~The Brown Family~
George's deep voice broke the silence of the lavish living room. "Risa, as the eldest daughter of the Brown family, you will marry Davis Allen of the Allen family."
Risa froze mid-step, her breath hitched and her hands clenched as she slowly turned to face her father with her eyes wide with disbelief. "Dad, is this a joke", she asked tentatively.
George's expression remained firm, his tone unrelenting "I signed a business deal with them and that is one of the requirements needed to facilitate it."
"An alliance?" Risa's voice rose sharply. "With a cripple? Davis Allen is finished, Dad. His family doesn't even want him anymore. How does this benefit us?"
George sighed, " They may not want him but then he is still an Allen and The Allens are still powerful, Risa. Their name alone carries weight, even if Davis is no longer at his peak. This marriage—"
"This marriage will be my destruction, dad!" Risa cut him off, her heels clicking furiously as she paced. "Have ever paused to think of what people will tell me and what they will think of me?"
"You'll learn to adapt," George interrupted, his voice firm. "The marriage isn't about personal feelings. It's about the bigger picture."
"The bigger picture indeed?" Risa scoffed, turning to face him. Her eyes blazed with anger. "When you're asking me to throw my future away for someone who can't even stand on his own two feet. What about my dreams, Dad? My ambitions? My goals dad?"
Clara, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, finally spoke, her tone calm. "Risa, sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. You're part of this family, and your role is to ensure its success."
Risa whirled toward her mother, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, of course, but family success shouldn't be achieved by shackling your daughter to a ruined man."
Clara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Watch your tone, Risa. You're not a child. You understand how these things work. Besides, Davis might be crippled but he is still an Allen"
Risa let out a bitter laugh. "No, Mom, I don't think I do. What I understand is that I'm being used as a bargaining chip. And I won't stand for it. Besides he is a worthless and useless Allen"
The phone on George's desk rang, cutting through the tension in the room. He hesitated for only a moment before reaching for it, his brows furrowing as he glanced at the caller ID.
"I'll be right back," George muttered curtly, his voice stiff as he turned toward the hallway. His footsteps faded as he answered the phone, leaving Risa and Clara alone in the room.
Risa shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her fingers tapping restlessly on the armrest. The silence in the living room apparent between her and her mother Clara.
Clara calmly studied her daughter, waiting for her reaction. "So, how do you feel about what your father just decided?"
Risa's lips curled into a bitter smile, her arms folding across her chest as she leaned back against the sofa. "I feel nothing." Her voice indifferent but her eyes betrayed her frustration. "It's all a game, isn't it, Mom? A strategy to put me in a corner and use me as a pawn for the family."
Clara let out a soft laugh, her fingers gently tracing the rim of her glass. "It's not just a game, darling. It's an opportunity. One you'll learn to make the most of if you can agree with me."
Risa's eyes flickered with irritation as she shot her mother a sharp look. "Opportunities? You mean to manipulate me into marrying someone I have no interest in?" She clenched her fists, her voice rising with frustration. "A crippled man, who's lost everything. Who's nothing now and will never be tomorrow"
Clara raised an eyebrow, unfazed by her daughter's outburst. "You don't seem to understand the bigger picture. It's not about Davis Allen. It's about the family's reputation and glory. Being an in-laws with the Allen family is a dream come through."
Risa scoffed, pacing across the room in agitation. " I'm supposed to marry Davis Allen and throw away everything I've worked for just to save face?"
Clara's smile remained, but it was colder now, her eyes narrowing as she studied her daughter. "That's one way to look at it. But there's another, a far more... practical way."
Risa stopped pacing and looked at her mother, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
Clara leaned back in her chair, her expression turning calculating. "I'm thinking of an alternate solution." She spoke slowly, her voice filled with a dark amusement. "What if we didn't need you to marry Davis at all?"
Risa's heart skipped a beat and she ran over to her mom, holding her hand anxiously. "What are you saying? Is there a way?"
Looking at her daughter's anxious face, she caressed her face as her lips curled into a sly smile. "What if we let Jessica take your place besides she is the real eldest daughter?"
Risa froze, her mind whirling as she processed the suggestion. She let out a sharp laugh, her face contorting with a mixture of disbelief and triumph. "You want Jessica to marry him? Are you serious?" Her laughter grew louder, more mocking. "The quiet little country girl, who has no idea how to handle anything outside her bubble? This is perfect."
