I opened the first aid kit, took out a cotton swab and disinfectant, and clumsily began tending to the wound.

The sting of the disinfectant made me gasp sharply.

A soft, derisive snort came from above me. "You are so stupid."

I looked up and met his faintly mocking gaze.

Then, he plucked the swab from my hand and gripped my wrist firmly with the other tightly, not allowing me to pull away.

His movements were light and even tender.

His lashes cast long shadows beneath his eyes as he bent over my hand. He was focused as if he were handling a priceless piece of art.

My heart skipped a beat.

After he finished, he let go of me and tossed the swab into the trash can.

"How do you plan to clear up the mess at the Oliver Group?" His voice became chill as usual.

"No destruction, no construction," I said, looking at him. "I want everyone who betrayed me to pay the price."

He said nothing more. Silence settled over the living room once more.

Just as I thought the conversation was over, I heard him pick up his phone and make a call.

"Richard, Make me a list of every media outlet that published negative stories about Brenna today. By tomorrow morning, I don't want their names appearing anywhere." Jacob's voice was low, but it carried an authority that brooked no refusal.

My heart trembled violently.