"I will, Grandma."

Chloe answered easily-but she didn't believe it.

No matter how kind Grandma Jones was, David was her blood. If a real conflict ever broke out, would the Jones family truly protect an outsider?

Chloe had seen this story before.

Before her sister married, her in-laws treated Kate like a princess. They praised her, spoiled her-so much that even their own daughter felt jealous.

But the moment the marriage certificate was signed, everything changed.

Now, whenever Kate argued with her husband, her mother-in-law was the first to scold her.

You're not being a good wife.

You don't know how to manage a home.

In the end, sons were blood.

Daughters-in-law were replaceable.

"You need to get to work, so I won't keep you," Grandma Jones said warmly. "I'll tell David to pick you up tonight. Let's have dinner together."

"Grandma, I close the shop late," Chloe replied gently. "Tonight might not work. How about the weekend?"

Weekends were slow-the only time she could breathe.

"That's fine," Grandma Jones said immediately. "We'll talk then. Go on."

After hanging up, Chloe messaged Sara, her best friend and business partner, telling her she'd be late for the morning shift.

Some things were more urgent than work.

She needed to tell her sister.

Fifteen minutes later, Chloe arrived at the apartment.

Her brother-in-law was already gone. Kate stood on the balcony hanging laundry, looking up in surprise. "Chloe? Why are you back? Aren't you opening the shop?"

"I'll head over around noon," Chloe said. "Is James awake?"

"If he were, you'd hear the chaos."

Chloe helped hang the clothes. The silence pressed in.

Eventually, Kate spoke. "Your brother-in-law didn't mean to drive you out. He's under pressure. And... I don't earn anything right now."

Chloe didn't respond.

Pressure or not, the message had been clear.

Her brother-in-law earned a high salary as a manager. He and Kate had been college sweethearts, once inseparable. After marriage, he had held Kate's hands and promised, I'll support you. Stay home. Rest. We'll have a baby.

Kate believed him.

She quit her job.

A year later, James was born.

Between childcare and housework, Kate lost time, energy, and herself. Three years passed. The bright, beautiful woman Chloe once admired became tired, overweight, and invisible.

Now, with no income, her husband demanded they split every expense.

Not because he needed the money.

Because he wanted control.

Chloe clenched her fingers.

She was five years younger than Kate. When she was ten, their parents died in a car accident. Since then, it had always been the two of them-no one else.

The insurance money should have secured their future.

Instead, their relatives carved it up.

The sisters survived on what little remained, scraping through school, renting tiny apartments, relying only on each other.

Kate married.

Chloe moved in.

And now, even that shelter was gone.

"Sis," Chloe said softly, "I'm sorry. I've become a burden."

"Don't say that," Kate replied immediately. "I'm your older sister. I'm supposed to protect you."

Chloe's throat tightened.

When she was small, Kate shielded her from the world.

Now-it was her turn.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a red booklet.

"I got married this morning," Chloe said calmly. "I came to tell you... and to pack."

Kate froze.

"You-what?"

Her voice shot up as she snatched the booklet. The photo inside showed Chloe standing beside a man she'd never seen before.

Handsome.

Cold.

Dangerous.

"Chloe! You don't even have a boyfriend!"

"I've been seeing him for a while," Chloe said smoothly, the lie already prepared. "His name's David. He's busy, so you never met him."

"He proposed. I agreed. We registered today."

She smiled. "He's good to me. Don't worry."

Kate's mind spun.

Suddenly, everything clicked-the argument last night, Chloe's silence.

Tears welled up. "I told your brother-in-law you pay your share. You don't have to leave. You don't need to rush into marriage because of us."

Chloe squeezed her hand. "It's not because of that. I'm happy. You should be happy for me."

Kate broke down.

After she finally calmed down, Chloe added gently, "I'll visit often. His place is in Square Garden-ten minutes by e-bike."

"What about his family?" Kate asked quietly.

Chloe paused.

She didn't actually know much.

