Part 1Married to His Uncle

I was at the airport to pick up my husband when I ran into him: Preston Zhou, the man who’d left me at the altar two years ago to go see elephants in Africa with his adoptive sister.

Even with my sunglasses on, he spotted me in the crowd instantly.

“Arabella, I’m back. I’m here to marry you.”

I feigned a moment of confusion. “I’m sorry, you are…?”

He let out a weary, indulgent smile. “Come on, don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mean to run out for so long. After Mary saw the elephants, she wanted to do a whole photography project. She’s the only sister I’ve got, I had to spoil her a little.”

“But look,” he said, spreading his arms wide, “the two-year shoot is done, and I came straight back to fulfill our engagement!”

It was only then, seeing the flash of his startlingly white teeth against his sun-darkened skin, that I recognized the gaunt, skinny man in front of me. It was my ex-fiancé.

Except… did no one tell him? The day he jilted me was the day I married his uncle.

…

The airport terminal was a river of people. Preston pushed a luggage cart with one hand while the other clutched a Chanel bag. Mary, several shades darker herself, was perched on top of a suitcase, letting Preston wheel her around. After two years in Africa, they looked less like they’d been on safari and more like they’d been working in a coal mine.

They were both positively grimy.

The Preston I remembered had been handsome, fair-skinned, and in great shape. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to the arranged marriage. But this version of him…

Thank God he wasn't my husband.

I slid my sunglasses off and offered a polite, distant smile. “My apologies. It’s been a long time. You’ve both changed so much, I didn’t recognize you for a moment.”

Mary, as always, dripped with sarcasm. “Don’t pretend you don’t recognize him. You’re obviously here to pick Preston up, aren’t you?” she sneered. “If we hadn’t tossed our SIM cards and cut off all contact with home, you probably would have chased us all the way to Africa!”

She huffed and turned her head away. “I really don’t know what he sees in you. A woman who’s nothing but a pretty face.”

Preston just ruffled her hair and tapped her nose with a fond, exasperated sigh. “Once Arabella and I are married, she’ll be your sister-in-law. You need to show her some respect. Otherwise, I won’t take you to Europe for your art tour next year.”

After placating Mary, he turned to me with an explanatory smile. “She’s just got a childish temper. You know her father, my uncle’s driver, died in the car crash that almost killed me. He saved my life, but she lost her dad.”

“When we’re married,” he continued, his tone earnest, “we’ll be a team. I hope you can help me look after her. Treat her like your own sister.”

Did he hear the absolute nonsense coming out of his own mouth?

I gave him an elegant eye-roll and flashed the wedding band on my left hand.

“Preston, I can’t thank you enough for jilting me. It allowed me to marry a man a thousand times better than you. And please, don't flatter yourself. I’m here today to pick up my husband.”

Preston froze. He squinted at me for a long moment, then a smirk spread across his face.

“Arabella, do you take me for a fool?” he scoffed. “Our families arranged this marriage. The wedding two years ago was the event of the season, the whole of the city’s elite was there. Everyone knows you’re my fiancée. I was wrong to run off and embarrass you, I admit it. But with your reputation ruined, what other family would possibly have you?”

So that was it. The reason he’d felt so comfortable abandoning me was because he was sure I’d be a social pariah, a “jilted woman” with no choice but to take him back.

He had seriously overestimated himself. And underestimated me.

To clean up his son’s mess, the Zhou family patriarch had lost a son and a significant portion of company shares. To appease my family’s fury, the old man had offered to transfer the shares originally meant for Preston directly to me.

Clearly, Preston had no idea.

It made sense. He’d spent two years completely off the grid for Mary, not even a single phone call home. Of course he was out of the loop.

I almost couldn't wait for him to get back to the family estate tonight. I wondered if he’d still be smiling then.