Trapped By Love

Chapter 1

Blaine had passed the Official Selection Test and was this year's third-place scholar.

Dennis and Sharon cried tears of joy, burning incense and offering fervent prayers to their ancestors. They didn't forget to pull me aside, promising that once they reached Sester, they would ensure Blaine married me.

For the past three years, I had worked day and night selling embroidery to save up a hundred taels of silver, which allowed him to travel to Sester and take the Official Selection Test. During the year he was away, I tended to his parents tirelessly. Without me, Dennis would have passed away from his illness six months ago.

If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have lived to see this moment of honor. Blaine had achieved third place and is duty-bound to honor his promise to marry me.

However, Evan told me yesterday that Blaine had become a son-in-law of the Governor's family half a month ago and was engaged to marry Joshua's daughter. This news had already spread throughout Sester.

Evan, who also took the Official Selection Test in the capital, had placed second, while Blaine was third. After the results were announced, Evan returned home. But Blaine didn't come back. Instead, he sent a letter summoning Dennis and Sharon to the capital, without mentioning me at all.

Evan would never lie to me.

I gently pushed Dennis and Sharon's hands away and said calmly, "You should prepare yourselves. Blaine is getting married."

Dennis and Sharon held my hands tightly, their faces filled with concern and affection. "Of course, we have been dreaming of this day. We'll leave for Sester tomorrow so Blaine can marry you."

I looked around the humble, old house, my eyes landing on my small room. The red wedding dress I had painstakingly embroidered still hung on the clothes rack. Back then, I was truly happy, eagerly anticipating marrying Blaine, regardless of his success in the exams.

"Blaine isn't marrying me. He's marrying the Governor's daughter."

Dennis and Sharon were stunned. After a long pause, they stepped forward, staring at me in shock and disbelief. "That's impossible. It shouldn't be. How could that ungrateful son marry someone else instead of you? There must be some misunderstanding."

Dennis was so angry that he beat his chest and struck the table. "You will come with us to Sester tomorrow. The White family will demand an explanation for you."

I nodded. Looking at the spotless house, the result of my years of silent dedication and hard work, I knew I deserved an explanation.

chapter 2

We packed our luggage and took a donkey cart out of the town, heading towards Sester.

A middle-aged couple approached us, the woman holding a baby in her arms. Two little girls followed behind them. They were dirty and travel-worn. When I saw them, I felt a chill run down my spine, and my heart turned cold.

They were my parents, and the baby in their arms was the long-awaited son they had finally been blessed with.

I was their eldest daughter, Caylee Li.

My life, just like my name, had been a disappointment, even a nuisance.

That's why they sold me. They said they had to sell me to support my sister, Ryann.

I signed the contract of sale for just a small amount of grain, and they sent me away just like that.

During winter, I didn't even have a cotton-padded jacket. I shivered from the cold and kept looking back, but they never glanced at me again.

After I left, they gave birth to Natalie and Jessie one after another.

Eventually, they really did have a son. His name was Ashton Li.

When my parents recognized it was me, they smiled broadly. "What a coincidence! Saves us a trip. We heard your husband passed the exam but married someone else. Oh my, what a high-ranking official he must be! How much money must he make in a year!"

Whenever they saw me, all they talked about was money, never saying a word about anything else.

I should have lost hope long ago!

I turned away stiffly, catching a glimpse of Dennis and Sharon's disdainful expressions. They got off the cart in disgust and walked to the side.

I felt even more disheartened, and I explained in a low voice, "He's not my husband yet."

My mother, holding the baby, came up to me and whispered, "He will be your husband sooner or later. You must hold on to him tightly, so you won't have to worry about wealth in the future."

She extended the baby's chubby hand towards me, her face showing a fawning smile. "Look at your brother, he's still so small. There will be many times in the future when he'll need your care. Just now, the money you brought back two months ago is already spent. This time, before you leave, you must give us more. Otherwise, with the mountains high and the roads far, where will we find you to ask for money?"

My father also came up and surrounded me. "Did your husband give you any money? Hand it all over. Anyway, you won't have to worry about not having money to spend in the future."

He said it with such audacity!

Dennis and Sharon turned back and spat out a curse, and my father glared back fiercely.

I clutched the money pouch tightly and didn't let go. Remembering how they heartlessly sold me and how I had painstakingly supported Blaine's Official Selection Test, only for him to marry someone else, tears rolled down my cheeks.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I saw a group of people gathering behind us. Leading them on a white horse was Evan.

The baby cried louder and louder amidst our pushing and shoving. My mother, distressed, tried to soothe him, rocking him in her arms. "Ashton, don't cry. Ashton must be hungry. We have no money, Ashton will starve to death."

The child's cries grew louder, and my father, eyeing the money pouch in my hand, blocked my way.

If I didn't give them money today, they would never let me go.

"This is twenty taels of silver. It's all my savings. From now on, consider me dead. We have no more ties."

I placed the money pouch into the baby's swaddling clothes and turned to walk away.

My father grabbed me, not letting me go. "So today is the day to cut ties. No wonder! You think you've become a phoenix now that you're a high-ranking lady. You have no conscience. Parental grace is greater than the sky. Do you think you can really ignore us just by saying we have no more ties?"

My hand hurt from his grip, and I struggled to break free but couldn't. I looked at him coldly, crying uncontrollably. "Parental grace? Besides giving birth to me, have you ever fulfilled your duties as parents? You sold me to the Bennett family when I was eight, came every month to ask for money, using my monthly allowance to support you and this whole family? Don't talk about parental grace. Even if it were a grace as great as the sky, it should have been repaid by now!"

Seeing my resolute attitude, my mother, holding the baby, rushed up too. She cried her heart out. My father played the bad cop, and she played the good cop. It had always been this way for years.

"Caylee, how can we live without you? How can you be so heartless? You have so many younger siblings. We can't support so many people."

As she spoke, she tried to throw herself at me, as she always did, to strip me of all my valuables.

I raised my sleeve to block her, catching a glimpse of a tall figure standing in front of me.

From the carriage behind us came Helena's loud reprimand, "Evan, come back! You are now an official. Don't meddle in things you shouldn't!"

Evan stood in front of me, gripping my father's hand. He let go of me in pain.

Evan took out a piece of paper from his chest and looked at him coldly. "I still hold her contract of sale. You sold her! You abandoned her! She has no ties with you anymore. Today is the last time she sees you. If you dare to harass her again, I will personally throw you into jail."

My father recklessly stepped forward, but Evan pushed him to the ground.

His servant, holding a knife, stood in front of us. My father had never seen such a scene and was so scared he couldn't speak.

"I am now an official. If you are not afraid, you can try coming after her again! I wouldn't hesitate to see you rot in jail."

My parents, clutching the money pouch, ran away without looking back.

I looked at the person in front of me, tears blurring my vision. Why does fate toy with people like this?

The person I loved the most, for whom I saved money day and night to support his Official Selection Test, turned around and married someone else.

The person I wanted to distance myself from the most, however, always put me first, never letting me suffer any humiliation.

Chapter 3

I was sold to the Bennett family when I was eight years old, to Evan's household.

Back then, I did the lowest of chores. Cleaning toilets, emptying chamber pots, washing and hanging laundry, helping in the kitchen, sweeping-whatever needed to be done, I did it eagerly. I was terrified they might not want me anymore and I would end up li