"He works for a major group. Owns a car and a house. His situation is stable."

Kate's expression shifted instantly. "The house is his pre-marital property, right?"

Chloe nodded.

"Then you need your name on the deed," Kate said firmly. "That's your protection."

Chloe didn't answer.

The red marriage certificate felt suddenly heavier in her bag.

"Sis, like you said, that's his pre-marital property. I didn't contribute a single cent toward it, so it wouldn't be right for me to ask him to add my name. Let's not mention it again."

Chloe felt that David had already done enough by giving her the keys immediately after they registered. It solved her housing crisis, and that was plenty. She wouldn't ask to be on the deed, though if he ever offered it himself, she wouldn't refuse-after all, if they were to be husband and wife, she intended for it to be for life.

Kate only brought it up out of concern. Knowing her sister was fiercely independent and not the least bit greedy, she dropped the subject.

After enduring a long, protective interrogation from her sister, Chloe finally managed to move out. Kate had wanted to see her off to Square Garden, but just then, little James woke up and began crying for his mother.

"Sis, go take care of James. I don't have much stuff; I can handle it myself."

Kate had to feed her son and then start preparing lunch. If the food wasn't on the table when her husband returned from work, he would scold her, claiming she "did nothing all day" yet couldn't even manage a simple meal.

"Then be careful on the way," Kate said worriedly. "Are you coming back for lunch? Bring your husband."

"I have to get back to the shop, so I can't make it. As for Mr. Jones... he's very busy. He told me he's going on a business trip this afternoon and might be gone for a while. I'll bring him to meet you as soon as he's back."

Chloe told a small lie. She didn't actually know David's schedule, but she remembered Grandma Jones saying he was a workaholic who was often away for weeks at a time. She didn't want to make a promise to her sister that she couldn't keep.

"A business trip on the very day you get married?" Kate frowned, feeling that her new brother-in-law was a bit inconsiderate.

"We only registered; it's not like we had the wedding ceremony yet. Let him work; we'll need the money later. Sis, I'm leaving! Go feed James!"

Chloe waved goodbye to her sister and nephew, then lugged her suitcase down the stairs.

Chloe had heard of Square Garden, though she had never been inside. She hailed a taxi and headed straight there. It was only after she arrived at the gate that she realized she had forgotten to ask David which floor he lived on.

She pulled out her phone to call him, only to realize she didn't actually have his phone number. Fortunately, they had added each other on Whatsapp, so she attempted a voice call through the app.

At that moment, David was in the middle of a high-level meeting. The entire conference room was deathly silent, as he strictly forbade private calls during work hours.

His own phone was on silent, but it sat face-up on the mahogany table. He saw the notification immediately. However, when they had added each other earlier, he hadn't bother to save her contact name. Seeing an incoming call from a user named "Mermaid of the Deep Sea," he didn't even blink. He assumed it was some random person he'd added by mistake, swiped to reject the call, and-for good measure-immediately deleted the contact.

Chloe stared at her screen in confusion. When the call was rejected, she tried to send a text: [Mr. Jones, I'm at Square Garden, but I don't know which unit is yours.]

She hit send, only to be met with a grey system notification: [Your message was sent, but rejected by the recipient. You are not yet friends with this user.]

Chloe froze. "What? Not friends?"

She muttered to herself, "We literally just exchanged QR codes at the gate of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Did I add the wrong person?"

She thought back carefully. No, she was certain it was him. There was only one explanation: David had deleted her.

Did he already forget we got married this morning?

To be fair, if she hadn't just moved her entire life out of her sister's house, she might have forgotten she had a new husband named David, too.

Left with no choice, Chloe called Grandma Jones. When the old lady picked up, Chloe explained, "Grandma, I've moved out of my sister's place and I'm at Square Garden. But I don't know which floor Mr. Jones... I mean, David's apartment is on. Do you happen to know?"

Grandma Jones: "..."

"Don't worry, Chloe. Stay right there. I'll call David right now."

