Chapter 1 I Married The Top Idol's Brother

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 I Married The Top Idol's Brother

"Failed to ride the top idol's fame, but ended up as his sister-in-law. Looks like I finally hit the jackpot!"

I was a D-list celebrity, dragged through the mud online for rumors with the top idol. My goal? Marry into a rich family, take it easy, and enjoy the good life.

Haters mocked me, saying, 'You're aiming way out of your league. Have you looked in the mirror?'

At the family matchmaking event, I went straight for the guy in the wheelchair—the rumored outcast of the Sterling family. "I choose him," I said.

Later, during a livestream, Lucas Sterling respectfully handed me a cup of tea. "Emily, my brother asked me to check what would you like for dinner tonight?" The entire internet crashed.

*****

My phone was practically vibrating off the table, and the screen was flooded with nasty comments. Every single word was pure poison.

[Emily Lane? She really thinks she can leech off our Lucas? Get out of the entertainment industry!]

[LOL, she's so thirsty for fame. Her edits are so bad, it's obviously fake.]

[He's a solid 10. You're aiming way out of your league. You'll never get close to the Sterling family.]

My agent, Ms. King, called right after, her voice so sharp it could pierce my eardrums.

"Emily! What the hell are you doing? The company spent a fortune trying to make you famous, and now you get yourself into this mess!"

I leaned against the cold wall of my rental apartment, just listening calmly to her rant.

"I didn't leak that photo," I said.

"Not you? Then who, a ghost?" Ms. King's voice shot up. "I don't care! Apologize on social media right now. Say you faked the photo for attention, and make it sound sincere. Otherwise, you'll be blacklisted for life!"

Apologize? Seriously?

I stared at the blurry so-called "intimate photo". You could barely make out the side profiles of me and A-lister Lucas Sterling. I just smirked, half amused, half annoyed.

Lucas was the one who sent this pic straight to the paparazzi.

He wanted to manipulate his fans' emotions and lock in their loyalty, and I, a nobody with zero connections, was the perfect stepping stone for him.

"Ms. King," I said quietly, "let's terminate the contract."

There was a moment of silence, then she exploded. "Emily, are you insane? Break the contract? Can you even afford the penalty? Who do you think you are?"

"I can't," I admitted calmly. "But I'm done being your cash cow."

With that, I hung up and blocked her everywhere.

Peace at last.

I opened my banking app and stared at that pitiful four-digit balance. I let out a sigh.

Looks like my dream of slacking off and living easy will need a whole new game plan.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was my mom.

"Emily, is your job not going so well?" she asked, her voice full of worry.

She was tiptoeing around the topic.

I knew she'd seen the news online.

"Yeah, I'm not doing it anymore," I replied.

"Well, maybe it's for the best. It's not really proper for a young woman to always be in the public eye," she said, then quickly changed the subject.

"Aunt Lucy set you up with someone from the Sterling family. You know, the family of that top idol, Lucas Sterling."

My heart skipped a beat.

"But... it's not Lucas," my mom said, her voice a little uncertain. "It's his older brother, Alexander Sterling.

"Rumor has it his legs aren't too good, so he spends most of his time at home, keeping to himself. But the Sterling family's got money to burn. If you marry him, you'll be set for life."

Alexander Sterling.

I'd heard that name before.

He was the true eldest son of the Sterling family, but after an accident left his legs crippled, he became the outcast, the one hidden away, living in the shadows, barely mentioned by anyone.

Everyone said the Sterling family's future belonged to Lucas, the shining star everyone talked about.

One was wheelchair-bound, the other a top idol.

One was the outcast, the other the golden boy.

What a stark contrast.

"Mom," I cut her off, "I'm in."

My mom was caught off guard. "You, you're not going to think it over?"

"No need," I replied calmly. "He's my pick."

Why keep struggling in the mud when I could just grab a golden meal ticket and take it easy, coasting through life?

As for love? That won't put food on the table.

