Damon Anderson felt his heart boil in anger at how the Williams family had planned everything out. To think he had admired the woman before him, only fit her to turn out fake and pretentious.
He placed his signature by his name, officially making her his wife, he smirked on seeing her name on the paper as she bent to place her signature too.
Heather gasped loudly as she saw her sister's name on the paper. How could she sell off her whole life in her sister's name? How could her family be that cruel?
She hesitated, attempting to look back at her father but instead received a pinch to the side as her stepmom pretended to hold her.
Heather had no choice but to complete the process, as her father didn't even spare her a look.
"May I borrow my daughter for a minute," Matilda asked, smiling at her husband.
The thought of having a husband making her feel tension settle in the pit of her stomach. Everything was happening too fast that she didn't realize she hadn't thought anything through.
Damon nodded, turning to talk to his best friend as he said, "don't be long Natalia." Heather halted on hearing the name he addressed her with.
He must have read it on the marriage certificate, her mind screamed at her to tell him her real name, but she was harshly pulled away from him.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Matilda held her upper arms in a rough grip.
"Don't think of telling him anything, to him, you'll be Natalia Williams, are we understood?" Matilda said, her eyes burning in anger as she warned her.
"What's happening here?" Her father's voice came, making a ray of hope shoot through her heart. Surely, her father had to do something about this.
"Dad, do you know that Natalia's name is on the marriage certificate! How much am I going to sacrifice? I can even have my own identity?" Heather let out her outburst, feeling anger simmering in her veins.
Donald furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "I thought you said you took care of that?" He asked, turning to his wife who didn't seem bothered by any of it.
"Honey, it wasn't possible with the span of time the changes were made, what's the big deal anyway," Matilda said before turning to Heather.
"Are you selfish enough to want to reveal the truth and destroy our family?" She asked, feigning disbelief in her tone.
Matilda clutched her bag tightly as if protecting something that was in it, knowing too well that she had already changed the documents but on seeing the groom she switched the papers back.
Donald turned to his daughter who was a sobbing mess looking defenseless, he now saw how selfish she was.
"Stop shedding those selfish tears Heather, from today you'll be Natalia, is that too much to ask for your family?" Donald said, making her feel like the villain.
Matilda smirked, feeling victorious as she saw Heather lower her eyelids in defeat.
Heather couldn't be more grateful for being married or rather sold off to the Anderson Family. It was better than having her family tear her apart piece by piece.
Damon's eyes lurked looking for his wife, but she was nowhere in sight.
He walked around trying to see if he could locate her, only to stop at a distance as he saw her father and mother talking to her. Her head was lowered and one could tell that her parents were not happy with how they pointed at her as if warning her.
Damon knitted his brows as he tried to make out what was going on with the family. His phone rang suddenly making him turn around to pick it, his heart filled with dissatisfaction.
Heather looked around for her husband as her parents left her behind to nurse her pain.
"You're Mrs. Anderson?" A man asked, smiling at her. Heather felt her heart race at the title, if only she got to keep the name for herself.
"Yes, call me Hea.. Natalia," she said, feeling hurt at using her sister's name.
"Mr. Damon asked me to drop you at the mansion," the man said, opening a car door for her.
Heather furrowed her brows, confused at his statement. Wasn't he supposed to wait for her?
As if noticing her hesitation, the man said, "Mrs Anderson if you don't believe me we can call him."
"No it's okay, let's go," Heather said, her voice defeated and defenseless. It seemed what she hoped would be her saving grace had turned out quite the opposite.
She shook her head as she tried to comfort herself that it was too late to judge, maybe he was just busy.
At the Williams mansion, Natalia paced restlessly waiting for her mother to arrive. As the door opened she quickly got up, walking to the door.
"Mom, Dad? How did everything go?" She asked, curiosity in her voice. She wanted to hear how her sister had married the old man.
"Where have you been, Natalia!" Donald asked, anger in his voice. He almost lost the honor of his word because of her recklessness.
Matilda narrowed her eyes on her daughter, signaling for her not to annoy her father.
"Honey, let her rest, don't you see how scared she is? Maybe she got lost or something. We should listen to her explanation first," Matilda chipped in defending her daughter who was by now holding her head.
"Okay, explain!" Donald ordered, trying to stabilize his voice.
Natalia huffed in reply, feigning discomfort.
"Dad I went to the hospital to get a check-up, I didn't feel good, I thought I would be back in time, I'm sorry," she answered, closing her eyes slowly like she felt weak.
"What? Why didn't you tell Mommy, sweetheart? What if something bad happened to you?" Matilda cried out as she ran to her embracing her after checking her out.
She was impressed by her daughter's acting skills, if anything she was better than her.
Donald's features softened as he looked at his favorite daughter looking so weak before him. "It's okay hunnie, next time don't go alone, what did the doctor say?" He asked, kissing her forehead soothingly.
Natalia smiled weakly, "he said I was going through so much stress lately that I should avoid getting angry, my blood pressure has been low."
Matilda felt her heart nearly stop beating at her daughter's explanation, praying silently that she was playing around. Otherwise it would only mean that the illness she had tried to hide from everyone was back. Matilda couldn't afford to tell even Natalia herself about her condition, how could it have relapsed after all those years?
"Baby doubt worry, your sister's gone there will be no one to stress you anymore, too bad she wasn't married to an old man," Matilda said trying to comfort her, muttering the last part out in a whisper.
Natalia didn't miss the last statement that left her mother's mouth. She knitted had brows confused but focused on her father who looked more than worried at her condition. She had felt dizzy and went to the hospital to get a check-up afraid that it was pregnancy, but later she joined Richard out drinking despite the doctor's orders against it. After all she had to celebrate her sister's unfortunate fate.
"How about going to the hospital tomorrow for another check up sweetheart?" Donald asked, caressing her cheek.
Natalia felt her head swirl all of a sudden for no reason, as she felt the world around her disappear, making her go limb on her mother's arms who let out a sharp piercing scream, her fears coming to reality.
"Nataaliia…" Matilda cried out, her panicked voice resonating throughout the mansion.
Donald froze at the sight of his unconscious daughter as his mind tried to come around what was happening.