I Chose Someone Else During The Marriage Auction

There was an unspoken rule in high society. When families arranged marriages, the woman chose her partner through an auction.

I had chased Zayn Farrell since I was young. At the auction, I did not hesitate. I bid at the highest tier and chose him.

Not long after our engagement, my parents died in a car accident, and my family fell from power.

I thought Zayn would take the chance and leave me, but he still married me. He doted on me and turned me into the woman everyone in Ravenwood envied.

I believed I had moved his heart, until his first love, Yara Xavier, returned.

The first time I met Yara, she brought her luggage into the Farrell family villa. Soon after, someone threw all her belongings out.

The servants later said I had ordered it. I tried to explain, but Zayn did not believe me. He locked me outside and made me kneel in the rain for the whole night.

The second time, Yara tripped and fell down a steep slope. She said I had pushed her.

Zayn lost his temper and punished me. He made me climb a rough mountain path in high heels. He did not stop until he saw that I was covered in blood. My legs were bruised and swollen.

The third time, I found out the truth by accident. My parents died because Yara found out about my engagement to Zayn and had orchestrated it. Zayn married me to keep me close so he could watch me and make sure Yara would never go to prison.

My world collapsed. On the day I finally got the evidence and went to the police, Zayn drove his car into me and killed me.

When I opened my eyes, I was back at the auction. It was the day I chose my fiance.

When the second marriage candidate was about to be auctioned off, I called for my exclusive unlimited bid.

The auctioneer noticed it and brought the gavel down. At the same time, my parents turned to look at me.

My mother looked confused and a little worried. “What’s going on, sweetheart? Isn’t the Farrell boy you like supposed to be the final lot? Why did you use the unlimited bid now? Did you hear some nonsense about him again?

“Don’t think too much. Your father and I will always stand behind you. What matters most is that you’re happy.”

My nose stung. I held back my tears and shook my head.

“Mom, I don’t like him anymore. It doesn’t matter who I marry.”

It was okay as long as it was not him.

My parents always respected my choices. They did not press me further.

They stayed behind to handle the follow-up at the auction, while I left the private auction room.

The moment I reached a quiet place with no one around, tears of relief burst out of my eyes.

I had cut off the beginning of everything that destroyed my past life. My parents would live. I would not suffer again.

A laugh cut through the moment.

I turned toward the sound. Zayn Farrell stood there. I had not noticed when he arrived. Three or four of his friends stood with him.

The man who laughed met my eyes. He did not hide it. He looked at me with open ridicule.

“Ms. Walker, did you finally win the auction and get engaged to Zayn? Is that why you’re crying from happiness?” asked one of his friends. “Zayn, Ms. Walker has been chasing you since high school. Since she likes you so much, why not say something?”

Zayn had not looked at me even once from the start. He grew impatient because of that remark. His tone was full of disdain.

“Yvonne, I told you a long time ago. Stop embarrassing yourself by chasing me. I’ll only think you’re easy. Besides, I have no interest in you at all.”

Zayn’s humiliating words made my body tremble.

The auction result should not have been spoken, yet it still came out of my mouth. “Zayn, I didn’t choose you.”

The results of these auction marriages were kept strictly confidential. Still, someone like Zayn, whose family ranked second in wealth and status, could find out easily with a single question.

Maybe he was too confident. Maybe he believed I would never choose anyone else. So, he never bothered to ask.

His friends did not ask either.

The few who had been about to laugh after Zayn spoke all burst into loud laughter at my words.

“Hahaha… She says she didn’t choose Zayn! Do you believe that?”

“Who would believe it? Everyone in Ravenwood knows she’s been chasing Zayn with no dignity.”

“Let’s be fair. Even someone like that needs some dignity. Ms. Walker is no exception.”

Each insult cut into my ears. I could not bother to explain anything further.

Whether Zayn loved me or not did not matter. His pride as a man would not allow him to look calm tomorrow at the engagement ceremony, where all the families would appear together.

With that thought, I ignored their voices. I went up to the top-floor suite alone. I took care of my skincare routine, then prepared for tonight’s auction dinner.