Chapter 2 The Graham's

The Graham's.

Only the wealthiest family across the city from old money and respect in society. They were noble with an ancient heritage owning lots of properties to their name. It would be anyone's dream to marry into such a family but…

There were rumours. The eldest son of the Graham's, Lucas, had a terrible scar on his face that no one had seen him for a long time. He was also the outcast of the family for being completely useless with no decent job, no dreams and aspirations. He simply had plans to leach on his family until his father kicked him out.

"That's who you want me to end up with?" Evelyn asked in a scared voice, afraid to believe and accept the cruelty of her step mother. What happened to being family?

"Yes, dear," Diana replied with a concerned look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Evelyn's jaw almost dropped.

Not just something, everything was wrong in that! Every damn thing!

Olivia wasn't doing her a favour! She simply wanted to get rid of her responsibility and push it on to Evelyn. Everyone knew that it was the youngest daughter of the Williams that was betrothed to the first son of the Graham's.

No one even expected the marriage to hold anymore as Lucas was a useless nobody. Why were the Graham's still pushing? Was Lucas too useless to even find a wife for himself?

"Think of it as a favour," Olivia said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You can have him. After all, Lucas is the heir to the fortune of the family. I'm giving you so much more than you can ever even think of giving me. Look at me sacrificing for you, Evelyn." she teased, giggling into her palm.

Evelyn frowned and rose to her feet. She refused to remain on her knees before such wickedness. After humbling herself over and over to be treated like a rag, they would still have the heart to send her to such- no! they didn’t have a heart at all!

The request was right out ridiculous and outrageous but Evelyn wasn't about to blurt that out. She knew her stepmother still held the power. She decided to try and bargain instead.

"Olivia, if it's too good for me, why don't you marry him yourself, huh? You think I don't know you've been hitting on Jackson-"

"Hitting on?" Olivia gasped and in the blink of an eye, she's grabbing Evelyn by the collar. "Hey! He was mine! I saw him first! I fell in love with him first! You only just fucked him and kept him by your side with the same voodoo your stupid mother used on my father!"

What the heck was she talking about? Evelyn was fighting the urge to smack some sense into her.

After crawling into her boyfriend's bed, she's trying to shove her into the arms of a poor man! How darkened could her heart get!

"Don’t bring my mother into this! You seduced Jackson-"

"You knew he was mine and after all," her face lit up as she smiled. "I'm carrying his baby and I'm gonna marry him while you take your Lucas!" she yelled in her face.

P-Pregnant? Pregnant! But Jackson never said-

Seeing Evelyn's shocked face, Olivia took the opportunity to slap her on the face but Evelyn was quick to catch her by the wrist. She glared into her face as she squeezed her wrist tight so that Oliva winced and screamed.

The memory of Olivia and Jackson having sex on her bed was still fresh in her memory. She hated that she was reminded of it whenever she saw Olivia's face. Every day, she hated that she gave him a chance and she hated him for fooling and deceiving her.

Jackson had been pursuing her for years in high school and it was only fortunate for him that they attended the same College where he continued his pursuit. Evelyn had been impressed by his persistence and was moved to believe that he really loved her and that was when she said 'yes' to him in College.

Looking back at it now, she should've smacked him with a wet fish when he tried to walk her home. His betrayal stung so bad, she sometimes wished she could rip out her own heart so she wouldn't feel. He didn’t even respect her enough, he cheated on her with her own step sister and even worse in her own bed-

What a shameful bastard!

"If I'm ending up with a poor man, know that you've only just picked up garbage and called it gold," she said, smirking at Olivia whose eyes were brimming with anger.

She retorted back by saying, "At least I didn't fool around with a wild dog! Poor or not, I'm sure the eldest son of Graham family has enough taste to recognize you as a whore that you are!"

"Ugh!" Diana rubbed her temples as she was sick and tired of their bickering. Glancing at Evelyn's body again, she said, "I don't know how you let yourself be taken by a beast. Just look at that! All those bruises and the Graham's family will think we have no reputation and no class. You better fake some morals and hide that thing! If you even think about causing any more trouble, you know what will happen to Peter."

That was enough to set Evelyn straight. She threw Olivia's wrist and stepped away from her. She wouldn't be dealing with this duo if her sister were still alive.

Jessica was the only one who stood by her when the two started their demonic display now that she was dead, her son laid in a hospital fighting for his life.

A child she must protect with her very own life and Evelyn understood that. She couldn’t argue anymore as her shoulders slumped in defeat.

It was simply unfair that even after suffering all her life, she would spend the rest of her days with a husband she didn’t know and a man who had nothing to his name but poverty.