CH4

The Johnson's came to their home the next day on a visit. To acquaint their sons with their new wives, they had said.

Ophelia's father had rebuked her harshly when she wanted staying away from the dinner on excuses of her health status being bad.

Being left with no other choice, she had dressed up and readied herself for their arrival.

Getting married to one of the most elitist family in the whole city. That was all her father cared about. Becoming in-laws with them.

Ofcourse he wouldn't see an issue when his biological daughter wasn't the one marrying the disabled. Since it were her, a child he had picked from the slums where her mother abandoned her in and raised, then there was no problems.

Could she blame him? Since childhood she hadn't been able to. Resentment, perhaps but hating him was way over the line. Afterall he raised her. It was quite hard to find people willing to take responsibilities of other's children... Abandoned children in her case.

That was the only reason she was agreeing to this marriage.. His debt that would be erased. By the marriage, she would fulfill her duties to him as a filial daughter and at the same time finally get her freedom to do whatever she wanted with her life.

"Add some smiles to your cheeks, Ophelia! You look as if you're on your way to catch up on an appointment with a ghost" a voice said venomously, snapping her from her unrestrained thoughts.

She raised her head to see Jean walking out of her room. In her sea of thoughts, she had paused midway in the hallway, overthinking everything.

Jean was clad in a black and tight diamond plated dress. Merely looking at it and how it glinted under the lights, she could tell that it was quite very expensive.

"My mother in-law got it for me. It's a custom made dress from Sephorana" she boasted on noticing her attention on the dress, running her fingers on it.

Ophelia forced a smile, trying not to appear jealous.

She were the one who betrayed her and was having an affair with her fiancee, and now still the daughter getting married to the healthy one of the Johnson's twins. And her parents biological child!

If no one was going to tell her how unlucky she was in life, then Jean getting away with all of her actions since their childhood till now was already enough evidence!

"Didn't she send any packages for you?" She continued, taunting the simple and modest red rose sun dress she was clad in.

"You know I do use to hear about the lady Johnson hating on her second disabled son, I never knew the feelings would get extended to his wife to be" she added.

By now, Ophelia was already stifling with rage but she tried to mask it with the smile she forced plastered on her face.

"Oh Ophelia, just how sad is your life going to turn out before it ends? You've always been so unlucky since your childhood. If I were you, I'd just run away to where I'm not known. Who knows if a healthy lowlife might find your beauty appealing" she sneered and began to walk away.

Ophelia stood motionless, watching her as she did.

After a few minutes, she walked downstairs and towards the dining area of their living room on hearing the engine sounds of cars. Signifying the arrival of the Johnson's.

A middle aged woman walked in first, and a younger looking lady walked behind her, holding her bag.

Her eyes instructively flew towards the interior art and decoration of the house. Although Ophelia saw her recoil, she pretended not to have as she had quietly masked it.

A young looking man walked in after her and Jean giggled like a teenager who had just received a confession letter from her crush. They was all she needed to know that he was the one that she would be getting married to.

As they walked in and settled onto chairs with them in the dining, Ophelia's eyes lingered at the door awaiting the entrance of the third person.

"He's not coming" a cold voice said and she batted an eyelid to notice that the new lady was the one who had spoken.

Her voice was cold. Which made her wonder for a moment.

"How are you, Jean sweetheart? You look prettier than the last time I saw you" she complimented Jean, leaving her ignored in the background.

Her voice was much warmer and soft, unlike how cold and emotionless it was when she had told her whom she was anticipating wasn't coming.

" I'm alright Mother. Even you, your new collection looks so good on you. Your neck looks charming like a princess in one of those ancient empire novels"

There was a laugh. Both from the lady and then her son. Ophelia's dad as well and his wife who looked the happiest in the room.

Only Ophelia's face seemed lost and confused, and without the lines of a smile. ..

"Sister in-law" the young man who Ophelia had learned his name was Draven called.

"I'm pretty sure you feel lonely because you were expecting my brother. I'm sorry he didn't make it. He hates being in public places" he whispered.

Ophelia nodded her head at him, unsure of what to say.

If there was one thing she had learned in her life, then it was watching people.

When she was still a little girl, that had been how she had found outh that she wasn't her father's daughter.

Her mother would cook sometimes and forget about her, making her wait till the nannies cooked before she would eat. She dared not complain as that would resort to a punishment.

Her father was not left out. Sometimes after buying toys and fancy princess dresses for Jean, he often forgot to do for her also. And if she inquired, would be Informed that he forgot with a promise to get hers for her next time. Promises that never got fulfilled.

"Who said I wasn't coming?" A voice snarled from the door and immediately everyone's gaze turned towards the direction it came from.