The truth was, the old lady didn't know either. To properly "test" Chloe, David had used a newly purchased apartment and car that the rest of the family hadn't even visited yet. Grandma had only found out he bought a place in Square Garden after the two of them had signed the marriage papers.

The old lady hung up and immediately dialed David.

Back in the boardroom, David had just finished purging the "Mermaid" from his life and had returned to the meeting. Not three minutes later, his screen lit up again. Seeing it was his grandmother, he had no choice but to answer.

"Grandma, I'm in a meeting," he said, his voice low and commanding. "If it's not urgent, it can wait until I'm home."

"David, what building and floor is that new place of yours in Square Garden? Chloe is there now with her luggage, but she doesn't know where to go! Didn't you add her on Whatsapp? Tell her immediately!"

David's dark brows arched. Oh.

It clicked. He had gotten married today to a girl his grandmother adored-a girl named Chloe. And he had, quite literally, just deleted his wife.

"Tell her it's Building B, 8th floor, Unit 808," he replied calmly.

"Fine, I'll tell her. You get back to your work." The old lady was a woman of action; as soon as she had the answer, she hung up and relayed it to Chloe.

David looked at his phone for a moment. With a rare hint of sheepishness, he searched for the "Mermaid" and sent a new friend request.

Chloe wasn't the type to hold a grudge over something so small. She accepted the request immediately.

Sorry I forgot who you were for a moment, David messaged her.

It was an honest mistake. While Chloe had saved his grandmother's life, it was David's parents who had handled the hospital visits and formal thanks. David had only visited when Chloe wasn't around. For a man who managed a multi-billion dollar empire, the name "Chloe" had simply never registered in his mind, despite how much his grandmother nagged him about her.

Chloe replied: No worries. Get back to work. I'll move my things up.

Need help? he asked out of politeness.

I only have one suitcase; I can manage. Besides, even if I did need help, could you actually leave work to come here?

David replied with blunt honesty: No.

He was swamped. There was no way he was leaving a billion-dollar merger to help her carry a suitcase.

Chloe sent back a "laughing-crying" emoji and went silent, signaling that she wouldn't disturb his work further.

David didn't follow up. They were strangers; there wasn't much to talk about. He only hoped this new wife of his would stay this sensible and not bother him with trivial matters every five minutes.

He set the phone back on the table and looked up, only to find every executive in the room staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.

David acted as if nothing had happened. "Continue the meeting," he said, his voice level and cold.

Seated closest to him was his first cousin, William Jones-the second Young Lord of the Jones family.

William leaned in, whispering, "Big brother, I heard Grandma. Did you really marry that girl... Chloe-something?"

David shot him a stony glare that could have frozen a volcano.

William rubbed his nose and sat up straight, not daring to ask another question. Inside, however, he was overflowing with sympathy. While the sons of the Jones family didn't need political marriages to solidify their status, this was the definition of a mismatch. Just because Grandma liked a girl named Chloe, her eldest grandson was forced to marry her?

Poor guy, William thought. I'm just glad I'm not the eldest. Otherwise, I'd be the one taking a stranger for a wife just to pay back Grandma's medical debt.

Chloe, unaware of the boardroom drama, dragged her suitcase toward her new home. Using the keys David had given her, she unlocked the door to Unit 808.

As she stepped inside, her breath hitched. The apartment was huge-certainly larger than her sister's place-and the interior design was undeniably luxurious.

She dropped her suitcase and began a self-guided tour. This was her home now.

The layout consisted of two living areas, four bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and two spacious balconies. Chloe estimated the place was at least 200 square meters.

However, it was shockingly empty.

Aside from a sofa set, a coffee table, and a wine cabinet in the living room, there was almost no furniture. Out of the four bedrooms, only two had beds and wardrobes. The other two were completely bare.

The Lord bedroom was a suite, complete with its own walk-in closet, a small study, and a massive bathroom. Even with the partitioned spaces, the bedroom itself was large enough to rival the main living room.

