Shotgun Wedding: Married To An Undercover Billionaire

It was summer, and the sun was blazing in the sky.

Rhonda Horton was handing out leaflets at the entrance of a shopping mall.

Just then, she saw a young man and woman walking hand in hand into the shopping mall nearby.

Rhonda's eyes widened when she realized it was her boyfriend, Santino Byrne, and her best friend, Cristina Grey.

Santino had told her that he was going for an interview today. She wondered what he was doing here.

Rhonda's lungs constricted. She hurriedly followed them.

However, she lost sight of them when she entered the mall.

Rhonda frantically ran around. Just then, her phone rang with a message. It was a transaction notification of her credit card.

Santino had bought a piece of jewelry worth 49, 998 dollars.

Rhonda let out a startled gasp. It was almost half of her annual income.

She soon darted to the jewelry counter and saw a saleswoman sliding a flashy diamond ring on Cristina's slender ring finger.

The diamond on the ring was big and exquisite. It was the same one Rhonda had been dreaming about for a long time.

Her mind went blank when she saw the contented smile on Cristina's face.

Santino had gotten fired six months ago. He had been staying in her place, using her money to meet his needs. Bile rose in Rhonda's throat. How dare he use her money to buy a diamond ring for another woman?

She wasn't a pushover.

Rhonda sprinted over, grabbed the ring from Cristina's hand, and handed it to the saleswoman.

"Sorry. I want to return this ring."

"What the hell are you doing, Rhonda? I just bought this ring. What right do you have to return it?" Cristina bellowed.

Rhonda lost her cool. She glared at the woman and slapped her across her face.

"What are you doing?" Meantime, Santino returned from the cash counter. He protectively held Cristina in his arms and shouted at Rhonda.

"What's the matter with you? I spent only a couple of dollars from your account. Aren't you ashamed of being so stingy?" Santino looked at her with undisguised disgust.

Rhonda looked at him in disbelief. Betrayal, anger, and humiliation surged within her.

"You hooked up with my friend and spent my hard-earned money on her. Now you are asking me if I'm not ashamed of myself?"

"Yes, I'm with Cristina. What can you do? Look at yourself." He scrunched his nose up in disgust. "No man will love you!"

Rhonda had been saving up every penny for the past six months to support Santino. She had stopped buying skincare products and new clothes. Her clothes were old, and her skin had lost its glow. But for all the sacrifices, she only got heartbreak and betrayal in return.

A crowd of people gathered around them. Santino angrily threw the credit card and receipt at Rhonda's face.

"Here! Take it! It's obvious you only care about money. I've had enough of you!"

Rhonda's face hurt as the card grazed her skin, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

"Rhonda, a woman like you will only end up dying alone. No man can stand you." With that, Santino took Cristina's hand and left the mall.

Rhonda picked up the card and receipt on the floor, completed the refund procedure, and went straight back to the apartment she and Santino lived in.

This apartment had two bedrooms. She and Santino had been living in separate rooms all this while.

Rhonda used to think Santino was a gentleman who respected her. Thinking back, it all seemed ridiculous.

As soon as she returned to the apartment, she began packing Santino's luggage. Rhonda was determined to kick him out today.

She angrily pulled the bed sheet. Just then, her gaze fell on two used condoms. It looked like they were used recently.

Her last ounce of love and admiration for Santino vanished in an instant.

She packed his luggage and threw them out of the door one after the other.

Just then, Santino returned with Cristina.

He became furious when he saw the luggage piled up on the floor.

"Rhonda, are you crazy? How dare you touch my things?"

Rhonda ignored him and calmly sat on the sofa in the living room. In the past, she thought Santino was the most handsome man in the world, but now, the mere look of him made her sick.

"You've come back just in time. Give me the key to the door, and don't set your filthy foot into my place ever again!"

"Rhonda, are you out of your mind? I used to pay the rent before. How can you ask me to move out?" Santino roared.

"Yes, you're right. You used to pay the rent before!" Rhonda snapped, stressing the word 'before'. "What about the rent for the last six months and the living expenses for the past two and a half years? Did you pay for all that?"

Rhonda glared at him and eventually took deep breaths to calm down.

