Chapter Two: there's still a marriage.

Bruce saw the brunette— Cole's sister. She stood opposite him and was leaning on a Ferrari 488 pista.

He was drunk, so his brain was probably playing tricks on him. He drew closer to her to have a good look at her. It was truly Cole's sister.

"You're Cole's sister, aren't you?" Bruce asked. He wanted to be sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him.

"The name's Jade, not Cole's sister, and why on Earth would you try to jump off a bridge?" She looked annoyed.

"I'd ddddddie die anyways. Why nnnnnnn not get this over with and have peace of mind?" Bruce said with a slurred speech. He laughed afterwards.

Jade leaned over to him. She sniffed the air around him and wrinkled her nose. "You reek of alcohol and you're stuttering. Are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk," Bruce answered, raising his voice. He laughed. "I'm just far away. Far from my troubles."

Jade watched him for a while. She was thinking the whole time.

"Then let's get married. If you aren't drunk, marry me," Jade said with a straight face.

Bruce stared at her then broke into laughter. "Why would you want to marry me?"

"Would you do it?"

"No, I won't," Bruce answered.

"Are you rejecting me?" Jade frowned.

"I am," Bruce answered with a nod. He began to stagger away from her.

"Are you leaving?" Jade screamed after him. "I asked you to marry me."

"Would you make me happy?" Bruce turned to her and Jade nodded. Bruce looked at her for awhile, then he turned away. "No, you won't. You all are just too good at hurting."

"I promise. I won't hurt you," Jade called after him. What she was doing felt wrong but she wasn't thinking straight. She had a problem and her only way out of that problem was marriage to the man before her.

"You promise?" Bruce turned to her.

"I promise," Jade replied. "Marry me and I won't hurt you."

"Pinky promise?" Bruce held out his little finger to her. Jade brought out hers and their little fingers tangled around each other.

"Do you now agree to marry me?" Jade asked.

Bruce nodded. "I agree. I'm poor but you still chose to marry me. I'd treat you right."

Jade sighed. She wondered if he'd think the same when he comes to his senses.

She rented a wedding dress. Hoping that Bruce drunkenness won't make the priest refuse to bless their marriage, she took Bruce back to the church.

"Bruce Ace, do you take Jade Fulton as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Bruce looked up from his shoes to the priest, then to Jade who signaled him to agree. He felt uneasy. He was drunk and his thinking was clouded, but something seemed off. He looked at the woman next to him. She looked nothing like the woman he had loved his whole life. She looked much better.

"Bruce?" Jade mouthed and he turned to the congregation. Everyone present was losing their patience. Bruce's eyes moved to his Boss. He was frowning and Bruce gulped.

He turned to the priest. "I—"

His voice trailed off.

"Bruce?" Jade glared at him.

"I do."

"Jade Fulton, do you take Bruce Ace as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Jade said without wasting time and the priest continued doing what he had to.

"What God joins together, let no one put asunder," the priest declared and that was all it took for them to get married.

The exchange of rings followed. Bruce, nervously, put the ring that was meant for Claire on Jade's finger.

She took a glance at the congregation and was surprised to see that Claire, the girl who had left Bruce for her brother was part of the congregation.

Claire looked bitter. She was infuriated to see that Bruce had moved on faster than he should have. When did Bruce and Jade meet? She wondered.

Bruce was a pauper. Jade was rich. She was beautiful too, even far more beautiful than Claire was and that was what annoyed her.

Jade knitted her eyebrows as she watched as Claire took out her phone and left the church.

She shrugged and turned back to Bruce. She brought out the ring she had bought for Bruce along the way to the church. Immediately Jade gave Bruce her ring, the hall door was pushed open.

"Son of a bitch, how dare you?" Cole thundered as he walked into the hall with Claire.

He stormed toward Bruce and held the suit he wore in a tight grip. "How dare you brainwash my sister into marrying you."

Chaos filled the hall. Everyone recognized Cole Fulton and they all wondered what was happening.

"What's going on here?" Bruce's boss was the one who had spoken. He stood from his seat and walked to them.

"Mr. Cole," he turned to Cole with a smile. "My company has once worked for yours. I know you and I know that you're a cool-headed and fine gentleman."

"Ass licker," Jade said under her breath with a scoff and Bruce gave her a Stern look.

"What's wrong?"

"This pauper right here," Cole stared at Bruce disdainfully, "brainwashed my sister into marrying him. The girl with me was supposed to be his bride."

He pointed to Claire who was crying crocodile tears. "He ditched her and brainwashed my sister into marrying him because she's the daughter of a billionaire."

"Liar. He's lying. Claire was the one who broke up with Bruce," Jade said in Bruce's defense.

Claire

"See, he has brainwashed my sister," Cole barked.

"Lies. You're spitting lies. I did not get brainwashed by anybody. I got married to him on my accord," Jade said, defending Bruce, but the people present hurled insults at Bruce. Bruce did not seem to be in his right senses. He was drunk and was acting like a drunk man. It was obvious, but of course, people would never listen to the poor.

Some of the people present might even know the truth but would choose to shade him because Cole Fulton, the sin of a billionaire was.

People like his boss. Bruce's boss knew what Bruce was like, but he took Cole's side because Bruce had nothing to offer while Cole did.

"Bruce Ace, you despicable man," his boss began. "You're fired from my company." He turned to Cole. "I've fired him. He is a useless person and your sister should divorce him ASAP."

"You're the useless person. Both you and that brother of mine," Jade spat. She grabbed Bruce's hand and they both left the hall.

She took Bruce to her car. After mumbling gibberish for a long time, he finally fell asleep. She watched him till his eyes snapped open.

"Ouch," Bruce yelped in pain, touching the back of his head. He knitted his brows as soon as he saw Jade staring at him. "Who are you and what—"

His eyes dilated. The rain of realization and remembrance had dawned on him. "We are—"

"Married," Jade chipped in. She raised her fingers, displaying the ring that was initially meant for Claire.

"This is bad," Bruce lamented. He barely knew her. Today was the first day he'd see her. Who on earth marries someone they met in less than 24 hours? Bruce frowned. He also recalled that he got fired by his employer "I got fired because of this marriage. Where would I go to now? My employer was the one who provided my shelter. Now that I've lost this job—"

"I'm the daughter of a billionaire, remember?"

"So?"

"So, we're meeting my father."

"I wished this marriage never took place. What was I even thinking?"

"You were drunk, so you weren't thinking straight," Jade commented and Bruce glared at her.

"You basically took advantage of me. If I had done what you did to me to you, I'd most probably be in prison by now."

Jade's face fell. She looked remorseful. "I wasn't thinking straight either. I had a few drinks too. I was in my senses than you were though, but I had a problem and marrying you was the best solution I could think of at the time. You seemed frustrated because Claire left you and I was desperate. So I—"

"The deed has already been done. I regret this, but there's no need crying over spilled milk," Bruce pointed out.

"You can come home with me since you no longer have a shelter over your head. I'd introduce you to my father," Jade said.

"Your father?" The day was a surprise-filled day for Bruce. In the morning, Bruce had dressed up to marry the supposed love of his life, Claire. Who would have thought that Bruce will get to meet J. J. Fulton, CEO of Tekbos as his son-in-law instead?

"Yes, my father and the rest of my family members too. I'd introduce you to them as my husband and their new son-in-law."