“It’s just marriage, right?
Well, I did it!
Are you happy now?” Maya tilted her chin defiantly at her parents and began the introduction.
“Morgan, twenty-seven, from Stenham.”
The moment they heard he was from Stenham, the Rivers’ eyes lit up!
That was the most prosperous metropolis, where the locals were all either rich or influential.
‘A single apartment there could cost tens of millions.
Wouldn’t the bride price have to be rise up?’
Staring at the fresh red seal on the certificate, Mr.
Rivers beamed.
“You should have just told us you had a boyfriend!
You made your mother and me worry for nothing!
So, Carter, what does your family do?
How much have you prepared for the bride price?”
He was sizing Morgan up.
Morgan looked at Maya in confusion.
He didn’t understand what “bride price” meant, let alone how to answer.
Maya knew nothing about the fool’s circumstances either.
She had only assigned him that identity because his accent sounded like he was from Stenham.
Now, she spewed a string of lies.
“His family are all blue-collar workers.
He has two younger brothers and a sister still in school.
They don’t have much money and live in a rented place.
They’re even poorer than my family.
But we’re truly in love, so I didn’t ask for a bride price, and we aren’t having a wedding banquet!”
When Mr.
Rivers heard how terrible the conditions were, he grew anxious.
“How can that be?
That Zhao fellow was offering eighty-eight thousand…”
Maya savored her father’s disappointment and frustration, pretending to be aggrieved.
“You’re the one who said I just had to get married.
Well, I’m married now.
What else are you not satisfied with?”
Mrs.
Rivers studied Morgan carefully, her expression slowly growing serious.
“Wait, something’s not right.
Why does this Carter boy look so familiar…”
When Morgan saw her staring at him, he got scared.
He lowered his head and hid behind Maya.
“Sister…”
The moment he spoke, his tone—like that of a six or seven-year-old child—instantly gave everything away.
Mrs.
Rivers finally recognized him.
Her finger, pointing at Morgan, trembled uncontrollably.
“He-he-he…
He’s that fool from the streets!”
Hearing this, Mr.
Rivers also took a closer look and realized that this cleaned-up young man was indeed the fool who had been wandering around town for days!
He exploded with rage.
“Maya!
How could you marry a fool?
Are you trying to kill me with anger?!”
Seeing him grab a broom, Maya snatched the marriage certificate, pulled Morgan along, and bolted out the door.
As she ran, she shouted, “You’re the ones who forced me to get married!
He’s your legal son-in-law!
You have to accept him, fool or not!”
She dragged Morgan a few hundred meters until she’d shaken her father off.
Then, standing in the middle of the street, she clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she couldn’t stop.
The thought of her father’s livid face was incredibly satisfying.
Once Maya had laughed her fill, a sense of relief washed over her.
She got up and continued on her way, not forgetting to enthusiastically introduce him to the acquaintances she met.
“Mrs.
Warren, this is my husband, Morgan…
That’s right, you’re not mistaken.
He’s the fool from the streets.”
“Mr.
Carter, I got married!
Go ask my dad for some wedding candy!”
“Second Brother, I just got my certificate today.
No banquet, but remember to give the gift money to my dad.”
In no time, every acquaintance in town knew that the Rivers family’s rebellious she-devil had picked up a fool and gotten a marriage certificate.
Mr.
Rivers was too furious and ashamed to leave the house.
He declared that Maya was never to set foot in their home again for the rest of his life!
Whatever filial piety Maya had left for her father had been shattered by his slap long ago.
Being forbidden from coming home was perfect; she didn’t want to go back and listen to their gossip anyway.
That very day, she took Morgan to the county seat—Linwood County.
In the county seat, Maya ran a small shop offering facials, massages, manicures, and eyebrow shaping.
She didn’t earn much, but she made enough to get by.
Her short-term goal was to pay back the loan she took out to open the shop.
Her long-term goal was to move the shop to a prosperous city and completely escape everything about Veridia.
She took Morgan with her for a couple of reasons.
First, her marriage certificate was a fake she’d bought for ten bucks.
To shut her parents up for good, she and Morgan had to play the part of a married couple for a while longer.
Otherwise, if they were found out, the marriage pressure would start all over again.
Second, she had promised to help Morgan find his family.
By spending more time with him, maybe he would remember something and provide a clue.
Besides, with a face that handsome, she couldn’t bear to throw him back on the streets to be a homeless man bullied by everyone.
“From now on, you sleep on the sofa.
You are not to cross this line without my permission, understand?” Maya drew a line on the floor of the tiny rental apartment.
On one side was her bed; on the other, a one-seater sofa.
Morgan had slept on the streets for months.
Now, he happily rolled back and forth on the soft sofa.
“This is so comfy!
Thank you, Sister!”
Maya looked at his calves dangling off the end and sighed.
“This sofa is too small; you don’t fit at all.
Maybe I should buy you a bamboo mat to sleep on the floor.
