Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

"After he was banished, unlike his family and friends who made him believe that your grandmother would leave him, she instead proved them wrong by sticking with your grandfather through thick and thin. Your grandaunt was not pleased that she couldn’t break the two apart, so she started to make things difficult for them until they gave birth to your mother and her sister.

"To hurt your grandparents, your grandaunt stole the children from the cradle and initiated them into the cult. After a month, she returned the children, but your grandmother had already developed an illness from the ordeal. Your grandmother was too scared to remain in Country M, so they went to Country A, Rose city to hide away from their enemy, but the children had already been bewitched.

"When they turned five, the dark magic that your grandaunt used on them started to manifest and the kids got sick to the point of near death. Nothing could heal them and the only thing they wanted was to be sent to the cult.

"Your grandmother didn’t want to do that, but your grandfather couldn’t watch her and the kids suffered so much, so he sent the kids to the cult. When they became teenagers, the dark magic started to wear off and your mothers became a handful in the cult–breaking rules, and going wild.

"Your grandaunt didn’t want to kill your mothers because she needed something to control your grandparents emotions with, so she allowed them to reunite with their parents but with a condition that they must spend half a month with their parents and half a month in the cult, until your mothers drifted out of her control.

"The black magic no longer worked, so she used Alex, who was the most defiant, against Alice and Diana, their best friend. For Alice and your grandparents to be free from your grandaunt’s manipulation, Alex convinced everyone that she was evil, so she later got banished by your grandfather, hastening your grandmother’s death.

"By now, you must have deduced that there is nothing like an heir or a gifted Doyenne. Everything is a scheme by your grandaunt. She doesn’t want your family to slip off her fingers, which is why she immediately made the hidden witches of the cult to name you the next heir from your mother’s womb.

"I believe you’ve been having nightmares that don’t add up? It’s one of the things the witches did to make you believe that you belong to them. Same things were done to your mothers. To know that the cult is a fraud, the heir according to the rules they set, was not supposed to fall in love or deflower, but even after you gave birth, they still won’t leave you alone.

"Do you know why they haven’t brazenly approached you yet?"

Jeslyn shook her head. True, none of them had approached her until now.

"It’s because they wanted you to hit the last button in your life before they came to you. That would have happened when you faced trials in your life, but unfortunately, Alex didn’t give them a second to realize their schemes, so she immediately arranged for you to be with her in jail.

"They couldn’t do anything with her secretly protecting you. And when you came out of jail, you were under your husband’s sanctuary.

"They couldn’t attack your husband because he’s a very stubborn man and also, he had the Dark Age behind him. Your husband might have refused to be one of the Dark Age, it didn’t mean that they weren’t protecting him because he is their Holy son."

"What makes the Dark Age different? Jeslyn asked.

"Unlike the Half– heart who are focused on ruining men, the Dark Age is focused on power and technology. Until this day, I have no idea where their base is. The reason they valued your husband above all, was not because of his power or savagery, but because of his brain.

"The Dark Age lost their right hand when your father-in-law died. So when they saw the potential in your husband to be the next technology expert, they tried to rope him in, but your stubborn husband stood by his words and never hid his hatred for them.

"However, after your son came into the picture, I noticed that they changed how they treated your husband. And that is because they are observing your son to see how good he is with technology. I can guarantee that your husband will be killed if your son shows his talent...

"I can confidently say that was one of the reasons your husband left his son out of school for six years. He created a facade for the Dark Age to think that his son was a rotten child who can’t achieve much in life just to buy time until he finished his Virtual project.

"But then, you came along and unknowingly ruined everything for him, causing him to hasten all his plans..."

Jeslyn bit her lips and tightened her hold on the coat. The air suddenly feels chilly around her. Before she could speak, Nancy continued.

"Jeslyn, do you know why your husband ignored the Xu family after they injected his son with ATOM?" she asked and Jeslyn shook her head with her eyes brimming with tears.

"It is because they bought him more time. Thanks to what they did, the organization thought the child wouldn’t be able to survive, while Doc Matt was secretly doing everything to cure the child..."

Jeslyn wiped her tears and asked. "How did you know all these?"

"Because I have access to any information I want to know." She smiled.

"I was the first they tried ATOM on, when it was created. According to what ATOM was supposed to be at first, it was made with the intention to control a person’s mind but their experiment failed."

"I’m sorry, I can’t understand. Why does your husband seem to hate you that much?"

"Power, wealth, fame, and the ability to rule the world alone... he wants to be the god of the world. My coca farm, and your husband’s brain is all he needs. And what he cannot get, he destroys it."

"These vultures need to be stopped!"

"Indeed. That’s what your husband had been trying to do for years. If he had let his plans known, maybe I would have been of help. But unfortunately, no one knows what he’s up to."

"Can’t they be killed? I’m sure they are still humans. Killing the leaders would be disorienting to them, right?"

Nancy shook her head, "It’s not that easy.. Also, killing the leader doesn’t change much. Another person will take over immediately when the leader dies."