Forced to marry a billionaire CEO

Striving for Divorce

"Alright, alright, I'm on my way! I can't afford to be late." Jenna said impatiently into her phone, weaving through the busy streets with a determined stride. "Trust me, I’ve got it under control."

She continued in a soothing tone, almost like she was calming a child. "Look, relax. I know what I’m doing. I promise: once I get the marriage certificate, I won’t cheat on him, won’t embarrass him, won’t do anything outrageous... and I definitely won’t be the one bringing up divorce."

Her voice dropped, incredulous. "Walter, are you really on your deathbed?" Jenna couldn’t help but doubt the old man’s condition. For someone supposedly at death’s door, he sure had plenty of energy to force her into marriage.

“Nonsense!” came the sharp retort on the other end. “Do you think I’d be arranging such a perfect match for you if I weren’t? You ungrateful girl, are you trying to send me to the grave sooner?”

Jenna rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You’re already halfway there. Does it matter if it’s from anger or illness?"

“Jenna!” Walter roared with surprising vitality. The old man certainly didn’t sound like someone about to die.

“Alright, alright, I’m at the Civil Affairs Bureau. We’ll talk after I get the certificate,” Jenna muttered, half-convinced now that Walter wasn’t faking his illness. She sighed, feeling the weight of her reluctant agreement.

“I’m telling you, the man I found for you is responsible, disciplined, and treats his family with the utmost care...” Walter continued, his voice filling the line with a steady drone.

Jenna smirked. Definitely a momma’s boy, she thought, tuning him out.

“Got it, hanging up now,” she cut him off, unable to stand his constant nagging since he’d fallen ill. In the past, their interactions had been full of banter and laughter. But this version of Walter was a far cry from the lively, mischievous old man she was used to.

Pocketing her phone, Jenna scanned the entrance to the Civil Affairs Bureau. No sign of the mystery groom. Relief washed over her. If he didn’t show up, she had a perfect excuse not to go through with the marriage. After all, it wasn’t her fault if the guy stood her up, right?

Smiling at her own cleverness, she turned to leave—only to have her path blocked by a tall figure.

"Miss Jenna Lin," a deep, magnetic voice called out, smooth enough to make anyone stop in their tracks.

Normally, a voice like that would have piqued Jenna's interest. But given the circumstances, all it did was lower her opinion of the man standing before her. So this is the guy I’m supposed to marry? she thought with annoyance.

Determined to find fault, Jenna raised her head and met his gaze, prepared to scrutinize every inch of his appearance. But the second her eyes landed on him, her resolve wavered.

How does someone look this good?

He was tall—over six feet, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His face was chiseled, with features so perfect it was almost unfair. D*mn it.

Jenna cursed inwardly. The man was stunning, and worst of all, he fit her taste in every way.

Frowning, she asked, "Why would someone like you want to marry a stranger?"

He had it all—looks, money, status. Marriage to some random woman seemed... absurd. Is he insane?

The thought hadn’t fully formed before Jenna quickly reeled it in. You’re here for the same reason, remember? Maybe he was thinking the exact same thing about her.

Ethan Yen’s gaze didn’t waver. "My grandfather’s sick. His greatest wish is to see me married. He wants me to be happy."

Jenna blinked. Are we both dealing with sick grandfathers? She suddenly felt like this might be a cosmic joke.

"Do you really think you’ll be happy marrying a complete stranger?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

He shrugged, his expression calm. "You’re here because of your grandfather’s condition, right? I think that means you’re a kind person."

Jenna snorted internally. I’m doing this because of family pressure, not out of the goodness of my heart.

"Besides," Ethan continued, "I believe happiness in marriage comes from effort on both sides. We can make it work."

Jenna tilted her head, eyeing him suspiciously. "Ethan, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you always talk like you’re giving a business presentation?" she asked, genuinely curious. His formal, almost robotic manner felt worlds apart from her usual carefree banter with Walter.

Ethan’s lips twitched, as if attempting a smile. "It’s a habit. But I’ll try to be more relaxed when we’re together."

Jenna’s eyes widened slightly as he forced a stiff, awkward smile. It was clear he didn’t smile often, and the attempt felt... strange.

"You don’t have to force it," she said quickly. "If you’re not used to smiling, don’t feel like you need to."

But d*mn, even his awkward smile was charming. For the first time, Jenna felt a flutter in her chest, a warning sign she chose to ignore. Men like this are trouble, she reminded herself.

He gestured toward the entrance. "Shall we?"

Jenna nodded. "Let’s get this over with."

It was just a piece of paper. Besides, she was confident she could find a way to make Ethan call for a divorce himself. All she had to do was fulfill Walter’s wish by getting married—no one said anything about staying married.

Ethan opened the door to the Civil Affairs Bureau, stepping aside to let her enter first. Jenna followed, still thinking about how to orchestrate her escape from this situation.

In the back of her mind, she kept searching for ways to convince Ethan that this marriage wasn’t worth the effort. But for now, she simply went through the motions, signing the papers and accepting the bright red marriage certificate.

She stared at the document in her hand, feeling a sense of surrealism wash over her. Who would have thought that one day she’d be holding a marriage certificate?

Walter had really gone all out. He must have known that without his interference, she would never have settled down.

With a world this big, why should she tie herself to one person?

Ethan’s voice cut through her thoughts. "Shall we head home?"

Jenna’s eyes sparkled mischievously. "Sure, let’s go."

If this guy was okay with it, she might just find a way to make him regret this decision—and get him to suggest a divorce.

Has This Person Taken the Good Husband Training Course?

Jenna sat in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, occasionally glancing at Ethan, the man who had just courteously opened the door for her.

So far, he seemed pretty decent.

Unfortunately, marriage was not on her agenda, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Still, she would make it up to him in other ways.

Suddenly, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and smirked. Jenna didn’t really want to take the call, but since Ethan was sitting next to her, she answered anyway.

As soon as the call connected, a soft, sugary voice came through: "Jenna, are you coming to the jewelry exhibition tonight? Mom and Dad will be there. Jenna, we’re waiting for you."

Without giving her a chance to respond, the voice quickly hung up. A message followed, detailing the event’s location and time.

Jenna turned off her phone, sinking into silence.

Ethan, having overheard the brief