The Man In The Wheelchair

Hailey was unable to tell how long it had been since she was forcefully abducted by the Lincolns. There was no clock in the room where Hailey was locked, and her hands and legs were restrained, preventing her from getting up or pulling open the window blinds.

 

Just then, the door sprang open, and a figure walked in. The lights were switched on, revealing Cassidy holding a tray of incense.

 

Hailey simply glanced at her and looked away. She was in no mood to deal with Cassidy's pretentious attitude.

 

But Cassidy would never let her be.

 

"Sister," she called out sweetly as she placed the tray on the bedside table. "Are you okay?"

 

"You know you wouldn't be tied up like this if you simply accepted the marriage," Cassidy added, her gracious smile plastered on her face.

 

Hailey snorted in reply, "If you're not here to help me escape, you can get out."

 

"Sister," Cassidy gasped. "Are you mad at me?"

 

Hailey watched her silently, refusing to engage in conversation.

 

"I really want to untie you, sis. After all, you are my elder sister," Cassidy said to Hailey.

 

"Then why don't you?" Hailey retorted.

 

Cassidy shook her head. "Daddy worked hard to arrange this marriage. He wants you to have the support of your husband since you won't survive here without good qualifications. Although he's crippled, he's very rich."

 

Hailey's eyes widened in disbelief. "A crippled man!?" she exclaimed.

 

"Sister, I know it's hard to accept," Cassidy muttered, feigning concern. But Hailey could see the discreet smiles at the edge of her lips. It was clear she was pleased with the situation.

 

"Look sis, I also heard that since he is crippled, he can't do certain things. You'll be safe," Cassidy added.

 

Hailey's eyes narrowed. "If it's such a good marriage, why didn't he help you get it?"

 

Cassidy's smile faltered momentarily, but she quickly regained her composure. "Of course, I can't marry him. I'm still in college," she retorted. "Moreover, being Mrs. Rothschild is the best thing anyone could hope for."

 

She continued, "And also, the engagement initially belonged to the eldest daughter, which is me. But because you came along, my mom advised Dad to give it to you instead, so it wouldn't seem like we were bullying you. You should be thankful."

 

Hailey cursed angrily, "Do you think they wouldn't notice the difference between us? You can keep your marriage. I don't want it."

 

Anything given by the Lincolns could never be a good thing.

 

Cassidy, however, smiled carelessly. "Don't worry. There won't be a problem. They have never seen me before, as they didn't even know about the arranged marriage until now."

 

Hailey couldn't bear to smile any longer, and she roared in anger, "Get out!"

 

"Sister-"

 

"Get out, or I'll kill myself," Hailey threatened seriously.

 

Cassidy looked around, unable to believe her. Eventually, she gave in, realizing she couldn't take any chances.

 

Hailey watched as Cassidy left, and when the doors closed behind her, she heaved a sigh of relief. She noticed that Cassidy had forgotten to take her incense.

 

She couldn't tell what the incense was for and assumed Cassidy probably looked down on her, thinking she was smelly, so she brought the incense to clear the air. She didn't think too much of it.

 

But as she sat there quietly, she began to feel dizzy. She

 

 tried to stay awake, but to no avail. Soon enough, she dozed off.

 

***

 

It was nighttime, and the sky was dark. The room was different; round chandeliers on the ceiling cast a bright glow, lighting up every corner.

 

Inside the warm and luxurious room, Hailey lay on a big, soft bed. Her red and black dress created a stark contrast against the bed sheets.

 

Her face was covered with a nearly transparent black veil, with a beautiful bow tied at the end. As she adjusted on the bed, the bow loosened and fell onto her bare lower abdomen.

 

The exposed skin on her body was smooth and fair, without any blemishes. Her dress clung to her slim waist, accentuating her fair and slender legs. Lying on the bed made her long, straight legs appear even more prominent, and the lower part of the dress hugged her bottom tightly.

 

Her figure was exquisite and seductive.

 

Hailey gasped and jolted from her sleep. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, wondering how she had dozed off and immediately remembered something had happened earlier.

 

She sat up warily, unable to recognize her surroundings, realizing it wasn't the Lincolns' place.

 

"Oh my God!" Hailey gasped. She had no idea how long she had slept.

 

Why was everything going off track? This wasn't how it worked in the novels and movies.

 

She didn't know where to start. If the plot had changed, how was she going to survive the torment of the Lincoln family? Would she have to die again?

 

She had no time to think about it because the doorknob turned slightly, and with a click, the door opened.

 

Hailey sat up defensively. The visitor entered silently, without footsteps. Instead, the sound of rolling wheels emerged from the shadows.

 

Hailey looked closely; it was a man seated in a wheelchair.

 

Who was he?