"What are you saying, grandpa?" Solene almost choked when she heard what Mr. Thompson had told her. She frowned when Mr. Thompson didn't even laugh at her.
"I want you to marry Bruce. He's a nice man. Did you see how he helped us that night?" Mr. Thompson moved closer to her, avoiding his gaze when he saw her hurt.
"N-No, I don't want to marry him. I don't even love him!" Solene shouted. She winced in pain when her back started to throb. She blinked several times when she felt tears slowly forming in her eyes.
Solene couldn't believe that her grandfather wanted her to marry Bruce, their family driver. She felt that he used her for his benefit. She knew he disliked having a debt to someone, and her grandfather wanted her as the payment for Bruce's gratitude.
After what she did to him, he still doesn't realize her worth. Solene started to laugh when Mr. Thompson glared at her as if he was warning her to shut her mouth.
"Love? What love brings you, Solene? Because of your love, your parents died. It would help if you learned how to be grateful that a man is willing to marry you. Bruce is a nice man. I know he will care for you no matter what happens." Mr. Thompson removed his eyes from her when he saw that Solene started crying.
"Do you think that there was a man who would marry you? Once you marry him, take your brother, I don't want him in my house anymore." Mr. Thompson quickly went out to the room and didn't bother to look at her once again.
Solene's mouth hangs open as her tears slowly flow down her cheeks. She bit her lips to prevent herself from creating a sound. Maybe, she was the unwanted granddaughter of the Thompson family but what her grandfather did to her was too out of the line.
She secretly wished that her parents were still alive. She won't experience everything if they're with her. She might be the reason; maybe, her grandfather was right.
"Why are you crying? Did the older man bully you again?" She stopped herself from crying when she heard Sebastian's voice. She cleared her throat when she saw Bruce was watching her every move.
The coldness in his eyes brings a shiver to her soul. She avoided her gaze when Sebastian glimpsed at Bruce too. He scowled.
"Tell me, Solene. Did he bully you again? They won't do that anymore because Bruce is with us." Sebastian raised his hands to Bruce as he wanted him to lift him. Solene was shocked when Sebastian was too close to Bruce.
"Sebastian, you're too heavy. Will you stop doing that?" She flinched when she felt her back aching again. She wanted to shout to Bruce but couldn't do that if Sebastian was with him.
"Solene, is it true that you will marry Bruce? If you get married, can you bring me with you? I want to be always with you." Sebastian tapped Bruce's shoulder while trying to tell him to move close to Solene. Bruce blankly obeyed Sebastian.
"Sebastian, I don't want to get married. I don't even know him." Solene glared at Bruce. She hoped that Bruce might get affected by her murderous stares, but he didn't even glimpse at her. All of the attention was for Sebastian only. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.
She thought that Bruce didn't have hidden feelings for her, too. She blushed when she felt embarrassed. When Mr. Thompson told him about the sudden marriage, she thought that Bruce was the mastermind of it. She felt disappointed that it was her grandfather all along.
Mr. Thompson used her as a payment for Bruce as he was too prideful to thank him. Her eyes began to water when the truth hit her. Why does she always think that her grandfather still cared for her? After the disappointment that she gave them, they changed their treatment for her.
She lowered her head as Bruce peeked at her. She felt humiliated that a man who didn't want her; needed to marry her.
"Bruce is the generous man for you, Solene. He's the one I told you about who helped me when a group of kids tried to bully me. That's why I want him for you; if he could protect me, he would protect you, too." Sebastian giggled when he touched Bruce's face, which made Solene surprised even more. It's her first time seeing Sebastian close to someone else.
Sebastian, her younger brother, was too aloof to everyone aside from her. And seeing Sebastian laughing at Bruce made her heart beat like crazy.
She swallowed when she felt that her heart was going to explode when Bruce looked at her. She was confused, and she didn't know why she had reacted in that way.
"Sebastian, you're a child. I don't think that I should trust your preferences. I want to marry someone who I know." She reasoned.