My goal's always been simple: marry rich.

If I can't beg a 10, can't I at least settle for a sick one.

Who knows, maybe it'll have a flavor all its own.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 I Married The Top Idol's Brother

"Failed to ride the top idol's fame, but ended up as his sister-in-law. Looks like I finally hit the jackpot!"

I was a D-list celebrity, dragged through the mud online for rumors with the top idol. My goal? Marry into a rich family, take it easy, and enjoy the good life.

Haters mocked me, saying, 'You're aiming way out of your league. Have you looked in the mirror?'

At the family matchmaking event, I went straight for the guy in the wheelchair—the rumored outcast of the Sterling family. "I choose him," I said.

Later, during a livestream, Lucas Sterling respectfully handed me a cup of tea. "Emily, my brother asked me to check what would you like for dinner tonight?" The entire internet crashed.

*****

My phone was practically vibrating off the table, and the screen was flooded with nasty comments. Every single word was pure poison.

[Emily Lane? She really thinks she can leech off our Lucas? Get out of the entertainment industry!]

[LOL, she's so thirsty for fame. Her edits are so bad, it's obviously fake.]

[He's a solid 10. You're aiming way out of your league. You'll never get close to the Sterling family.]

My agent, Ms. King, called right after, her voice so sharp it could pierce my eardrums.

"Emily! What the hell are you doing? The company spent a fortune trying to make you famous, and now you get yourself into this mess!"

I leaned against the cold wall of my rental apartment, just listening calmly to her rant.

"I didn't leak that photo," I said.

Apologize? Seriously?

I stared at the blurry so-called "intimate photo". You could barely make out the side profiles of me and A-lister Lucas Sterling. I just smirked, half amused, half annoyed.

Lucas was the one who sent this pic straight to the paparazzi.

He wanted to manipulate his fans' emotions and lock in their loyalty, and I, a nobody with zero connections, was the perfect stepping stone for him.

"Ms. King," I said quietly, "let's terminate the contract."

There was a moment of silence, then she exploded. "Emily, are you insane? Break the contract? Can you even afford the penalty? Who do you think you are?"

"I can't," I admitted calmly. "But I'm done being your cash cow."

With that, I hung up and blocked her everywhere.

Peace at last.

I opened my banking app and stared at that pitiful four-digit balance. I let out a sigh.

Looks like my dream of slacking off and living easy will need a whole new game plan.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was my mom.

"Emily, is your job not going so well?" she asked, her voice full of worry.

She was tiptoeing around the topic.

I knew she'd seen the news online.

"Yeah, I'm not doing it anymore," I replied.

"Well, maybe it's for the best. It's not really proper for a young woman to always be in the public eye," she said, then quickly changed the subject.

"Aunt Lucy set you up with someone from the Sterling family. You know, the family of that top idol, Lucas Sterling."

My heart skipped a beat.

"But... it's not Lucas," my mom said, her voice a little uncertain. "It's his older brother, Alexander Sterling.

"Rumor has it his legs aren't too good, so he spends most of his time at home, keeping to himself. But the Sterling family's got money to burn. If you marry him, you'll be set for life."

Alexander Sterling.

I'd heard that name before.

He was the true eldest son of the Sterling family, but after an accident left his legs crippled, he became the outcast, the one hidden away, living in the shadows, barely mentioned by anyone.

Everyone said the Sterling family's future belonged to Lucas, the shining star everyone talked about.

One was wheelchair-bound, the other a top idol.

One was the outcast, the other the golden boy.

What a stark contrast.

"Mom," I cut her off, "I'm in."

My mom was caught off guard. "You, you're not going to think it over?"

"No need," I replied calmly. "He's my pick."

Why keep struggling in the mud when I could just grab a golden meal ticket and take it easy, coasting through life?

As for love? That won't put food on the table.

My goal's always been simple: marry rich.

If I can't beg a 10, can't I at least settle for a sick one.

Who knows, maybe it'll have a flavor all its own.