"I guess you two had quarrelled, huh? Can't you both just discuss your couple problems personally and not drag the police into it?" the officer commented, annoyed.
"What are you trying to say, officer? Do you mean I am married to this man?! Please check again. Maybe there's some sort of error in your system," Rain pleaded, pointing a finger towards Alexander Lancaster.
Frowning, Alexander seconded, "Yes, please check on this again because I'm not married."
"I suggest that both of you should go to the Civil Affairs Bureau for confirmation if you wish because there's no error in our system. More importantly, Mr. Lancaster, do you still wish to proceed with this complaint against your wife?"
"No need! I'm willing to pay for the damages. It's my mistake; I broke his car," Rain quickly interrupted. She grabbed her name card and offered it to Alexander.
"Here is my card. Please let me know the total cost of the repairs and your account number. I'll compensate you immediately. I sincerely apologise for the inconvenience I caused," Rain stated politely.
Alexander pocketed it without saying a word. Rain's eyebrow twitched at the rudeness.
"This settles it then. We shall close this case!" the officer announced with a smile.
Before Rain could ask further, Alexander's mobile phone rang. Whatever news he received made his face turn grim and he only gave one word answers. Rain and the official dared not make a sound in his presence.
"I need to leave now," Alexander said, standing up immediately after he hung up. He addressed the officer coldly, "Double-check your database because I am definitely not married." Then he turned to Rain and said, "My assistant will contact you about the compensation, Miss Clayton."
Without waiting for her response, he immediately left. Rain blinked, stunned, and then she hurriedly stood up to chase after him.
"Wait, Mr. Lancaster!" she called out, hurrying to stop him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with a frown.
Rain shivered as she felt his intimidating aura engulfing her. He must have been furious about his car. She gulped and asked, her voice low and meek, "Wouldn't you come with me to the Civil Affairs Bureau to confirm if we are really married?".
"What? Married? Boss, you're married?!" the man Alexander was talking to just a while ago burst out in surprise.
"No!" Alexander hissed irritably. "This is a mistake."
"We're not sure yet," Rain interjected, glancing at her wristwatch. "But the police database couldn't have made such a mistake. We should go and confirm this with the Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, just as the police officer suggested," she pointed out.
While she spoke, Alexander Lancaster only stared coldly at her. 'This man isn't fond of talking, but is he not even interested in finding out if he had been scammed into a marriage?' She mused as she noticed his aloof attitude.
"This could be a serious case of fraud if true. Do not forget you're as much a victim in this as I am," she reiterated, her voice solemn.
Finally, Alexander removed his gaze from her, turned towards the man beside him, and said, "Go with her and check on this matter. I'll head to the hospital."
Rain parted her lips as Alexander drove off. He mentioned something about an emergency and a hospital, so she decided to let it slide for now. She was interrupted in her thoughts by his assistant, who was standing there waiting to accompany her to the civil affairs bureau.
"Miss, shall we go now and check? By the way, I am Tyron Han, Mr. Lancaster's assistant," the man introduced himself warmly, extending his hand.
Rain accepted it and said, "I'm Rain Clayton."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lancaster!" Tyron said with a humorous grin. Rain raised an eyebrow at him, and he let out an awkward laugh in response.
"Just practising in case you're truly married to my boss. Shall we?"
Rain shook her head with a sigh as they made their way to the Civil Affairs Bureau. They arrived after a brisk walk, and Rain's inquiry was quickly handled after she provided the relevant details.
"Mrs. Rain Lancaster, here are two copies of the marriage certificate. Would you like a soft copy?"
Rain stared at the certificate in disbelief. It was indeed her face in the photo, and the man looked exactly like Alexander. The date of registration was just yesterday.
"Holy cow! The boss is truly married!" Tyron exclaimed.
"But how is this possible? Yesterday? There must be some mistake in the system. I wasn't even here yesterday, so how could I register my marriage? It's not me who registered this!" Rain complained to the officer.
"Maam, there's no mistake. Can't you see your picture on it? That's your photo taken here!" the officer pointed out with a frown.
"But this is not me. I mean, like I said, I didn't even come here yesterday," Rain murmured weakly.
"Maam, do you have a twin?" the officer asked sarcastically, still frowning.
She shook her head and turned to Tyron. "How about Mr. Lancaster? Does he have a twin?" she asked.
"He doesn't have a twin, but he has a younger brother who looks very much like him at first glance. However, it's impossible for him to be here and pretend to be Mr. Lancaster because William is on vacation abroad," Tyron answered.
"Maam, why don't you sort it out with your husband and check it with him? If you have no inquiries anymore, can I call on the next in line?" the officer remarked with a click of his tongue.
"Mrs. Lancaster, I have to report this to my boss," Tyron commented. Rain simply nodded, still unable to fathom how she ended up being married suddenly, without herself being aware of it.
"What kind of sick joke is this?" Rain mumbled.
As if to add insult to injury, her phone buzzed with a new message from Dina.
Dina: Don't forget the dinner meeting tonight for your arranged marriage, bitch. Your crippled and crazy future husband, Michael Astor, is dying to meet and see you! By the way, Paul is so good in bed! Too bad you won't experience that from your future husband!
Rain's grip on the phone tightened. This morning, her father had called her to inform her about her arranged marriage with Michael Astor, one of the mayor's sons. That man was crazy and a spoilt psychopath, with many cases registered against him including rape, physical abuse, and drug use. But because he was the mayor's son, he always managed to dodge away from all the charges filed against him.
But now… her face brightened as she realised the silver lining.
"Right!" she suddenly burst with joy while staring at the marriage contract. Her eyes lit up as she muttered, "I am already married, so how can I marry Michael Astor!"
Thinking about the contorted faces of her family members, her lips stretched into a wide smile. Then she took a deep breath before dialling her father's number.
"What is it?" Tim Clayton answered coldly.
"Are you sure you want me at the dinner meeting?" Rain said with a smirk. "I have some news that might shame the family."
"That's nothing new," was her father's ruthless reply. "Your very existence is shameful. Showing up at dinner is the least you could do. Thankfully, Michael Astor doesn't care for your loose reputation. Once you are married, you will no longer be my problem."
"Well you're in luck, I'm already married!"