Chapter 1: Beauty and the beast

"Hey, Dad!" Mandy said immediately she entered pecking Mr Edward, her dad, who was sitting opposite his beloved wife Susan while Sharon was right beside their mother, she was heading upstairs when Susan's voice came behind her. 

"Go shower and head downstairs." That was Susan's words to Mandy, she turned and left the living room, and after a shower, she slipped into her bathrobe, and tied her hair into a ponytail. She sits on a single couch separate from the others, though Edward is the only one who loves her and treats her like family, at this point the man is going to break his beloved princess's heart, he is going to hurt her feelings with the words he is about to say.

"Mom, I'm here now," Mandy said as she placed her legs on the couch. 

"Not me, your dad," Susan said, Mandy moved her gaze from Susan to Edward her dad. 

"Ahem!" Edward clears his throat. "The thing is, you remember Mr Daniel my best friend, the CEO of the Daniel Multi Purpose PLC." 

"Of course, the father of the boy who everyone in the city called a ghost that no one has ever seen his face?" Mandy explained, Edward just nodded. "How could I forget him? The one time that you brought me to his mother's party, he was the only masked man there, we all know that he is ugly that is the reason he prefers to go on mask." Mandy said, Sharon smiled, this sister of hers, is not only stupid but naive. 

"It's a good thing, you know him, our main topic is the mask boy." Mandy's eyes go around the three in a blink and then rest back on her father. 

"His dad and I have made a decision. As you know he is my best friend, we have decided to cement our relationship, we plan on doing bigger business to earn more money, I could get richer but only you can make it possible." 

"I don't understand." 

"Promise Dad, you will do anything for him?" Edward changes the topic, he knows Mandy couldn't say a word to deny him anything he wants, that is how much she loves her dad if it's for his happiness. 

"I promise, so what am I to do? Do you want me to work in their..."

"No, I want you to get married to the masked man..." Mandy stands on her foot for a second, and her tears drop, she can't believe what she is hearing from her dad. 

"Yes marry him and make Dad richer, if you marry him, he is going to give you half of his empire and make me richer." Mandy tittered. 

"You are kidding right?" Mandy was expecting Edward to nod and blush it off but no, her father is serious. "Dad, you already have money, you are a multi-millionaire..."

"And he is a billionaire, I need all the money in the world, don't you think it's not a bad idea if I have more money and end up the richest man in the whole of Singapore like him?" 

"Dad, you know I can't, I am in love with Noor, you know he is the only man I love, I can't love another, why doesn't Sharon get married to him, after all, she is older?" 

"Are you nuts?" Sharon's voice echoed in the living room. "You should be happy, Noor doesn't even have a coin in his account."

"You love money, you should jump at this because they have all the money, you dream of." Sharon loves money, and she always wanted to get married to the son of the richest man in the world, there is a big opportunity for her, her breakthrough, getting the life she always wanted, among the two daughters of Edward, she is the most money conscious one, she loves expensive things and lavish lifestyle but she doesn't want to marry him, something is fishy.  

"I don't want him," Sharon yelled again. 

"You don't want him? Is there something I am not getting here?" Mandy asked her. 

"It's simple, I don't want to get married to an ugly duckling; a cold-hearted man; and a merciless person, I will just wait for his handsome cute younger brother." 

"Oh! The truth is out, so because he is ugly and cold-hearted I should be the one to dive into it? Why is it always me? Why do I have to always sacrifice?" 

"Mandy shut up for once, you will marry that boy for the family's happiness," Susan said this woman doesn't have an iota of love for her, she has asked her dad a million times if she is her mother, and he always gives the same answer that, she is but all the love, Susan had is just for Sharon. 

"Dad, I beg you please don't do this to me, I will..."

"Stop with your drama, you will be getting married in a fortnight." That was Susan's words, she knew her tears would break Edward's heart and he might change his mind, the marriage proposal wasn't for Mandy but for the almighty Sharon, the girl, who always got what she wanted, the queen of the family on a norm, Sharon will never let Mandy get married before her, talk more of marrying the son of the richest man in Singapore, Sharon is just too selfish.

