Chapter 1 Marrying Just Anyone

A surgical bed rolled into the operating room, with an unconscious woman sprawled on it.

Barely hanging on to her senses, Isabella Taylor caught sight of the surgical lights, the medical staff in their scrubs, and then, a familiar face - her cousin, Bianca Taylor.

Bianca's eyes were brimming with triumphant malice and cruelty.

'Am I gonna die? I don't wanna die. Who's gonna save me?' Isabella prayed silently, but as the anesthesia kicked in, her thoughts got fuzzier.

It was said that people recalled their entire life before they died.

In her final moments, Isabella thought of her long-time boyfriend, John Williams, the guy she’d loved for eight years. Just when they were about to tie the knot, she found out he was messing around with Bianca.

It wasn’t just the betrayal in love; John needed her kidney to save Bianca, and that made Isabella feel utterly hopeless.

Thinking back to the moment before she was drugged, the eyes behind the attacker's mask looked a lot like John's.

'Am I really gonna die this time? I haven't done anything wrong – why is this happening to me? If I die, will my husband even cry? Probably not. After all, we haven't known each other very long.' Isabella's last thoughts were of her current husband, a man she had married shortly after meeting.

Suddenly, the operating room doors burst open, and Isabella thought she saw her husband, Michael Williams, rushing in to save her.

A few days earlier, Isabella had come home excited to see John, only to find him wrapped around his cousin Bianca.

Bianca, sitting in a wheelchair, looked all fragile and teary-eyed as she said to Isabella, "Isabella, you will forgive me and let John go, right?"

Isabella had no intention of forgiving Bianca; she actually wanted to slap that despicable woman.

What really broke Isabella's heart was John. He was using marriage to blackmail her, saying that if she didn’t give her kidney to Bianca, he’d make her disappear from the world forever.

John's family was powerful, being the heirs of the Williams family, and Isabella knew he could make good on his threat.

Once, the Taylor Family had a similar status among the four great families, but due to some changes, they were knocked off their pedestal and replaced by the rising Brown Family.

As the top family among the four, the Williams Family was the best shot at helping the Taylor Family regain their former glory.

The union between Isabella and John was seen as the greatest hope by her father, Jasper Taylor.

However, at that moment, what seemed like hope to Isabella was actually a cruel joke.

Standing at the entrance of City Hall, Isabella gazed into the distance, waiting for someone to arrive. It was a guy recommended to her by a dating website, eager to marry a virtuous woman to deal with family pressure to get hitched.

"John, you jerk, trying to use marriage to threaten me. I'll just marry any guy! I want you to know that you are not irreplaceable," Isabella muttered to herself, filled with anger and losing her composure.

In the distance, an ordinary car rolled up. A guy in a black suit stepped out. Seeing his face, Isabella immediately recognized him as the man she was about to marry.

His name was Michael Williams. At first, Isabella was worried about his last name, but she was relieved to find out he was just an employee at a company within the Williams Family. The shared surname was just a coincidence.

As he walked up to her, Michael gave her a once-over. "You must be Ms. Taylor, right? You're even more stunning in person than in the photos."

Michael was handsome, oozing mature male charm. When he smiled, his lips had this elegant, slightly seductive curve. Isabella thought he belonged in a modeling agency, not stuck behind a desk.

"Thanks for the compliment; you're quite handsome yourself," Isabella replied politely.

"So, Ms. Taylor, are you sure about marrying me?" Michael asked again.

Faced with this question, Isabella thought of her ex, John. But the image of him cozying up to Bianca filled her with resentment and hurt.

"I've made up my mind. Let's get married," Isabella said earnestly to Michael.

"Alright, let's go inside then," Michael casually took Isabella's hand and led her into City Hall.

Michael's natural gesture made Isabella suspicious. 'We've only just met. Is it a bit impolite for him to act this way? Could the information he provided be fake? Maybe he's a player, but what does it matter? We're not getting married for love anyway.'

Pushing aside her unease, Isabella filled out the forms. When the staff collected their documents and handed them the marriage certificate, Isabella felt a sense of relief.

"No one can use marriage to threaten me anymore," Isabella said, looking at the marriage certificate and finally smiling.

Suddenly, Isabella's phone rang from her bag. Glancing at the caller ID, her expression changed.

Isabella picked up the phone and stepped aside to answer the call.

"Hello, Mr. Williams." Isabella's voice carried a hint of warmth.

If John disgusted her, then John's grandfather, Mason Williams, made her feel affectionate, as he had arranged their marriage.

Mason's hearty voice came through the phone, "Isabella, I heard you're back from abroad. Why don't you come to see me? I really miss you. I'm hosting a banquet tomorrow. Why don't you come over, and I'll introduce you to John's uncle?"

Mason's words made Isabella pause; she knew Mason wanted to see her marry John, but that was no longer possible, and no one knew about her marriage. She agreed to attend the banquet and planned to tell Mason the truth.

After hanging up the phone, Isabella felt someone approaching from behind. Turning around, she saw Michael.

"Do you have something else to say, Mr. Williams?" Isabella asked.

Michael shrugged, still wearing that smug smile. "I just wanted to ask, Mrs. Taylor, do you remember our earlier agreement?"