Rejected by Family, Spoiled by My Ex's Billionaire Uncle

Jenna acted as though she were worried, but inside, she could barely contain her excitement. She was eager to watch Cathryn humiliate herself in front of everyone.

Once that happened, the Clarke family would only resent Cathryn more, and her standing within the family would sink even lower.

"What do you mean there's no groom?" Cathryn answered with an icy smile. "He's standing right here beside me."

At that exact moment, the officiant said loudly, "Please join me in welcoming the newlyweds!"

Vincent and Cathryn walked into the ballroom together.

The instant they came into view, the crowd erupted into hushed gasps and confused whispers.

"I thought Derek was supposed to be the groom. Who's that man beside the bride?"

"Hold on... isn't that Vincent Holt?"

"Seriously? Vincent's the one getting married?"

"So where's Derek?"

People stretched their necks and scanned every corner of the ballroom, trying to spot Derek, but he was nowhere to be found. The only couple standing together onstage were Cathryn and Vincent.

Bathed in the glow of the stage lights, they looked strikingly well matched.

Accepting the microphone from the officiant, Cathryn turned toward the audience with a composed smile. "Thank you all for being here to celebrate my marriage to Vincent. I've noticed quite a few people mentioning Derek. Just to avoid any misunderstanding, the man I'm marrying is Vincent. I'd rather no one bring up that other name again. I wouldn't want my husband to be displeased."

She understood better than anyone that every guest present feared Vincent.

His ruthless reputation was well known, and nobody was willing to risk provoking him.

Although everyone was still baffled by the unexpected change in groom, Cathryn's warning immediately silenced the room.

Soon, the backdrop behind the stage changed.

Their wedding portraits filled the massive display screen.

Even though astonishment was written across every face, no one dared speak openly. They simply stole cautious glances toward Richard while exchanging barely audible comments with one another.

The Clarke family, seated near the front, looked no less stunned than the rest of the guests.

"Dad... Mom... what's happening?" Jenna asked, her voice tense. "Wasn't Cathryn supposed to marry Derek? Then why is Mr. Holt the man standing beside her in all those photos?"

Jenna scowled. Vincent was the man she had always dreamed of marrying. In her mind, she was destined to become the wife of Bloffield's most influential man.

So why was Vincent the one standing beside Cathryn at the altar?

How could this possibly be happening? Had everyone suddenly lost their minds?

Robert and Lauren were just as bewildered because they hadn't known a single thing about this arrangement.

Their three sons sat nearby, each wearing the same stunned expression.

Even as the Clarke family remained frozen in shock, the ceremony continued exactly as planned. Cathryn had already gone over every last-minute adjustment with the officiant beforehand.

As a result, the wedding unfolded smoothly from beginning to end.

Once the reception was over and every guest had left, Robert and Lauren immediately confronted Cathryn.

"Have you completely lost your senses?" Lauren snapped. "You were supposed to be marrying Derek!"

"Cathryn, explain this," Robert said. "Where is Derek?"

Her three brothers also fixed her with disapproving frowns.

"Wait, I know what happened," Jenna suddenly said, her face brightening. "Derek couldn't get back in time, so Mr. Holt stepped in temporarily to keep the wedding from falling apart. That's what happened, isn't it?"

The more Jenna thought about it, the more convinced she became. Everything finally made sense.

Vincent had likely only agreed to stand in so the ceremony wouldn't become a public disaster.

There was simply no way a man like him would genuinely choose someone like Cathryn.

After all, Cathryn had been promised to Vincent's nephew. The idea that Vincent had actually married his future niece-in-law was absurd.

Richard must have gone along with the arrangement solely to keep the Clarke family from becoming a laughingstock. Yes, that had to be the explanation.

Certain she had figured everything out, Jenna looked at Vincent, waiting for him to confirm her conclusion.

"And why would there be a problem with me being Cathryn's husband?" Vincent asked, his calm yet authoritative voice instantly shattering the tension. "Whether you like it or not, we're already legally married."

Vincent reached for Cathryn's hand and lifted their joined hands for everyone to see, exposing the wedding bands they both wore.

Jenna froze in disbelief. That wasn't the ring Derek had given Cathryn when they got engaged. She recognized that one. The band on Cathryn's finger now was unmistakably different.

"My wife is exhausted," Vincent said in a calm but decisive voice. "I'm taking her home."

Without waiting for anyone's reaction, he turned and walked away with Cathryn beside him.

As they made their way toward the exit, they crossed paths with Erin and the rest of Cathryn's close friends.

"I'll tell you everything later," Cathryn said softly. "You should all head home too."

...

Once they were in the car, Cathryn looked over at Vincent before speaking. "I could stay at a hotel instead," she said quietly.

She felt she was asking too much of him.

Although they had already signed their agreement and planned to officially register their marriage the following day, theirs was only a marriage in name. More importantly, she had been the one who persuaded Vincent to enter into the arrangement.

Moving straight into his house seemed like an unreasonable imposition.

"You are my wife now," Vincent replied evenly, never lifting his eyes from the tablet resting in his hands.

He continued reviewing work documents, his commanding presence making the car feel even smaller.

Not long afterward, they arrived at Holt Manor, Vincent's sprawling private estate in Bloffield.

The property was immense. Cathryn had visited only once before, back when she had come with Derek. This was just her second time there.

Vincent escorted her inside.

The housekeeper, Betsy Davis, welcomed them at the entrance. "Betsy," Vincent said, "this is my wife. Treat her with the same care and respect you give me from now on. I still have some work to handle, so I'll be heading out. Show my wife to our room, and make sure she has everything she needs."

After introducing the two women to each other, Vincent left almost immediately.

Betsy then guided Cathryn to Vincent's bedroom.

It looked exactly as she had imagined—neat, understated, and free of unnecessary decoration.

Betsy helped her get comfortable and settled in for the night.

The following morning, Cathryn woke to find no sign of Vincent. It wasn't until she went downstairs that she saw him returning through the front door.

"Good morning," she greeted him, sounding slightly unsure.

"Morning," Vincent answered.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

"Betsy already prepared breakfast," Vincent said as he headed upstairs. "Go ahead and eat. I'll take a quick shower, and afterward we'll set out."

His matter-of-fact tone eased some of Cathryn's nervousness. She still found herself tense whenever she was around him.

Halfway through breakfast, Cathryn's phone started ringing. Lauren was calling.

"Cathryn, come home immediately and explain what happened yesterday!" Lauren demanded sharply.

Before Cathryn could get a single word in, the call ended.

She looked at the screen for a moment before setting the phone back on the table.

She needed to return to the Clarke house anyway to collect her belongings. After today, she had no intention of ever going back.

It had never truly felt like home in the first place. She wasn't even included in the family's portrait.

The thought brought a familiar ache to her chest.

She had spent years doing everything she could for them, giving endlessly in the hope of earning their love. Even though she was their biological daughter and sister, neither her parents nor any of her three brothers had ever shown her genuine affection or concern.

Every bit of their attention was reserved for Jenna.

They never hesitated to shower Jenna with gifts, while Cathryn was almost always forgotten. On the rare occasions they gave her anything, it was either because it was convenient or because they were passing along something they had received for free.

There had been a time when Cathryn poured every ounce of herself into winning their approval, believing that they would eventually accept her.

Now, after everything she had been through, she had finally let go of that hope.

There was no reason to keep clinging to people who had never truly treated her as family.

In her previous life, even after she died, they hadn't mourned her, not even for one moment.