[Note: this chapter does not contain any sexual assault or r*pe scene]

One beautiful morning, rays of mellow sunlight filtered through the verdurous canopy of fine flowers, penetrating through the leaves and casting an unearthly green–gold luminescence.

"Ah-choo --"

Hazel's sneeze could be heard from a corner of the room. She still lay limply on the bed, like a broken doll draped in a heavy blanket. Just as she turned to the other side she hit her face on something warm and was startled out of her sleep.

'How did the wall get here?'

She forced her eyelids open and bolted up to a sitting posture, whipping her head around in wide-eyed confusion.

After taking a moment to force the sleep away from her eyes, she recognized the familiar floral curtains hanging at each side and the compact table next to her bed.

This was her room. Of course!

Hazel placed her hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she must have been dreaming.

Without further scrutiny, she closed her eyes and was just about to drift off into sleep when a hand reached out from behind and touched her back. The sudden touch made her tremble like a withered leaf. She quickly turned her head around to behold the handsome face of a stranger sleeping next to her.

"Oh my God!" A panicked induced scream broke out from her lips, directly shaking the foundations of the room.

'What the hell is going on? How did this guy get here? Did he break into my apartment?'

The man lying next to her couldn't help being startled out of his sleep by her scream. He shot up from the bed like a bolt of lightning, looking shocked and disoriented. Just then, his expression froze, allowing an eerie chill to permeate the air.

Hazel lunged into the corner of the bed and quickly draped herself up with the blanket. Her action was futile, as it was obvious that the other party had seen her *****.

In fact, the man didn't look very happy.

Hazel clutched her aching forehead, desperately searching through her memories to make sense of everything, but her effort turned out in vain.

The man gazed at her with a trace of mockery in his eyes. He picked up his clothes scattered on the ground and put them on, and then walked to the window, standing with his back to her. "Why not put your clothes on?!" His tone was cold and full of disdain.

In great shame, Hazel quickly snatched her clothes from the floor and put them on, while she secretly looked around for a suitable weapon she could use to defend herself. The man was at least 189 cm tall and had a well-built body. It became increasingly clear to Hazel that she wouldn't stand a chance against him.

She took a glance at the bed table next to her, as she deliberated on using the alarm clock as a projectile weapon. However, the alarm clock was nowhere to be found. The only visible objects were two red certificates laying quietly on the nightstand, on which was written, "Marriage Certificate".

Astounded by the discovery, Hazel grabbed the red folder and opened it. There were two names in it, Hazel Yi and Zac Rong, accompanied by a beautiful photo of the couple. The groom in the picture was very much the same man standing in front of her, and the bride was none other than herself.

They looked very much like the perfect couple in the picture. Smiling with all happiness.

She looked at the registration date and found that it was yesterday.

At that moment, Hazel couldn't hope for anything else than for the earth to swallow her whole, without hope of ever finding her way back to the surface ever again.

Where did this man come from? How did they end up getting married?

Could he be an actor hired by some TV station?

With this thought in her mind, Hazel charged at the man, thinking that this was all a part of some TV show and that this man was an actor hired to make fun of her on live television.

"Which TV station do you work for? I'll be going to file a complaint to the police. Do you think this is funny? This is an invasion of my privacy and you're shooting this without my consent. This is illegal!" Hazel threw the marriage certificates at the man and started to look for hidden cameras everywhere.

All the while, the man stood there, confused by her actions. He picked up the marriage certificate from the floor and glanced at it. Suddenly, his face expressed his inner feelings with a frown. "Damn it!" he cursed, trying to recall what had happened yesterday, but his memories seemed fragmented and unclear. The last thing he remembered was being in the bar.

By now, Hazel had turned the entire room upside down, but there was still no camera. Infuriated, she rushed over to grab his collar. "Tell me where the cameras are, or I'll call the police!"

The man stared at her insidiously. After a while, a hint of shock flashed between his eyes and he said, "It's you!"

One day earlier.

It was the first day of April or as everyone would say April Fool's Day.

According to the netizens it was the best time for someone to declare their love because if they got rejected, they could just laugh and say—"Haha, I made a fool of you!"

At the very least, they could retreat in a splendid manner.

The same thought crossed Hazel's mind. Finally, she had summoned all of her courage and walked up to her idol, Hanson Xia, on whom she had been crushing for many years. "Hey, I have been in love with you ever since we first met. I've got a good feeling that you and I are destined to be together. Although I am still not up there yet, one day I am going to become an icon in the fashion industry and become someone who is good enough to be with you. Would you please put me on your list of possible girlfriends?"

Before Hazel finished speaking, she heard a burst of mocking laughter coming from behind her. "How interesting! 'Destined to be together! Is that what you tell yourself when you cry yourself to sleep at night? Are you really that pathetic?" The woman ridiculing Hazel was her sworn enemy, Sunny Yang, who elegantly walked towards Hanson and held his arm without hesitation.

Was she marking her territory? The thought filled Hazel with an unbearable sorrow.

Hanson, however, shook his arm, trying to draw it back, but eventually, he allowed it. "Hazel, I..." He didn't know what to say to her, but before he could even think of anything, Sunny cut him short. "We're getting married!"

The words came, out of the blue, and hit Hazel like a bolt of lightning. She should have laughed three times and told them that she was just joking, but the muscles on her face were stiff and she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Her throat was blocked by a lump of sourness, taking away her ability to speak.

With a smug smile on her face, Sunny deliberately leaned her head on Hanson's shoulder to add salt to Hazel's wounds. "Hanson, dad wants us to go back for dinner. Let's go!"

Hanson extended his hand and patted Hazel on the head as if to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Hazel," he sighed heavily and then walked away with Sunny.

Bang!

Again, Hazel heard her heart shatter into a million pieces. She felt like everything in her world had frozen over and the cold winds were slamming her face like tiny little icy nails.

Perhaps the only thing that could mend her ailing heart at the moment was a good bottle of wine.

The True Color Bar was across the street, and she walked in without a conscious thought.

The bar was very quiet. As the only customer, Hazel sat at the bar counter and ordered a glass of long island ice tea, which was the most suitable cocktail for a lovelorn person.

Hazel had overestimated her drinking prowess and as such, she was completely inebriated by her third drink.

Before long, another customer walked into the bar.

He was handsome and radiant, like the sun in the early spring and the bright moon in mid-autumn, that lit up the whole dark bar in an instant.

The previously listless waiters immediately became energetic and rushed to ingratiate themselves. However, he didn't even glance at them. He was as cold as ice, which had been frozen for thousands of years and couldn't be affected by any sort of temperature whatsoever.

On any other day, Hazel would have never spoken to a stranger. But today, she was so drunk and broken-hearted, that she picked up her glass and staggered towards the stranger.

"People who come to the bar in the daytime are either crossed in love or bored. Which one are you?" she said, staring him up with her drunken, hazy eyes.

Zac Rong ignored her and continued to drink on his own as if he hadn't heard what she had said.

Hazel, however, didn't mind his arrogance. She sat down on the stool next to him and said, "Well, I guess you are the latter. People who look like you can only make others fall in love with you. It must be nice. Look at me! I confessed my love to my prince, the man I had loved for five years. And guess what? He's marrying the woman I hate the most."

Hazel eventually vented her grievances by finishing the rest of her cocktail. "I'm done feeling bad for now. Since we're the only ones here, let's have fun and drink together, shall we?"

Zac raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. Although the girl had a plain face, she had a great body, much like a diamond in the rough. Her two beautiful eyes, however, were limpid and pure like autumn water. Each time she raised an eyebrow to look up she looked even more charming. It was her eyes that made her unique, as they could make even a plain face like hers look beautiful.

Zac didn't know why he nodded his head. Was it because of some magic, or because he was moved by her tantalizing eyes.

Hazel smiled again, revealing her white teeth. "Let's play dice! You have to guess the number and if you guess wrong then you'll have to drink shots."

How fun!

A disdainful smile appeared at the corners of Zac's mouth. He had nothing else to do anyway. Why not play a drinking game with another stranger in a bar!

Two hours later…

Zac was drunk beyond comprehension.

Hazel did not expect to win twelve times in a row.

"You're cheating!" The way Zac slurred made him sound drunk.

"What? You're the one throwing the dice. How can I be the one cheating? Just admit it, you didn't think I was going to win. Well, that's how gambling works!" Hazel giggled. She had never had any luck in gambling all her life, as such, she didn't expect her luck to be so good today.

However, Zac wasn't convinced. "Fine! Again!" He was determined to make a comeback.

Hazel's thick eyelashes flickered open. "Okay! This is the last one. The big one! I have already lost everything today! So why the hell not. Marriage isn't a big deal! I can get married whenever I want. How about this? If I win again, you will have to marry me!"

"Deal!"

The only thought in Zac's mind was to win this game. Besides, he wasn't used to losing to anybody.

"Great! I like you!" Finishing her words, she pushed the cup closer to him. "It's your turn. I'm guessing it's a small number."

"I'll bet on big numbers!" Zac shook the cup before opening it.

One, two, three—small!

Hazel could not help bursting into laughter as she was quite pleased with herself. Never before had she felt so satisfied in all her twenty-one years on this planet.

Zac, on the other hand, was at a loss. He had never been so displeased in all his twenty-six years on this planet.

It was time to honor the bet!

Zac grabbed her hand and said, "Let's get our IDs and then go to the Civil Affairs Bureau!"

Fast forward to the present day.

The bright sunshine fell on the floor through the mullioned window.

There was complete silence in the room, apart from the sound of heavy and rapid breathing.

The two people stood in front of the window silently, staring at each other blankly. They could not remember how they got to the Civil Affairs Bureau, how they registered their names, and how they even made it all the way to the bridal chamber. However, it was certain that the red booklets were real and legit.

In the eyes of the law, they are legally a couple.

Zac was considering how to end this absurd marriage. He had a lot of experience on how to reject a woman, but he had never divorced someone before.

However, he decided that no matter what condition Hazel would propose, as long as it was not too far from the truth, he would try his best to satisfy it. After all, from the looks of it, there was no use hiding the fact that they had slept together. And what's more…

The moment he looked at the blood on the sheet, Hazel blushed and quickly ran to the bed to pull the blanket to cover it.

The reason why she hadn't slept with any man for so many years was that she wanted Hanson to be her first man. Now, she had lost both Hanson and her virginity.

Life could be so unpredictably cruel. She had fallen from heaven to hell in just one night.

"Well, let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get a divorce now," Hazel said, stifling all the pain in her heart.

There was no use crying over spilled milk. It was better to nip that little romance in the bud.

Zac was shocked as he didn't expect her to be so straightforward. There were no conditions, no requirements and no blackmails. He was starting to admire her!

"It's half-past ten now. The Civil Affairs Bureau will be closed at 12 o'clock. There is only an hour and a half left! We have to take a taxi to get there on time. We can split the fare," Hazel spokstraightforwardlyay, and a rare gentle light flashed across Zac's face.

They came out of the elevator and walked side by side. But it was not easy for Hazel, as she felt a dull pain in her legs. Even though her recollection of the night was still unclear, Hazel could imagine how aggressive Zac must have been in bed.

Zac sensed her pain and slowed down his pace.

Just as they arrived at the gate of the community, they saw Sunny coming out from her BMW. Sunny was here to pick a bone with Hazel. Since Hanson was there yesterday, she didn't have a chance to tear Hazel apart. Today, she had come for some unfinished business.

Hazel knew that the conflict between Sunny and her was about to escalate. Knowing this, she asked Zac to wait before approaching her.

"I heard everything you've said that day." Sunny sneered. "Hanson loves me. You don't even know half of what he does to me. In fact, he proposed to me within a few days since we've been together. In fact, he even said how I had so many admirers that he was afraid that someone else would take me away."

Hazel snorted. Unlike Sunny, she had more important things to get to, and she didn't want to waste her entire day arguing with Sunny. "You're thinking too much. Yesterday was Apri Fools. I was only kidding."

"Stop pretending!" she snarled. "I know you love Hanson. Yesterday, he was so afraid that I'll mistrust him that he even said that he'll never fall in love with someone like you. You're like a mouse who has just crawled out of the trash bin. He's disgusted to be linked to someone like you. In fact, he even asked me to tell you to stop daydreaming. I bet the homeless people at the other end of the street would be more suitable for the likes of you," Sunny sneered. She knew that she would always win no matter what. In her eyes, Hazel had always been more inferior than her in terms of both wealth and power.

Not far away, Zac could vaguely hear their conversation. He only had one thing in mind, and that was to give Sunny a good beating!

She better be grateful that he would never lay a hand on a woman, or she wouldn't even be standing still the moment he heard those words.

Hazel's face paled immediately at her words. She was about to leave when Sunny stretched out her hand to stop her. She wasn't finished.

At the sight, Zac hurried over and placed an arm around Hazel's shoulder. "Baby, shall we go now?"

"You're..." Sunny's jaw almost dropped at the sight of the man. Although she had already seen him in the car, he looked even better up close. He had the face of a Greek God, and it was difficult to not stare at him this entire time.

"Won't you introduce me?" Zac asked as he placed his arm around Hazel's shoulder.

"Zac is my boyfriend. He comes from Dragon City and his father is the chairman of a multinational group," Hazel said slowly and clearly as if she was teaching a five-year-old. She tilted her head as if daring Sunny to say a word against her now.

Sunny was so surprised that her eyeballs almost fell from their sockets. The man in front of her was elegant and regal. He had this indescribable dignity that held himself together as if he was a king and they were the commoners.

It seemed that Hazel didn't lie to her.

"You look pale. Who bullied you?" Zac asked lowly as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Whoever she is, I'll make sure to make her suffer." Although his voice was soft, Sunny could tell that it was an underlying threat.

Sunny backed up unconsciously as if he would suddenly blow her head off.

"It's just a cockroach–not worth our time at all. Let's go." Hazel grabbed his arm and turned around.

Looking at their receding figures, Sunny had a strange look in her eyes. She took out a marriage invitation from her bag and quickly caught up to them. "Hanson asked me to give this to you. He wants the two of you to attend our party," she said bitterly. It wasn't true that Hanson had no feelings for Hazel. If he'd see her with her boyfriend, then he might be tempted to love Sunny with all his heart.

Hazel bit her lips. Without another word, she took the invitation. When Sunny was finally gone, she quickly pulled her arm from Zac's hold.

It seemed that their agreement was about to change.

"Zac, thank you for helping me just now. Well, can we put off the procedures until after the engagement party tomorrow is finished?"

"It depends on you." Zac shrugged. It didn't really matter if it was delayed for a day.

"Thank you." Hazel finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had to do everything to save her dignity tomorrow.

With that, she invited him to have lunch with her.

When they walked into the restaurant next to the community, Hazel ordered the cheapest thing on the menu—sour noodles and braised soybean curds. Then, she went Dutch and paid for her bill.

"Let me pay." Zac motioned to take out his wallet, but Hazel, who didn't seem to hear him, just handed the money to him.

After taking her seat, Hazel smiled and said, "We met by chance, and after this awkward marriage, we won't meet each other ever again. We should just pay for ourselves."

Zac nodded in approval to her words.

Not long after that, the waiter served the noodles. Because she was the host, Hazel gave Zac a dried bean. "Help yourself. The food here is cheap and delicious. And more importantly, they don't use used oil here."

Zac raised his beautiful eyebrows and said, "How do you know whether they use used oil or not?"

"I have a really sensitive stomach and intestines. So if it's used oil, I will have diarrhea if I take even one bite," Hazel said mischievously.

'She should be in Food and Drug Administration with her talent,' Zac thought, praising her in his mind.

While they were eating, Hazel suddenly stopped and took a sip of water. Then, she raised her head to look at Zac and asked, "So, what is it that you do?"

She wanted to know more about him. After all, he was legally her husband. It would be bad if he was a wanted criminal or he was in a huge amount of debt. She could be held responsible for it.

"I used to do architectural work. But I don't have any work right now," Zac replied, not going into detail. She didn't need to know about his background.

'Architecture? Did he build houses and move bricks on construction sites?

Well, at least it was a job,' Hazel thought to herself.

She was relieved at his words. She looked around with her big black eyes before asking, "Where do you live now?" She had to figure out where he lived. That way, if she couldn't get in touch with him tomorrow, she would be able to look for him at his house.

"A hotel," Zac said perfunctorily. This woman had too many questions!

"I don't think it'

s a good idea for you to live in a private hotel that costs only dozens of dollars. When I first moved to Yang City, I was so shocked that I almost fell into a trap," she explained before suddenly covering her mouth with her hands. She realized that she had implied through her words that he was a hobo who came from another city and didn't have much money at all, so he had to stay in some cheap private hotels because economical hotels were now charging several hundred for one night, and he couldn't afford it.

"I'm a man. Why would I be deceived?" Zac shrugged, hoping to end the topic of household registration as soon as possible.

Hazel agreed, thinking that his words actually made sense. He was a poor man that had nothing but his good looks. Frauds probably wouldn't be interested in him. Sensing the impatience in his tone, Hazel decided to stop digging deeper.

They left the restaurant after eating lunch and parted ways. There was one other important thing for Hazel to do. She wanted to make a nice business suit for Zac. As a jobless vagabond, he must have cheap stuff, and if he were to wear them, they would get exposed.

She went to the market and bought good cloth. The next day, when Zac came, she greeted him with a tailored suit and a matching fashion shirt.

"Try it on!" Hazel said with a smile.

Zac had always been picky. Anything he didn't like was nothing but trash in his eyes, and he would never accept them, regardless of whether they were people or things.

However, he thought that the little girl had good taste, and the clothes were very beautiful, so he took them.

The size fitted him well.

She admired the clothes both for her talent, and his perfect body. He had a nine-head body that was perfectly proportionate and had perfectly toned muscles. His figure was exactly right.

In fact, his body was so perfect that even beggar clothes would look fashionable on him.

It was a blessing to have such a perfect model. One look at his body was enough to give her inspiration when her mind was exhausted.

While she was busy thinking, Zac walked over to her and said, "How did you know my size?"

"By visual inspection," with a smug smile, Ethan raised her eyebrows. Using just her eyes, she could tell the size of her clients without even getting their measurements.

Zac curled his lips into a devilish smile. Then, he leaned in towards her and said, "Have you been observing me with your eyes in the daytime or at night?"

His voice was low and it obviously hinted flirtation. For a second, Hazel stood stunned. But slowly, his words began to sink in. She clearly understood what he was implying. And as a consequence, her face blushed crimson red. "Don't mention it. I have forgotten it," she said, trying to maintain her composure.

Zac's black eyes blinked, unable to believe she had forgotten it.

He remembered everything, clear as day! Every second, the scene played in his mind.

He woke up feeling hazy today. At first, his head felt unusually unclear, and he was unable to remember a thing! But soon, it began to fill up. Missing pieces of yesterday, came to his mind, one by one. He was a neat freak. No woman could touch him even if he was drunk. But when she was around, the defensive system seemed to be invaded by a virus, breaking down instantly. To start with, she wasn't like any other woman he had come across. She was both beautiful and pure. Even her smell was intoxicating. At present, he couldn't control himself. He was curious and wanted to know what she thought of last night.

"Did you really forget everything?" He stared at her with utter disbelief. He had hoped she would remember something. He was certain some of the details would be missing, but knowing she forgot everything pained him. After all, it was her first time.

With her brows wrinkled in a straight line and her eyes filled with ferocity, Hazel said, "I told you not to mention it again. You've ruined everything. We are incompatible in almost every way."

She almost roared at him. Instead of getting angry, Zac wore a slight smile on his face. His first time was "destroyed" in her hands. Now they were even.

She had expected Zac to get angry, but he didn't. Instead, he merely stood, not saying anything at all. This was when she realized she had to hold back her anger. After the engagement party, they had to get a divorce and go on separate ways.

She walked into the room and started to dress up. She put on the honey waist dress that she designed, tied up her black hair, and pulled it up into an elegant updo. Then she wore light make-up.

When she came out, Zac's eyes froze for a moment. This girl was even more beautiful after dressing up.

"Don't forget your role. You are rich and handsome," she reminded, hoping he wouldn't mess up. Although he was an able man with a handsome face and powerful aura, she thought it was vital to remind him. It would be quite awkward if someone managed to see through his disguise.

"Don't worry." A charming smile appeared on his lips. This was a piece of cake for him.

The Intercontinental Hotel was beautifully decorated.

The wedding hall was brimming with joy.

The engagement of Hanson and Sunny had caused a sensation in the select society of Yang City, and almost all the rich and powerful people in the city had been invited.

When Hazel walked in with Zac, everyone's eyes began to be glued to them, like a moth to the flame.

Zac was as glorious as the sun which made all the men feel insecure and all the women become enchanted by him. The beauty of Hazel was like the fresh lotus flower, blooming gradually. She made all the girls with their heavy make-up look less beautiful.

Seeing the way every girl was admiring Hazel's radiating beauty, Sunny was overcome with jealousy. Hanson, on the other hand, had similar emotions course through him. If he said he didn't like Hazel, he would be lying. But he couldn't love her. Love was a luxury ever since the moment he found his origin.

"God bless you, Hanson!" said Hazel. And Hazel tried her best to smile and relax. She had decided not to love him anymore, but her heart was still aching.

Zac and Hanson were observing each other with a murderous look in their eyes.

Zac wrapped his arms around Hazel, announcing his sovereignty over her. Then he led her to walk down the stairs. He found a seat and made her sit, like a gentleman. Upon seeing the way in which Zac was treating her, Hanson's heart trembled with fury. Yet the worst part was, he couldn't do anything. He was compelled to watch her happy life.

Hazel rested his eyes on the staircase. Hanson and Sunny were both born to wealthy families. This must be the so-called marriage of equal social rank! She analyzed the hall and the grand look of it. A feeling of rage began to brew in her heart. Yet she did her best to look happy.

She used to be a princess of the castle and lived an extravagant life, but...