Substitute Marriage: Reborn As The Top Big-Shot
作者: Deutsche Unforgotten© WebNovel
章節 1: 001: Truly climbing up the social ladder
River City.
A magnificent living room.
The crystal chandelier and marble floor refracted dazzling light.
An old woman with white hair sat rigidly on the sofa. Her simple clothing was out of place in such a setting, and her voice was low, "Your mother has passed away, and Viola is now seriously ill. No matter what, Viola is still your daughter..."
Sitting in front of the old woman was a well-dressed, elegant lady.
She wore a limited-edition Chanel jacket, a black half-skirt that accentuated her perfect figure, and a pair of limited-edition Chanel leather shoes.
Every inch of her exuded nobility and elegance. It was hard to believe that she was already the mother of an 18-year-old child.
The old woman chose her words carefully and continued, "Olga, your mother's dying wish was for you and your husband to bring Viola back. She's now seriously ill, and you can't just watch her die out in the countryside..."
At this, Olga's face remained gentle, but her words were as sharp as a knife, "Bring her back, and what about Emma? Auntie, don't forget, only Emma is my real daughter, my mother's real granddaughter!"
The elegant lady deliberately stressed the word 'real'.
Did she think Olga would raise a bastard?
What a ridiculous idea!
The old woman sighed, obviously having expected this outcome. "Although Viola doesn't share blood ties with you and your husband, from the moment you adopted her from the orphanage, you became her real parents!"
"Viola has suffered a lot in the countryside these years! Your mother specifically asked me to tell you to treat Viola well in the future. Whatever Emma has, Viola can have too."
"What qualifications does she have to have the same things as Emma?" Olga stood up incredulously, nearly screeching, "I said back then to send her back to the orphanage, but my mother insisted on playing the good Samaritan!"
"I didn't stop her from playing the good Samaritan!" Olga said angrily, "Now she wants to dump her trash at our home, thinking our house is a trash can?"
At these words, the old woman stood up indignant, "If it weren't for Viola's good fortune, would you even have Emma? If it weren't for Viola's self-sacrifice when she donated part of her liver, Emma would have died long ago! You're being ungrateful and heartless!"
The liver transplant incident dated back eighteen years.
Eighteen years ago, Olga and her husband, Reg Thompson, had been trying to conceive but to no avail. They went to the hospital for a check-up, and the results showed that everything was normal.
Despite their healthy bodies, they couldn't get pregnant, so a friend introduced them to a famous fortune-teller. Following his advice, they adopted a child from the orphanage.
According to the fortune teller, Olga and Reg were destined to be childless, and the only way to change their fate was to adopt a child with siblings to alter their life trajectories.
Fearing the adopted child would be too old to fully integrate into the family, they chose baby Viola, who was only ten days old at the time.
As luck would have it, Olga discovered she was pregnant just two weeks after they brought Viola home.
Nine and a half months later, Olga and Reg's biological child, Emma, was born.
They named her Emma, which meant "love as precious as a gem, graced with the presence of a phoenix." In their eyes, Emma was a treasure cradled in their palms, a phoenix that soared through the heavens.
But when Emma was seven, she was suddenly diagnosed with liver failure and only had a few months left to live.
This news struck like lightning out of the blue!
It was at this time that Viola's life took a drastic turn.
From then on, Olga couldn't stand the sight of the healthy and spirited Viola. Why did her own daughter suffer from such a terrible illness at such a young age, while the wild seed from the orphanage lived the life of a wealthy young lady?
Olga blamed Viola for everything, believing that she had taken what was meant for Emma.
Viola should have been the one to suffer!
Though young, Viola sensed the change in her parents' attitude towards her. At such a young age, she lost her childlike innocence and her smile.
Yet even then, Olga couldn't stand her.
When Viola didn't smile, Olga accused her of having a deathly expression and being an unlucky person.
When Viola tried to please her with a smile, Olga accused her of reveling in her sister's misfortune, that she could still laugh while her little sister was dying, without a shred of conscience!
In those unbearable days, Viola could do nothing right.
What could a seven-year-old possibly understand about her own mistakes? She tried her best to become better and make her parents love her more. But all she received in return were cold stares, verbal abuse, and beatings...
It was also during this time that Viola was discovered to be a match for Emma's liver transplant, with a 90% success rate!
