CHAPTER ONE: FLASH MARRIAGE

In the pantry. A young man suddenly stopped Sarah Thompson, blushing and confessing to her in a low voice. "Sorry, I'm already married." Sarah raised her hand to show her ring, politely rejecting the boy in front of her. The young man's face instantly turned red, but he still felt unconvinced. "I don't believe it. We've been together for so long, and I've never seen your husband come to pick you up." Sarah looked a bit helpless. "My husband is usually busy, either on a business trip or on his way to one." "I don't believe it," the young man insisted firmly. "You must be lying to me." Hearing this, Sarah couldn't help but smile wryly. "Do you want me to dig out my marriage certificate to show you?" "Then he must treat you badly," the young man asserted. Hearing this, Sarah's smile faded a bit. "Whether he treats me well or not, I know in my heart." The young man realized he had said the wrong thing but didn't know how to make amends. "Alright, you're still young. Don't always think about these lovey-dovey things. Focus on your work," Sarah patiently advised him like an elder. The young man murmured a reply and then quickly walked away. "It seems like someone's charm hasn't diminished," someone walked in holding a teacup. Seeing the newcomer, Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't tease me, Lily." Lily shrugged, placing the cup under the coffee machine, feeling a bit emotional. "Honestly, if I hadn't seen your marriage certificate, as your best friend, I wouldn't have believed you were married." Sarah turned the fake ring on her finger, looking helpless. "Yeah, I can't believe it myself." To fulfill her grandmother's wish, Sarah had hastily married a man she barely knew a year ago. Her grandmother had picked the groom, who happened to be the grandson of her grandmother's friend. He seemed reliable and the right age. Because of some unpleasant things in the past, her grandmother couldn't get over this hurdle. She felt guilty and self-blaming. Sarah didn't want her grandmother to worry about her anymore, so she agreed. The expectations she had for marriage in her youth had long since disappeared. Now, she just hoped to live a good life. On the day of the registration, she had only seen the man once. He was quite good-looking. But her understanding of this marriage partner was limited to that. "Hey, what are you thinking?" Lily nudged her. Sarah snapped out of her thoughts, rubbing her temples. "Nothing, just remembering the registration." "Speaking of which, what's the identity of your husband? Since you suddenly told me you got married over a year ago, I haven't even seen him in person," Lily asked curiously. Sarah cried and laughed, "I don't know either." Lily choked up for a moment, not knowing what to say. "You've been married for more than a year, only met your husband once during the registration, your marriage is like it never happened." Sarah nodded in agreement. "Do you think he might be the head of some mysterious organization, doing some unspeakable things, so he can't contact you?" Lily asked her with curiosity. Sarah thought for a moment, stuttering, "It's...unlikely." "How could a normal person disappear right after getting married? It can't be a scam marriage, can it?" Lily scoffed. "That shouldn't be the case," Sarah denied decisively. This marriage partner was chosen by her grandmother after careful consideration. She still believed in her grandmother's judgment. "It's just too puzzling," Lily said, leaning on her chin, thinking carefully, then said, "Speaking of which, have you heard about the president and his wife?" "Huh? Our company's president?" Sarah hadn't seen the president of the company since she joined. It was said he was always on business trips abroad. This was the first time she heard about the president. Lily quickly covered her mouth, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation before continuing, "I heard it from someone else, but..." She lowered her voice, leaning in to Sarah's ear and said, "I can't vouch for its authenticity, so just listen." "You have to tell me, come on." Sarah couldn't help but be curious when she saw Lily's mysterious appearance. Lily hesitated for a moment, then said, "I heard that our president went abroad for work right after getting married, but many people thought..." "Is it true?" Sarah was a little surprised. It seemed like the president was a good husband who took care of his family. Lily shrugged. "I don't know, but if it's true, our president's wife is really lucky." It was said that the president who had been abroad for business for a year was returning these days. The entire president's office was bustling with activity, everyone coming early and leaving late, trying to leave the best impression on the boss. There was an intern who had just arrived, couldn't stand it anymore, and had a breakdown in the office. "Can you do it? If you can't, get out." Brandon frowned, scolding. "I can't do it. This is not something a human can do. If you have the guts, fire me." The intern was also tough. "You know who my dad is? Do you dare to fire me?" Brandon pushed his glasses and said calmly, "With your position, anyone could do better than you. You dare to boast here. If it weren't for your father's face, you wouldn't even be able to enter our company's door." He spoke calmly, but his words inexplicably carried pressure. Seeing the surrounding people's scrutinizing gazes, the intern blushed and felt embarrassed. He said loudly, "What's so great about you? Anyone can come and do your job better than you. Don't talk big here." Brandon didn't bother with him. "That's enough. You're fired from now on. Your salary for these two days will be transferred to your card." The intern felt humiliated, loudly saying, "What's so great about it," and hurriedly left in embarrassment. Brandon rubbed his temples, feeling annoyed. The work this intern did wasn't difficult, just tedious, requiring someone very meticulous to do it. The president was coming to the company this afternoon, and for the time being, they couldn't find a suitable candidate. Sarah, who had watched the whole farce, hesitated. She had just come to deliver a document and happened to see this scene. She didn't know if she should go up now. Just as she hesitated, Brandon looked up and saw Sarah not far away. His eyes lit up, as if he had seen a savior. He had seen this colleague manage event venues before, bold and meticulous, very suitable for this job. He walked quickly toward Sarah, a hint of barely perceptible joy on his face.