"Pow," A resounding slap echoed around the room, followed by a brown-haired girl who was pushed down to the ground by another girl who was almost the same age as her.

"Da.. Dad, I don't want to," the brown hair girl sputtered, as tears glistened in her eyes.

"Either you leave this house and live with your sick mother or get married to Mr. Damon," Josh's voice thundered.

Astrid is a 23-year-old brown-haired girl, oval shape, 5ft tall and chubby. She has always been used by her dad, stepmom, and sister.

Just like every other day, they just arranged to get her married to a man in his late fifties to save their sorry ass from their debt.

"I never spent a dime from your debt, you both lost it gambling always…" Another slap landed on her face and this came from none other than her dad, Josh.

"You ungrateful brat, it's only the request I am pleading for," Josh let out and then a sardonic smile escaped her lips.

She wiped the tears from her face and now stood from the ground.

"I am not going to get married to a man old enough to be my father." she declared firmly this time not avoiding eye contact with her dad that much.

"What?" Josh's voice countered.

"Why for once can't you love me for a bit?" She cried out her hands moving to her chest as she tried to hold in her tears.

Josh moved closer to her, lifting her by her chin roughly, "Then do this one favor for me and save us from losing everything I have ever worked for," His voice was a bit calm but stern, one could tell he didn't care about Astrid.

"Ask her to do it, I have always been the one doing it Dad," Astrid let out pointing to her sister Nadine and then another slap across her face, now making her face red.

There was no way she could talk her father out, "You are 23 already, and your sister is only 21. Do you expect her to get married to him?"

Astrid feels like yelling at him and telling him that is exactly why she can't accept him, he is in his late fifties and might even have kids her age.

How could he say this knowing it isn't even right, "I won't Dad. I can't.." She pleaded.

"Find other solutions Dad please, any other one," she cried out but Josh scoffed.

"You should be happy you see someone who would get married to you," Josh let out, making her insecurities appear again.

She has always been bullied in high school so she even dropped out and refused to further her education.

Since she is a chubby girl, people don't forget to remind her that she is ugly and dumb. Hearing her dad say that again hurt her more.

"Don't you want to save your mum?" At the mention of this she whipped her head up, "Save mum?" she asked again to be sure she heard right.

Her mum has been battling for her life for a year now, and she needs money for surgery.

Astrid's Parents broke up when she was still three years old, and Josh fought for Astrid custody, he won and prevented her mum from being with her.

Despite the torture he puts Astrid true, her mum still can't win because Josh has made sure to ruin her and prevent her from getting any decent job.

When Astrid turned 18 she decided to stop living under her father and find her mum. 

The first few years were good, she was beginning to love herself but then a dreaded situation came up where she found out her mum had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

She kept up with the chemotherapy, trying her best to get different jobs to help her but still, it was hard since she had no degree or even a high school certificate.

Now Josh has seen the greatest trick in making her fall for his whims and do what he wants because he knows she would accept at once.

"I will pay for every penny of her surgery if you will get married to him," Josh assured her as his wife Leila smiled at this.

"Darling," she called for the first time with a calm voice, "Don't you want to see your mum living well again?" she asked while Astrid could only stare them dead.

"I.." she kept sputtering, "Your father is ready to treat her," Leila said again, and without thinking twice, Astrid nodded her head in approval.

"Yes, I will do it," Her heart was heavy as she accepted the proposal of getting married to someone older than her, but she was doing it for her mother.

She needed to save her mother and she was ready to do everything in her power to see her mum heal again.

"Then it settled," Josh let out excitement as he called Mr. Damon and talked about the arrangement while Astrid could only sit on the floor frustrated and sad.

"Fatso, thanks for taking my place," Nadine, her step-sister, let out smirking at her, Astrid almost in tears could only bite her lip as she watched her step-sister leave with her mum.

********

Astrid stared at her reflection, not happy with that sad gaze staring back at her. 

She hated her face, her chubby face her whole body anytime she stared at the mirror.

She never for once thought she would get married this early since boys hardly take an interest in her.

But she would only hope that one day the one who would love her for herself would find her, but it was all a dream there is nothing like that she thought.

A message popped on her phone, "We are waiting for you, don't disappoint me,"

Another pain crept into her guts even though she was doing this to help her dad, he still wouldn't walk her down the aisle.

She sighed and stood from the small stool she sat in the room not far from the venue where the wedding was taking place.

She is the one who did her makeup and the rest, only the dress was given by Mr Damon.

She covered her face with the veil as she walked forward but then was stopped by someone.

"We have been waiting for you," the man said. She hesitated a bit but then apologized for coming late.

"This way.." he began leading her to goodness know where as she thought.

She wanted to say something but the man wasn't giving her the chance to talk.

"Your groom has been getting agitated, "You should go in now," he let out and the door opened.

"Mum, this is for you." she let out, since she was the shy type she couldn't look up.

Cheers echoed as she walked inside, she couldn't help but be worried at why they are happy for a kid getting married to an older man.

"Hold my hands," she heard an unfamiliar voice but her head was filled up to argue as she did so.

As she approached her so-called groom, she gazed up at him, and what she saw left her utterly stunned. 

The man standing before her was none other than Julian Logan, the wealthiest and most influential man in their city. 

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she realized she had mistakenly entered the wrong hall.

She is getting married to Julian Logan instead of the old man her father had arranged for her.