"But Bruce didn't even know you, too. It would help if you gave him a chance. I know that he's a good man." Sebastian didn't have any plans to get lost. He pouted at Bruce; simultaneously, his eyes sparkled in admiration for the man carrying him.
"Bruce, if you marry my sister. Promise me that you will let me live with her. I promise I'll be a good boy to you; I won't overeat." Solene's heart crashed into a million pieces when Sebastian tried to negotiate with Bruce. She understands that Mr. Thompson didn't want to be obligated to the two of them.
Bruce didn't react. Instead, he coldly looked in her direction. She stunned. She wanted to say more, but she stopped herself.
"You can eat a lot. I will do everything to sustain your needs." Bruce whispered. He caressed Sebastian's face with tenderness and care.
"But, I don't want you to get worried more about our needs. It's alright if you care about my sister; she's the one who needs to eat a lot. I trust you, Bruce." Solene suffocated when Sebastian hugged Bruce. She sighed deeply as Sebastian moaned while closing his eyes.
Minutes passed, and Solene heard Sebastian's snore. The corner of her mouth twitched when she saw that Bruce started to lullaby him. It looks like Solene wasn't in his attention; all he saw was Sebastian.
Sometimes, she was anxious that if she got married, she would left Sebastian because of her soon-to-be husband, but if she married Bruce, she wouldn't have a problem anymore. She will be with Sebastian as long as she lives.
"I don't want to marry you. But I know that we both don't have a choice." Bruce broke the silence.
Solene tried to hide the anger on her pretty face. She forced a smile.
"Come again?" She widened her eyes as if she was trying to send him a message to fix his words to her.
"Young lady Solene, if you think I want to marry you, you're wrong. I don't want to marry you; it was Mr. Thompson's idea. Don't think too highly of yourself; not all the men would kneel on you." Bruce's words were like a thousand knives. She didn't know why she felt hurt that even their driver didn't want her.
Before the tragedy happened, she was loved by anyone. They all treated her with respect because of her parents. She was the most respected and cherished, but everything changed when her parents died.
"I don't even like someone like you. I'm doing this for Sebastian. He's a great kid. He may be naughty and act happy, but he isn't. He kept mentioning you as if he was too worried that you might find an evil man." Bruce walked to the sofa and put Sebastian while he was soothing him.
"So, what makes you think I will marry you because of Sebastian? If you don't want to marry me, tell everything to my grandfather. I don't want you either." Solene, full of hatred, mocked him. She groaned in pain when she unintentionally moved her back.
"Do you want your brother to get poorly treated by your family? Well, if you don't want to marry me. Maybe, I will adopt Sebastian. Young lady, you couldn't protect yourself, so it meant you couldn't save Sebastian." Bruce imitated her tone, which made her glare at him. If she was okay, she might smack his head in fury.
"We both didn't want each other. Then, it's alright. I don't plan to fall in love with someone like you. I'm thinking about Sebastian, not you." Bruce added. He smirked when he saw that Solene had reddened in irritation.
"I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry someone like you!" Solene didn't know that she would eat her words. She found herself in front of Bruce.
She tried to calm herself. After she went out to the hospital, her grandfather threatened her that he would take Sebastian away from her. She didn't have any choice but to marry Bruce. A tear formed in her eyes when she saw how happy Sebastian was for her.
"Solene Thompson, do you take Bruce Wilson as your husband?" She swallowed as her forehead began sweating. She closed her eyes when her heart thumped so fast. She didn't want to get married, but she didn't have a choice, especially since Mr. Thompson gave her a deathly glare.
"I-I do," she muttered.
"Bruce Wilson, do you take Solene Thompson as your wife?" She was anxious that Bruce might back out of their marriage. She didn't want to get humiliated again. She almost gasped when Bruce darted at her without emotions.
"I do." He coldly answered. Solene didn't know why she couldn't breathe properly as the man announced that Bruce would kiss his bride.
They heard loud applause as Sebastian yelled in excitement. She shut her eyes when Bruce moved closer to her.
"I know we both don't want to kiss each other. Just close your eyes," Bruce whispered. She was shocked when she felt his lips land at the corner of her lips. She trembled.
"I am pleased to present the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!"