Chapter 1 THE UNLIKELY PROPOSAL

"Father." Roxanne's voice rang out in the living room as she watched the man who was supposed to be her father, support her stepmother in her evil decisions.

"Don't call me your father if you can't even do such a simple task as this." Roxanne's father, Mr. Derek Renwick spat out, taking a seat beside his wife, Evelyn Renwick.

"Father, you want me to get married to a disabled man? To a man rumored to be even more ugly than a dog?" She asked again as tears rolled down her face, staining her face and shirt in the process.

All these words coming from Derek were because his wife, Evelyn, suggested that Roxanne get married in place of Reina, her stepsister, to the son of the Sébastien family. The son is rumored to be handicapped and ugly.

Everyone knew that the Sébastien family was the richest family in the whole of Northpass City, Being the only old money family to own half of the riches of the Northpass region.

The Sébastien family also had three sons, but two were allegedly killed in a plane crash which happened some years back. Now they were left with just one son who never showed himself to the public, and he was even rumored to have become a handicap after the incident.

A few days back, The Renwick family had faced crashes In business and the only people capable of helping the family climb back to the ladder of success, happened to be the renowned old money Sébastien family.

Derek reached out to them for help, but the Sébastien family saw the Renwick's as nothing before them, and they found out about the Renwick's daughters. The Sébastien family then sent a proposal to the Renwicks, asking for their daughter's hand in marriage for their only surviving son, Ciel Sébastien , In exchange for a partnership in making the Renwick's family legacy blossom in Northpass.

Initially, everyone knew Reina as the only daughter of the Renwicks, given that Roxanne's wasn't even treated as a maid, not to talk of a family member.

Roxanne sniffed as she watched her father looking nonchalant without a care in the world.

"But father, why me?" She asked, knowing fully that the question was dumb, considering that her father would always give the same answer.

"What do you mean why?" It was Evelyn this time, "You're the oldest one amongst you two and you're the rightful person fit for this marriage. Besides, the Sébastien s are crazily rich, they'll take care of you and you don't have to suffer anymore" She said casually as she sipped the wine before her.

"But they didn't even ask for my hand in marriage!" Roxanne raised her voice this time, thinking they would at least see the sense she was trying to make. But Derek got mad and stood up to hit her across the face.

"Firstly, you don't raise your voice for us, and Secondly, you will get married whether they asked for your hand in marriage or not. Without this marriage, our family will crumble and your brother needs medical help as fast as possible or he might die, right? Also, our Sofia is too beautiful for him. You'll do just fine. You're fat and ugly."

Hearing the words coming out of her own father's mouth, Roxanne felt her body tremble.

He spoke as if Finn and herself weren't his owm.

"Father, he is your son. Why are you saying all these? Finn needs money for his surgery." Roxanne said again, trying to make him understand her words since he seemed not to have heard her the first time.

Derek gave her a disgusted look and snorted, "Finn is not my son, your mother was a cheating whore!" He spat out, making Roxanne freeze in her tracks as his words registered in her mind.

Her mother? A whore?

"Father! How could you?!" She yelled again in anger as her tears fell down her face. Derek said nothing more and just sat down with Evelyn who had a smirk on her face.

"Reina is my precious daughter, the only young lady of the Renwick family and to you, do you think she deserves to end up with a disabled child like Ciel Sébastien ?" Derek asked as she stood quietly, Roxanne watched her father as pain flooded her senses.

There was literally nothing else she could do at this point. Finn was her younger brother and he was currently hospitalized since he was diagnosed with a severe case of Aortic dissection requiring immediate surgical intervention.

But Evelyn had suggested that they would only help in taking care of Finn's hospital and surgical bills if only Roxanne agreed to marry Ciel in place of her Reina.

She was left in a dilemma of marrying a man she never even knew for her brother's sake, or refusing the marriage and losing her only family, Finn.

Derek watched her expressions, seeing the hurt, pain and other emotions that was heart wrenching.

"I can't do it father, I just can't." She said softly and without waiting for a response, she dashed out of the living room and out of the house. Her tears weren't drying up no matter how hard she tried to hold it in.

Just when she thought all hope was lost, she remembered her fiance, Devian Willow. The only son of the Willow family.

She had been betrothed to him for a few years and in those few years, she never asked him for any financial help. She would rather struggle for the money than ask him for help. But at this point, she was desperate for help in saving her brother's life.

With the new found hope, she got into a taxi and went straight to Devian's house that was a few blocks away from the Renwick Manor. Hopefully, Devian would help her since he was her fiance.

The Taxi arrived at the entrance of Devian's house In no time and she got down from the taxi. After paying up, she hastily made her way into the premises and straight to the front door. The door was locked, surprising her as she had already seen his car in the parking lot.

She shrugged it off and just reached into her bag to pull out the spare key Devian had given her for his apartment.

She unlocked the door and stepped in. The living room was empty and she raised a brow in surprise, but quickly shrugged and headed upstairs to his bedroom.

Halfway to Devian's bedroom, Roxanne heard strange noises, or so she thought, coming from Devian's bedroom. She hastened her footstep, thinking a burglar broke in.

But when she got to the door, she discovered that it was slightly opened.

She reluctantly peeked in, to confirm If truly it was a burglar, but what she saw next shattered her entire world and hope.

Right before her, Devian was making out with another woman on his bed.

Roxanne subconsciously placed a hand to her chest as pain assaulted her.

Betrayal left a sore taste in her mouth.

Without warning, she went ahead to push the door open, to confront Devian for his actions.

"Devian!" she yelled and prepared to lash out at the woman in his arms, but the head that poked out to meet hers was none other than Reina Renwick's.

Roxanne 's words got stuck in her throat, seeing that her own fiance was having an affair with her stepsister.