Boyfriend's New Year "Surprise": He Sold Me to My Uncle

On Christmas Eve, Gabriel Caldwell, my three-year boyfriend, invites me to go home with him for a nice feast and to spend the holidays together.

But before I can even get a bite, I get drugged instead.

"If I can't pay them any money at this rate, they'll chop my hand off, Evelyn! Seriously, I don't have any choices left but to deliver you to them!

"Don't blame me for this, Evelyn. Blame yourself for having such rotten luck in life by looking just like the woman of Mr. Kensington's dreams.

"By then, my debt is cleared, and you might live an extremely cushy life as a rich man's wife! Isn't this a win-win situation for us?"

While I'm still groggy from the drugs' effects, I get delivered to an extremely familiar-looking estate by Gabriel's family.

First things first, if I'm not mistaken, this must be my uncle, Sebastian Kensington's estate.

Secondly, my uncle adores his older sister—my mom—so much to the point that he's never fallen for any other woman except her in this lifetime.

And last but not least, all my dad did back then was roll his eyes at my mom once before Uncle Sebastian had him sent to a faraway continent.

Well then, I wonder who's the one that'll be cursed with rotten luck after they deliver me to my uncle's hands? Gosh, it's so hard to guess!

The sedative hadn't fully worn off. I lay slumped in the back seat, too weak to lift even a finger. Gabriel Caldwell and his parents spoke in low voices, their words muffled and hard to make out.

Gabriel and I had been together since college. Our relationship was steady, and we never had any conflicts.

Before Christmas, he looked at me with a sincere expression and said he wanted to bring me home to meet his parents and discuss our future together.

Hoping to make a good impression, I had spent several days preparing meticulously. I bought a brand-new cashmere coat, had my hair done, and brought two bottles of fine wine along with a stack of gift boxes.

But the moment I sat down and drank half a glass of water poured by Gabriel's mother, Zoe Callahan, my vision began to blur.

Gabriel looked aggrieved. "Evelyn, don't blame me. I had no choice. I owe them five million dollars. How could I ever pay that back? They'll really cut off my hands."

I tried to curse at him, but my tongue wouldn't cooperate. All I could manage was a string of garbled sounds.

He continued, "Don't be upset. Being with Mr. Kensington isn't a bad thing. You're his type. You'll be living in luxury with him. Isn't that better than staying with me? I'm doing this for both of us. It's a win-win, you know?"

A win-win? What a joke.

The car sped through the darkness as the scenery blurred past the window. I struggled to focus, trying to figure out where we were heading.

The car