"Sir, I heard that your bride has run away. If so, please allow me to take her place. I am willing to be your bride."
Willow's words made the man's eyes narrow slightly. For a moment, she saw a hint of surprise in the man's dark eyes.
He stared at her for a moment. Laced with surprise, held a sharp edge, "Miss, are you sure about this? I am a disabled. If you marry me, you will regret it sooner or later."
Willow didn't answer the man's words directly. Instead, she her gaze intently at the man's handsome face, and then she asked, "Sir, please answer my question, would you ever abandon your wife for another woman?"
"Of course not!" the man replied without hesitation, his tone firm. And so was his face.
"In that case, I won't regret it either." said Willow, her resolve unwavering. "As long as you agree, I will marry you."
Seeing the sincerity in Willow's eyes, the man had no reason to refuse. With a slow and deliberate nod, he replied, "Okay, then let's get married."
And just like that, Willow's marriage happened. The wedding, which was almost canceled, went ahead as planned.
With the priest as a witness, the two of them steadily exchanged vows, their voices full of conviction and confidence without any hesitation.
As they walked out of the church, Willow felt a strange sense of unreality.
How ironic that, in just a few hours, she had married a man she didn't know at all. Had been a completely stranger.
While gently pushing her husband's wheelchair, Willow walked along the floor to the parking lot, suddenly She realized something, "By the way, I don't even know your name. My name Willow Brody."
"Rainer Stuart" he responded, his voice calm.
His face didn't seem to be rippling.
Willow's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you're Rainer Stuart? The eldest son of the Stuart family?"
Rainer grinned when he saw the shock on Willow's face. There was a hint of mockery in his smile.
"What's the matter? Now that you know you've married a man who is considered a loser by everyone, do you regret it?
The story of Rainer Stuart, the eldest son of the powerful Stuart family, was well known throughout of the town.
His mother had died in childbirth. And his father had remarried.
Later, a car accident left the man paralyzed, and transforming him into what many perceived loser.
When her stepmother gave birth to a boy, she became even more of an outcast within in the Stuart family.
Without his grandmother, Anie Stuart, who always defends and protects him, Rainer would have likely been discarded.
So far, Rainer has experienced various injustices. He was left to fend for himself. His fate is far worse than someone living on the streets. It was pathetic.
In his mind, no woman in her right mind would willingly marry a man like him unless she was only after his money.
He wasn't just a disabled person, he was the outcast son of a Stuart family. He fully expected Willow to be disappointed.
He was prepared to see regret or bitterness looming on the woman's face.
However, to his surprise, Willow did not look at him with pity or disdain, but with a deep and unspoken understanding, as if she saw Rainer, just as he was, a different soul abandoned by those who should have loved him.
Willow shook her head softly and held out her hand, she took Rainer's gently, "I told you, once I've made my decision, I won't regret it. Now that we're married, I'm going to make sure you have a real home and family, a warm and loving home."
"Is that so?" Rainer's voice was laced with doubt, doubt that was evident in the man's eyes. "Let's see then."
He didn't believe Willow's words, that's how Willow perceived it.
Rainer was betting curious, wondering how long she could keep this marriage going after she realized there was nothing to be gained from it.
Then a luxury car pulled up in front of them, interrupting Rainer's reverie.
"Let's go..." he said, his tone sounding commanding.
Willow paused, uncertainty flickering appearing in her eyes, "Where are you taking me?"
"Home, of course," he replied quite confidently, "We're married now, so of course, we'll be living together."
Home?
The word home reminded her of the house she had lived in with Felix. Her heart skip beat. The house she had worked so hard to build for their future together.
However, after marrying Rainer, she knew that she had to break with her past.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Rainer and said, "There are some things I need to take care of first. Can you share your contact information and address with me? I'll be moving in as soon as I'm done."
Rainer raised his eyebrows, his gaze sharp, "You don't want me to give you a ride?"
"No, that's fine." she replied, her voice firm yet soft. "I can manage myself, I don't want to trouble you."
He didn't argue. After exchanging phone numbers, the man got into the car and drove off.
Half an hour later, Willow was standing in front of the apartment she shared with Felix.
She turned the key and heard the door creak open, revealing a room full of memories.
Willow stepped inside, noticing every detail of the familiar part of the house, the tablecloth, the potted houseplants, each piece had been carefully chosen, reminding her of her relationship with Felix, her heart felt cold.
Now, the house felt like a prison. A prison that locked her in the past.
Without thinking, she moved towards all the decorations, tore them down, removed all the plants, and threw them all into the trash.
She had chosen to start anew, and that meant leaving the past behind, no matter how much it hurt.
After cleaning up the remnants of her old life, she started packing up her belongings. She was so engrossed that she didn't hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
Felix, the man had returned. He, standing tall at the door, a look of shock and disbelief on his face. He couldn't hold back any longer to ask,
"Willow, what are you doing?"