Barrage Reverses My MarriageChapter 3

A few days later, I rented a small spot in a bustling market and started a food cart selling grilled cheese sandwiches.

I didn't tell David at first.

I worked my day job as usual, then stood in the biting wind at my cart in the evenings before rushing home to make him dinner. He remained preoccupied with his own affairs, telling me he was looking for a job. The text pop-ups, however, told a different story: he was trying to get a new paternity test done.

[The Hawthornes are already searching for the real heir, but look at him, still fighting. With that kind of determination, no wonder he becomes a tycoon.]

A tycoon, huh?

My hand paused over the griddle, and a small smile touched my lips.

Two weeks later, Jessica sent me a photo of myself working at the cart.

"Found you. You are so screwed."

The time was right.

That night, I came home an hour later than usual, feigning exhaustion and yawning widely as I walked in. Then, I rolled up my sleeves, revealing the angry, chapped skin and chilblains on my hands.

"Sorry I'm late, the convenience store… was really busy. I'll start dinner right now."

Behind me, I felt David's gaze fix on my hands. I pretended not to notice, quickly pulling my sleeves back down to hide them.

He was silent for a long time before finally looking away.

The next evening, as I was setting up my cart, Jessica arrived with my parents in tow, their faces stormy.

"There you are! How dare you get married behind our backs!" my father roared.

They kicked over my cart, sending bread, cheese, and toppings scattering across the grimy pavement.

Jessica, wrapped in an expensive fur coat, smirked. "I warned you, Jenna. You didn't listen."

My father stuck out his hand, his expression demanding. "Alright, where's the money he gave you? Hand it over!"

"Dad! David is a fake heir! He owes the Hawthornes millions. What money could he possibly give her?" Jessica scoffed.

I stood my ground, my body trembling but my back straight. "So what if he didn't give me anything? I didn't marry him for his money!"

That sent my parents into a rage. My father's foot shot out, connecting sharply with my stomach.

"You sneak off to marry some penniless loser? We raised you for nothing!" he spat. "Get home! Your sister has found several suitable husbands for you. Marrying any one of them would set us up for years!"

My mother grabbed a fistful of my hair, dragging me toward their car as I cried out.

"Help! Let me go!"

"Just listen to us, sweetie," she cooed, her grip like iron. "We're doing this for your own good. David is a nobody. If you stay with him, you'll..."

"Let her go!"

Just as I was being shoved into the car, a powerful force yanked me back. David pulled me into his arms, his face a mask of fury.

"Kidnapping someone in public? You have some nerve!"

Jessica sneered. "Stop posturing, David. The money's gone. Do you still think you're the Hawthorne prince?" She then turned a condescending gaze on me. "But I guess it fits. My little sister has always worn my hand-me-downs, eaten my leftovers. Now she's even picking up the man I threw away. You two are a perfect match."

I felt his body go rigid. The shock must have hit him like a physical blow. Perhaps he was stunned that the woman he'd once adored could be so cruel. Or perhaps, hearing it from someone else, he was finally understanding the painful truth of my past.

His arm around me tightened protectively.

"I don't care what you say. Jenna and I are legally married. We are husband and wife." His voice was low and dangerous. "If you ever lay a hand on my wife again, I will call the police."

Wife.

It was the first time he'd said the word with such conviction.

A thrill shot through me, so intense it was almost a physical itch in my throat, but I suppressed it.

After his threat of calling the police sent them scurrying away, I looked up and gently touched his cheek. "I'm okay, don't worry. I'll just find a new spot for the cart tomorrow."

I reached into my pocket. "And I made a lot of money recently. I'll keep a hundred for groceries, and the rest is all yours."

David looked down, his large hand covering mine, his touch surprisingly gentle.

His voice was thick with emotion. "Jenna... thank you."

I wrapped my arms around his waist. "There are no thanks between us."

Not yet, David. Save your thanks for when you're back on top of the world, a tycoon with a fortune to share.