Careful What You Fake

I had an arranged marriage, and my wife was the only daughter of her family. Because of PTSD, she couldn't be intimate with anyone.

When she handed me the signed agreement, she also sent a gentle, obedient woman to my room.

"Even though it's our wedding night, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with this."

I stared at her in disbelief, wondering if this was some kind of test of my character.

Just as I was about to launch into a speech about loyalty and marriage, I suddenly heard the thoughts of the psychologist standing beside her.

[What does he have to complain about? That position should've been mine! If Kayla didn't need the Grant family's support, she never would've agreed to marry a loser like him! Luckily, Kayla loves me. She even used PTSD as an excuse to save herself for me. I just need to try harder and get her pregnant, then Benjamin Grant will become a complete laughingstock!]

The words that had been on the tip of my tongue disappeared instantly.

Without hesitation, I accepted Kayla's arrangement.

There was nothing wrong with people in a business marriage living separate lives.

I wasn't an idiot. Why would I pick a fight with Kayla over something like this?

Living peacefully and minding my own business was the smartest choice.

To show that I had no inappropriate intentions toward her, I even ordered maternity and baby supplies for her.

"I heard you're pregnant. Coincidentally, the woman you sent to me is pregnant too."

I was planning to ask her for some advice.

Instead, her face darkened. She gritted her teeth and snapped,

"I'm not pregnant! She's not your mistress either. She's the IVF coordinator I hired to get you up to speed!"

This was the third time I'd heard Yuvan Smith's thoughts.

The first time was when the Sinclair family came to discuss a marriage alliance.

"Discuss" was a generous word. The meeting was only meant to preserve the last shred of my dignity and hide the truth that I was being displayed like merchandise for people to choose from.

Kayla Sinclair's gaze swept over me casually, like she was inspecting an item in a store window. There was clear dissatisfaction and disdain in her eyes.

Just when I thought this one-sided matchmaking session was about to fall apart, Yuvan's mocking thoughts suddenly rang in my ears.

'Benjamin is the 99th marriage candidate Kayla's looked at, and he's the ugliest one so far. If she picks him, my chances will be much better. No matter whether it's looks or talent, I'm miles ahead of him. He's just a spoiled rich kid living off his family. That's exactly the type Kayla hates. Once they're married, she won't even spare him a glance.'

Yuvan even let out a couple of smug chuckles in his head before encouraging Kayla to choose me.

Before I could process what was happening, my father had already packed my luggage and thrown me out the door in one smooth motion.

There was a hint of confusion in Kayla's displeased expression, but she didn't say anything. She simply told her driver to take me with her.

The second time was on our wedding night.

With a cold expression, Kayla pushed a gentle, obedient woman into my room.

Before that, I'd looked into her background.

Kayla was the only daughter of the Sinclair family. She was exceptionally capable, far surpassing her uncles and older relatives. People called her a once-in-a-century genius.

Having a powerful wife like her was the best security I could ask for. For someone who just wants to live quietly and not work too hard, this was perfect.

I absolutely had to stay on Kayla's good side. For my sake, she wouldn't treat my family badly.

Because of that, I initially thought she was testing me, using a woman to see whether I could stay loyal.

I scoffed inwardly and got ready to launch into a full courtroom argument to prove my point.

Before I could start, Yuvan's thoughts rang out beside my ear again.

'What's he expecting? Does he seriously think Kayla's going to spend the night with him? Benjamin really knows how to dream. Kayla already promised she'd be with me tonight, and he still wants to cling to her? He should look in a mirror first. Ugly people really do cause the most trouble.'

Then, Kayla said, "Even though it's our wedding night, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with this."

That was when I finally began to understand what she meant. And with Yuvan's inner thoughts, I finally realized she had done all of this to keep herself for him.

She wasn't doing this because of PTSD or avoiding intimacy because she couldn't handle it.

All of that was a lie.

The only thing that was real was her love for Yuvan.

With that realization, I swallowed the long speech I'd carefully prepared and accepted her arrangement with a smile.