Two

Chapter Two

Joanna scoffed. This Fred just does not know where he stands. His company is on the verge of collapsing and he is still giving her attitude! Who the hell does he even think that he is?! A favour? What a joke! The one doing them a favor is her! Joanna knew that there was no way that Lydia, Peter's daughter would agree to an arranged marriage. She was currently in an unknown country partying her father's money away. She is the only choice they have now.

"You are doing me a favor? Are you sure about that? If I say that I am not going to get married, do you think that you will be able to make me? You should really change the way that you talk me to Fred. Once I bail out, it's going to be the end for you and MK Enterprises!" Joanna yelled. She was done with putting up with them. For one thing she was now a very famous actress. She already made a name for herself in the entertainment industry. And now she is going to get married to Raymond Walker, she does not have to grovel in front of them anymore.

Peter felt a surging anger in him. He had raised this girl since her parents died a long time ago. And now the only thing that he gets from raising his brother's kid is this arrogant attitude of hers! He wanted to get up and give her a good slap across that face of hers. But he calmed himself down. They still needed her. Once she got married to Raymond and they get what they want, he is going to take care of her. She won't be able to be so rude then. He smiled when he thought of the plans that he had for this rude wench.

He held Fred's hand and cast him a stern look. He had to use his head. Joanna had the upper hand now. "Joanna there is no need for us to be so rude between family members. Once you get married to Raymond it will be for the benefit of everyone. Raymond's grandpa has already decided that he wants you to get married to his son, you should help your family. After all, we are the ones who raised you up" Peter said. If not for him,she would have died long ago. He literally spared her life!

Joanna lost her last thread of patience when she heard that. They took care of her? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? How can what they did to her be considered 'raising'? They literally treated her worse than a live in maid! Because she was able to become an actress with her own hard work and because she is about to marry one of the top ten richest men in the country, they are trying to take credit for 'raising' her?

"You raised me? Uncle can you really say for sure that you raised me? How can you even try and use that as a leverage to get me to do what you want? You treated me worse than a live in maid uncle! You treated me way worse! Don't try and use that as a leverage to get me to help your company! Everything I have now is because of my own hard work!" Joanna said. It wasn't exactly hard work that had gotten Joanna this far. It was her face, her beautiful face. But the face is hers, so it's her hard work paright?

Peter's wife, Vivian who had been listening to the conversation since Joana came in could not keep her cool anymore. How dare Joanna talk to her husband and her son like that? How was she expecting them to treat her? As thier daughter? After all the troubles that her father caused for them before he died?! They were already too nice to even agree to raise her! They saved her life! She should be thankful that she is alive because of them!

Vivian immediately walked up to Joanna. "Joanna how can you talk to your uncle and Fred like this? You should know that you are alive because of us! If we did not take you in after your parents died like that you won't even be alive today! You owe your life to us! And what do you mean you got everything you have with your hard work?! Don't think that we don't know about the things that you have done! You...!" She was going to add something else but her husband shot her a deadly glare and she shut up instantly. She knew about the things that Joanna had done in order to make it big in the entertainment industry.

Joanna glared at her aunt. She hated this woman the most in the entire world. This was the woman who practically made her a maid for her daughter Lydia. She even has the guts to say that she owes her live to them? Really it was all her parents fault! Why on Earth did they have to die? They had a daughter and they just died like that leaving her alone. They left her alone for her to be abused by these people! Why did they have to die?! Are they both happy now?! Since they left this world together?

She turned to Vivian. She knew that the woman always had a vicious mouth. But she was no longer the little girl that would tear up immediately she told her some really hurtful words. She was stronger than that now. "I owe my life to you? Are you really sure about that Vivian?" Joanna asked. She did not even care to address her with Aunt. "And what do you mean by I did not get what I have with hard work? How did I get it then?" Joanna asked. She knew that she had done some shady things but she had to...or else her life would have been so much worse. She was now daring Vivian to say it. She had seen the way that Peter had looked at her. At least he knew not of offend her.

