The streets were full of stories, the kind you had to slowly peel back, layer by layer.

Pull up a chair, grab some sunflower seeds—let’s spill some tea.

...

...

“Margaret, has Olivia found someone yet? She’s 28 now, isn’t she? Running around every day and still no man in sight. Tsk, tsk…”

“Last time, I introduced her to Thomas Allison’s son. Sure, his legs aren’t great, but he’s their only kid! Imagine—all the family’s property and money will go to them. Girls need to think long-term, not just focus on looks and be so picky.”

“At her age, what’s there to pick? Keep at it, and she’ll end up a spinster. What’s the use of being pretty when she doesn’t even have a proper job? Looks fade, women age, and then what?”

Margaret didn’t get mad at their chatter. After all, she knew her daughter well. “Olivia’s not in a rush to get married. Let her handle her own business.”

Olivia, sitting nearby, quietly ate her food. Today, she was here to celebrate her grandparents’ birthday with her mom. She did her best to hold her tongue and avoid causing any drama.Relatives all knew that Olivia Bennett had opened her own makeup studio after graduation. In their eyes, not landing a government job or a "proper" salaried position meant she was just fooling around.

Especially for a girl—doing makeup? As a career? That’s so not respectable.

They never took her seriously. They were always trying to set her up with guys who were far from ideal, thinking someone with her family background should feel lucky if a local guy was even willing to marry her.

What they didn’t know was that Olivia’s studio actually brought in a decent income. In a first-tier city like Haicheng, besides bridal makeup, she got gigs for commercials, evening events, and school performances. Plus, she had regular clients booking appointments at her shop. After covering her expenses, she still pulled in about thirty thousand yuan a month on average—and during peak season, even more.

But Olivia didn’t bother sharing her earnings with them. After all, none of those relatives genuinely wished her family well.

The aunts wouldn’t stop talking.

Around the dinner table, just like every other time, they started badmouthing her family again, sneering at how Margaret Campbell had three daughters, none of whom, in their opinion, amounted to anything.

"Exactly! They keep saying there’s no rush, but let’s be real—she just can’t get married. Women—you hit a certain age and no one wants you anymore. You’ve worked so hard raising her, and in the end, you won’t even get a decent dowry back." “I met an older gentleman during square dancing. His son is almost forty and still single. I heard he's an engineer and makes good money,” Nancy Foster said casually.

“I can introduce him to you sometime. He's a good catch, just a bit older. But you know, older men are more caring. He just wants a pretty wife to give him a son, take care of the house, and look after his dad. If Olivia marries him and has a son, all his family’s wealth will belong to her eventually.”

Olivia Bennett couldn't hold back anymore. She put down her chopsticks and shot back, “Nancy, do they have a royal throne or something? What happens if I have a daughter—do they toss me out on the streets?”

A son, a son, always about having a son. It drove her nuts. Growing up as one of three sisters, she'd heard enough of this outdated nonsense about favoring sons over daughters.

Nancy Foster’s face stiffened as she snapped, “You sure have a sharp tongue for a girl. Let me tell you—no man’s family is going to take this attitude. Mother-in-laws don't like rude, mouthy daughters-in-law…”

Under the table, Margaret Campbell reached out and lightly squeezed her daughter’s hand. She knew Olivia was fuming.

Olivia got the hint. Her mom didn’t want her to argue. So, she held her tongue, even though it burned inside her to say more.Margaret Campbell came from another town, and after marrying Olivia Bennett's father, she had three daughters. This made her an outsider in the eyes of her in-laws, who clearly favored boys over girls.

When Olivia’s father passed away in a tragic accident while the kids were still little, her grandparents wasted no time blaming Margaret for being “unlucky.” To them, she wasn’t just unlucky but also the reason their son had died, leaving three “burdens” behind.

They claimed seeing Olivia and her sisters only reminded them of their lost son, and with that excuse, they kicked Margaret and the kids out of the family home. They refused to help with raising their granddaughters and barely interacted with them, keeping them at arm’s length.

Still, whenever it was their birthdays, Margaret would bring gifts and take the girls to celebrate. It was her way of showing respect on behalf of her late husband.

As kids, Olivia and her sisters couldn’t understand why their mother bothered. “If they don’t care about us, why are we going out of our way to please them?” they’d ask.

Margaret, ever kind-hearted and patient, would explain, “Your dad was a dutiful son. Even though he’s gone, they worked hard to raise him. We’re not doing this for them; we’re doing it for him. If he were still here, he would’ve done the same.”They were still young back then and didn’t really understand, but every year, they obediently followed their mom to visit their grandparents.

