Raindrops tapped against the car window like someone silently weeping.
Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, Lin Waning clutched a curled invitation tightly in her hand. On the pristine white card, the gold-embossed words gleamed coldly:
Shen & Xu Wedding BanquetGroom: Shen ZhiyuanBride: Xu Yao
Her ex-fiancé.Her best friend.
The wedding was just three days away.
Lin Waning never imagined that those two shameless people would betray her so openly. She could still remember a few months ago when Xu Yao cried in her arms, saying:
"Waning, if only I could marry a man like Zhiyuan one day."
Apparently, she no longer wanted someone like Zhiyuan—she just took him.
The taxi pulled up in front of the Lin family's old residence. Lin Waning took a deep breath, opened her umbrella, and stepped into the familiar courtyard.
But what greeted her wasn't concern.It was her mother's cold gaze—and a sentence that cut like a knife:
"Since he's marrying Xu Yao now, don't come back here and embarrass yourself anymore."
She froze. Her body went cold.
Her mother pushed her out the door, disgust in her voice:"You're useless anyway. The company belongs to your father, and you have no right to inherit anything. Now that you've caused such a scandal, we might as well pretend you were never born!"
Bang!The heavy door slammed shut, as if it had closed off her entire life.
Standing in the rain, soaked from head to toe, the invitation in her hand turned into a soggy pulp and slipped silently from her fingers—just like the last shreds of her dignity.
She walked into the nearest café and ordered the cheapest Americano. As she sat down, her phone buzzed with a message from the HR department of her company:
"Due to departmental restructuring, your employment contract is hereby terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service."
In just three days, she had lost her love, her job, her family—and had been discarded like a joke.
She didn't know how she managed to walk out of the café. All she knew was that her feet were moving, but her heart was already dead.
Night fell. Neon lights cast a kaleidoscope of colors onto the pavement.She wandered aimlessly until she found herself sitting on a bench near the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Then another message popped up.
From Xu Yao:
"I'm sorry, Waning. I didn't mean for this to happen. I truly love Zhiyuan. You know you were never good enough for him."
Attached was a photo of Xu Yao in a wedding dress.
Her hand trembled, and her phone slipped from her grip, smashing onto the ground.Tears streamed down her cheeks, uncontrollable now.
"Am I really this worthless?"
A deep, magnetic voice sounded behind her.
"If all you want is revenge, I might be able to help."
She turned sharply. A man in a black suit stood in the shadows of the lamplight. His features were sharp, and his aura was sharp as a blade.
He handed her a pristine sheet of paper. At the top, it read:
Marriage Agreement
"One year. Legal marriage. No interference in each other's personal lives. No emotional involvement. You can walk away at any time."
"Who are you?" she asked.
His lips thinned into a cold line, and his tone was firm, laced with overwhelming pressure:"Shen Sihan."
Lin Waning's heart skipped a beat.
Shen Sihan.The current CEO of the Shen Group. A legend in the business world—ruthless, decisive, and cold-blooded. She had seen his face countless times in the financial news.
"Why are you doing this?"
*"Because I need a marriage to block certain troubles. And you…" He paused, voice like a scalpel. "You seem free enough—and clean enough."
His words cut deep. Her heart ached.
She wanted to laugh. But she couldn't.
She had nothing left to lose. She had been pushed into the dirt. Even dignity was a luxury now.
"Fine. I'll sign it." Without hesitation, she picked up the pen and wrote down her name.
Shen Sihan glanced at her, something flickering in his eyes.
"Tomorrow. Civil Affairs Bureau. Don't be late."
The next morning.
Lin Waning arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau in a plain white shirt and jeans. Her long hair was tied up casually. She wore no makeup, but her face was calm and resolute.
Shen Sihan was already there, waiting.
Behind him was a limited-edition black Maybach. His assistant stood silently nearby.
They handed over their documents and began the registration process.
"Are you sure? This isn't something to take lightly," the clerk said hesitantly.
Lin Waning nodded. "I'm sure."
The flash went off as their marriage photo was taken.
She looked at her pale face in the picture, eyes void of light.Beside her, the man remained as stern and emotionless as if this were just a business deal.
Shen Sihan took the red marriage certificate, his thin lips moving slightly:
"From today onward, you are Mrs. Shen."
Lin Waning's lips twitched. She wanted to smile—but couldn't.
In that moment, she transformed from a discarded ex-fiancée to the wife of the Shen family's heir.
But she knew this marriage was nothing more than a transaction.
What she didn't know…Was how this absurd beginning would change her fate forever.
But one thing she knew for sure—
She would never let anyone trample on her again.