Seeing that many neighbors had gathered around, gossiping about him, Santino felt embarrassed. He wanted to handle the situation first.

"Rhonda, all you want is money! The rent for six months is at most twenty or thirty thousand dollars. It is just what I make in two months. After I find a job, I will pay you back the rent."

"We don't have to wait until you find a job. We can give her the money right away." Cristina took out her phone and walked to Rhonda. "Let's make a deal. I will pay you back the rent for six months, and you must move out today."

Cristina calculated that the rent was a piece of cake compared to how much Rhonda had spent on Santino over the years. Cristina believed Santino would be grateful to her all his life if she paid the money now.

Santino graduated from a prestigious university and had a promising future. In the past, he used to make 30 thousand dollars a month.

Seeing Rhonda nodding happily, Cristina transferred the money to the latter through an online payment.

Then, she complacently pointed to the door. "Hurry up! Pack your things and get out!"

"No hurry." Rhonda turned around and took out the grant deed.

"Read this carefully." Rhonda showed the grant deed to Cristina. It clearly stated that Rhonda Horton was the sole owner of this property.

"I own this apartment. I don't want to rent it to you now."

"Rhonda, you swindled me!" Santino flew into a fit of rage. "You own this apartment, yet you made me pay the rent all these years!"

"You were living in my place. Shouldn't you be paying the rent?" Rhonda shrugged innocently.

"God, you're a treacherous witch! I underestimated you before," Santino growled, pointing his finger at her.

"You're despicable!" Cristina's heart sank. She regretted spending the money for nothing. Moreover, Santino had no place to live now!

"Oh, please! I'm nothing compared to you!"

Rhonda went to the door. "Take your things and get out!"

Cristina was unwilling to admit defeat. Noticing that more neighbors were gathering to witness what was happening, Santino hurriedly dragged her away.

Before leaving, he looked back at Rhonda, thinking about how to get the apartment from her soon.

After successfully driving the duo away, Rhonda leaned against the wall and let out a weary sigh.

The only thought in her mind right now was that she didn't have to do the tedious part-time jobs anymore to support him in the future.

Just then, Rhonda's phone rang. She took it out and found it was a call from her younger brother.

"Rhonda, Grandma has been diagnosed with cancer. The surgery will cost five hundred thousand dollars. I don't have so much money. I..." Her brother choked with sobs.

Rhonda's heart leaped to her throat.

She couldn't process the information. Her head began spinning. She took deep breaths and comforted her brother, "Don't worry. I'll transfer ten hundred thousand to your account soon. You handle the hospital formalities for Grandma first. I'll figure out a way to raise money for the surgery fee."

Rhonda hung up the phone, gathered all the money she had saved, and transferred it to her brother right away.

Rhonda's grandmother raised her and her brother all by herself. She had faced a lot of struggle over the years, and the poor woman was diagnosed with cancer now. Rhonda wanted to save her beloved grandmother at all costs.

But she had no idea how to raise the money in such a short time. Even if she tried selling the apartment, she wouldn't find a buyer at such short notice.

Rhonda thought of borrowing money from others.

She began to call her high school and college friends one after the other.

However, it didn't help much. She made several calls but couldn't raise enough money. Some of her classmates didn't bother to even answer her calls.

Just as she was desperate to find a way, a matrimonial ad on the Internet caught her attention.

The specifics of the ad seemed simple.

The man was an employee of a renowned company. He was seeking a young, loving lady to marry. He was willing to offer five hundred thousand dollars to his bride. The only condition was for his partner to look after his grandfather for six months.

Rhonda's heart stuttered when she saw the amount of money.

She didn't have time to think whether it was legitimate or not. She immediately filled out the questionnaire. Ten minutes later, she dialed the number on the ad.

The line was busy the entire time, and Rhonda's stomach churned with anxiety. She was worried someone else would get the five hundred thousand dollars ahead of her.

Finally, the phone connected.

However, the line was silent. No one spoke.

Thinking it must be a scam, Rhonda hung up the phone.

Seeing the girl had hung up the phone because his grandson hadn't said a word, Richard Sloan became anxious. He poked his grandson hard with his cane.

He ordered the latter to call the girl back right away.

Rhonda's phone rang again. After a moment's hesitation, she answered the call.

