My Fiancé Married Her, So I Married Higher

The first thing my fiance's childhood sweetheart—Eve Hodgson—does after returning from abroad is make me sign a bet. It states that if my fiance—Holden Lane—chooses her over me nine times, I'll have to step aside willingly and let her have him.

I agree.

On the ninth time, she calls him in tears. "If you don't marry me, Holden, I'll be forced to marry that notorious Croft heir from Jedburgh!"

He ends the call in a frenzy and leaves me behind yet again. With his identification documents in hand, he rushes to marry her right away.

They announce their marriage to the world on the same day. Elites of Jedburgh strain their necks, eager to see me and the Crofts humiliated.

That's when Ryland Croft comes to me, smirking with that careless arrogance of his. "Since your fiance stole my bride, it seems only fair that you pay the debt. So, how about you marry me instead?"

I nod and say, "Fair enough. When's the wedding?"

My reply caught Ryland Croft completely off guard. He stared at me, stunned, until the tips of his ears flushed red.

"If you're not against it, it's settled. We'll get married three days from now, and I'm warning you—you're dead meat if you escape!"

He took off in a rush, stumbling into people and knocking over decorations, as if I might actually eat him alive.

My fingers slid over the piano keys as I lifted a brow in amusement.

Moments after he left, Holden Lane appeared. I glanced at him before coldly turning away, and he rushed toward me, pale-faced. "Serena, you're upset, aren't you? I can explain. Eve is timid, and if she marries that womanizer, Ryland, her life will be ruined. I can't just stand by and watch her walk into that trap."

So, he broke his promise and went ahead to marry Eve Hodgson.

But the truth was, even if he hadn't, this was the ninth time he had abandoned me for her. We were officially over.

"Just leave. You're married now. I don't have to deal with breaking off our engagement, do I?" I said evenly.

Holden frowned and desperately tried to explain, "It's just a fake marriage to help her out of trouble, Serena. I swear I see her as a sister. I'll never lay my hands on her. We've agreed that six months from now, we'll get a divorce, and she'll leave for abroad. But for now, you'll just have to bear with it and keep things quiet between us.

"Don't worry—I promise that I'll marry you. Just don't make things tough for her and treat her kindly."

I could understand his devotion to Eve, but how could he have the nerve to demand I step down from being his fiancee to being his mistress and unconditionally wait for him for half a year? Even if I agreed, my parents would never stand by and watch me throw my future away.

I calmly said, "I'm the daughter of the