章 2: Catalogue Bride

(Present-Day...)

"Sign it!"

"… what did you say?"

"Do not make me repeat myself, young lady! Sign the damn document!"

Unfazed, even though she felt like her world was collapsing, the young lady asked a little defiantly yet once again, "n-no… I mean, before that… yo-u stated that y-ou signed me up for what?"

The older man, looking irritated, ran his hands through his hair.

"Oh… Do you mean the mail-order bride catalogue? The fact that I signed you up for it? What is the big deal about that? It is fruitful now…isn't it? You should be grateful that a rich pot-bellied old man in a remote country did not select you but one from our own township… the Thornstons…. "

"I-s is t-his wh-at you want me to sign?"

"You do catch on fast… Now sign it! And do not waste my time. It should be your privilege to be considered as the daughter-in-law of the Thornstons!"

"But I – I do-n't want to," she whispered more to herself than to the demanding man in front of her. Shelby wished with all her heart to decline it, but she couldn't. With all her mental exercises of not being a pushover went down the drain when she was with her step-father.

"D-dad, please… don't make me do this!"

The dark-haired man frowned and stood up abruptly, towering over Shelby's smaller frame. She shrunk instinctively back as if expecting to have been hit by the man.

"How many times must I say this? I AM NOT YOUR FATHER, so do not call me that!"

He clenched his jaws tightly and narrowed his eyes at her,

"… and why do you make me look like a bad person? If someone had witnessed this scene, they would think that I hit you daily. Have I ever raised my hands on you?"

Shelby shrunk back more to his annoyance and shook her head vigorously, but still kept a bit of a distance between them.

"So why do you turn into a scared mouse around me?"

"I- I- am sorry," Shelby could feel tears prick at the corner of her eyes. She shut her eyes tightly and kept telling herself, 'Do not cry! It will not solve anything!'

He started pacing the length of the room and continued as if blind to her plight.

"As I keep on saying, it should be your privilege for me to bring you up on my hard-earned money!" her stepfather, James Wendover, stated with a rising voice.

Shelby shrunk once back again when his steps brought him close to where she was, and a wary look flashed over her eyes.

She knew very well why she could not afford to get married to anyone for any reason whatsoever, but that was a secret that Shelby had vowed to send to her grave because even though five years had passed since that incident, she was not even sure what the exact incident was. Shelby knew deep in her guts that she could not afford to engage in a relationship of any sort. She had learnt that the hard way.

"…If not for my influence, would you even ever dream of marrying into the Thornston family? I bought you food, clothes, and everything you could ever want in this life, and it is now time for you to repay me for all the trouble after that crazy father of yours up and left. Do you understand? I am only doing this for your own good, and to be able to secure you, this match should be your blessing, so you better sign it before I lose my temper any further!"

"So, what's in it for you?" She wanted to ask, but she knew the answer already and did not bother. Also, she did not want to anger him any further with such words. But Shelby looked at her thin, patched dress that had seen better days and felt the irony in his words.

She took a hesitant step forward and stopped right by the centre table in the hall. She went on her knees and took the pen but then paused once again. She dropped the pen and started to look through the said document, but before she could flip to the second page, James grabbed her arm painfully, and she winced.

"If you want your mother to live the rich life, she has become so accustomed to, then you better sign that document right now, Shelby."

"Bu-t, I just wanted to read the document," Shelby whispered as the first tear ran down her face freely.

"What good will that do to you? You are still going to sign it anyway, so get on with it!"

James moved away from her and then added, "I forgot to add that your brother's admission to medical school is contingent on this too! I will only continue to pay his fees if you do this… so it's up to you!" He smirked, knowing he had a firm hold of her weaknesses.

Shelby's head dropped further, and she opened her mouth with no words flowing out. In reality, what she wanted to say was that 'Isn't Rocky your son as well? Why would you blackmail me with your son?'

Like James, Shelby knew that she was between a rock and a hard place. She knew very well what James Wendover was capable of.

"At least tell me which son of the Thornstons, I am marrying."

"The first son. Of course!"

"B-but he is a widower with three children!"

"So? Do you think that you deserve a young unmarried man? In your 'inadequate' state? You are only a stepdaughter; this is as good as it gets for you! The second son is too good for you and way above your league!"

As she picked up the pen again, all life seemed to have seeped out of her body. Her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the pen. Shelby turned to the back of the document and signed it.

"You should be glad that they are willing to have an unworthy and incomplete young woman like you!"

James spat out as he picked up the signed document triumphally.

Shelby narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to retort just as the familiar voice she loved echoed, "James! Why would you say that?!"

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