This time, after leaving their grandparents’ house, Olivia Bennett looked visibly upset.

Margaret Campbell noticed and tried to comfort her daughter. “Olivia, don’t take what your aunt said to heart. Marriage is your own choice. You don’t have to care about what others think.”

“Mom,” Olivia said, frustrated. “Do you think they’re seriously introducing me to someone? One moment it’s a guy with mobility issues, the next it’s a man in his forties. I’m in my twenties! What makes them think I have to settle for those options? I’m no worse than anyone else.”

Margaret felt a pang of heartache for her daughter and gently smoothed her hair. “They look down on us, Olivia. They see us as a family without a strong man to rely on. But don’t let them get to you, okay?”

In a family without a man to stand tall, others might not say it outright, but their actions always carried subtle disrespect.

Growing up in this environment made Olivia fiercely independent. She wanted to earn enough money to buy a house for her family, to give them a stable life. She wanted to prove herself, to silence those relatives who thought so little of them.

Olivia nodded, determined. She wanted to spare her mom the heartache of constantly hearing how her daughter couldn’t get married, that her only options were men who were older or somehow “imperfect.”She recalled what her best friend Jessica Anderson had said—her uncle’s son was a handsome rich guy with a catch: he wasn’t into women. He was ready to spend a fortune on a fake wife to calm his parents.

After returning from her grandparents’ house, Olivia Bennett reached out to Jessica and took the deal.

Olivia had the looks, a tall figure, and a clean family background. Hearing it was a referral from someone they knew, the rich guy’s family checked out her photos and gave the nod right away.

Olivia figured it made sense—she had no one she liked after 28 years of singlehood. Marrying a decent rich guy could even give her family some bragging rights and shut those judgmental relatives up.

Her grandparents and those relatives were nosy and broke—they had no access to the circles rich kids ran in. Nobody would suspect a thing about the guy’s preferences.

More importantly, she’d get a substantial commission out of it. Coupled with the savings she’d scraped together over the years, it might be just enough to cover a down payment.

Olivia and her family had always called home a cramped, run-down rental in a narrow alley far from the city’s heart. Margaret Campbell raised three daughters on her own, and having enough for rent was already a blessing.

But no matter how long they stayed, a rental was never truly safe. If the landlord decided to kick them out, they'd be forced to pack up and move all over again. This constant uncertainty fueled Olivia’s obsession with buying a house for her family. The housing prices in Haicheng were getting crazier by the year, and no matter how hard she tried to save, Olivia Bennett just couldn’t keep up with the rising costs.

Even if she somehow scraped together enough for a down payment, the monthly mortgage payments were no joke. One slow month at her shop would mean missing a payment, and that wasn’t a gamble she could afford.

In her current situation, Olivia honestly didn’t think there was a better option to make money than going through with the fake marriage.

Jessica Anderson, her best friend, was quick to help out and lined up an appointment for them to get the license. Monday was the day.

That Monday morning, it was already sweltering hot—Haicheng’s summers felt more unbearable this year than ever before. As Olivia stepped outside her house, she headed straight for her little e-scooter. She tied her hair into a neat bun at the back, slipped her helmet on, and got ready to leave.

Before she could go, Margaret Campbell, her mom, came bustling out the door holding a bun and a carton of milk. “Olivia, you’re leaving again without breakfast? I know you’re busy, but you’ve got to take care of your stomach,” she said, concern etched on her face.

Olivia took the breakfast from her mom’s hands. “Got it, Mom. Don’t worry. It’s too hot—go back inside. I’ve got to head out now.”

Margaret had no clue Olivia was about to get her marriage license today. She thought Olivia was just heading to open her shop, the way she usually did. “Alright, but take it easy on the scooter, okay? And if you’re not swamped later, come home for lunch. If you’re tied up, just call me and I’ll bring something over,” Margaret said, her voice full of care. Olivia Bennett replied, "Got it."

Margaret Campbell turned back towards the house. Watching her mom's thin frame disappear through the door, Olivia felt a pang in her chest.

Ever since her dad passed away, her mom had been running a small noodle shop to raise her and her two sisters all by herself. From the days when the three of them used to go to bed hungry, to now being grown women, the hardships they endured were something only they understood.

Lost in thought as she rode her electric scooter, Olivia didn't notice the car ahead of her in time and ended up rear-ending it.