A month later, Viola and Emma were wheeled into the operating room together.
Viola thought that after the liver transplant, the family would live happily ever after.Who would have thought that before Viola had fully recovered, Reg Thompson and Olga, claiming that Viola was a jinx, wanted to send her back to the orphanage.
However, afraid of being gossiped about at the orphanage, Reg Thompson deliberately let his stepmother, Cynthia Wallace, know about this matter. Cynthia, a believer in Buddhism for many years, would surely stop them.
As expected, Cynthia Wallace, a devout Buddhist for many years, took Viola back home after hearing about this matter.
Because of the liver surgery, Viola's health had been poor over the years. She constantly suffered from various illnesses, and her body was extremely weak. Cynthia tried many methods, but Viola's condition did not improve.
When Olga heard that her third aunt said Viola was ungrateful, she became furious. "Ungrateful? Master Eliot said that Emma got sick at such a young age because of that jinx! Over the years, Emma's health has always been poor! It's all because of that jinx! Did we ever blame her? Every time my mom brought her over, didn't I treat her with good food and drink? And now, she actually dares to think of sharing equal treatment with Emma! How does she deserve it? After all, if we didn't bring her back from the orphanage back then, she might have died long ago! The ungrateful one is her!"
Cynthia Wallace didn't like her own granddaughter, but still thought about an outsider until her death. No wonder she died young!
Retribution!
Third Aunt was so angered by these inverted words that her heart ached, "Viola is not a jinx! She is the lucky star of your family! She brought Emma to you, and she saved Emma!"
It was because Viola had siblings in her fate that Reg Thompson and Olga had Emma.
And also because Viola's liver just happened to match with Emma successfully, that Emma was able to turn her situation around for the better.
However, now, not only did Olga not know how to be grateful, but she also blamed everything on Viola.
In the end, Aunt's voice was already choked with sobs, "Do you know, Viola is dying! I beg you to save her, this is your mother's only wish..."
Olga was unmoved, "It's better for such a jinx to die sooner and be reborn, so as not to harm people in the world."
Third Aunt looked up at Olga like this. Over the years, the late Cynthia Wallace often brought Viola back home for short visits so that Viola could get closer to Olga. Although Olga ignored Viola every time, Aunt felt that the two still had a mother-daughter bond. However, she never imagined that Olga would be so cold-blooded and ruthless.
...
After Aunt left.
Emma came down from the spiral staircase and glanced at the door, "Mom, who just came?"
"Who else could it be?" Contempt filled Olga's eyes.
"Someone came from the countryside?" Emma asked tentatively.
Olga nodded.
As expected.
Emma narrowed her eyes, "What did they come for?"
Olga still held a grudge in her heart, "Old fool, she even wanted us to take the jinx back before she died! So unlucky!"
Emma narrowed her eyes, "Mom, did you agree to let her come back?"
Olga replied: "Of course not!"
Emma took Olga's arm and spoke gently, "You should have agreed, actually."
"Emma!" Olga looked at Emma, "I know you're a kind-hearted girl! But you should know, kindness will only invite bullying! What right does that little bastard have to be living under the same roof with you? You two are not from the same world, she's not even worthy of serving you tea and water!"
Emma hugged Olga's arm and began to act coquettishly, "Mom, just let her come back! Now that Grandma is gone, how pitiful sister would be all alone."
Emma kept calling Viola her sister, sounding extremely close.
"No," Olga was very firm, "Emma, I can agree to anything else, but not this one! And she is not your sister!"
A little bastard, a jinx, what qualifications did she have to be Emma's sister?
"She is my sister." At this point, Emma paused. "And, sister has an engagement with the Lentz Clan! If she doesn't come back, how are we going to explain it to the Lentz Clan?"
Upon hearing this, Olga looked at Emma in surprise, "Do you mean... Let that jinx take your place and marry into the Lentz Clan?"
Emma shook her head, "Not as a substitute, Mom, have you forgotten? The original engagement with Terrence Lentz was with the eldest daughter of our family."
Viola was older than her by more than ten months, wouldn't she be the eldest daughter of the Thompson family?
Olga instantly understood what Emma meant, "Emma, you're right! The engagement with the Lentz Clan has nothing to do with you! It was always that jinx who had an engagement with that good-for-nothing!"