This must be David's territory, she realized.

Chloe chose the other furnished bedroom. It was right next to one of the balconies, offering plenty of natural light, and was separated from the Lord suite by another room. This distance provided them both with a comfortable level of privacy.

As long as he doesn't ask to fulfill 'marital duties,' I'm certainly not going to bring it up, she thought.

After stowing her suitcase, she checked the kitchen. It was spotless-too spotless. There wasn't a single pot, pan, or utensil in sight. The balconies were equally barren. Since they were so wide, Chloe imagined filling them with potted plants and perhaps a swing chair where she could sit and read.

It was clear David never ate at home.

Now that she was living here, she needed to set up a functional kitchen. She hopped onto her phone and ordered a bulk of kitchenware and appliances. As for the furniture and plants, she decided to wait until David returned so she could ask for his input.

After all, it was his house. She was just a guest.

By the time she finished her orders, the school lunch rush was about to begin. She grabbed her keys and rushed back to the bookstore.

Her best friend, Sara, was waiting for her. "Chloe, where were you all morning?"

"I moved."

"Moved? Why? I thought things were fine at your sister's."

Chloe glanced toward the school gates. The students hadn't come out yet, so she took a moment to explain. "My brother-in-law wants me out. He keeps picking fights with my sister because of me. I didn't want to make things harder for her, so I left."

"But you pay for your food and rent! Why is he still complaining? He always seemed like a decent guy," Sara said, clearly annoyed on her friend's behalf.

Chloe sighed. "I give my sister 5,000 Dollar a month, but I tell her to save 3,000 of it in a secret account. We tell my brother-in-law I only give 2,000. My sister is a stay-at-home mom with no income; she has to ask him for every single penny. The more she asks, the more he looks down on her. I wanted her to have some emergency cash so he wouldn't have another reason to scold her."

Sara shook her head in frustration. "Men always say, 'I'll take care of you,' but when they actually have to do it, they complain about every cent. It's so unfair. Once a woman marries, she gives up everything for the family only to be treated like a burden."

"Once James starts kindergarten, Kate needs to find a job," Chloe agreed. "Economic independence is the only way a woman can keep her head high."

"But would your sister really let you move out just like that?" Sara asked. She knew how protective Kate was.

"I got married."

"Oh. Wait-WHAT? You got married? To who? You don't even have a boyfriend!"

Sara's voice rose to a shriek, attracting looks from a few passing students.

"I'll tell you later. It's a long story and the rush is starting," Chloe said, as a wave of students flooded the store.

The two were swept into a whirlwind of activity, selling stationery and reference books until the lunch hour ended. Only when they finally sat down to order takeout did Sara pounce again.

"Okay, spill it. Who did you marry? You didn't even give me a heads-up! We were supposed to be 'Single Queens' together!"

Chloe trusted Sara completely, so she laid out the whole story-though she admitted she knew very little about her new husband herself.

Sara stared at her for a long time before poking Chloe's forehead. "You've got some guts! You married a guy you met once? If you needed a place to stay, you could have moved in with me! My family has plenty of extra rooms."

The James family was quite well-off; Sara only ran the bookstore to kill time.

"And if you wanted to get married just to ease your sister's mind, you could have married my cousin! He's honest, kind, and has a great job. He would have married you in a heartbeat. Isn't that better than a total stranger?"

Sara frowned. "Are you sure that old lady didn't set you up? What if she faked the fall just to trap you?"

Chloe laughed. "Sara, your cousin already has a girlfriend. And Grandma Jones isn't like that. Even though I don't know Mr. Jones well, I can tell he's a decent man. Besides, I was just looking for a roommate for life."

Sara grumbled, "My aunt doesn't even like my cousin's girlfriend anyway... Look, marriage isn't a game. You can't just find a random 'roommate' to spend the rest of your life with. I'm telling you, Chloe, if your sister finds out the truth, she's going to be devastated."