Contract Marriage: The Replacement Groom

The next day, Brian went to see Pink at the house his father put her in. Standing by her bedroom door, he called, "Mom?"

Pink, who was looking out the window, turned and smiled. "You’re here."

He stepped into the room and squatted by her wheelchair. "How have you been?"

"I’ve been well. I saw the racing commercial. Your Sister is in the City but I haven’t seen her. Is she well?"

"Mn. Jeslyn is busy with work and asked me to take you back to the Capital."

"Why?" Pink frowned slightly.

"It’s a long story..."

"Tell me the important things."

Brian sighed, "She believed what my foster mother told her. MS. Nancy told her Dad is a bad person. And he’s only using us for–"

"Do as she says. Take me to the Capital."

"Mom, do you believe her? She’s quite silly and–"

"Your sister is the brightest child I’ve ever seen."

"I’m not sure you are referring to Jeslyn. Do I have another sister somewhere?" he gave her a skeptical look.

"Hahaha... Don’t be so hard on her. She’s indeed a smart child."

"I still doubt that, though. Else she wouldn’t have been so stupid with those cursed sisters of hers." He sneered.

Pink couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile. "She was caught off guard by those she loved the most, so she couldn’t believe for a moment that they could betray her like they did. However, I watched her grow and unleashed her potential. She was never weak, but rather too soft-hearted."

"But mom, we shouldn’t take her words too seriously. What if she turns out to be mistaken? I’m very sure she is though. I’m just afraid that she will regret listening to my foster mother." He sighed.

"Brian," Pink held his hands. "I also don’t know why Jeslyn feels that way towards your father, but believe me, Maverick taught her well. She wouldn’t make up things, nor let someone like Nancy tell her what to believe. Let’s trust her this once, huh?"

Brian didn’t know what to feel after hearing this. The young man still couldn’t accept it. But he doesn’t want to fight with his mother and sister, so he nodded.

"Ok. We should get going."

Pink didn’t take anything that Hwang Min bought for her, except the wheelchair she was sitting on. Even the clothes she was wearing was the same biker wear she had on when she first approached her son.

Seeing the clothes brought back sweet memories that Brian couldn’t help but chuckle and cry at the same time. His mother came to the City with a complete body, but leaving as a cripple. Maybe this is why Jeslyn is angry at their father, he thought.

When he pushed his mother to the front door, two guards blocked their way.

"I’m sorry, Young Master. Your father said no one is allowed to take her away." one of the guards said.

"I beg your pardon?" Brian frowned. "I want to take my mom for a stroll and you dare to stop me?!"

"I’m deeply sorry," the guard bowed. "But I’ll have to offend you this time."

"Is Hwang Min putting me under house arrest?" Pink asked.

"I can’t answer that question –"

"Paah!"

Brian landed a hot slap on the guard’s cheek. "How dare you use that tone of voice on my mother?!" Brian boiled with rage.

The guard gritted his teeth but didn’t respond. At that moment, another guard walked over with about fifteen men.

"Young Master," the leading guard bowed before others followed suit. "It’s not very nice to put your hands on people. These days, you don’t know who is not having a good day."

"Brother Slice, are you threatening me?"

Slice is Hwang Min’s right hand man. He is extremely powerful and has no fear or respect for anyone but Hwang Min. It was him who taught Brian how to fight, yet Brian can’t hold a candle to him.

"Young Master is all grown now, you shouldn’t make such jokes." He smiled.

"Why are you stopping us from going out?"

"Young Master, we are not trying to disobey you. But your father left the order because the city is not safe and he’s not home. Have you forgotten what Madam Nancy is capable of? She tortured your mother, and almost burnt her alive. It was luck that even though your mother was unconscious and the windows were locked, your mother was still able to save herself, though–"

"How did you know I was unconscious and the windows were locked?" Pink looked at the guy. His laid back manner of speaking greatly irked her and now, he just gave her something to thing about.

Brian narrowed his eyes. "Slice, how did you know?" It is indeed strange for a person who wasn’t there to know the patient and her room.

Slice looked from the mother to son and laughed. "It was late into the night. Isn’t it common sense that hospital windows will be locked and that you would be sleeping?"

"No. Common sense is that, as a patient who was feeling restless, I’d be standing by the window, receiving fresh air. Until..." Pink’s eyes snapped open.

What happened that night finally came rushing back. All along, what happened that night had been foggy in her mind. She had Bern following Hwang Mind’s narrative all along.

On that night, she received an injection and after the doctor left, she went and opened the window for fresh air. However it didn’t take long before she started to feel sleepy and lost consciousness. By the time she woke up, smoke was everywhere. Without thinking, she jumped out of the window.

Pink lowered her eyes and looked at her legs. If only her legs were still working. Killing these guys in front of her would have been a piece of cake. She took a deep breath and smiled.

"Indeed, you are right. Hospitals don’t allow for windows to be opened to prevent airborne diseases. You are also right that Nancy is still after my life. I must not die until I seek vengeance for my legs." She sharply looked at the guard, causing him to flinch when he saw the bloodlust in those orbs. By the time he blinked, her eyes had returned to normal. It felt like an illusion.

"Son, take me back in. I’ll wait until your father returns."

"But mom–"

"Don’t be so disobedient. If Nancy attacks us on the way, I won’t be able to save myself and would rather be a burden to you."

"The guards can come with us if that’s what you fear."

Pink shook her head, "Don’t bother. Going out for fun would be better with Ming’er by my side." She smiled before turning her wheelchair to go back in.

Brian didn’t argue anymore and followed his mother back into the house. When they got in, he couldn’t wait to ask:

"Mom, what was that for?"

"What do you mean?" she asked with a smile.

Brian stared foolishly at her for a while before he sat on the bed without knowing what to say.

Pink sighed and held his hand. "You worry too much. I want to wait for Ming’er. You and your sister should go without me. After all, Nancy is after me and not you two." while saying that, she was writing in Brian’s palm, telling him there were CCTV cameras in the room.

Brian gritted his teeth and balled his fist. Why would there be CCTV cameras in his mother’s room? And why would his father stop his mother from leaving the City? The accident that caused her to become crippled, was that truly his father’s doing? But why?

Brian is an actor. Since his mother was acting, naturally he knew what to do, so he went along. "Nancy! I keep telling Jeslyn not to be influenced by that woman. You were almost deceived too." He sighed. "I’m relieved that you have thought things through. I’ll talk to Jeslyn and try to persuade her again. If she refuses to listen, I’ll send her back to the Capital before that woman brainwash her completely."

"That will be better. If possible, let her see me before she leaves."

Meanwhile, inside a control room, Slice was seen with the guard Brian slapped earlier, staring at the mother and son on the TV in front of them.

"Are you sure they aren’t acting?"

"Whether they are acting or not does not change anything. There’s nothing they can do even if the truth about Master is revealed."

"Hm. What about Young Master? Should we allow him to leave?"

"Yes. If he doesn’t return home, Madam Nancy won’t find it funny and we’d be in big trouble."

The guy touched his swollen cheek and a crazed look flickered across his eyes for a moment.

"Hey, don’t you dare think about hurting the Young Master. I’ll drill a hole through your heart and hang your dead body on a billboard." Slice warned.

"I wouldn’t dare!" The other guard lowered his head as a glint flashed through his eyes.