chapter 2 Because you are my wife

"Upon hearing the sound, Agatha Lin trembled.
She raised her head to gaze at Lachlan Lin, standing imposingly above her. Her grandfather had seemingly never cared for her, not since she was a child.
Even from the moment she was born, Lachlan Lin had barely spared her a glance simply because she was a girl. Now, he expected her to choose a husband for herself and chart her own course in life.
Agatha Lin's chest heaved with a mixture of anger and helplessness.
She started to open her mouth to resist but then spotted Jasper Lin, seated in a wheelchair, shaking his head at her with pleading eyes. She remained silent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, following a thorough selection process within the Lin family, we have chosen the best candidate from a dozen outstanding suitors to be Agatha Lin's husband. We hope you will extend your blessings to the newlyweds," Lachlan Lin announced.
To Agatha Lin's ears, these words felt like mockery, or perhaps pity. Her eyes welled with tears, which she fought to hold back.
"Dad, this is the man," Donovan Lin said, presenting an exquisite card to Lachlan Lin, on which the chosen names were written.
Their investigation had revealed that this man had no notable background, was an orphan, and, at over thirty years old, had limited education, no cultural refinement, and no special skills.
He had lived as a street kid and, to make matters worse, struggled with intermittent psychosis. Rumor had it that this condition ran in the family.
By marrying Agatha Lin, not only would she be cut off from the Lin family's wealth, but any children they had together would also be denied any financial support from the Lin family.
Donovan Lin glanced at Agatha Lin's family seated nearby, his face tinged with pride.
"Next, I am pleased to announce the final candidate!" Lachlan Lin, with his presbyopic vision, struggled to see clearly but eventually declared, "This fortunate young man is Orion Jiang!"
Immediately, the audience turned their heads towards the back entrance of the hotel, where the bride-to-be traditionally entered.
Jasper Lin and his wife averted their eyes, knowing that their elder brother intended to select the least competent suitor as Agatha Lin's husband.
Agatha Lin turned her head, eager to catch a glimpse of her future husband. Orion Jiang raised his head, and their eyes met, rendering them both speechless.
Orion Jiang walked confidently toward the front, with the onlookers' expressions mostly filled with ridicule and Schadenfreude.
"Orion Jiang, congratulations on emerging as Agatha Lin's chosen husband and becoming a son-in-law of the Lin family," Donovan Lin announced. "You need not thank us. I simply hope that you will treat Agatha Lin well in the days to come."
In Donovan's view, the Lin family's decision to provide a home to Orion Jiang, a homeless orphan, was an act of great generosity.
Donovan Lin approached Agatha Lin and gently took her hand, his face filled with concern.
"Agatha Lin, come."
Guiding Agatha Lin, he led her to Orion Jiang and solemnly joined their hands.
The applause that followed made it seem like a joyous engagement celebration, but Jasper Lin's family knew that everyone was merely reveling in their misfortune."
Tomorrow, the entire city of Dong Hai would find out that Agatha Lin had a husband who couldn't handle things, and it would become a topic of laughter for them over dinner.
Agatha Lin's mind went blank, and her entire being felt emptied out. She no longer seemed to hear or see, and she couldn't even recall when the banquet had ended.
As the banquet concluded, Cara Su left in tears, and Jasper Lin could only wheel himself after her. Outside the hotel's entrance, the wind brushed against Agatha Lin's face, and she gradually snapped back to reality.
Looking at Orion Jiang standing beside her, her face remained stoic, but her voice quivered slightly. "Uncle, I don't blame you," she whispered. "You've also had your share of hardships."
Orion Jiang, being a decade older than her, made it fitting to address him as "uncle." Orion remained silent, not uttering a word from start to finish. The person before him was the same girl from fifteen years ago, still exuding kindness even in this difficult situation, accepting it for the sake of her parents' well-being.
"Hey, cousin, congrats," a man suddenly emerged from the doorway, offering a smile and a cupped hand gesture. "Congratulations on your excellent husband!" The word "excellent" was delivered with a deliberate harshness, laced with ridicule.
Agatha Lin furrowed her brow, bit her lip, shot a glance at Damian Lin, and clenched her fists.
"My dad and the others were really concerned about your marriage," Damian Lin sighed and continued, "But now, it's all better. You've finally found a home, and my uncle can rest easy."
With that said, he paid no mind to Agatha Lin's pale face and shifted his gaze toward Orion Jiang. This seemingly inept son-in-law had been discovered by his father, Donovan Lin, and as Damian contemplated the information he'd read, he couldn't help but chuckle.
How could someone be so utterly ineffectual?
"Brother-in-law, when you step into the Lin family, you better take good care of my sister," Damian Lin taunted. "The sooner you have a child, the happier grandpa will be. No matter what they're born as, even if they're a bit slow, my family can handle it."
Agatha Lin couldn't take it anymore. "Damian Lin, have you said enough?"
"Yo, cousin, congrats."
"Damian Lin said, "Grandpa mentioned he hopes you'll have a baby soon. Let me see when we return tonight, you'll take care of things."
It would be even funnier if the child born turned out to be a fool.
"Hey!" Agatha Lin raised his hand, and Damian Lin suddenly became serious.
"What, you still want to argue?" Agatha Lin bit his lip, a mix of anger and frustration coursing through him. If she dared to harm the Lin family's eldest grandson today, they'd be exiled from the Lin family tomorrow. In the eyes of their grandfather, Lachlan Lin, only his grandson was a true member of the Lin family, and she...had no such standing.
Seeing Agatha Lin lower his hand, Damian Lin felt a surge of pride. Growing up, he had been the only one to bully Agatha Lin, and she couldn't even dream of gaining any advantage over him.
"I'm doing this for your own good, but you don't seem to appreciate it," Damian Lin sighed deliberately. "Your father, Damian Lin, has been disabled for so many years. If it weren't for the support of the Lin family, your family of three might have starved. Now, I've gone to great lengths to find you a husband. Even if you're not grateful, you shouldn't be thinking of striking me."
"If Grandpa learns that you wanted to hit me, the consequences would be..."
Agatha Lin's body trembled. She shot Damian Lin an angry glance. How could someone be so shameless? She turned to leave, but Damian Lin blocked her path.
"Agatha Lin, this is Grandpa's decision. If you're not satisfied, just discuss it with him," Damian Lin said, feigning concern.
Agatha Lin shed tears of frustration and anger. "What do you want from me now?"
Suddenly, Orion Jiang, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. Agatha Lin raised her head, glanced at Orion Jiang, and blurted out, "I just want to slap him!"
"Smack!"
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a resounding applause. Damian Lin covered his face and fell to the ground without even a chance to cry out.
Only when he felt a burning sensation on his cheek did he realize that the slap had landed on his own face—it was Orion Jiang who had struck him.
Damian Lin was stunned, as was Damian Lin. Orion Jiang had dared to hit Damian Lin? He was just a door-to-door son-in-law!
"You..."
Agatha Lin suddenly turned pale with fear. Damian Lin, Damian Lin's father, would surely avenge this act.
"Why did you listen to me?" Agatha Lin asked in a trembling voice.
"Because you're my wife now," Orion Jiang replied firmly."