บท 2: Chapter Two
Tiara
I still remember the first time I'd met Alexander Stone. It was my first day at St. Patrick's. A new school in a new country. I was very excited and looking forward to making a ton of friends. I had wandered into a classroom where four guys were standing around a girl who was picking up her books that must have dropped. When she finally picked it up, she made to walk away when one of them slapped the books out of her hand. The girl didn't even spare any of them a glance and had just bent down to pick them all up again.
I had never been a very brave person and I was definitely not stupid on a normal day. Till date, I still can't place what had possessed me to storm into that classroom and give the group of boys a piece of my mind. The girl on the floor even tugged on my hand but I'd stubbornly shrugged her off as I lectured them.
I would never forget the face of their group leader. He was the most handsome boy I'd ever seen, tall, dark wavy hair that kept falling into his eyes and very blue eyes that reminded me of that beach mom had taken us to many years ago. For a moment I'd stopped talking and stared at him, not even bothering to look at the other boys with him. Then he'd smiled at me and my heart had raced.
I should have run at that moment. If only I had the foresight to know that the boy with the prettiest eyes would become my tormentor. I should have never stepped into that classroom and I definitely shouldn't have ignored the girl who'd tried to get me to shut up and walk away.
From that day, I'd effectively replaced her and the worst three years of my life had begun. Xander and his cabal of friends had made my life hell. One time, I'd been stupid enough to report them to a teacher. That was when I knew that the Stones practically owned St. Patrick's. It had given me a bigger target on my back and I was no longer bullied by just Xander and his friends, it became most of the school. I was officially the outcast of the school.
Even when Xander graduated a year before me, I'd thought I would finally get some peace but he'd created a legacy of bullies who'd picked up where he left off. The only way to survive was to bow my head and hope no one notices me.
Now, Dad was saying Alexander Stone wanted to marry me. Why? He'd not had enough of bullying me in high school? Did he want to continue where he left off? I'd be damned if I gave him that opportunity again.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Ade shook my shoulder.
I blinked at the confused faces of my family. How long had I been lost in my head? Had all these been a dream? What exactly was going on?
"Mr. Stone and his family would be coming for dinner tonight to finalize our deal. After dinner we can talk about the wedding," Dad said. So I was not dreaming. This was actually happening.
"No," I stated firmly.
My brothers reared back as if I had physically struck one of them. Maybe I had. In all the twenty four years I've lived, I've never refused my family anything that they'd asked. Maybe doing so was equivalent to hitting them.
"The fuck did you just say?" Ade spat.
"I said no. I will never marry Alexander Stone!"
"Our family is about to be ruined! This is the one time that you can prove your worth and save us. Think about us for once in your life." Ade glared at me.
All my life, I've only ever lived for my family. The only thing I've ever done for myself was paint and even that, father forbade me from making a career out it. He usually gave out my works as a gift to his influential friends and never had he told anyone that they were mine. I'd gone to the school he wanted, I'd studied the course Dad picked for me. I was living here when this was the last place I ever wanted to be in. Everything I did has followed a carefully constructed path tailored for me by my family. What was Ade talking about?
"I'll do anything for my family, anything except marry that man!"
Ade rushed towards me, maybe to shake me until I agreed to their stupid plan but Dad stopped him.
"Leave her alone," he said, then looked to me. "Why won't you marry him? I thought you guys were friends."
"We're not friends, Dad. He bullied me for years in high school, I hate him."
"I'm sure Mr. Stone is nothing like how he was all those years ago. He owns one of the biggest diamond cooperation in the world, I don't think he's anything like the boy you speak of. Besides, he was just a boy then and you know how boys can be."
Yes, I knew all about how boys could be. My brothers were not better than Xander Stone in any way. Judging by Ade, I would not be surprised if Xander had stayed exactly the same or even changed for the worse. He was a terror when he was a teenager with just the backing of his parents. Now that he was an adult, and with so much power at his disposal, he could be much worse than I'd remembered.
"We can find another way," I pleaded. There was no way I could survive living with Xander Stone. He was a jerk, now a jerk with even more power.
"We no longer have the luxury of time. I have less than a month to provide the money or we risk losing this house. Where do you think we can go from here?" Dad queried. "We would be on the streets, Tiaraoluwa."
"Even if you can't do it for us, do it for Dad. He gave us everything while growing up," Ade admonished.
I looked at Timi but he'd remained silent all through this. He didn't even meet my gaze.
"I can't." I tried one more time but who was I kidding, even if my family didn't force me into it, I'd still help them. I knew I could not live with myself if I'm the reason we lose everything and end up homeless.
Maybe I could get a job or something, but the only skills I knew was painting. Even my degree in business administration was just a fancy title my father could be proud of. I was smart but my school had been all theory. I had no work experience, the kind of money that would save us was not something I could make working an entry level position.
Even if I somehow made it work, I could not bear the hate my brothers would send my way if I'm the reason they miss out on this chance to save their lifestyle.
"Do you really hate us this much? What have I not done for you? Tiara, there's nothing you have ever lacked."
Yes, he was right. I had been a spoilt princess my whole life and everything money could buy that I wanted, I had. I had everything except the things that really mattered. I couldn't leave this house and I couldn't pursue the dream I wanted. Even now, they wanted me to be married to someone who I hated, essentially trapping me once more with this marriage. The one thing I wanted the most, he could not give me.
"Mr. Stone is a wealthy and highly respected man. He is very powerful, which would make you as his wife one of the most powerful women. You'd never lack for anything. Is that such a bad thing to happen to someone? A lot of people had it way worse and you know it."
Yes, I knew that. There really was no other option for me, but it felt better to fight them for once instead of always being the dependable sister and obedient daughter. At least, if I looked back on this day, I'd feel proud that I'd truly tried.
"Okay," I muttered but they still held me.
"You're the best, sis." Timi came to hug me, finally speaking for the first time since my impending marriage was announced.
Dad patted my brothers on their backs, a rare smile on his face. His eyes had even lightened and his shoulders that have been curved in for the most of the evening finally straightened. As if most of his burden had been lifted. What they didn't see was my own shoulders drooping as that burden passed to me. I'd be moving from one gilded cage to another. And not knowing what to expect was even worse than my life right now, at least I could take joy in the small routines I'd cultivated.
I'd be changing from Tiara Williams, obedient, docile daughter to Tiara Stone, married to a man I absolutely loathed. If I couldn't change anything or stop this whole madness from happening, then the least I could do was torment Xander as much as he had. I was no longer going to be that docile plaything he'd abused in high school. I would no longer bear my family name so I might as well shed the title of obedient daughter.
If Xander thought he was going to come back to my life and pick up where he started, I was determined to show him how much hell I could also rain down on his life.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง