"Oh my God, Ethan Mercer, that big-shot from the capital circle, has been missing for months. How is there still no news?"

"Who knows? Maybe he’s already dead. Those rich families are shady as hell. Could’ve been taken out by someone."

Inside a run-down little house on the side of the road in Fengya Town, Lydia Calloway sat there listening to her parents gossip about the TV news, bored out of her mind.

"Lydia Calloway, stop rotting at home all day. You’re old enough now. It’s time you got married!"

Her father suddenly turned on her, his tone sharp. "That boy from the Zhao family may be divorced, sure, but he’s only seven years older than you. And they’re offering eighty-eight thousand in bride price! You are going on that blind date today. If you don’t get married this year, don’t even think this will end nicely!"

Lydia kept doing her own thing, chatting with her best friend and ranting, acting like she hadn’t heard a single word. She didn’t even look up.

That careless, couldn’t-be-bothered attitude finally blew Bernard Calloway’s fuse. He lunged over, snatched her phone, and smashed it hard onto the floor.

"You’re already twenty-six and still being picky? People outside are all saying there must be something wrong with you if no one wants to marry you! Are you trying to piss me off to death?"

"Look at Xiaoli! She went to elementary school with you, and now she’s already the mother of three!"

Lydia stared at the phone shattered into pieces on the ground. Then she listened to her father’s words, one after another, and the fire in her chest shot up in an instant.

She sprang to her feet, eyes locked on him. "Are you even my real father? Everyone in town knows that man beat his ex-wife so badly she ended up in the hospital. And he’s dragging along two kids too! If I marry him, I’ll either get beaten to death or worked to death. If you think he’s so great, then you marry him yourself! Even if you kill me, I’m not doing it!"

Bernard Calloway was so enraged by her talking back that his whole body trembled. He raised his hand and slapped her across the face. "You are getting married this year. Even if I have to tie you up and drag you to the civil affairs office, I’ll make it happen!"

Lydia covered her burning cheek, completely stunned.

At that moment, disgust for a man like her father hit her hard, straight to the bone.

It wasn’t that she was against marriage. She just hadn’t met anyone she could truly hand her heart to.

She knew better than anyone that she could not walk the same road as her mother, marrying some controlling, macho husband and then spending her life swallowing the pain with no way to fight back.

And she definitely didn’t want to end up like Xiaoli either, married off young, forced to have children, looked down on by her in-laws for giving birth to daughters, then pushed again and again to have a son until multiple miscarriages left her unable to have children at all.

As for why her father was pushing so hard this time, Lydia saw through it crystal clear. He either wanted to save face in front of the whole town, or he wanted that bride price money tucked away for her younger brother, who was still in high school.

"Fine. You want me to get married, right?" A fierce glint flashed across Lydia’s eyes. "I’ll do it. But when this blows up, don’t blame me for going all in."

She stormed into her room, grabbed the household register, and ran out past her father without looking back.

Lydia Calloway had grown up in a family that worshipped sons and treated daughters like background noise. Since she was little, she’d never really gotten any love from her parents.

The moment she finished high school, they shoved her out to work and help support the family. She only made it to college because she secretly borrowed money on her own.

She finally graduated and landed a well-paying job, only for her father to barge into her company again and again, making scenes until the job was ruined.

After that, no matter where she worked, he kept showing up and messing everything up. In the end, with no other choice, she went back to the small county town and opened a little shop.

Her father pulled all this crap for one reason only: to keep his money-making daughter tied down close by, where he could control her.

That kind of life had made Lydia stubborn and closed-off. Hardly anyone dared get close to her, and honestly, that was how she liked it. She knew better than anyone that only by acting tough could she protect herself.

Right now, rage had completely taken over her head. She only had one thought left: "If you’re dead set on forcing me to marry, fine. I’ll just marry some random guy."

She wandered the street, eyes scanning every man who passed by.

She’d already decided she wanted to pick some old, ugly broke loser and let her parents lose face for real.