"Dad!"  

"Mandy stop making your dad feel bad, you will enjoy it, and in the end, you will thank him for it." Edward's last words were that, he stood leaving Mandy and her mother and elder sister behind, seeing that she couldn't do anything again, she wiped her tears and left her room. 

"I just can't wait to see the most beautiful girl on campus get married to a beast, like Beauty and the Beast." Mandy could hear their mocking words from upstairs, as they laughed at her when she got to the room, she threw her stuff from the table, she wasn't hurt because the boy was ugly but the fact that she was in love with another and not that boy. 

"Must it always be me?" She yelled, as she stared at the dressing mirror, Mandy is a twenty-two years old girl, the second daughter to Edward a multi-millionaire business tycoon, a beauty to behold, she always wanted to be a model but her elder sister also wanted to be one, so she drops the act just for her sister even with her beauty, she is still very simple, she is in love with Noor, her campus broke boyfriend, she is loved by her dad but her mom not at all, Sharon, on the other hand, is as beautiful as Mandy but not always satisfied with what she had, everything Mandy likes she likes, every good thing, she always wants first but this is the first time, she rejected something for Mandy. Edward is coming down, and Susan and Sharon are still laughing over the issue. 

"Mandy's marriage is like kissing a frog, the princess, and the frog."

"You two stop it, if you still make this a muse, I will be forced to drag you into it after all, it's you, not her," Edward said and darted out, he didn't want to be there when his beloved daughter walked downstairs in pain, he knew Mandy and Noor were inseparable but what could he do? He is greedy, always wanting more. 

*****

"Darling, what did your friend say?" Daniella asked Daniel as he got off the phone, she knew that Edward was the one on the phone. 

"He said that Mandy is the one available, so our daughter-in-law will be Mandy, not Sharon." 

"It's not bad, the two girls are beautiful, so it's perfect." Daniella tries to comb the situation. 

"Do you think so?" Daniel asked her, she ran her hand on his cheeks. 

"Yes, it's fine." That minute Larry and Lisa walked into the living room of Daniel's Mansion. 

"Have you two lost your manners?" Daniella asked since the two were staring without greeting. 

"Sorry, Dad! Good day, Dad!" Larry said, Lisa also greeted them. "What is it?" Daniel asked. 

"Dad, you should know, is it true that big brother is getting married to some stranger?" Lisa asked. 

"She is no stranger but Edward's second daughter." 

"Dad, you should know that Lauren will be mad..."

"Of course, I will be mad, Dad how dare you?" Lauren had just pulled the door, in his anger he forgot to wear his mask, exposing his handsome gorgeous face, no woman would see him and not get madly in love with him, at twenty-four, he possessed such a perfect physique, and he also has all the money in the world, being the heir to Daniel's wealth. 

"Is that how you talk to your dad now?" Daniel asked him. 

"You don't tell me how to talk to you or what to do with my life."

"You are my son, every money you think, you have, I made you who you are, you are getting married in a fortnight, and I have no time to battle words with you."

"Edward, you are..." Edward punched his face, that was the first time, he raised his hand on his son. 

"Brother!" Lisa called, the eighteen years old girl, loves this brother of hers, and she doesn't want anything to hurt him. 

"The next time you use my name again, I will kill you and if you don't agree to get married to her, I will disinherit you." Edward walked passed him without another word, Lauren's eyes were all red with anger, and he stared at Daniella like he was going to kill her. 

"Don't look at me, I didn't talk your dad into it." 

"I have a girlfriend for crying out loud, so give her to Larry or your husband." 

"Stop it, bro," Larry said, he sighed and walked passed the three. 

"Mom..."

"Shut up, your dad has made his decision, you know he doesn't listen to me, so talk sense into that brother of yours." Daniella also darts out after her last words.