Still attending the same event, Lily and Alger were still at the hotel today. They would probably return to their apartment this morning and get back to work.
They had just gotten married yesterday, yet Alger had already asked Lily to prepare to return and resume their usual activities—with the condition that they would keep their marriage a secret.
Lily, who had just woken up, stretched her stiff muscles. Her body ached all over. Alger had truly started tormenting her physically by making her sleep on the couch while he comfortably occupied the large bed in the hotel room.
Narrowing her eyes, Lily glared at Alger, who was still on the bed, focused on his phone.
Sensing a pair of eyes watching him, Alger looked at Lily and raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Lily scoffed and got up from the sofa. "You're such a heartless man."
"If I didn't have a heart, I wouldn't still be alive right now," he replied nonchalantly.
Lily chose not to respond or continue their argument. Instead, she folded her blanket and got ready to take a shower.
"We're going back to the apartment this morning."
"I already know. No need to repeat it," Lily replied before stepping into the bathroom to begin her morning ritual.
"This is just the beginning, Lily. If you can hurt me physically and mentally, then I can do the same to you," Alger smirked.
That morning, the newlyweds didn't talk much. They were entirely focused on preparing to leave for their apartment. Helena had mentioned that they were provided with a two-day stay at the hotel. She had even said that, besides giving them a break from work, she hoped they would quickly give her a grandchild—after all, Alger was the sole heir of SM Century.
But their expectations were crushed when they saw Lily dragging a large suitcase out of the hotel room—just as Helena and Daniel were also stepping out of their room.
Helena immediately approached Lily, who was pulling her suitcase.
"Wait, where are you two going? Don't tell me you're leaving already?"
"It's not good to stay here too long, especially since Alger has a lot of unfinished work," Alger answered briefly.
Helena clicked her tongue and snatched the suitcase from Lily's hand, shoving it into Alger's. "What kind of man are you, Al? She's your wife now. A husband should be the one carrying the luggage. Look at what your father does—he never lets me carry anything heavy."
"Well, I would do the same if I married someone I loved," Alger replied indifferently.
"Love can grow as you get used to living together and complementing each other, Al. Trust your father. What your parents choose for you will always be the best," Daniel chimed in.
Lily said nothing, merely lowering her gaze in silence.
"How's your father, sweetheart? Any news?" Helena asked, changing the subject.
Lily shook her head and let out a long sigh. "Not yet, Ma. Maybe once I get home, I'll try reaching out to him again or contact Uncle Park Ying."
"Be patient, okay? Your father will be fine. Oh, right—your father and I got you and Alger honeymoon tickets," Helena said, pulling out two tickets and handing them to Lily.
"Why do we even need a honeymoon, Ma? I have a lot of work," Alger grumbled.
"Hush! Be quiet. Do you think you won't need an heir to continue SM Century just because you're still young? Your father and I are getting older, and you need to give us a grandchild soon. That way, when you grow old, your child can take over our company," Helena replied, receiving a nod of agreement from Daniel.
"Your mother is right. I'm already old, and while we still have the strength to hold our grandchildren, it would be best if you both made it happen soon. Remember, love can grow with time," Daniel added.
Alger didn't respond. It seemed his parents were obsessed with the idea of a perfect marriage—one filled with love that would eventually bear fruit.
Lily's eyes welled up with tears as she stared at the tickets Helena had given her. A single tear slipped down her cheek—not because she was happy about going on a honeymoon with Alger, but because Helena had handed her tickets to the place where her father was being treated.
"Ma… is this real?" she asked in disbelief.
Helena nodded, gently stroking the top of her daughter-in-law's head. "I know you miss your father, don't you? Your papa and I arranged these tickets for you two to visit him for a week. He'll be so happy to see you there."
Lily threw her arms around Helena, unsure of what to say. She was only supposed to be her secretary, yet Helena treated her like she was her own daughter.
"Thank you, Ma," Lily whispered.