But when she actually saw a few idle old bachelors hanging around and caught the way they looked at her, all greasy and way too obvious, her heart still skipped in fear.

Just imagining marrying a man like that, living with him, even having any kind of physical closeness, made her whole body shiver.

Just then, a filthy big hand tugged lightly at the hem of her clothes. "Miss... I’m so hungry."

Lydia turned around and nearly got the scare of her life.

A man well over six feet tall was staring at her with wide, pitiful eyes, like some giant stray dog that had lost its way.

A passing older woman kindly warned her, "Lydia, that guy’s the fool who came to town a few days ago. He digs through trash all day, and he smells awful. Two days ago he even hurt a kid. His temper’s not great, so you’d better stay away from him."

Lydia looked him over carefully.

His face was smeared with black grime, his clothes were torn to the point of barely holding together, and a nasty smell clung to his whole body. His hands and feet were covered in bruises, blue and purple in patches.

But those eyes of his were gentle, soft like a deer’s, without even a trace of fierceness.

The man lowered his head and mumbled in a tiny voice, "They threw rocks at me. It hurt..."

Lydia understood almost at once. Most likely those bratty kids had started it, bullying the so-called fool first. He must’ve fought back, and the injuries all over him now were probably from getting beaten by the children’s parents afterward.

Taking a closer look at the fool’s face, Lydia Calloway was honestly a little surprised. He was actually pretty handsome, way easier on the eyes than those old bachelors hanging around town.

Then, out of nowhere, an idea flashed through her mind. The corner of her lips lifted. "Are you hungry?"

The fool nodded hard.

Lydia smiled and said, "I’ll buy you something to eat, but you have to do me a favor first, okay?"

The man, who had been starving for two days, looked like a little puppy finally seeing food. He nodded again and again. "Okay!"

Lydia felt a bit relieved. "Then come with me."

She bought him a few buns and some milk. Watching him stuff the food into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten in forever, her chest tightened a little.

Honestly, nobody in this world gets to dodge misery.

After he finished eating, she bought him a clean set of clothes and took him to a small inn.

While the fool was in the shower, she sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the household register so tightly her fingers had gone stiff.

"Sis, I’m done washing." The man’s voice came from behind the door.

Lydia looked up, and for a second, she totally froze.

Once cleaned up, this fool was downright stunning. His features were so sharp and refined they looked almost unreal, like something carved by hand.

He stood tall, with a straight back and a body built clean and solid. The lines of his bare upper body were clear and strong, and even his hands were long and elegant.

If not for those blank, unfocused eyes, the noble air around him alone would’ve been enough to make people keep their distance.

Lydia was absolutely a face person. Looking at that face, she suddenly felt a lot less annoyed.

"Sis..." His wet hair was still dripping, and he looked at her timidly, cautious and obedient.

Lydia snapped back to herself and asked carefully, "Do you remember your name?"

"Eddie!" the man answered without even pausing.

"Eddie..." Lydia frowned and thought for a moment. "So you still remember your name. That means the damage probably isn’t too bad. Do you know where your home is? Who else is in your family?"

Eddie racked his brain for a long while, but in the end, he still just shook his head.

Lydia Calloway picked up a towel and gently rubbed his hair dry. "How about this? Do me a favor first, and after that, I’ll help you find your family, okay?"

Eddie nodded again and again, super obedient.

Lydia thought for a moment, then said, "From now on, your name is Eddie Monroe. You’re twenty-seven, and you’re my husband. My name is Lydia Calloway, I’m twenty-six, I run a small beauty shop in the county town, and I’m your wife. Got it?"

"Wife..." Eddie softly repeated the word, like he was trying to hold onto it.

An hour later, dressed in clean clothes, Eddie held Lydia’s hand and followed her back to the Calloway house.

Lydia didn’t waste a single word. She strode in and slammed the two bright red marriage certificates onto the coffee table right in front of her parents.

"Just like you wanted, I’m married!"