Chapter 1: A Fragile Marriage

Brinley Shaw set her resignation letter on the HR manager's desk, her fingertips smoothing the edge of the paper as though ensuring not a single fold or wrinkle remained. The manager parted his lips, a resigned sigh escaping before he spoke.

"It's such a pity to see you leaving, Brinley. Are you absolutely certain about this?"

"Yeah," Brinley said with a soft smile, her eyes curving like crescents. "I'd like to spend more time with my family."

Stepping out of the company building, she was met by a flood of sunlight. She squinted against the glare and pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag, slipping them on.

Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Ryland Francis, a real estate agent.

"Mrs. Palmer, the owner of the villa you like has agreed to lower the price. Could you come view it this afternoon?"

Brinley smiled at the good news. That small villa on the outskirts of the city—a place she had admired for a long time—stood far away from the noise and bustle of downtown. Its peaceful surroundings might just be the opportunity she needed to strengthen her fragile marriage with Colin Palmer.

Married for two years, she and Colin had never once been intimate. In the beginning, she had convinced herself his hectic work schedule was to blame, but gradually, doubts about her own attractiveness began to creep in.

Finally admitting that something had to change, she quit her job to spend more time with her husband and salvage their relationship.

That afternoon, she visited the villa. It turned out to be even more charming in reality than in the photographs. The elderly couple who owned it had kept a garden brimming with roses, their sweet perfume lingering heavily in the air.

Standing in the middle of the sunlit living room, Brinley watched her shadow stretch long across the polished floor.

"This is the one! How do we proceed?" she said in a firm voice.

Ryland's face lit up. "Excellent! I'll prepare the contract immediately. By the way, will Mr. Palmer be joining you to sign?"

Brinley shook her head. "No, he's tied up with work. I'll take care of it."

"Alright then. Please bring all necessary documents with you tomorrow for the paperwork."

On her way home, Brinley sent Colin a quick message. "I resigned and found a villa I love. I'm planning to buy it."

His reply came almost instantly. "So sudden? But if it makes you happy, that's what matters. I'll come home early tonight; we'll celebrate."

Warmth spread through Brinley's chest as she gazed at the screen. Colin had always treated her with care and tenderness. He remembered her favorite meals, always had sweet treats ready when she had her period, and never missed an anniversary without a thoughtful gift.

Apart from his refusal to be intimate with her—which upset her deeply—he was nearly the perfect husband.

The following morning, Brinley dressed with special care before leaving for the real estate agency. She chose a pink-and-white dress, the very one Colin often praised as suiting her best.

"Mrs. Palmer, please, have a seat," Ryland greeted her warmly. "I'll bring out the contract."

Smiling, Brinley passed him a folder. "Here's a copy of my marriage certificate with Colin. I would like to register the house as a joint marital property."

Ryland accepted it and tapped away at the computer for a while, but soon he frowned.

"That's odd… The system isn't pulling up your marriage registration record."

Brinley's smile faltered. "What do you mean by that?"

"Probably just a system error," Ryland said quickly, trying to reassure her. "You can confirm it directly at city hall. It happens every now and then."

Brinley's chest pounded wildly. A creeping sense of unease overwhelmed her. Forcing herself to stay calm, she replied, "Alright. I'll head there right away."

---

Chapter 2: A Substitute

The staff at the City Hall adjusted his spectacles, peering at the copy of the marriage certificate again and again. At last, he spoke.

"Ma'am, the document you've presented is counterfeit. Our records show no marriage registration whatsoever between you and Mr. Colin Palmer."

Brinley stiffened when she heard this. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came; her lips only twitched.

"This… this can't be," she finally muttered, her voice almost inaudible. "We were married here… two years ago…"

The staff shook his head, looking sympathetic. "I'm sorry, but this is the truth: I can't find any information about your marriage in our system. If you believe you've been deceived, it's best to report the matter to the authorities."

Nodding stiffly, Brinley accepted the copy of the marriage certificate as he handed it back to her. Her fingers trembled when they brushed its edge. The document she had treasured for the past two years turned out to be fake. How preposterous!

Outside the City Hall, Brinley halted on the steps, her head dizzyingly light. She needed time. She needed somewhere quiet to untangle the storm of thoughts threatening to consume her.

She wandered into a small café nearby and ordered an iced black coffee, strong and bitter. The sharp taste filled her mouth, but it could not compare to the bitterness clawing at her heart.

At that very moment, her phone lit up with a message from Colin.

"Brinley, what would you like for dinner tonight? I'll pick something up after work."

A surge of nausea rose within her as Brinley stared at the message on her screen. Drawing in a shaky breath, she typed, "Don't worry. I'll cook."

Almost instantly, Collin replied, "Alright. I'll be home on time after work."

Brinley didn't respond. Instead, she checked the clock; it was half past three. Then she decided to pay a visit to Colin's office without informing him beforehand.

His tech firm was located in a modern tower on the east side of the city. She had delivered him lunch there many times, enough that the receptionist recognized her at once and greeted her with a smile, waving her through.

The elevator carried her to the 28th floor, and she stepped out, following the familiar path toward Colin's office. But as she rounded a corner, the sound of his familiar voice drifted from the break room.

"I'm conflicted, but you know… I just can't let go of Milly."

Brinley stopped in her tracks, her body stiffening as though the world itself had frozen around her. Quietly, she backed up and pressed herself against a column, straining to listen.

"What do you intend to do, then?" a man asked.

Brinley recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to Vance Graham, Colin's close friend.

