Chapter 3Pretended Ugly, Married the Heiress

My mother looked at my restored face, her expression complicated as she sighed:

"Child, if it was going to be like this, why did you pretend to be ugly in the first place?"

My eyes swept across my reflection in the mirror.

The person in the mirror had eyes like cold stars, a high nose bridge, and sharp features, looking exactly like my father in his youth.

Father married my mother through an arranged marriage, abandoning his first love.

Before he died, he clutched my hand and said:

"Julian, you must marry someone you truly love in the future. Only then will you be happy."

That's why when I learned I was to have an arranged marriage with that pampered princess from the Williams family, I deliberately made myself ugly.

I didn't want an arranged marriage. I didn't want to become someone like my father.

But Diana used three years of tenderness to trick me into giving her my heart.

In the end, she was just like everyone else.

Since sincerity was worthless, I might as well trade it for tremendous wealth.

I turned my head and looked at my mother, who was shocked speechless, my thin lips parting slightly.

"Mom, tell the Williams family—this marriage, I accept."

As soon as news of my acceptance of the arranged marriage reached the Williams family, the family's matriarch Jennifer insisted on meeting me in person.

That evening, at the Williams family villa.

Jennifer's gaze fell on my face, with unconcealed amazement.

In the past, I would have felt uncomfortable with such a gaze and would even instinctively lower my head.

But now, I simply straightened my back, met her gaze, and wore a perfectly appropriate smile at the corners of my lips.

Jennifer nodded repeatedly, praising me endlessly:

"Angel is so fortunate. This Julian from the Franklin family—his looks, his bearing, even better looking than the male models in magazines!"

Her eyes full of affection, she gave me a ring.

"This is the Williams family's heirloom sapphire ring. From now on, you'll be the Williams family heir!"

After settling the arranged marriage, as I was leaving, Jennifer suddenly lowered her voice:

"Julian, you should continue pretending to be ugly before the wedding. That way you can give everyone a surprise."

I touched the ring on my hand and thought of the rumored looks-obsessed capital city heiress.

Angel, the Williams family's only heir.

A few years ago, to avoid her running away from marriage, I pretended to be ugly and met Diana.

She and I had never met, but to avoid any complications, I still followed Jennifer's advice.

The next morning, I was packing my luggage, preparing to move out of this wedding house I had personally decorated over three years.

The door lock suddenly turned. Diana came in carrying seafood sandwiches, her face wearing an ingratiating smile:

"Julian, still mad? Look what I bought you?"

I looked at the sandwich in her hand, a mocking smile forming at the corner of my mouth.

On the day we started dating, I had already told Diana I was allergic to seafood.

The next second, I expressionlessly picked up the sandwich from the table and threw it in the trash.

Diana froze:

"Julian, I waited in line for an hour to buy this. How could you..."

Suddenly, seeing my direct stare, she slapped her forehead in chagrin:

"I'm sorry, Julian. I forgot you're allergic to seafood."

"No need to apologize, since we won't have any relationship in the future anyway."

I directly threw all her personal belongings that I'd packed overnight, along with the ring we hadn't exchanged, at her feet.

I watched as Diana's face turned pale inch by inch.

Watched as she crouched down, picked up the ring, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Julian, don't be like this... I know I was wrong. We can have the wedding again..."

Before she could finish, I impatiently interrupted her:

"No need! Now, take your things and get out of my house. From today on, our engagement is dissolved!"

She stared at me intently, her eyes actually reddening: "Julian, why?"

I looked at her reddened eyes and suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

"Why? Because I'm marrying another woman, of course. My fiancée doesn't want to see me entangled with another man anymore!"

Diana's pupils contracted sharply, shock and panic surging in her eyes.

"Who? Julian, are you doing this because of what my friends said yesterday? Are you trying to spite me?"

A trace of mocking smile spread from my eyes. I looked at her calmly:

"What's there to be spiteful about? Diana, you think too highly of yourself!"

After a long ten seconds, Diana looked at my expression and finally said through gritted teeth:

"Fine. If you really want to marry someone else, then tell me who you're marrying!"

"I don't believe that besides me, there's anyone else..."

She didn't finish, just looked at me.

I was about to say Angel's name when a timid cough suddenly came from outside the door.

Manuel stood at the doorway, his face pale, looking pitiful.

He walked in, his gaze greedily surveying this luxurious penthouse duplex.

Finally, it landed on the suit hanging on the wall—one I'd spent a year sewing by hand, stitch by stitch.

"Diana, this house is so beautiful. I really like that suit too."

"Too bad I'll never have the chance to wear such a handsome suit in my lifetime..."

I looked at the undisguised triumph and provocation in Manuel's eyes, the smile at the corner of my mouth deepening.

Sure enough, the next second, Diana immediately hugged him protectively and turned to look at me, her eyes full of pleading.

"Julian..."

Looking at her face, I couldn't help but laugh lightly:

"Diana, you don't want me to let him live in this house and give him this suit, do you?"

Diana opened her mouth, about to speak, but her pupils suddenly contracted sharply.

Because the next second, I had already grabbed the scissors from the table

and viciously cut that suit in half!

As the suit fragments floated lightly to the ground, I said word by word:

"My things—I'd rather destroy them than let trash touch them!"

Manuel screamed and hid behind Diana.

"Psycho! Diana! He's crazy!"

Diana looked at the cut-up suit on the ground, then at me, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Julian! It's just a suit!"

"Even if you didn't want to give it away, you didn't have to destroy it. What will you wear at the wedding?"

The smile at my lips deepened:

"That's none of your concern. The Williams family will naturally prepare a new one for me."

Diana's whole body shook.

"The Williams family? You don't mean the heiress Angel, do you?"

Shock flashed in her eyes, then she sneered with disdain:

"Julian, everyone knows Angel hates the most..."

She looked at me strangely and didn't continue, but I knew what she was going to say.

In the past, I hid my appearance to find a sincere heart untainted by superficiality.

Thinking of this, I was too lazy to continue entangling with Diana.

I directly took out makeup remover wipes, about to wipe off the disguise on my face to make this woman, whose eyes were full of disbelief, shut up and leave.

But the next second, seeing me silent, Diana reached out her hand, about to grab me.

"Enough, what are you doing with that? No matter how much you wipe, your face can't change into..."

Before she could finish, my phone suddenly rang.

The Williams family's old butler's respectful voice rang out in the quiet room, each word clear:

"Mr. Julian, Lady Jennifer has instructed that the wedding date is set for three days from now."

Dead silence in the room.

The color drained completely from Diana's face.