The Tyrant's Bride: His Plaything, His Prisoner

After several attempts to push Aria off, Carter was on the verge of losing his mind.

She clung to him like a lifeline, and no amount of subtle nudging seemed to work.

Frustrated but unwilling to use force, he finally gave in.

Exhaustion got the better of him, and despite the awkward situation, Carter let her stay.

To his surprise, they both slept soundly through the night.

---

The morning light filtered through the curtains as Aria stirred drowsily.

Her hand reached out instinctively, patting the bedside table for her phone.

Without thinking much, she grabbed it and made her way to the bathroom.

Sitting on the toilet, she scrolled aimlessly through her messages, her half-asleep brain barely registering anything.

A few minutes later, she stood up, stretched, and glanced at the trash can.

There it was.

A faint red smudge on a tissue.

Aria froze, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

For a moment, her mind refused to process what she was seeing.

Slowly, as though in a trance, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a sanitary napkin.

It was a reflex, something she did without thinking, but the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

Wait… what?

---

Carter woke up the same moment Aria did, disturbed by her movements.

Stretching stiffly, he pushed the covers back, only for his eyes to land on the faint red stain on the beige sheets.

His entire body tensed.

He stood up abruptly, his thoughts spinning.

Before he could fully grasp what was happening, his gaze shifted to Aria.

She stood by her bag, holding a sanitary napkin in one hand, her expression a mix of shock and confusion.

Carter's blue eyes darkened dangerously, his voice sharp and cold. "You're not pregnant?"

"Huh?"

Aria spun around, startled by his sudden question.

Her brain took a moment to catch up, but the accusation in his tone made her stomach sink.

She followed his gaze to the bed, then to the napkin in her hand, and her face paled.

Her mind raced as she tried to piece things together.

How could this be?

Just days ago, she had been so sure.

The test results, the symptoms... everything pointed to her being pregnant.

Quickly, she grabbed her phone and opened her messages.

Scrolling through the junk folder, she found it, a notification she had ignored. Her heart sank as she read:

> [Mercywood Hospital]

Miss 018, we regret to inform you that you are not pregnant but suffering from gastroenteritis.

Due to a clerical error, we mistakenly gave you the results of Miss 013.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

Please visit the hospital for proper medication.

Aria's hands shook.

The message had been sent days ago but had been buried in her spam folder.

She stared at it, her mind blank except for one thought: I'm not pregnant.

---

Carter's voice snapped her out of her daze. "Care to explain this?"

"I—it's not me! It's the hospital!" Aria stammered, raising her phone as if to show him the proof. "They made a mistake. Look, I just found out—"

But Carter's face had already turned stormy, his jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.

He cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand, his frustration boiling over.

Without another word, he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Aria flinched at the sound, her entire body trembling.

"This is not my fault," she muttered to herself, trying to quell the rising panic.

She took a deep breath, but the unfairness of the situation burned in her chest. "I didn't want to be pregnant in the first place! And now I'm married to him because of a mistake?!"

Fuming, she grabbed her phone and called the hospital's number, her fingers trembling as she dialed.

The moment someone picked up, she unleashed her fury.

"You quacks! How do you mess up something so simple? Do you even have a medical license? A case of gastroenteritis, and you told me I was pregnant? Are you serious?! People like you shouldn't even work in a hospital! You're a disgrace! Quit your jobs and spare us all!"

On the other end, a confused young intern stared at his phone, wide-eyed.

He had just started his shift and hadn't even reviewed the report yet.

"What on earth…?" he muttered, still half-asleep as the call abruptly ended.

After venting her frustration, Aria slumped against the wall, her head spinning.

What now?

Carter was probably fuming, and she couldn't blame him.

From his perspective, it must look like she had faked the pregnancy to trap him into marriage.

How could she explain herself?

Her shoulders sagged as she stared at the floor. "This is such a mess," she whispered. "How do I even fix this?"