Henry Davenport's mansion.
When Henry walked into the house, he found Ivy Hart and Elena Davenport crying together, their eyes red and swollen.
"Mom, I don’t want to marry Absalom Thorn! He’s a complete vegetable now! My life will be over if I marry him! Please, Mom, tell Dad to cancel the engagement with the Thorn family. If you guys keep forcing me, I’ll end it—I’ll jump off a building, hang myself, slit my wrists! Anything’s better than marrying someone who’s practically dead!"
Elena cried as she reached for the fruit knife on the coffee table, her trembling hand almost grabbing it.
"Stop right there!" Henry bellowed, striding over to snatch the knife from her hand. "What do you think you’re doing? Threatening with your life—is that the answer?"
"Dad!" Tears streamed down Elena's face. "You came back just in time. Today, I’m showing you I’m serious about this. No matter what, I won’t marry Absalom Thorn!"
"Even so, you can’t lose your mind like this!" Ivy clutched Elena’s arm desperately, imploring Henry with a shaky voice, "Henry! Are you made of stone? She’s our daughter! How can you stand there and watch her like this?"Henry Davenport sighed heavily, clearly out of options. "Ivy, you know our family's situation. Honestly, having Elena marry into the Thorn family was already us aiming way above our league. Now that Absalom's had his accident, if we back out, the Davenport family is done for."
He dropped onto the couch, his shoulders slumping. "I don't want our daughter to suffer, but I really have no choice. I hope you and Elena can understand where I'm coming from."
"How is there no choice?" Ivy Hart quickly pushed back, her tone sharp as she saw his hesitation. "The engagement was with the Davenport family’s eldest daughter. Now that Absalom is incapable, they won't care if the bride is named Elena or someone else!"
Henry blinked, puzzled. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Ivy slid closer to him on the couch, clutching his arm tightly while whispering with a hint of persuasion. "Have you forgotten? You have another daughter. She's older than Elena by two years—she's the real eldest daughter of the Davenport family. Technically speaking, Elena is just the second daughter."
"You mean Vivian? No way!" Henry shot back immediately at the mention of his other daughter, his tone resolute.
"Why not?" Ivy pressed on, undeterred. "If she marries Absalom, then Elena’s future is secured!"
Henry shot her a sharp glare. "Have you lost your mind? Vivian... she's mentally challenged! Sending her over would be like telling the entire Thorn family we think they're fools!""Henry! This girl’s been hidden away in the countryside all these years—nobody even knows she exists, let alone that she’s not all there. We’ll just marry her off first and then make up some excuse, like she hit her head and turned simple-minded. Nobody will find out anyway."
"I mean, come on, Absalom Thorn’s a vegetable now. He’s basically blind—there’s no way he can tell what kind of bride he’s getting! Plus, if we don’t marry her off, you’ll still have to take care of her. But once she’s their daughter-in-law, she’s out of your hands. Isn’t that the perfect solution?"
Henry Davenport mulled it over, glancing at his precious younger daughter, who was throwing a full-on tantrum. After a moment of hesitation, he finally nodded.
"Alright, fine. I’ll have someone bring Vivian back from the countryside."
…
In a secluded little mountain village near City A.
Mr. Ward had already picked up Vivian Davenport.
She was the daughter of Henry Davenport and his first wife. Back then, Henry was just a poor illegitimate child who hadn’t yet been accepted by his wealthy family. His first wife had been a sweet, kind-hearted woman.
She had not only given birth to his child at a young age but also stuck by him as he built his life from scratch. But once Henry made it big, he ditched her for Ivy Hart. And after he officially rejoined the Davenport family, he completely cast aside his first wife and daughter.
As for Vivian, she had become mentally impaired after suffering a high fever in her childhood—because there wasn’t even money for proper treatment.At the mention of heading to the big city for some candy, she immediately forgot about the grandmother who had cared for her all these years.
Right now, she was leaning against the car window, grinning foolishly at Secretary Wang, her gaze as innocent as a child’s.
Secretary Wang couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. He walked over and handed her the phone.
“Miss, have a quick chat with your father. He’s on the line.”
Vivian Davenport just kept smiling vacantly. Under Secretary Wang’s urging, she even put the phone in her mouth and bit down. “Tasty. Can I eat it?”
Secretary Wang, panicked, snatched the phone back and took a few steps away. Speaking into the phone, he reported to Henry Davenport, “She’s the same as always, sir. She doesn’t even know what a phone is—just keeps trying to eat it.”
What he failed to notice, though, was the cold, mocking smile Vivian was flashing behind him.
Those large, bright eyes of hers gleamed with intelligence; she looked nothing like a fool.
…
If this had been before Absalom Thorn’s accident, his wedding would’ve been a grand affair.
But ever since the car crash left him in a vegetative state, confined to bed and unable to attend his own wedding, the event had been reduced to nothing.
Instead, the Thorn family opted to skip the celebration entirely, having Vivian brought directly to Absalom’s villa. Ivy Hart was terrified the truth about the bride being a fool would come out. So, on the wedding night, she shamelessly insisted on moving in with Vivian Davenport.
Absalom Thorn's bedroom was on the second floor of the villa. Even though he was in a vegetative state now, technically, the groom and bride were supposed to share a room tonight.
Mrs. Bennett, the housekeeper, led Vivian and Ivy upstairs.
To hide Vivian's condition, Ivy had gone the extra mile, dressing her up in a traditional Chinese bridal outfit.
Vivian's vision was blocked by the heavy red veil, leaving her unable to see a thing. But Ivy could clearly see the man lying on the bed—his face was pale, and the room was cluttered with medical equipment. It was obvious he didn’t have much time left.
Ivy silently thanked her lucky stars. At least it wasn’t her own daughter she’d sent into this situation.
But Vivian? She had no intention of letting things slide Ivy's way. The harder Ivy tried to conceal the truth, the more Vivian wanted to blow it wide open.
Suddenly, Vivian yanked the veil off her head, smacking her lips dramatically before blurting out, “Hungry, Mommy! Vivian’s hungry, wants food! Meat!”
Ivy was stunned. She had specifically warned Vivian in the car earlier—if she behaved and kept quiet, she'd get candy. But this fool had picked now, of all times, to act out! Ivy Hart was fuming. She quickly reached out to cover Vivian Davenport’s mouth, fumbling as she worked to pull the wedding veil back into place. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know you’re not supposed to lift the veil yourself?”
“What’s going on, Mrs. Bennett?” The housekeeper glanced over, puzzled. Something about this new young mistress seemed... off.
“Oh, nothing! That’s just how she is—completely straightforward, speaks her mind. She’s got such a genuine personality!” Ivy forced a laugh, her tone quick as she waved it off. “She’s always been a foodie, that’s all. She must be hungry. Could you go and prepare something for her to eat?”
Mrs. Bennett hesitated, her gaze lingering on Vivian before heading out. Genuine? No, this didn’t feel like “real,” it felt more like... something else entirely.
The moment Mrs. Bennett disappeared from sight, Ivy pulled Vivian by the arm and dragged her into the bathroom. The small space felt secluded enough—it was time to carry out her plan.
But neither of them noticed the subtle shift in the room they had just left. On the bed, Absalom Thorn’s eyes suddenly fluttered open.