It’s hot out anyway, so you won’t catch a cold.”
Morgan shook his head.
“The sofa is great!
Better than the street!”
The way he spoke and acted made Maya overlook his height and appearance, causing her to always see him as a five or six-year-old boy.
Seeing him be so well-behaved now, Maya couldn’t resist the urge to pat his head.
Maya raised her hand and, as if petting a puppy, praised him, “You’re such a good boy.”
Morgan lifted his head and gave her a silly grin.
Maya tidied up the rental apartment, then took Morgan out to buy a bamboo mat and a bed curtain.
When they returned, she hung the curtain to screen off her bed and said in a dead serious tone, “Little fool, you are absolutely not allowed to lift this curtain without my permission, understand?”
Morgan had been wandering for months.
This was the first time anyone had been so good to him—giving him food, clothes, and a place to sleep.
In his heart, Maya was like a goddess.
Naturally, he would obey her every command.
Maya started laying down the rules.
“You have to bathe every day, and you must put on a shirt and pants after.
No coming out bare-chested like you did this morning.
Don’t run off anywhere; you don’t know this place, and if you get lost, I won’t be able to find you.
Tomorrow, I’m taking you to the shop.
While I’m working, you sit there quietly.
Don’t cause trouble or scare my customers.
Got it?”
Morgan gave an obedient “Oh.” “I’ll remember.”
Maya put on an apron.
“You go play by yourself, then.
Sister’s going to cook.”
Morgan trailed right behind her.
“I’ll help Sister!”
The kitchen was too narrow.
When Maya turned around, she bumped right into Morgan’s broad, firm chest.
She tilted her head up and saw his prominent Adam’s apple, and above that, his devastatingly handsome jawline.
‘Tsk, tsk.
What a fine specimen.’
Maya’s face flushed involuntarily.
She snapped, “Don’t stand so close to me!”
She gestured with her hand.
“This far.
If you cross this distance, you’re breaking the rules.
And if you break the rules, I won’t want you anymore!”
Morgan jumped in fright and quickly backed away a meter.
“I won’t break the rules!
Sister, don’t abandon me!”
Seeing his nervous expression, Maya was extremely pleased.
‘He’s obedient and well-behaved.
Even though he’s a fool, he’s actually quite likable.’
The room was very hot, but she couldn’t even bring herself to buy an electric fan.
As long as her business loan wasn’t paid off, she felt an uncomfortable weight on her heart, as if a large stone were pressing down on it.
Now wasn’t the time to enjoy life; she had to make do where she could.
By the time she came out of the kitchen with one dish and a soup, she was drenched in sweat, her collar soaked through.
The food was on the table and it was time to eat, but Morgan ran to the bathroom.
He came out holding a damp, wrung-out towel.
“Sister, wipe your sweat.”
Maya stared at his concerned gaze, stunned.
Her nose began to tingle.
‘He may be a fool, but he knows how to be good to people.
He’s much better than those clear-headed men.’
“So thoughtful.”
Morgan had a big appetite and ate every last bite of food.
He even volunteered to wash the dishes.
Maya stood uneasily at the kitchen entrance, afraid he would break the few dishes they had.
After watching for a few minutes, she saw that although his movements were stiff, they were steady enough.
She finally relaxed.
She could tell that even though Morgan was a fool, he had been taught well.
He was very polite, knew how to care for others, and could even do simple chores.
After washing the dishes, Morgan looked at Maya with a silly grin, as if seeking praise.
Maya understood completely.
She stood on her toes, patted his head, and praised him.
“Great job.
From now on, you’re on dish duty!”
Children love to show off when they’re praised.
Sure enough, the smile on Morgan’s face grew wider.
“Okay, Sister!”
Maya laughed along with him.
‘This human-sized, fully automatic dishwasher is really convenient to have around.’
She gave Morgan a picture book to keep him quiet, then started messaging her regular clients to recommend some new products.
By the time she was done, it was already nine o’clock at night.
She grabbed her nightgown and went to take a shower.
As she walked past Morgan on her way out, he lifted his head, sniffed the air, and blurted out, “Sister, you smell so good!”
For a woman to be told she “smells good” by a man carried a certain ambiguous, intimate connotation.
Maya’s hand, which was drying her hair, froze.
She turned and warned him sternly, “Don’t sniff me!
And don’t say things like that!”
Morgan didn’t understand why telling Sister she smelled good would make her angry.
Though he felt wronged, he still nodded.
A dull knock sounded at the old, worn-out iron door.
Maya frowned, but before she could say anything, Morgan had already scampered over to open it.
Standing at the door was a young man reeking of alcohol.
Seeing Morgan, he asked unhappily, “Who are you?!”
Morgan’s brow furrowed as he retorted, “And who are you?!”
The man snorted, his eyes glinting with malice.
“I’m Maya’s husband!
Who the hell are you?
Get the hell out of the way and stop blocking us from doing our business!”