"If you want to save your late mother's foundation, then you have to marry him!" Her father's firm voice echoed in the back of her mind.
Arabella, the black sheep of the Quinn Family, could only be controlled by her father using the precious foundation built by her late mother, Sophia Lee.
Every time Arabella would get out of hand, her father, Alexander Quinn would resort to blackmailing her.
Arabella treasured this Ai-Hu foundation because her mother built it to honor her grandfather who suffered from Stage 4 lung cancer.
She couldn't sleep as she kept tossing in her bed. Tomorrow will be her big day. She was going to marry an old billionaire widower, Michael Smith.
She wasn't sure if her decision was right. She only met her groom-to-be during their prenup pictorial. Luckily, the widower didn't look old and ugly.
He was in his mid-50s but his physical appearance looked younger than his usual age… as if he was just in his 40s. He was also good-looking.
'He is not bad… But marrying someone at the age of 25 is not my priority. All I want is to live independently, away from this toxic family!' Arabella lamented to herself.
Living with her father and his new family had always been so rough on her.
After enduring it for several years, Arabella finally got the opportunity to move overseas to pursue her studies in a law school when she qualified for the international scholarship program of Howard University, however, she was torn between leaving the country and keeping the foundation.
"Sigh!" Arabella heaved a frustrated sigh. She had no power over her father.
Furthermore, her stepmother, Minerva, even convinced her to enter into this marriage. She said if the marriage won't work she could always file a divorce. For now, they needed to collaborate with the Smiths to expand their family business.
Just thinking about her wedding day tomorrow, her restlessness grew heavy, making it hard to breathe.
Feeling the need to breathe some fresh air, she got off her bed and decided to hang out in the garden.
She quietly stepped out of her bedroom and headed to the stairs. She was traversing through the hallway when she noticed that the light in the living room was still on. Then she overheard some people talking downstairs, followed by a peal of laughter.
"Dad, Mom, and Diana are still awake…" Arabella thought to herself as she recognized their voices.
She walked on tiptoes, trying to silence her footsteps. She wanted to go to the garden without being noticed by her parents and sister.
Arabella cautiously traced her steps toward the backdoor to avoid being seen by them. However, she suddenly heard her name being mentioned by her sister, Diana.
'They are talking about me!' Curiosity won her over so Arabella halted her steps and hid behind the wall to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Mom! Dad! Thank you for letting me dodge this unwanted marriage and choosing Arabella to be the sacrificial lamb!"
Diana clung to her father's arm, placing her head on his shoulder as she expressed how grateful she was for his decision.
She heard the rumor that Michael Smith was eyeing her at first to be his wife, not Arabella.
"Of course. You are my beloved daughter. I can't bear to marry you off for convenience," Alexander responded, gently tapping his daughter's nose using his forefinger.
Diana chuckled giddily and said, "I only want to marry Oliver. My prince charming!" Her eyes sparkled in delight as she thought of her boyfriend, Oliver Yan.
Oliver Yan was Arabella's childhood friend. The two developed feelings for each other but before they became an official couple, Diana came into the picture, snatching Oliver away from Arabella. She did those sorts of things to seduce Oliver and get his attention.
Arabella's face contorted when she heard that name. She still hated Oliver for his betrayal.
'I don't care about him. They can live happily ever after together.'
"Honey, I feel so relieved that you managed to control your rebellious daughter. I thought we were about to lose the chance to be part of the Smith Family. We need Michael Smith to expand our business," Minerva spoke in relief.
"Shhhh!" Diana hushed. "Mom, Dad… I think we should lower our voices. What if Arabella is still awake, she may overhear us." She turned and looked upstairs, checking if Arabella was around.
But little did they know, Arabella was already downstairs, hiding behind the wall, near the backdoor as she listened to them secretly.
Minerva giggled. "Don't worry. I mixed sleeping pills in her tea. I bet she's sound asleep now."
"Eh, why did you do that?" Diana asked her mother expectantly.
"I put her to sleep just to make sure she won't run away tonight. Tomorrow is her wedding. What if Ashley changes her mind? She is a troublemaker." Minerva brought up her concern. She knew Arabella. She could be stubborn at times.
Arabella's face darkened and her insides twisted. Fortunately, she didn't drink her tea.
"Don't worry. I have already mobilized our family guards for tomorrow's event. I won't allow her to humiliate our family. I will sell the foundation right away if she tries to disobey me. I will also disown her, leaving her nothing… not even a penny."
Arabella gritted her teeth, clutched her chest, and slammed her eyes shut. She didn't know how long she could hold her patience and control her anger. It seemed that her own family was ganging up against her, abusing their power and authority just to corner her.
"Dad, there is something I have been wondering about. You said you only loved my mother. But why did you marry Arabella's mother first, instead of my mother?"
Minerva and Alexander exchanged meaningful glances with one another, contemplating whether they would share their secret with their daughter or not.
"I think we must tell her the truth. Besides, she is our daughter," Minerva suggested.
"Can you promise to keep this to yourself?" Alexander asked his daughter.
"Yes, Dad! I promise."
"The truth is… your mother knew that I was marrying Sophia. Her father's company was essential to the expansion of my business so I decided to marry her to acquire the company." Alexander revealed to his daughter.
"Your Dad is very smart, Honey. That's why I like him the most." Minerva paused, anchoring her arm around her husband's elbow. "Poor Sophia. She was completely smitten by you… without knowing that you were in love with me." Minerva laughed giddily.
Diane gasped for a moment, covering her mouth. Then, later on, her giggle bubbled up in the entire living room. "Does it mean… you and Dad were having a secret affair while Aunt Sophia was still alive? Am I truly my Dad's biological daughter? Not a stepdaughter?"
Both of them bobbed their heads to confirm it.
"Yes. That's the truth. You are my biological daughter. Your mom is the only woman I love. Sophia was purely business. I don't love her. Your mother is hotter than her, sexier than her—"
"And more beautiful than her!" Minerva interrupted Alexander.
He just smiled awkwardly. Deep inside, he thought Sophia was more beautiful than Minerva. Because if she were not, he wouldn't marry her or force her to have sex with him on the night of their wedding day.
"Now, my next target is to acquire Michael Smith's company. This is the reason why I am forcing Arabella to marry him. I'm gonna use her. As long as Sophia's foundation is under my hand, I can control that rebellious daughter of hers. Ashley will listen to me and obey my command." Alexander was confident about this.
Arabella froze in her spot the moment she heard those revelations from her father and stepmother. Her eyes set ablaze as she folded her fingers into fists, her knuckles turning white.
This only meant they used her mother and deceived her. The only reason her father married her mother was because of money. And now he planned to use her for his greed.
'What an old money-grabbing jerk?! I am so embarrassed to have a father like him. How I wish I had a different father!' Arabella ground her teeth until her gums bled.
Arabella had already heard enough!
'No way. I won't let these greedy people control me! They want trouble. I will give them trouble. I swear… they will pay tenfold for what they did to my mom.'