"I should be the one thanking you, Ly. Thank you for accepting my son so well," Helena replied softly.
"And… I'm sorry for taking the place of your mother, forcing you to live a difficult life and work so hard just to survive," Helena added silently in her heart.
Alger, watching the emotional scene unfold before him, felt confused. He knew nothing about Lily's life, nor did he understand what illness her father was suffering from. Why was Lily acting this way?
"Why wasn't Lily's mother at the ceremony yesterday?" Alger wondered to himself.
After this morning's drama ended, Lily and Alger got into the car, ready to head home. The journey would take about two hours.
Throughout the drive, they remained completely silent. Lily was lost in her own thoughts, while Alger was busy plotting his next move—planning exactly how he would destroy Lily's life, now that she was in his grasp.
As they neared the city, Lily straightened in her seat and turned to Alger.
"Sir, can you take me to my house?"
"You're ordering me around?"
Lily nodded, then immediately shook her head. "If you don't want to take me home, then just drop me off here. I can go by myself."
"Did you forget our status?"
"With full awareness, I remember and understand that you are now my husband. But didn't you say yourself that I would only be a burden to you and cause trouble? Since our marriage is just a formality, wouldn't it be better if we lived separately?"
"Not a chance," Alger snapped. Without another word, he turned the steering wheel, heading straight to his apartment.
"Do you think I'll let you go after we're married? I'll show you what it's like to live with Alger—I'll make your life even more miserable."
Lily regretted ever accepting Helena's offer. If she had remembered what she had done in the past, she might have avoided this situation. But it was too late. She was now completely trapped in Daniel's family, shackled by the enormous debt she had taken to pay for her father's treatment.
The silence was short-lived. Just as they arrived at Alger's apartment and were still in the car, Lily's phone rang. She quickly grabbed it, and when she saw her father's name on the screen, a smile instantly formed on her lips. She stepped out of the car, pressing the phone to her ear.
"Papa, why couldn't I reach you on my wedding day? Did you forget your promise? You said you wanted to see me marry a good man who would take care of me. Why are you only calling me now?"
"Lily…"
Lily pulled the phone away for a moment, frowning. It wasn't her father's voice—it was her uncle, Park Ying. She put the phone back to her ear and asked anxiously,
"Uncle Park Ying? Why do you have Papa's phone? Where is he? Is he okay? Is he resting?"
There was silence on the other end. Lily's heart pounded as she glanced at Alger, who stood beside the car, watching her with a bored expression.
"Uncle, why aren't you saying anything? What happened to Papa? He's okay, right?"
"Let him go, Lily… Your father passed away peacefully on the day of your wedding."
It felt as if all the strength in Lily's body had drained away. Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. The phone remained pressed against her ear.
"Uncle, you're joking, right? Tell me that Papa is fine, that he's already back home to surprise me. Please, tell me where you and Papa are right now. This is just a little trick to make me emotional, isn't it?"
The sound of sobs from the other end confirmed her worst fear. Lily let out a heart-wrenching cry, her vision blurring with tears.
"Uncle… tell me this isn't real…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Seeing Lily break down completely, Alger walked around the car and pulled her into his arms.
This was the first time he had ever seen Lily cry like this.
"Lily."
Completely drained, Lily collapsed, unconscious, her phone still on with the call yet to be disconnected.
Alger picked up her phone and pressed it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Lily's husband? Is she okay? Where is she now?"
"I'm sorry, sir. Lily fainted. May I ask what happened that made her collapse like this?"
The man on the other end let out a heavy sigh before speaking again. "Lily's father passed away, and today we are planning to bring his body home. So please, take care of her, support her—she has no one left now. I'm entrusting Lily to you. Please, take good care of her."
Alger remained silent, processing the man's words. He didn't even realize the call had already ended.
His gaze shifted to Lily, her eyes closed, tear stains still visible on her cheeks.
"You have no one left? How could I have missed so much over the past five years… How could there be so much I didn't know?"