I Married My Fiance's Uncle

Joyce Robbins never imagined that as soon as her fiancé left, her future mother-in-law would send her to another man’s bed.

When she regained consciousness and tried to escape, the sound of a door opening echoed in the dark room, immediately followed by a man’s furious voice above her head.

"Who sent you here?"

Before Joyce could explain, her wrist was seized. The man yanked her off the bed with force, tossing her aside like trash.

"Get out yourself!" he spat with disgust.

With a loud thud, Joyce landed on the carpet, the pain bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to move her weak body to leave, but after several attempts, she failed.

"I... I can’t get up," she whispered, a note of despair in her voice.

But the sound that escaped her lips was soft and trembling, like a kitten’s whimper, unintentionally alluring.

Great, she thought. He’s now even more likely to think I’m trying to seduce him.

But to her surprise, the man suddenly grabbed her arms with excitement, his voice laced with unexpected joy.

"It’s you!"

His tone carried both astonishment and delight.

"No... you’ve got the wrong person... mmm—"

Before she could finish, his lips were crushing hers.

The man’s domineering presence overwhelmed her, his breath carrying a faint scent of tobacco as he invaded her mouth.

Soon, he pressed her down, his actions forceful and rough.

Joyce struggled desperately, but his hold only tightened. It felt as though he wanted to squeeze every last bit of air from her lungs.

She didn’t know when this torment would end.

Just this afternoon, she had narrowly escaped being assaulted by the father of one of her students. And yet, here she was again—violated.

A sharp pain stung her shoulder.

The man bit her hard, his voice displeased.

"Focus."

Then came a fiercer onslaught, leaving Joyce’s mind blank, unable to think, as she was dragged into the abyss of the dark night with him.

---

The next morning, Joyce woke to find her clothes neatly arranged on her body, sparing her some shame.

Memories from the night before flashed in her mind, jolting her upright. Her gaze immediately met the man’s deep eyes as he sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The sunlight streaming in from behind him cast his features in shadow, making them hard to discern. What she could see of his skin was pale, almost sickly, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his high nose bridge, giving him an air of scholarly elegance.

His back was straight, and even though he sat in a wheelchair, pushing it slowly toward her, his noble demeanor was unmistakable.

When she finally saw his face clearly, Joyce began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What... Uncle Matthew!"

How could it be her fiancé’s uncle?

Yesterday, she had fled to find her fiancé, Kevin, after narrowly escaping an attempted assault by a student’s father. Kevin had been in a rush to leave for a business trip and had handed her over to his mother for care.

But after drinking the milk they gave her, she had been moved to another room.

Why? Why would he do this?

Shame and anger surged in her chest as she wished for the ground to swallow her whole.

"I’ll take responsibility for what happened last night," Matthew Hendrickson said, rolling his wheelchair toward her, his voice warm and steady like a mountain breeze.

His gaze was sincere, and his tone earnest.

Joyce froze briefly, looking up just as Matthew coughed lightly into his hand, a hint of melancholy in the sound. He smiled bitterly, the corners of his lips faintly curling in self-mockery.

"Of course, that’s if you don’t mind marrying a cripple. If you’re willing, we can go to the city hall today and make it official."

"Official?" Joyce’s eyes widened in shock.

Just yesterday, she had been desperate to get her marriage finalized, hoping it would protect her from her manipulative family’s schemes.

She had rushed to Kevin, proposing they register their marriage immediately.

But Kevin had dismissed her concerns, saying she was overreacting.

And now, these words came so effortlessly from Matthew Hendrickson’s mouth?

"I..." Joyce bit her lip.

For a moment, she was tempted to agree, to put everything behind her and escape her oppressive family.

But reason quickly returned, and she shook her head in fear.

No, she couldn’t.

This man wasn’t just anyone—he was her fiancé’s uncle.

And not just any uncle—he was the infamous Matthew Hendrickson, known for his ruthless tactics and ability to control Bridgestone’s power dynamics.

She didn’t want to get entangled with someone so dangerous.

Seeing her refusal, Matthew didn’t seem surprised.

He smiled wryly, turning his face away to cough twice. His frail appearance made him look like he didn’t have much time left to live.

"It’s fine. I understand. No normal person would want to spend their life with a cripple."

Joyce felt a pang of guilt.

Hearing Matthew’s words, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

But all she wanted now was to get away from this awkward situation. She stammered awkwardly, "Uncle Matthew, I... I’ll take my leave now."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Joyce stood up hastily. But her legs, still numb, buckled, and she fell forward.

Matthew’s expression changed. He swiftly maneuvered his wheelchair, extending his arms to catch her.

Their warm bodies pressed together, and memories of the previous night flashed through Matthew’s mind, causing his Adam’s apple to bob involuntarily.

Joyce’s face burned with embarrassment as her cheek rested against Matthew’s firm chest.

But her legs were too weak to stand.

Above her, Matthew’s gentle voice asked, "Did I hurt you last night?"

Joyce’s face turned crimson.

Fighting through the numbness, she pushed against Matthew’s chest to stand, frustration bubbling inside her.

Why did she feel an unprecedented sense of security just now?

The thought comforted her for a fleeting moment before she mentally scolded herself.

What was she thinking?

This man was her fiancé’s uncle!

Overwhelmed with shame, Joyce wanted to disappear.

But Matthew, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort, grabbed her wrist and asked, "Was I too rough?"

Joyce, startled, quickly pulled her hand away, unsure whether to nod or shake her head.

"I’m sorry," Matthew said earnestly.

Joyce looked up in surprise, meeting his genuine gaze.

This man... didn’t seem to match his fearsome reputation.

But before she could process her thoughts, Matthew spoke again, his tone serious.

"Forgive me. Last night... I wasn’t very experienced."

Joyce’s cheeks flushed even deeper.

What was she doing?

She was standing here, discussing a lack of sexual experience with her fiancé’s uncle.

Matthew’s gaze lingered on her lowered head, and a faint smile curved his lips.

Just then, loud, aggressive knocking echoed from outside, shaking the door.

"Matthew, open the door!"

"Matthew, you beast! Let my daughter-in-law out this instant!"

The shouts from outside sent all the blood draining from Joyce’s face.

It was Kevin’s mother—her supposed future mother-in-law.

She had pushed Joyce into Matthew’s bed, and now she had the audacity to storm in and accuse her?

Joyce’s humiliation reached its peak as she stood there, unsure how to face this mess.

Suddenly, Matthew’s hand tightened around hers, giving her a rare sense of comfort.

His deep, raspy voice whispered in her ear.

"Don’t worry. Just put all the blame on me."

He released her hand moments later, calmly wheeling himself toward the bed.

With measured movements, he began tidying the disheveled sheets.

His gaze darkened as it landed on a faint stain of red on the bedsheet. Without a word, he covered it with the blanket.

Joyce watched him in silence, her heart aching.

Even now, it was Matthew who was protecting her dignity.

The doorknob clicked.

Adeline burst into the room.