When Penny arrived at the Civil Bureau, she immediately asked for a form while waiting for her soon-to-be husband, whom she had hired for a sham wedding. But what awaited her wasn’t just a form—it was a marriage certificate, telling her she was already married.
The registrar didn’t spare her a judgmental look for trying to get married when she was already married.
"Since when did I get married?"
Penny had planned her life as early as infancy. There had been many changes along the way, but she had managed to reach her goals. However, with just a piece of paper, a foreboding feeling began to creep into her heart.
She studied the printouts in her hand.
The woman in the certificate was definitely her, but the man... Penny couldn’t recall ever meeting him. The man in the certificate had a well-proportioned face with symmetrical features, a strong, defined jawline that added to his masculine look, and long, sharp, deep-set eyes that were dark but captivating.
"Although he looks... pale."
Penny flinched a little when someone suddenly knocked on the window. Looking at the person outside, she wound down the window.
The man outside bent over. "Why are you out here? I’ve been waiting for you! Don’t you want to get married?"
"Uh." Penny cleared her throat. "There’s no need for this wedding anymore."
"Oh. Alright! Then, goodbye!"
Her face contorted as she watched her supposed husband bolt away like a flash of lightning. "He didn’t even ask me what happened," she hissed but didn’t dwell on it.
Penny set her eyes back on the printouts in her hand, wondering what mistake the Civil Bureau had made. If Penny had gotten married—even if it was a flash marriage out of fun—she knew she would remember.
"I even asked the clerk to check over and over," she murmured, remembering how the clerk had glared at her for being so stubborn. "Seriously. How can someone get married without their permission?"
As she pondered her situation, her phone suddenly buzzed.
Penny frowned, thinking Yugi didn’t get what she was trying to say. "Yugi, can you look up this man named..." Her eyes veered to her ’husband’s’ name. "Zoren Pierson."
"That’s what I want to find out. I’ll call you again later." Penny ended the call and gazed at the certificate once again.
"I don’t know if this is a good thing, but what I do know is I have to fix this," she whispered as her eyelids drooped. "I can’t afford to make the same mistake I did in my first life."
All her life, she had been waiting for this day to come—the day she could marry herself off and leave her household. Although there had been many changes in the process, the current situation compelled her to leave the Bennet family name.
It was best for everyone.
This was no secret... at least to some who already knew of her plan.
This mishap was no small matter. Hiring someone for a sham wedding and ending up married to someone else were two very different things. And the man in her marriage certificate slightly shook Penny’s plans for now and possibly a hindrance to her future.
Penny had too much to lose.
"But for now..." Penny cleared her throat and tossed the certificate into the vacant front-row seat. "It’s enough to stop the stupid engagement."
[Bennet Family Old Residence]
Driving down the wide driveway of an old mansion situated just outside the city, Penny slowed down upon spotting Atlas’s car. She stopped a few meters from it, then jumped out after grabbing the marriage certificate.
Penny knocked on the backseat window before stepping aside, watching as her older brother stepped out of the car. Before he could say anything, he looked at her from head to toe.
"Brother, today’s my wedding. I can’t just show up wearing pajamas," she defended, knowing her brother was about to comment on her attire.
"You’re married?" he changed his question to something more important, and she nodded. "Did you talk to your husband about the deal?"
Penny laughed awkwardly. "Of course!" She couldn’t tell him she was actually married before the sham wedding she had told him about, right?
"Let me see it." Atlas held out his hand. "I want to know what he looks like, so I know who to go after if he starts causing trouble."
"First Brother, that’s not necessary. I’ve got it under control!" Penny clutched the certificate tightly before jumping to his side and hooking her arm around his. "Don’t worry about it. You know Yugi, right? He’s very reliable when it comes to this, and the contract is spotless."
Atlas cast her a sidelong glance. "Penny, stop clinging."
"Hehehe. Come on. I know you like it, and I’m hopeful my sweetness will spread to your heart so that my brother will finally date someone."
Hearing her sentiments didn’t motivate Atlas to date at all. And with that, they entered the old residence of the Bennet household, the place Penny avoided at all costs in this lifetime but feared in her previous life.
Inside the Old Residence...
"Cousin!" Standing just inside the door was a man in his prime. "I heard you were coming today, so... oh?"
The man raised his brows as he saw the woman clinging to Atlas’s arm. "Haha. I guess I understand now why you told the elders you were coming today. I thought it was about the engagement, but I guess it must be about someone else’s marriage."
That man, now marching forward to welcome Atlas as if the home was his, was none other than Sven Bennet.
He smiled from ear to ear, his eyes falling on the beautiful lady clinging to Atlas. She wore a simple dress with a short skirt, revealing her smooth legs that invited a lingering glance up.
Atlas nearly poked Sven’s eyes, but decided to walk ahead of Penny to block his cousin’s view.
"Cousin, I know that when a relationship starts, it’s hard to resist the passion you have for each other. However, you’re in the old residence, and you know the elders. They wouldn’t want to witness this display of affection." Sven remarked meaningfully, casting Penny another glance.
When Penny smiled back at him, his breath suddenly hitched.
Atlas frowned while Penny pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing out loud. She released Atlas and clasped her hands behind her back.
"Disgusting," Atlas remarked as he took a step forward, glancing back at Penny. "Penny, don’t mind him. Let’s go and greet the elders."
"Mhm." Penny hummed and then cast Sven a look.
Sven furrowed his brows and looked at her from up and down. "Penny? You’re Penny?"
"Cousin, it’s not nice to look at your family like that," she teased as she sauntered toward him, stopping beside him. "Especially since we’re in the old residence. I don’t think the elders would want to witness that display of desire just now. They might think you’re in ’that’kind of thing."
Penny smirked and tapped his shoulder lightly. "See ya!"
As Penny skipped off to follow Atlas, Sven slowly followed her figure in disbelief.
"That’s Penelope?" he gasped. "But didn’t they say she was... obese? And ugly?"