"Are you planning to stay with Brinley while marrying Milly Russell? Colin, that's not fair."

The words struck Brinley like a violent blow. She had to grasp the wall for balance. Milly Russell? Who was she? Colin was marrying that woman?

Each word felt like a blade slicing into her chest.

"I know it isn't fair," Colin admitted with a weary sigh. "But when Milly left to pursue her career abroad, I was heartbroken. Then Brinley came along… she reminded me so much of Milly that dating her finally brought healing to my broken heart."

Brinley bit her lower lip until she tasted the metallic tang of blood. She reminded him of Milly? So that was what she was? A substitute?

---

Chapter 3: Marriage Alliance

"But later on," Colin continued in a hesitant voice, "I came to realize Brinley isn't like Milly at all. She's softer, depends on me more, and… loves me in a way Milly never did."

Vance chuckled derisively. "And with that realization, you still justify deceiving her?"

"I don't deceive her!" Colin's voice rose with sudden intensity before falling again into a whisper. "I truly do care for her… it's just…"

"Just what?" Vance asked impatiently.

"It's just that I can't seem to cut Milly off completely," Colin admitted, sounding torn. "She was my first love. When she came back from abroad and reached out, I couldn't push her away. But at the same time, I didn't want to give up Brinley."

"So you went as far as to forge a marriage certificate, letting Brinley believe the two of you were legally bound?" The disgust was obvious in Vance's voice. "Colin, that makes you nothing short of a scumbag."

Colin fell silent for a few seconds before answering with a bitter, self-mocking laugh, "Yes, I'm a scumbag. I want Milly's fire, Brinley's gentleness… I even let myself imagine how perfect it would be to keep them both in my life."

"You must be delusional!" Vance snapped. "If Brinley ever found out about your double life, do you honestly think she'd forgive you?"

"She won't ever know," Colin said, interrupting Vance. "She trusts me completely, never questions a thing. Even when she phoned while Milly and I were in bed, she was too oblivious to notice anything unusual."

Those words smashed Brinley's heart like a ruthless strike. Turning, she walked soundlessly toward the elevator. Each step felt unreal, as though she were moving through a heavy fog.

The man she had loved for two whole years was nothing but a liar.

...

Brinley had no idea how she managed to return home. Absentmindedly, she unlocked the door, drifted into the kitchen, and began preparing dinner mechanically.

At half-past six, the sound of a key turning in the lock reached her ears. Colin entered with his usual charm, carrying a fresh bouquet of lilies.

"I'm back." He leaned in and brushed her forehead with a kiss, smiling warmly.

Brinley forced her lips into a smile as she accepted the flowers. Oblivious to her stiffness, Colin shrugged off his suit jacket and sniffed the air.

"Mmm, what did you make? Smells delicious."

"Your favorite. Grilled meat." Brinley turned away to place the bouquet into a vase, hiding her cold expression.

Through the entire meal, Brinley kept her eyes fixed on him, studying every gesture. Collin's phone never left the table, lying face down, and every so often he flicked his eyes at it, as though waiting for a message.

"My head aches a little," Brinley muttered after dinner. "Could you fetch me some medicine from upstairs? It's in the nightstand drawer."

"Of course," Colin said immediately, springing up. "You just rest here."

The moment he was upstairs, Brinley snatched his phone. The screen came on, requiring a password. She tried her own birthday, then their anniversary. Neither unlocked it.

Just as she was about to attempt again, a message notification flashed across the screen.

"Colin, wonderful news—I'm pregnant!"

Brinley's fingers froze. The words blazed before her eyes, stabbing her like sharpened steel. She stared in shock until Colin's footsteps began descending.

Panicking, she dropped the phone back onto the table.

Colin returned with the pills and a glass of water. "You don't look well. Do you want to lie down early?"

Brinley accepted the pills, pretended to swallow, then replied, "I'm fine. By the way… is there something going on at the office? You kept glancing at your phone."

For a moment, Collin stiffened, but then he quickly composed himself. "Yes, a project issue. I might need to head back later."

"Then go," Brinley said with a gentle smile, though her heart was breaking inside. "Work always comes first."

Colin slipped on his coat, pausing to kiss her cheek. "Don't wait up for me. Get some rest."

As the door clicked shut behind him, Brinley's smile crumbled. Tears formed in her eyes, but she stubbornly tipped her head back, refusing to let them fall.

Only after a long struggle did she finally pick up her phone, her hand trembling, and dial a number she hadn't called in two years.

"Dad, I've decided. I'll return home… and I'll accept the marriage alliance you arranged."

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I placed my resignation letter on the HR desk with hands that didn't shake. Two years of pretending everything was fine—at work, at home, in bed—were over. "I want to spend more time with my family," I said, smiling like it wasn't a lie.

Outside, sunlight blinded me. I slipped on sunglasses and checked my phone. A message from my realtor: the villa's price had dropped. Peace. Quiet. A fresh start with Colin.

But at City Hall, the clerk looked up, confused. "Ma'am, your marriage certificate is counterfeit. There's no record of you and Mr. Palmer."

I walked to a café, ordered bitter coffee, and stared at my phone. Colin texted: "What do you want for dinner?" My fingers hovered. Then I went to his office.

I heard his voice in the break room. "Brinley reminds me of Milly… she helped heal my heart."

A pause. Then: "But Milly's back. And she's pregnant."

I backed away, silent. By the time I reached home, I already knew—I wouldn't beg. I wouldn't cry. I'd call the one man I swore I'd never obey again.