They both laughed at the idea though it was colder, more venomous. "Exactly. She's the perfect pawn. She'll do whatever we say, without questioning. All she's ever known is obedience, and that will work to our advantage."
Risa's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I can already imagine her face when she finds out she's been traded in place of me. The look of horror when she has to face the reality of being bound to Davis Allen. She's never seen anything like this."
"But then there is something you have to do." Clara said with a glint in her eyes.
"What's that?" She asked nervously.
"You will be the one to suggest that to your father when he returns now because he loves you."
"But mom—" she wanted to protest.
Clara's voice dropped to a whisper "Think about it, Risa—Jessica marrying in your place as the eldest daughter will not only relieve you but also create opportunities for you."
Risa thought for a while before nodding "Okay, mom I can handle this", she said with a grin her fingers curling into fists, her satisfaction palpable. "She won't have a choice. Once she's back, she'll be too far gone to fight it. The Allens will never suspect anything. They'll be too focused on the marriage to notice we've substituted their candidate.
Clara's eyes softened, a knowing gleam in them. "No, they won't. And when it's all said and done, you'll be free to pursue your own ambitions, unburdened by this... mess."
Risa's grin widened as she stared at her mother, her hands now trembling with anticipation. "This is going to be perfect."
The two of them exchanged a look, and Risa hurriedly returned to her seat as not to arouse her father's suspicion while their silent agreement hung in the air as they both envisioned the better future ahead as Jessica takes the fall while they reap the benefits.
George returned to the living room taking his seat again, glanced at Risa briefly "I believe I have made this clear. The is not up for debate and the arrangements are already ongoing.
For a moment, silence hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Then Risa's lips curled into a cold smile, a glint of cunning entering her eyes. "Fine, Dad. If this is about tradition, then why don't we honor it properly?"
George's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Risa straightened, her tone turning calculated. "Jessica. She's the real eldest daughter of this family, isn't she? The rightful one, why not let her marry Davis Allen."
The Brown family had long allowed Risa to claim the title of eldest daughter, a role she arrogantly assumed at every upper-class function. George never corrected her, dismissing Jessica as a worthless burden incapable of contributing anything to the family's name while Risa usually poses as the face of the Brown family.
Clara tilted her head, her expression indifferent as she exchanged glances with Risa. "Jessica has been away for years. She's practically forgotten how to navigate the high society."
Risa shrugged, her voice laced with mockery. "And that makes her perfect for Davis. He's a nobody now. They'll make a wonderful pair—quiet, obedient, and easy to overlook."
George frowned deeply, his hand tightening around his glass. "The Allens might see this as a slight. They are expecting you, Risa."
"Not if we spin it right," Risa argued, her tone growing confident. "We'll frame it as a gesture of respect by giving them the true eldest daughter of the Brown family. They'll buy it. Trust me."
Clara's lips curled into a faint smile. "She does have a point, George. Jessica owes everything to this family. It's time she gave something in return."
George hesitated, his gaze flickering between his wife and daughter. "If this backfires—"
"It won't," Risa interrupted, her voice firm. "Jessica is the perfect solution. Let her play the role she was born for."
"George, I think Risa has a point. She is too young to be tied to this Allen family son. Please think about it." She said her voice seductive as she held George's arm gently caressing him.
George sighed rubbing his brow with tiredly "Fine, you can make the arrangements but on the condition you won't let the Allen family know.
Risa and Clara exchanged a subtle glance. "Thank you Dad, you are the best." Risa chimed with satisfaction.
Clara rose gracefully, smoothing her dress as she headed for the door. "I'll make the arrangements. Jessica will be back within the week."
Risa's smirk widened as relief washed over her. "Perfect. It doesn't matter who marries that crippled as long as I am not the one.
George stood up, his face hardening. "I hope you're right, Risa. For all our sakes." he said as he left. He has other important matters to attend to.
As the room fell silent, Risa sank into a chair, a triumphant glint in her eyes. She hasn't expected this to go through. Her mother really isn't to be trifled with, she thought.
Risa chuckled darkly. "She'll never see it coming. I can't help but Imagine her face when she learns that she's not the forgotten daughter anymore but the one forced into a marriage with Davis Allen."
Her tone became a mockingly sweet imitation of Jessica's innocent voice. "Yes dad.. I'd marry anyone you tell me to, father." She laughed again, the sound hollow and cruel.
Somewhere in the countryside, her half-sister was blissfully unaware of the trap being laid for her.