Peter glared at Vivian and Fred in turn. If they continued like this they were going to ruin his perfect plan. He had to get this woman married to Raymond Walker first. Once he gets his company back be would get rid of her! If she really stayed as this wife of the CEO of Helian Group for long, she was going to trample all over them. It was just for the mean time. Until he gets what he wants. Why can't these two idiots cooperate before then?

"Joanna there really is no need to use such a tone with your aunt and cousin. You know that your parents died when you were really young. Your aunt is just trying to remind you that we were the ones that took you in when no one else would...you have to be thankful to us for that. But we are family and it was our responsibility and we did. Now it's your turn to be responsible for your family Joanna" Peter said. He was still trying to convince her.

Joanna scoffed? Family? Responsibility? She barely knows what the meaning of family is! The only family that she had was her parents! And they died! They already died together leaving her alone in this cold and cruel world! She had heard the story countless times over and over again so much that it was recorded in her head. They were the only ones who considered her family. But she did not even remember the times she spent with them. She only knew how they looked like because of photos.

And this family in front of her? They made her understand from the second that she moved into thier house that she was no better than a maid and that she should not expect anything from them. They never considered her family. So what family are they asking her to take responsibility for? "Family? What family should I be taking responsibility for? As far as I know uncle my only family, my parents, they already died a long time ago. So what family are we talking about here?" Joanna asked. She just wanted to annoy them when she started but now she was really angry.

Even Peter was starting to get angry now. How dare this girl talk to him like this? He was really starting to regret letting her live with him then! He should have just left her alone, she would have been dead by now! Maybe if she was dead she won't be such an eyesore to him anymore. He did not understand why that senile grandfather of Raymond suddenly wanted his grandson to marry Joanna. If only Lydia had agreed, he was sure that he would have been able to convince the old man to choose Lydia instead!

He looked at Joanna. "Joanna seriously why are you being so difficult? You know that this marriage is going to be good for you too. You definitely want this marriage too, don't think that I don't know that! You will be getting married into the Walker family! Why are you making it seem like we are forcing you? Fred is right! We are doing you a favor here" Peter said.

Fred seeing that his father was shouting at Joanna now was excited. "Father is right Joanna. You should know that we are doing you a favour here! We can easily get Lydia to go through with this marriage! If you did not have this face..!" He stopped himself. When his father had told him that the old man had asked for Joanna he had thought that it was because she was pretty. He remembered that his father had warned him not to blab that to Joanna.

Joanna really wanted to yell at Fred. She wanted him to tell him to bring Lydia here and tell her to get married. She wanted to tell him to ask his sister to have her face instead. But she did not. What if Lydia really decides to get married? Raymond Walker is not a man any woman in her right sense would reject. She really needed to have this man! Nothing is going to stop her! "Alright. I'll get married. It's a pretty good deal for me too. I'll get married and help you guys" Joanna said. She wanted them to believe that she was going to help them. She still had to get married first. Then they'll see!

Immediately Joanna was out of the house she placed a call immediately. "Paul come out and have drink with me! I'm getting married!"

On the other end of the phone, Paul Johnson who was signing a contract for a new drama excused himself to talk to Joanna "What did you say Joanna? Getting married?!"

Raymond was sitting in front of a board of directors and top shareholders of Helian Group. Even though he was only twenty five years old he already had the respect, and fear if every single person in that room. He had taken over the company when he was only twenty and in five years Helian Group had only become stronger. With such a terribly talented CEO in front of them, they could no more than follow his orders.

Besides, they were rumours circulating around about Raymond. It was already a fact that he was a ruthless and cold man who would go any lengths to get what he wants. But people also said that he was very mean. So mean that if you were stupid enough to get on his bad side, then he would do everything to hunt you down.

Raymond was still talking to them when someone rushed into the meeting room panting hard. Everyone turned to look at him. This young man must have a death wish! How dare he rush into the meeting room when the CEO was here.

However his next words had everyone panicking. "CEO, your grandpa...he just collapsed!"