CHAPTER 1

“Ms. Sollivierre, your father asked you to take his place at the board meeting later.”

“Ms. Sollivierre, these are the papers you need to sign.”

“Ma’am, Luxmooré asked for your presence at the grand ball for the next few months.”

They spoke one after another, not stopping long enough for me to respond.

“Step back,” I said, lifting my hand. “Can you talk slowly and clearly? I can’t understand all of you at once.” They fell quiet. I took a breath and straightened my posture.

“Yes, Ms. Sollivierre,” one of them said. The rest went quiet at once.

“May I remind you that I’m still the owner’s daughter,” I said coldly, “And the one who will take over this company someday. Just in case you forgot.”

I turned and walked out.

“Ms. Sollivierre, where are you going?” one of the staff asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I said without stopping. “I’m going home because it’s lunchtime.”

“Are you coming back?” she called after me.

I didn’t reply.

“Ms. Sollivierre?”

“Ms. Sollivierre!”

She called out histerically but I still didn’t reply. 

I honestly have no plan to come back at all. I need to rest because I barely had any sleep since last month. I was too busy fixing everything needed for the grand ball in the coming months that I have no plan on attending. I have to put myself on time out even for a day beacuse I have no plan of dying early at my age.

I just need a little rest. Just a little. Okay?

“That’s your only use after your brother passed away. Just be lucky we’re still keeping you.”

I was fifteen when Dad said that. I remember standing there, too stunned to answer when he slapped me hard and said it straight to my face like I'm not his own daughter. I didn’t choose this life and I didn’t ask to be the heiress of this company, or to take someone else’s place. This role was never meant for me because in the first place it was never really for me. It's for my brother.

But my brother was the closest person I had. He believed in this company and he treated it like it really mattered to him. I watched him study late into the night and I watched him learn things no one bothered to teach me. He wanted to be ready and to be worthy of it.

I saw how hard he worked to be the future heir of Sollivierre. I saw how serious he was and even though he was gone, all of that effort didn’t disappear with him. So I stayed not because I wanted this life, but because I couldn’t let the things he cared for be thrown away. I have to carry this company now because he once carried it first. And I remember that every single day.

“Heiress,” I muttered as I dropped onto my bed after a long, exhausting day.

My body felt ready to give up and my every muscle was screaming for rest. For once, it was just me and my bed. Ah, I missed my bed.

I shut my eyes and let sleep take me. Then someone slammed their fist against my door. Loudly and fast, like they have no patience at all.

“You got to be kidding me. I hadn’t even slept yet. Again,” I groaned.

“Reina Callys Hamilton!” My mother’s voice boomed through the hallway.

Does she need to yell all the time when she’s calling my name? I’m not deaf.

“What is it this time?” I groaned, covering my ears. “What?!” I shouted back, matching her volume.

“Come out here. We need to talk,” she said, her voice sharp and grumpy.

Yeah, I already knew. It was about what happened earlier. Maybe they reported to her after I left or a few minutes later I was gone.

Those leaches in the company really pisses me off every single day just bysucking on my mom and dad.

“Hi mom, what is it?” I repeated as I opened the door, trying to fake a smile with my tired eyes.

“They told me you left them again,” she said, raising a brow at me, posing a bossy posture while looking at me sharply.

“I said it was lunchtime and that I was going home but I never said I’d come back.” I shrugged.

She took a deep breath and massaged her temple dramatically.

“What are you up to, now? They expected you to return, Reina. You know how important our connection with the Luxmooré Empire is. They’re waiting for that paper until four this afternoon.”

“Mom, I wasn’t thinking straight earlier, okay? I’m stressed. That's why I decided to go home for a rest. You know I’ve practically been living in my office these past few weeks.”

“I know,” she said. “But you also know how angry your father will be when he finds out about this. Especially when the Luxmooré family contacted him about that document. Just wish that they won’t.”

“So it’s about Dad again? Are you being fro real, mom?” I asked, “Why can’t you just say no to him for once, huh? What is the use of being the light of this shitty house?” I exclaimed hysterically.

She smiled at me bitterly.

“Reina,” she said softly, “You know why and you know I never wanted you to be where you are now.” Her voice wavered. “But you’re all we have since your brother… passed away.”

Her words slowed me down. I could hear the pain in her voice, the love she still held for my brother. I love my brother as much as they does. But it hurt knowing that I was here not because they chose me, but because there was no one else.

“Mom—”

“Reina!” Dad cut me off as he walked toward us, his face dark with anger.

“Ernesto, please calm down,” Mom said softly, stepping between us.

“You really never change!” he shouted, pointing a finger inches from my face. Mom stayed in the middle, like she could still stop him.

“Yes, it’s still me,” I said, smiling in a way I knew would annoy him. Sarcastic on purpose.

“Reina, can you fucking—”

“—take everything seriously? Whatever,” I finished his words for him, then shut the door in his face.

“Reina!” Dad’s voice thundered through the hallway. “You’re really keeping that attitude? If your brother were alive, I wouldn’t even ask you to stay here! I wouldn’t give a useless and ungrateful daughter a special place in the company!” His words echoed, loud and sharp straight into my head.

I never asked you to put me in this place. I didn’t ask for any of it to happen. I didn’t ask you to get married and fuck up then bring me into this world then slap right into my face that I’m not welcome here.

I gaslight myself that I didn’t hear anything. They would calm down later. I know they always did because they were already used to me being like this. Besides, it wasn’t like I mattered to them anyway.

I slid down to the floor, my back pressed against the door. “Mom… Dad… do you even care about me?” I whispered.

I received no response and that's when I realized they were already gone.

“Never mind,” I muttered to myself, chuckling.

Later, just as I was finally resting and reading, another loud knock rattled the door.

I just sighed on stress and massaged my temple.

“Reina, honey? Can you come down? We have something to tell you.” Her voice was suddenly soft and sweet.

That tone? I knew it. My parents always used it when they wanted  to convince me to do something I don't want.

I ignore it.

“Reina!” she yelled again when I didn’t answer fast enough. Blah, blah, blah. Couldn’t they just let me stay in my room for one day?

“I can hear you stomping your feet, little miss,” Mom called.

“Whatever,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“I heard that!” she shouted.

“I’m coming!” I yelled back.

“We’ll wait for you downstairs, honey,” she said, still in that fake-sweet voice.

God. These people.

I changed into my nightgown, tied my hair in a messy bun, and walked downstairs—only to freeze at the last step.