Sorry I'm Mated To The Commander novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Collect My Husband

“Can you believe it? The Sullivans’ real daughter, the one who went missing ten years ago, has finally been found,” one lady whispered.

“Goodness, that’s wonderful. But what will become of the girl they adopted?” another lady replied, her voice full of concern.

“Oh, that’s not all. I’ve heard that the long-lost heiress and the adopted daughter’s fiancé got very close during his rut,” the first lady added, her tone dropping even lower.

“If I were in her shoes, I don’t think I could bear to stay under the same roof another day,” the second lady murmured, shaking her head.

A stunning young woman with long hair stood by the window, rubbing her throbbing temples. She frowned slightly. ‘Strange, I did drink a lot last night, but it shouldn’t have knocked me out that completely.’

The low whispers drifting in from outside caught her attention. Recognizing the gossip was about her, she let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Ten years ago, Xanthe Sullivan, the beloved daughter of the noble Sullivan family on Alpha Prime, went missing in a spaceship crash.

The Sullivan family was heartbroken. Later, they adopted a little girl named Layla from the Wastelands-9 Orphan Core, who looked a bit like Xanthe and was about the same age. They renamed the girl Layla Sullivan.

A decade later, Xanthe was found. Of course, the Sullivan family was overjoyed. They poured all their love onto Xanthe, buying her favorite clothes, jewelry, as well as the latest optical computers and aero-vehicles.

They even made Layla move out of her house, all because Xanthe had remarked one day, “Layla’s house is so pretty.”

The Sullivan family spared no effort in spoiling Xanthe. None of this came as a surprise to Layla. After all, she was only adopted, while Xanthe was the family’s real daughter.

Layla moved out quietly and tried her best to be kind to Xanthe. What she never imagined, however, was that her own fiancé had spent his rut with Xanthe.

Shaking off the thought, Layla let out a slow yawn and turned to pack her things. She was leaving for Imperial Academy. ‘It’s time to leave the Sullivans anyway,’ she told herself.

Packing didn’t take long. She had little to bring, and wanted nothing from the Sullivan family. She put on her white and blue freshman uniform, tucking the cuffs into her black boots. Looking into the mirror, she tied her hair into a neat ponytail.

The only thing left was her optical computer, a birthday gift from her eldest brother Nolan Sullivan two years ago. Nolan had always been kind to her. He’d been stationed on an alien planet supervising energy operations and hadn’t been home in half a year.

But Layla knew that even Nolan would surely dote on Xanthe more. She decided to format the optical computer, wiping all her data clean, before returning it to the Sullivans for good.

Just as she was about to format the computer, a notification from Prime AI flashed. [Ms. Layla Sullivan, your Genetic Pairing Program application has been received. Data processing in progress. Genetic comparison ongoing.]

Layla froze, her fingers going numb. The watch-like optical computer slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a sharp clatter.

On Alpha Prime, there were two ways to marry. The first was free love and marriage, chosen by most. The second was the Genetic Pairing Program.

Once one applied, Prime AI would compare their genes with every eligible unmarried person on the planet. The highest match led to an automatic marriage. In short, it was like asking Prime AI to assign a spouse.

But this second option had mostly fallen out of use. It was seen as cold and impersonal, often leading to unhappy marriages. Almost no one chose it anymore.

A cold glint flashed in Layla’s eyes. ‘Who got into my optical computer and submitted that application?’ She walked straight out and called for the robot butler. “Who entered my room last night?”

The robot butler’s electronic eyes flickered. Without another word, Layla reached over and accessed its central control system, pulling up the surveillance feed from the night before, during which she had been drunk and sound asleep.

The records had been deleted, but recovering the data was no trouble for Layla. Within minutes, the restored footage showed a figure slipping into her room.

It was Xanthe. What’s more, the footage also clearly showed that last night, Xanthe had furtively put something into Layla’s drink.

*****

The Sullivan kitchen was spacious. Most of their meals were handled by household robots, but this morning, Xanthe was bustling around. She was in a white dress, her curly hair pulled back, with a pink apron tied over her dress.

She looked at her mother Harper Sullivan, who stood nearby, and said, “Mom, the oatmeal I made probably isn’t as perfect as the robot’s.”

Harper looked shocked, her face losing its color. “That’s impossible,” she said, her voice tight. She refused to believe her own daughter could do something so low.

Layla’s tone remained calm. “Believe what you want. I’ve already sent all the surveillance footage to your email.”

Harper looked at her sobbing daughter. After a heavy pause, she spoke with pained reluctance. “Layla, Xanthe couldn’t have meant any real harm. Can you forgive her?

“You know how much she suffered out there. And I raised you for ten years. Can’t those ten years of care count for something? Can’t they make you a little more understanding toward her?”

Each word felt like a needle. The sharper the pain grew inside Layla, the quieter she became. “Mrs. Sullivan, I do remember those ten years. You spent 168,000 starcoins on me. I will pay back every last one.” With that, she turned to go.

Harper finally registered what Layla had called her. She froze where she stood. “Layla, you called me Mrs. Sullivan. Are you really ending everything between us over something like this?”

Xanthe looked up and saw the conflict and sorrow in her mother’s eyes. She suddenly began to sob even louder. “It’s all my fault. Layla, you must still be angry about Caleb and me.

“If you’re upset, just blame me. But please, Layla, the Sullivans raised you for ten years. How can you be so cold? You’re going to break Mom and Dad’s hearts.”

Layla turned around and saw the tears welling in Harper’s eyes. A bitter realization washed over her. ‘From beginning to end, I was the only villain. With Xanthe here, my life would never be as peaceful as before. If they want to spoil her rotten, fine. I’ll leave.’

Right then, a soft beep came from her optical computer. She glanced down and found the marriage application had been approved. Without a word, she formatted the device and dropped it onto the floor. Then she turned and walked toward the door.

“Layla, where are you going?” Harper called out, her voice trembling. No matter what, she had still raised Layla for ten years, and that kind of bond wasn’t easy to simply let go of.

Layla waved a hand over her shoulder without turning around. “To the Central Nexus,” she replied, her tone flat. “Going to collect my husband.”