Terrence Lentz was the third-born in the Lentz family and was a prodigy when he was young.
He could recite poetry and paint at the age of ten, and by eleven, one of his paintings could sell for nearly a million dollars.
Otherwise, the Thompson family would not have gone to great lengths to join the Lentz family as in-laws.
Unfortunately, everything came to an abrupt halt when Terrence Lentz was thirteen years old.
At the age of thirteen, a car accident not only left Terrence Lentz's legs disabled but also damaged his brain. His talent disappeared, and Terrence Lentz turned from a great prodigy to a great good-for-nothing.
During the middle school examination, Terrence Lentz scored only 8 points, not even enough to get into an ordinary vocational school, making him a laughingstock.Each child in the Lentz family graduated from a prestigious school; how could Patriarch Lentz bear to see his precious grandson not get a proper education?
So, Patriarch Lentz spent a huge sum of money to get him into the best high school in the city. However, no matter how you tried to help him up, Terrence would always come tumbling down. Even when he was admitted to the best high school, Terrence was always at the bottom of the class; he couldn't even do elementary school math problems. Even his younger nephews and nieces mocked him and looked down on him.
Eventually, Patriarch Lentz stopped pushing him to study and let him work in the family's business.
Not only did Terrence have no talent, he also couldn't understand financial statements and was framed by others, ultimately getting kicked out of the board of directors from the company.
How pathetic!
Now, not only does Terrence have no talent, but he's also a cripple who needs a wheelchair after walking a few steps. It's no wonder a talented person like Elizabeth Thompson would not be interested in him!
Although Elizabeth is only in high school, she has already achieved great success in various fields. There are many possibilities for her in life, and she will definitely not stop at someone like Terrence Lentz.
She is a famous talented woman in River City and can't take the initiative to break off her engagement. After much thought, she finally came up with this idea.
Most importantly, Viola Thompson was the eldest daughter of the Thompson Clan. Even if people talked about it, this marriage should have belonged to her, and it would not affect her reputation.
Besides, the country bumpkin wouldn't pose any threat to her. Furthermore, having a country bumpkin by her side would make her stand out like a white swan.
Olga frowned, "What if that jinx comes back and curses you again?"
Elizabeth was her precious daughter, and she must not let anything go wrong with her.
"Mom, that won't happen! Didn't Master Eliot say that once I turn eighteen, no one can curse me!" Elizabeth said.
Olga trusted Master Eliot very much. Without Master Eliot, there would be no Elizabeth today. "Let's wait for your dad to come back tonight, and I'll discuss it with him."
In the evening, when Reg Thompson got back home, Olga told him about the matter.
Reg Thompson laughed heartily, "Indeed, a tiger father has no dog daughter!"
No doubt, Elizabeth's idea was excellent!
Although Terrence Lentz was a well-known cripple, their marriage contract between the Thompson and Lentz families was widely known. If they were to break the engagement now, it would definitely damage the Thompson family's reputation.
For wealthy families, reputation was of utmost importance.
"What if the folks in the village don't agree?" Olga was a little worried.
Although Reg Thompson's stepmother had died, there were still some poor relatives in the village, and poor people always had a lot of problems.
"Marrying into the Lentz family is a blessing that the jinx has acquired after three lifetimes!" Reg Thompson's voice was filled with anger, "They have no right to refuse!"
It was merely some distant relatives with no direct connection to the Thompson family. They had no right to meddle in their affairs.
"You're right," Olga nodded.
Even though Terrence Lentz was in a miserable state, he was still a well-known figure. This marriage was indeed high-reaching for Viola.
...
In an old, tiled house.
Under the dim light, an old woman held a bowl of soup and walked to the bedside. She said to the girl lying on the bed, "Viola, you'll feel better after drinking this medicine."
As Viola looked at the old woman in front of her, she was momentarily stunned, then a wave of memories erupted in her mind.
She had died.
She was alive again.
This girl was also named Viola and was eighteen years old. She had a rough life full of trials and tribulations; an orphan since childhood, she longed for a family but was abandoned time and time again by her relatives...
With this thought, Viola let out a soft sigh.
Poor girl, can't you rely on yourself?
Why did you place your hopes on others?
