My Brother's Bride

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and spilled onto my bedroom floor. My name is Erik Bennett. I have a twin brother who looks exactly like me—Alex Bennett. The atmosphere at home was unusually tense today. Mom paced back and forth in the living room, while Dad sat on the sofa, his brow tightly furrowed. I had just stepped out of my room when I heard Mom sigh, "Ms. Murphy called again, saying that without Alex, she won't marry." Ms. Murphy, Stella Murphy, the mafia boss's heiress, held immense power. I knew deep down that my brother Alex Bennett was deeply in love with his girlfriend Penny Donovan; there was no way he'd agree to marry Stella. Sure enough, not long after, the sound of a car engine came from outside the door. Mom hurriedly stood up. "It must be Ms. Murphy. Alex, you have to think of something, fast." Alex Bennett's face was pale. He glanced at me, a flicker of complicated emotion in his eyes. Before I could react, Alex suddenly rushed in front of me and punched me in the temple. A sharp pain exploded through my head, my vision darkened, and I lost consciousness. When I woke again, I found myself lying inside a luxury car, with Stella Murphy sitting right beside me. She looked at me coldly. "Alex, stop pretending to be asleep. From today on, you're my husband." Only now do I understand that Alex Bennett knocked me out to run away with Penny Donovan and forced me to marry Stella Murphy in his place. I wanted to explain, but Stella Murphy never gave me the chance. For the next ten years, I was forced to live with Stella Murphy. I hated Alex Bennett's selfishness, and I hated Stella for treating me like a substitute, so I was always hostile toward her and never showed her any kindness. Stella didn't care either. In her heart, there was only that "Alex Bennett"; I was just a placeholder. During those ten years, I felt like I was living in hell, with not a shred of hope in sight. Until that day, Alex Bennett suddenly came back. He was dressed in a suit and looked radiant—a complete contrast to the desperate man who had fled years ago. The moment he walked in, he dropped to his knees before Stella Murphy, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed, "Stella, I never meant to leave you. It was Erik—he pushed me down the stairs to get ahead. I lost my memory for ten years before I came back." After hearing this, Stella's fury ignited. She glared at me fiercely and spat, "Fine, Erik, how dare you lie to me all these years!" Before I could even explain, several bodyguards charged at me and dragged me into the basement. The basement was dark and damp. I curled up in a corner, my heart sinking into despair. Shortly after, Alex Bennett walked in, holding a rope in his hand and wearing a wicked grin. "Erik, don't blame me—blame yourself for standing in my way." He looped the rope around my neck and tightened it with force. I could feel my breath growing increasingly shallow, my consciousness slipping away. Just when I thought I was doomed, a sudden, powerful wave of dizziness hit me, as if I were being sucked into a whirlpool. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself ten years in the past—the day Stella Murphy came to our house looking for someone. The sunlight was just the same; Mom was pacing in the living room, and Dad sat on the sofa with a frown. Alex Bennett stood beside me, his face pale. A fierce thought surged through my heart—this time, I couldn't afford to make the same mistakes. Before Alex could say anything, I spoke up: "If Ms. Murphy insists on marrying someone from the Bennett Family, I'm willing to marry her in my brother's place." The moment I said this, the whole family froze—Mom stopped pacing, Dad suddenly looked up, and Alex stared at me in disbelief.