My arranged fiancé was chosen by lot

chapter 3

On Kama's account that had millions of followers, she posted a photo with the caption:

"A perfect day: the right dress, the right hand to hold, listening to music I love."

The image showed her and Neil holding hands, kissing like no one else existed.

Almost immediately, the media started digging through my old postsespecially the ones where I'd publicly confessed to Neil. They lined them up next to Kama's and turned it into an online roast session.

The worst part? Neil liked one of the top comparison videos.

That made everything worse and added fuel to fire.

"Janet Edward humiliated" became a meme.

I deleted my account without another word and sent a message to our company's PR team.

Ten minutes later, all the related posts and trending hashtags were wiped clean.

...

The day before the engagement party.

I stopped by the office to handle some documents, but before I could even settle in, two of theBauers' bodyguards forced me into a black SUV and drove me straight to their estate.

As soon as I stepped inside, I saw Kama crying on the sofa, tears falling like she was performing for a camera crew.

Neil sat beside her, whispering sweetly into her ear.

But the second he saw me, his expression turned icy.

"Janet Edward, you've gone too far. All Kama did was post something online, and you had all her accounts taken down? You know she makes her living on social media. You've just destroyed her future!"

I frowned, completely caught off guard.

"I only had my name and related tags removed. That's all. I didn't do anything to her account."

"Still lying?" he snapped. "Who else could pull that off but you? Admit ityou're jealous!"

"I didn't"

I barely got the words out before a cold, mocking voice rang out from the staircase.

"Arguing with your fianc before the engagement party? Is this how the Edwards raise their daughter?"

MargotBauer took a seat across from me with a haughty look.

Neil's father, Kerwin Bauer, who used to bow respectfully in front of me just weeks ago, now sat with one leg crossed over the other.

"Janet," he said, "we don't approve of spoiled princesses like you. But since we've heard you're desperate to marry our son, we'll allow it.

"On one condition: you should give us fifty percent of the entire Edwards estate."

I let out a laugh in disbelief and shook my head, ready to reject it outright.

But before I could speak, one of the bodyguards behind me jabbed me hard in the knee.

I gasped in pain and collapsed to the floor.

Margot waved her hand, and a maid appeared, holding a tray of tea.

"You'll be our daughter-in-law soon anyway," she said with a smirk. "No harm in having you serve me some tea a little early."

...

"Miss Edward," the maid said, pushing a cup toward me. "You'll need to kneel and serve this to MadamBauer."

She shoved a hot cup of tea into my hands. I barely touched it before the heat burned my skin. The cup slipped from my hand and shattered on the marble floor.

"Janet! You haven't even learned basic respect for your elders?" Neil shouted.

I looked down at my reddened fingers and shook my head.

"I'll only serve tea to my in-laws. Since you don't want to marry me, and I don't want to marry you, why should I?"

I planted a hand on the floor and tried to stand, but the bodyguards seized my arms and held me in place.

I fought back with everything I had.

"What do you think you're doing?! I'm the daughter of the Edwards! How dare you treat me like this?!"

Margot stepped forward, furious, and slapped me across the face.

The impact stunned me, as if every slap from my past life came rushing back in that moment.

"The engagement party is tomorrow, and you're still acting out?!"

"Neil, look at this girl. This is who you want to marry? She has no manners nor respect!"

Neil didn't even glance at me.

"She's the one who begged to marry me. If not for her clinging to me, I'd be marrying Kama."

Kama burst into tears again.

"Neil, I've dreamed of marrying you but my family doesn't have power. We could never go against someone like the Edwards."

She sobbed harder, and Neil's expression softened. He walked over and looked down at me like I was trash on the floor.

"You're the one who schemed to get this engagement party, Janet. Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Chapter 5

"Fine," Neil said coldly. "But you have to agreeafter we're married, you're not allowed to interfere with any of my decisions. And you're not going back to the Edwards. You'll live in our house, take care of my parents, and look after Kama and me."

A maid brought over a prenup and placed it in front of me.

Printed right at the top was this:

[50% of the Edwards' total assets to be included as wedding gift to theBauers]

I clenched my hands, refusing to sign. My eyes burned red as I glared at him.

"Neil! I'm not even marrying you!"

Margot seized the moment and slapped me hard across the face.

"Is this the kind of girl the great Edwards raised? To be disobedient and disrespectful to her future husband?!

"Looks like someone needs to teach you proper manners before you embarrass theBauers after marriage. Don't worry, I'll do the job your parents clearly failed at."

That day, I lost count of how many times I was slapped

How many times they forced my hand onto a contract

Before they let me go, they gave one final demand:

At the engagement party, I was to wear a green dress.

Because Margot and Kama would be wearing red.

I couldn't help but find it absurd.

...

The next day, at the engagement party.

I showed up in a brand new red gown I had designed myself.

My parents and the Monds were inside, chatting with guests. I stood at the door to welcome more guests.

Just before noon, theBauers made their grand entrance.

Their clothes screamed for attention. Kama was latched onto Neil's arm, wearing a vibrant red gown, while he wore black beside heras if they were the very picture of a newly wed.

Normally, Kerwin would be bowing and smiling to everyone.

Today? Chin up, chest outas if he were the most important person in the room.

Margot's face darkened the second she saw me still wearing red.

"Where are your parents?" she snapped. "I need to know what kind of family raises someone with no sense of etiquette!"

We had invited some prominent guests, and I didn't want to cause a scene.

"They're inside. You can go in and"

Before I could finish, she jabbed her finger hard into my shoulder.

"I said bring them out!"

I flinched and took a step back. From the corner of my eye, I saw Neil approaching with a blank, uninterested face.

He stepped beside me, as if he were there to help greet the guests.

"You got what you wanted, Janet. Hope you're happy," he said under his breath. "But don't get too comfortable. You may have mebut you'll never have my heart."

His words dripped with resentment, like I had ruined his life just by existing.

"Neil, I think there's been a huge misunderstanding. I actually"

"You're ignoring me?" Margot cut in, raising her voice. "Did you forget how you knelt and begged yesterday?"

She held up her phone and played the video of me on the floor.

Gasps spread through the room. People stopped to watch. Some even started filming on their phones.

Reporters near the entrance caught wind of the chaos and pushed past the barricade.

"Miss Edward, is this your future mother-in-law asserting dominance?"

"Is kneeling a sign of submission? Are the Edwards bowing to the Bauers now?"

My breath caught in my throat. I waved for security before grabbing Neil's arm.

"Neil! Make her take the video down!"

But he stepped aside and calmly adjusted his tie.

"If this teaches you how to respect your in-laws, then I don't see the problem with a little humiliation."

"You

"Neil, your whole family is insane!"

"You begged to marry into this family. What right do you have to insult us?" Neil sneered.

That was the last straw.

I grabbed the nearest bottle off the table and raised it, ready to throw it right at his head.

But just as I lifted it, a hand gently closed around my wrist.

I turned.

There stood Jared, dressed in crisp white. His gaze was calm but piercing.

"Mr.Bauer," he said coolly, "how many lives do you think your mother has to dare force my fiance to kneel?"