I Got Married

I was getting married today! However, my newly wedded husband was dead. Yep, you didn't hear me wrong. I would become a widow right after the wedding.  I knew, this sounded incredible.  But, it was true.  My biological father asked me to marry a dead man to protect his other daughter.  To understand how I got here, we need to go back a few years... I had no parents, and was raised by my uncle since I could remember things. A few months ago, the Smith family, wealthy in the city, suddenly found me. They said that I was a Smith by blood. They also said that I had fallen into the wrong hand because of the fire in the hospital where I was born.  Like Cinderella, I became Miss Kelly Smith overnight.  However, this fact didn't change my life. They told me my mother had died in that fire in the hospital. My father soon got married with his current wife. The girl, who had taken my place for years, was their beloved daughter. I was a tool for the Smith family to play up to the Brown family.  So even on the day of the wedding, they didn't show up. They sent a housekeeper over. The housekeeper gave me a golden velvet jewelry box and said, "Miss Kelly, this is a wedding gift from Mrs. Smith. Please take it!" A necklace, which seemed to be of great value, was in the jewelry box. The pendant was an orchid gem with countless small diamonds around it. I didn't know much about jewelry, but this necklace looked expensive. "Thank you." I took the necklace and put it on my neck. Perhaps, my father and stepmother loved me. They just didn't know how to get along with me. I was still in a daze when the car stopped at the gate of the Brown family.  The magnificent building was like a castle described in books. The driver led me into the house. I saw a large coffin in the living room. The coffin, made of obsidian, looked horrible against the light. A white-haired old man greeted me. He wore a black suit with a white flower pinned on his left lapel. I couldn't tell whether the expression on his face was happy or sad. "Nice to meet you," I said hesitantly. "Madam, you may call me Joey, the butler here. Please keep Master company tonight. Let him feel the joy of wedding." After that, Joey raised his wrinkled hand and pressed hard on the corners of his eyes to wipe those, invisible tears. I stood by the coffin and felt the situation ironic.  The butler couldn't shed a drop of tear for Carroll Brown.  However, he asked me, who had never met Carroll before today, to company him.  Did the Brown family really think that an outsider like me cared about Carroll more than them? Many people looked at me when I walked into the house.  They heard Joey and then began a heated discussion.  "Is she the wife of the dead Mr. Carroll?" "Watch your mouth. This is a posthumous marriage, but it doesn't mean she has to die with Mr. Carroll. She'll be Mrs. Brown anyway." "The Brown family is so ridiculous. Mr. Carroll is dead, so what's the point of his getting married? I feel sorry for this girl!" The discussion gradually turned in another direction, and the crowd began to speak evil of Carroll and felt sorry for me.  It seemed that Mr. Carroll was not popular. None of these mourners were sad for his death. Therefore, I thought that Mr. Carroll and I were of the same kind. I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat for this glance.  The man in the portrait was the most handsome one I had ever seen. He was more gorgeous than the superstars in Hollywood.  He had beautiful eyebrows, bright eyes, fair skin, and a deeply lined face.  However, his expression was a bit cold. Nobody dared to get close to him for his intimidating aura.  "Ahem." Joey coughed softly. Only then did the crowd shut up. They said the usual pleasantries and then left with some excuses. Joey said to me with fake grief on his face, "Madam, I'll have to leave you now." I looked at Joey in shock. "Will I be alone here?" "Yes, you will have to stay alone here. Mr. Carroll owns this house, so the others can't come here at will. You will have to pray for Mr. Carroll here tonight." Before I retorted, Joey had left. I could change nothing.  Therefore, I sat near the coffin. I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel. After one glance at the pitch-black coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed.  "Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?" "I do." A low male voice suddenly came from behind, so I quickly turned my head. I saw a tall man in white shirt leaning against the door. The man was undeniably handsome, with a roguish charm that seemed effortless. He had casually tucked the hem of his shirt into his pants, leaving three buttons undone, a style that added to his allure. Then... His face! I looked at the man and then at the portrait. The two faces were exactly the same! "Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!" Ugh. My mouth was fully stuffed by the pastry in the male hand, and then I was picked up like a chick. "If you alert the bodyguards, I'll kill you." The man gripped my neck and didn't let go of it until I nodded. "You're warm." I murmured because of the lingering warmth on my neck left by the man, "You... Are you a human?" "Nonsense." Carroll shot a contemptuous glance at me and then crooked his finger at the man behind me. " Jason, open the coffin." Jason came over and quickly pried open the coffin. There was nothing inside the coffin.  I became slack jawed. Why was the coffin empty?  "How impatient they are!" Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?" He fixed his eyes on the coffin. His big hand returned to my neck since there was no response from me.  "Do you like to join my show?" I felt oppression and couldn't think at all.  Show? With the pastry in my mouth, I couldn't say anything. I sped up my chewing and then said, "Yes." The sweetness melted in my mouth. The delicious pastry energized me, so I added, "Then your pastries will be mine." Carroll loosened the grip on my neck, let go of me, and then asked in a cold voice, "Are you a gluttonous rat?" "No, I'm human. A starving human." I was thin and petite but didn't look like a rat, did I? Carroll lifted my chin with his hand, which was bigger than my face. He looked at me carefully and then said, "Well, your face is pale. You look more like a ghost than me." "I've been a bit underfed," I retorted, rolling my eyes at his teasing tone before stepping away and grabbing another pastry. Then, I said with a sweet smile, "May I have another piece, Mr. Carroll? Your pastries are simply divine."