This time, she heard a deep, resonant voice from the other end of the line.

"Sorry, the signal was bad earlier."

"It doesn't matter."

"All right. I'll begin by telling you about me.

My name is Eliam Sloan; I'm twenty-eight years old. I work at an IT company as a programmer. I earn thirty thousand dollars a month, excluding the year-end bonus. I have a house and a car. I don't have any bad habits."

After a moment's pause, Eliam stressed, "My grandpa is sick, and I need to look after him. Therefore, I will be living with him for six months after getting married. I hope you can be a homemaker. I will give all my salary to you. Of course, you have the right to work on condition that you still have time to look after him. Are you willing to accept all these?"

Rhonda was a little hesitant. Apart from the fact that she had to give up her job to take care of the man's grandfather, she felt the offer was quite tempting.

Besides, he didn't force her to be a homemaker. It was just a little difficult to balance her duty and job on her part.

However, looking from that point of view, his conditions seemed reasonable.

Rhonda thought for a while and agreed.

"I'll give you five hundred thousand dollars. Do you have any other requests?"

"No," Rhonda replied decisively.

Feeling it was too good to be true, Eliam asked suspiciously, "Really? I mean, for instance, do you want your name on the grant deed, or..."

"No need. Your property belongs to you, and mine belongs to me."

Eliam fell silent again.

Just as Rhonda thought the signal was weak, she heard Eliam's deep voice again.

"Okay. Bring your ID proof and come to the City Hall tomorrow morning. I will meet you there at nine o'clock." With that, he hung up the phone.

She couldn't believe they were going to register their marriage soon. Everything was happening too fast, and she couldn't wrap her head around it.

Rhonda didn't get a chance to ask him when he would give her the five hundred thousand dollars.

Her brother called again and said that her Grandma's surgery would cost at least one million.

Rhonda even suspected someone was trying to cheat her brother for the money. But when Rhonda went to the hospital and saw the operation notice, she eventually accepted the cruel reality.

Her mind was a mess; she stayed up all night.

The next morning, Rhonda went out. She looked pale and dark circles surrounded her tired eyes.

She arrived at the City Hall at nine o'clock.

The holiday had just ended. Many people were waiting outside the City Hall. They had also come to get married.

Rhonda noticed a man in the crowd. He was wearing a dark blue, neatly ironed suit. The top button of his shirt was open, revealing the man's Adam's apple. He wasn't wearing any accessories apart from his watch. He looked well-groomed and majestic.

The thin bangs on his forehead that glistened like amber in the morning light curled up slightly with his every step. His long, thick eyelashes seemed to hide his emotions.

Rhonda looked at the man and then at the photo on her cellphone. Just as she wondered whether the handsome man was her future husband, the man walked up to her.

The two greeted each other politely and walked into the City Hall together.

Eliam got a number, and the two found chairs to sit and wait.

Rhonda, after hesitating for a long while, finally spoke. "Mr. Sloan, I'm sorry. Before we register the marriage, can I make a small request?"

Eliam nodded. "Go ahead."

"In addition to the money you have promised, can I borrow another five hundred thousand from you?" she asked cautiously.

Eliam turned and studied her face with obvious displeasure.

He recalled what his grandpa said when they were reviewing the profile of this woman yesterday.

"This girl has studied nursing. She comes from a simple family. Moreover, she looks pretty and seems like a lovely girl. From what I see, I feel she is a simple woman."

It all seemed deceptive now.

"I am in urgent need of money," Rhonda hurriedly explained. "I will repay the debt as soon as I sell my apartment. I can even pay with interest if you want."

"Why didn't you mention it on the phone yesterday?" Eliam sprang up and darted out. He felt cheated.

Just as he arrived at the gate, he received a call from Richard.

"Did you register your marriage?"

Meantime, Rhonda caught up with him. She emphasized she was really in trouble and wasn't a liar.

Hearing the excitement and expectation in his grandfather's voice, Eliam finally compromised.

Richard's illness was incurable, and he could only live for six months. His only wish was to see Eliam marry and have children.

Eliam hung up the phone and examined Rhonda's face. "First, this is not a small amount. I promise to try my best to arrange it for you. Second, when you get money, you must repay me immediately. Third, don't expect me to help you again!"