Seeing her sigh, the old woman asked with concern, "Viola, are you still feeling unwell?"
"Grandma," Viola's voice was hoarse and unrecognizable. She took the bowl of soup from Grandma, drank a sip, and said, "I feel much better. You don't need to worry."
Grandma continued, "Your mother called yesterday. She found you a doctor and said she would pick you up and take you home when you wake up."
It was strange how Olga, who was once disgusted with Viola, suddenly changed within just a few days.
Going home?
In the original Viola's memories, she had always longed for her parents to take her home.
At this moment, when Viola heard Grandma's words, an uncontrollable joy surged from her heart. That was the unwavering belief of the original Viola.During the time of the original Viola's terminal illness, all she dreamed of was a family reunion.
Grandma saw Viola's complexion was not too bad, and continued, "I'll give your mother a call."
"Okay." Viola nodded slightly, watching Grandma's back, her eyes slightly sinking.
She had a hunch that going home was not that simple.
...
The environment of Show Village was excellent, with beautiful scenery, surrounded by sea on all sides, making it a standard fishing village.
The people here were simple and honest, and due to the protection, there had been no cremation. Over the years, the tradition of earth burial had been preserved.
The scenery on the mountain was beautiful. A light rain had fallen last night, and now there was a white mist in between the mountains, like a fairyland on earth.
At this moment, there were two figures walking up the mountain.
A slightly shorter man turned his head toward the tall and slender man next to him, "Third Brother, what are we doing here?"
"Play." The man speaking wore work pants, a black T-shirt, black sunglasses covering most of his face, showing only a beautiful lower jaw, looking both cool and cold, with an unruly wildness.
This was none other than the famous cripple in the eyes of the people of River City.
Terrence Lentz.
The man standing next to Terrence Lentz was Adam Swantz, the eldest son of Swantz Group.
Adam Swantz turned to look at Terrence Lentz, squinting his eyes, "Third Brother, are you kidding? What's there to play in this desolate place?"
Terrence Lentz pursed his thin lips without explanation, brushing away the thorns under his feet, and continued walking.
"By the way, I heard your fiancée's hometown is in Show Village." Adam Swantz continued, "Why don't we go take a look? I heard she has an elder sister who grew up in the countryside."
"You mean," Terrence Lentz thought for a moment, "Kim Thompson?"
"Not Jin Feng! Her name is Elizabeth!"
"Oh." Terrence Lentz looked indifferent.
"Third Brother, how come you can't even remember the name of your own fiancée?"
Hearing this address, Terrence Lentz's cold lips raised a shallow curve, intriguing.
A moment later, he asked back, "What about it?"
His voice was a bit low, with a faint hint of tobacco.
What about it?
How could someone like Terrence Lentz, surrounded by fortune, not know his own luck?
Adam Swantz was speechless, "Third Brother, all the people in River City envy you for having a good fiancée, but you're just indifferent!" He couldn't even remember her name!
If this got out, the people in River City who admire Elizabeth Thompson could drown Terrence Lentz with a mouthful of saliva from each of them.
Not only was Elizabeth Thompson a famous talent in River City, but she was also as beautiful as a fairy. Although she was already engaged, countless people were still chasing her.
Compared to her, Terrence Lentz was a good-for-nothing.
He had a leg disease, a bad temper, no education, and most importantly, no business talent.
Terrence Lentz seemed to ignore Adam Swantz's words, turning his gaze to the other side.
"Third Brother, what are you looking at?"
Adam Swantz curiously followed his line of sight.
This look, he was slightly startled.
There he saw a slender figure walking through the woods with a bamboo basket.
The young girl wore a simple burgundy dress, which hugged her slender waist, the mountain breeze blowing her skirt, making it flutter in the wind, as if she could fly away at any time. Amidst the mist, she appeared ethereal, like an exiled fairy, her beauty somewhat unreal.
Although they couldn't see her face clearly, her aura was probably unmatched even by the famous Elizabeth Thompson.
Suddenly, she bent down and picked a brightly colored wildflower by the side.
With this movement, her red collar sagged slightly, revealing a section of white skin, like a touch of snow among the cold blooming red plum blossoms, with jade bones and icy muscles, very eye-catching.
Terrence Lentz leaned his body, put his hand on Adam Swantz's eyes, "Don't look without permission."
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