Rhonda nodded earnestly. "I will give the money back to you as soon as I sell my apartment. I promise. And I won't borrow money from you again. You can trust me."

Eliam turned around and walked back inside without saying a word.

Soon, it was Rhonda and Eliam's turn to go through the formalities. He was texting the entire time. Rhonda had no idea what he was busy doing.

After finishing all the formalities and registering their marriage, Eliam said that he needed to return to the company. He asked Rhonda to go home, pack her belongings, and move into his house tomorrow night.

Then, Eliam took a taxi and left.

Rhonda wondered if she had gone too far. He had promised to give her five hundred thousand, but she borrowed another five hundred thousand. No wonder he seemed cold to her.

However, Rhonda had no choice.

Meantime, Eliam got out of the taxi at the next intersection, and walked toward a black Bentley parked on the side of the road.

He called the butler on the way and asked him to remove all valuable furnishings and ornaments in his grandpa's house and replace them with second-hand ones in the market.

He also asked the butler to buy him a second-hand car within one hundred thousand dollars.

Eliam got into the black Bentley and removed his diamond watch worth ten million.

Then, he checked himself again.

After making sure he had no valuables except his suit and phone, Eliam breathed a sigh of relief.

Rhonda obviously had no clue that she had just married a billionaire.

She went to a real estate agent, listed her apartment on sale on the internet, and then hurried to the company.

As soon as Rhonda entered the company, she saw Cristina complaining about her to the receptionist.

Cristina was standing with her back to the door and didn't see Rhonda coming in.

"When she was at school, she seduced a male teacher," she said excitedly. "I heard he had written her graduation thesis."

"I can imagine that. After all, she is so pretty!" the receptionist said, her words dripping with jealousy.

"She knows she is attractive, so she seduces men to get things done." Cristina scoffed.

"Yeah, that's her talent. I heard her boyfriend is a handsome man. Is he also your classmate?"

"Well, Santino is my boyfriend now," Cristina admitted, puffing her chest with pride.

"Wow! When did that happen?" The receptionist clapped her hands excitedly. "So, he dumped Rhonda?"

"Are you thrilled to hear that I got dumped?" The two recoiled in shock when they heard Rhonda's voice.

"Whoa! Are you trying to scare me to death?" Cristina glared at Rhonda.

"Cristina, instead of wasting your time gossiping about me, you better help Santino send his resumes to different companies. After all, you can't support him with your salary."

Although Cristina and Rhonda were classmates, Rhonda became the financial manager several years ago, and Cristina was still a cashier. Therefore, Rhonda earned more money than Cristina did.

Despite that, Rhonda had to take two part-time jobs. She gave out leaflets on the street and worked as a model in an advertising company during weekends. Rhonda worked hard because Santino was a spendthrift. He had no source of income but spent money like it was water. He played video games, bought luxury goods, and spent all night in the bar.

However, Rhonda didn't want to remind Cristina about it. After all, the latter regarded Santino as a treasure.

Hearing Rhonda's sarcastic words, Cristina assumed the woman was jealous.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled smugly. "Sloan Corporation has called Santino for an interview. Have you heard of Sloan Corporation? It's a big company. They offer a salary of fifty thousand a month."

Cristina stretched out her five fingers in exaggeration. "You are jealous, aren't you?"

"Grow up!" Rhonda walked past Cristina and returned to her office.

As soon as she walked in, her gaze fell on the financial bills piled up on her desk.

"Isn't this the cashier's job? Why are they here?" Rhonda asked her assistant.

"Mr. Marshall said Cristina hasn't been feeling well lately and asked you to do it for her," replied the assistant.

"Why? Is she the princess?" Rhonda angrily threw the folder in her hand onto the desk, and the bills scattered all over the floor.

This was not the first time. Rhonda had never realized that Cristina was a cunning woman before. Now, she felt stupid for considering Cristina as her best friend and bringing disaster upon herself.

Rhonda was busy all day. She didn't have time to drink water, let alone have lunch.

She went home in the evening and had instant noodles for supper.

Then, she made a video call to her grandmother, Nora Horton. Nora wasn't aware that she had cancer, and Rhonda didn't mention it either. She only asked her grandmother to cooperate with the treatment and not worry about the operation fee because she had already arranged the money.

Nora knew Rhonda was busy. She asked her not to worry much.

Rhonda wanted to tell Nora about her sudden marriage but ultimately decided against it.

The next morning, Rhonda woke up with a fever. Her body felt sore, and she took the day off from work.

At noon, she felt better and began packing her things. She had to move into the Sloan family's residence in the evening.

The thought of sleeping in the same bed with a strange man frightened Rhonda.

In the evening, she took a suitcase and headed for the address Eliam had sent her.

No. 88, Euston Lane. Euston Lane was located in an old residential neighborhood. It was a narrow area. Bicycles, electric tricycles, and old junk were lined up on either side.

Rhonda dragged her suitcase and trudged all the way. She stopped and asked someone where house No. 88 was but couldn't find it.

Eventually, she felt she had lost her way.

The more she traversed into the community, the road led to a more elegant, hygienic surroundings. The road grew wider and she spotted several private garages.

But Rhonda couldn't spot house No. 88.

She inquired about it to several people on the way, and they all asked her to walk further. Rhonda almost reached the end of Euston Lane but still didn't find the house.

Feeling helpless, she called Eliam but he didn't answer.

Eventually, his phone was switched off.

Rhonda was both anxious and angry. She couldn't understand what was wrong with him.

Eliam had asked her to move in tonight. She didn't mind that he hadn't offered to pick her up. But Rhonda was lost and was mad at him for not answering the phone.

She had reached the dead end, and her head began spinning. Unable to carry on anymore, she squatted on the stone steps beside the green belt. After a long while, the headlights of a car illuminated the street. It stopped a couple of feet before her.

Rhonda looked up and saw Eliam getting out of the car with his back to the light.

Rhonda tried standing, but her legs had turned numb, and she stumbled forward.

Fortunately, Eliam held her with his strong arms.

"Thank you," Rhonda said shyly.

"Why didn't you go in?"

"I don't know which house is No. 88."

"Was it you who called me earlier?" Eliam's phone was constantly ringing when he was in a meeting with the senior executives. Therefore, he turned it off.

"Yes. Why didn't you answer the phone?" Rhonda was a little angry because she felt he was playing dumb.

"Let's go inside." Eliam didn't bother explaining. He took out the key and walked toward the house opposite Rhonda.

Rhonda's eyes widened. She parted the branches beside the gate and finally saw the door plate. It was indeed door No. 88.

After Eliam opened the gate, a woman in her fifties came out of the house.

"Maggie, is Grandpa asleep?"

"Not yet. He is waiting for you."

Eliam strode into the gate, not noticing that Rhonda was struggling to drag her suitcase inside.

The stairs were a little high. Rhonda could barely take a step forward with her enormous suitcase despite using all her strength.

Just then, she felt the weight of the suitcase ease up.

Rhonda looked up and saw Eliam taking it from her. She was a little moved.

Santino had never helped her with anything.

Even when they moved into the apartment last time, Santino didn't bother helping her in any way. Rhonda had carried all the luggage upstairs and arranged everything.

Despite her efforts, Santino complained that she didn't clean up the apartment right after carrying the luggage upstairs while he was playing video games. He even asked her to order food for him.

"Why don't you come in?"

Eliam's unhappy voice interrupted Rhonda's train of thought.

She nodded and followed him into the yard.

The yard wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy. Several potted plants were lined up under the wall.

"Ouch!" Rhonda yelped in pain.

She was busy looking around that she didn't pay attention to the road. She tripped on a cobblestone and almost fell.

Eliam turned around and frowned at her.

"I'm fine." Rhonda waved her hand awkwardly.

Eliam looked at the cobblestone on the ground, walked over, and kicked it aside. Then, he stretched out his hand to Rhonda.

The veins in his hand seemed to protrude, and the calluses in his palm revealed he exercised a lot.

Rhonda cast a quizzical look at him. She had no idea what he was doing.

Eliam pursed his lips.

Then, he took Rhonda's hand.

The warmth from his palm made Rhonda's heart stutter. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end.

Eliam handed the suitcase to Maggie and then led Rhonda to his grandfather's room.