CHAPTER 1

"You can take today off. I'll tell Max to fill in for you today."

"Thanks, Sir. It isn't necessary." The waitress assured.

"Order for table 19!" Isabella yelled from outside. The girl grabbed two mugs and poured tea inside. When she was done, she put two stakes in a plate on the tray and carried them in her right hand as she stepped outside.

She walked up to Isabella and dropped the tray on the table.

"What took you so long?" Isabella whispered.

"Boss."

"Oh."

She looked at us and smiled. This is exactly the kind of relationship I want. Cute, peaceful, loving. "I want a man who will love me like this." She whispered.

"Everything is not like the eyes see." I snapped. I caught her staring at us. "1 month" I continued.

"Huh?"

"We've been married for a month. Our lawyer is coming with the divorce papers. We are getting divorced today."

Not really what she expected to hear. Anyone who saw us would think us to be the perfect couple. She moved back a little before staring back at me. "But, you love each other. The news says that."

"That's what we want the news to think."

"How? Why?" I took a sip out of my mug before continuing.

"It all happened one very morning,

×××××××××××××××××××××××××

A MONTH AGO

"Here's your change." The cab driver stretched his hand outside the cab. "If I may ask, why are you in a haste?"

"It's my boring sister's wedding arrangement." I rolled my eyes.

"Wow! She's damn hot."

"Asshole," I smirked. "Everyone keeps calling her hot. As in, if she's hot, I'm cold."

"Come on, you know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I was just teasing. Is the wedding happening now?"

"No. Preparations are being done. She's probably upstairs testing her makeup or doing a pedicure and manicure. With or without make-up, she looks the same to me."

After we were done chatting, I picked up the purse I forgot in the cab and the fruit I bought before heading for the door.

When I got to the door, I turned the doorknob and entered. The house was full of people doing one chore or the other. Taylor, my cousin was holding a basket full of flower designs, my younger sister, Mia held onto the remaining invitation cards while my mum instructed her employees on whatever. I don't care.

I sat down close to Mia and patted her on her back gently. "Want some?" I offered her some fruits.

"Nope. I'll eat enough at my sister's wedding. Go bug someone else. I'm busy."

My younger sister and I didn't get along well. Probably because she was my step sister and she was directly related to Lisa, my annoying sister, and birth mate. When I tried to get up from the couch, I bumped into one of my mum's employees. She turned and threw me a stern look. My mum wasn't good at hiding her anger.

Right from the time I was a kid, I feared. her. There were only two people in my life I feared. God and my mum. Once when I was 8, Lisa and I fought, she spanked me hard but surprisingly came back the night after to nurse my wounds. She loved me. But it was a confusing kind of love. She used to be very nice to me till she got married to Lisa's dad. Everything changed. She gave all the attention meant for me to my stepdad and stepsister. I remember her once telling me, Lisa didn't get to see her mum. That's why she loved her and took her as her child. But it was only an excuse. Emotional blackmail to keep me grounded.

Lisa was given more love than me. She was my parents' priority. Back when we were still in high school, whenever I came first in class, I ran home to show my parents, but rather than rejoicing with me, they sympathized with Lisa. Every Christmas she was given a gift first. And today, she's getting married first. Maybe I didn't care much about her wedding. After all, I wasn't interested in marrying a guy I didn't love. Not especially one with a bad reputation.

Lisa was going to get married into the Smith family. The Politician's first son. The boy with a bad reputation. He was very rich and handsome. Well, I haven't seen him before but the Internet says so.

He was known for raping a rich man's daughter whose identity was not revealed. He compelled her to abort the child. According to the news, he abused her physically and emotionally. My parents knew all these but still insisted on Lisa getting married to him because they had no other choice.

My step dad used to be a very good friend of the Politician until something happened that created a rift between them. Due to their fight, my stepdad was asked to pay up an old debt he owed the Politician. Politicians are very cunning. He knew too well that my step-dad wouldn't be able to pay up with the little time he gave him, so he offered him another option. To get one of his daughters married to his son. This was the first time I was happy that I wasn't my parents' first option. Lisa will leave this house tomorrow and that's all that matters.

"Hannah," My mum snapped her fingers. "You've been staring at me with your mouth open for the past 5 minutes. Are you okay?"

"Yes, mum." Even if I wasn't okay, why would she care? Her other daughter's wedding was more important.

"Good. Honey, I want tomorrow to be perfect. It's your sister's big day. Nothing can afford to go wrong."

"I know, mum. I'll help you arrange."

"No, dear. The only thing you can do for me right now is to stay quietly in your room. This is a huge moment for all of us. If anything should go wrong, Mr. Smith won't spare us."

"But mum, she's my sister. How can't I partake in anything?"

"I know. You will be doing her a huge favor by staying in your room. Let's not argue over this right now, okay?"

"Okay." I quickly wiped out the tears in my eyes and picked up my fruits. Mia was allowed to stay in the sitting room but I wasn't.

I climbed the stairs absentmindedly. When I got to my room, I opened it and entered. Lisa was sitting on my bed. As always she wanted everything I had. Now she's in my room. I couldn't stop thinking about what she wanted this time.

"Why are you here?"

"Do I need a reason to be in my sister's room?"

"Yes!" I have always ignored her taunts since we were kids but this time around I was ready to fight back if she said anything annoying. "Wait. Since when did you start calling me 'sister'? Last I checked, I was your mother's other daughter."

"You still are. I figured, since today will be my last day in this house, I just wanted to give you a gift. I wanted to get you something but I realized that everything I got for you was what I wanted. So I took them."

I rolled my eyes in agitation before sitting on the bed. There was something wrong with her but I couldn't figure out what. Her face looked pale even in that sarcastic smile.

Talking with Lisa was something we never really did. Anytime you saw us talking, it was probably an argument or mum's birthday when threw surprise parties for her. I cleared my throat before whispering out the words in my mind, hoping she wouldn't hear me. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care? For all I know, you want me to leave this house."

Yes. She was a gaslighter. "Yes. I do want you to leave." I affirmed. "You've always wanted to marry a handsome billionaire. That dream is going to become a reality tomorrow."

"And you? What kind of a man do you want to marry?"

"I can't believe I'm discussing this with you, but I want a loving husband. One who fears God and loves his parents. A man can only love you very much if he truly loves God. Love goes beyond outings, sex, ice creams, and so on. I don't care about the status of the man I'll marry. I just need a loving man. I know I shouldn't be saying this right now but, I also want to marry someone I truly love."

"Lucky you. You will meet that man someday. For me, that's just going to be a dream. I'm marrying a billionaire but he's not the one my heart beats for. If you were in my position, what would you do?"

"Honestly, I'll run far away. Just joking." I laughed. I could see the seriousness on her face. "If you love mum and dad, you wouldn't do such a thing."

"Remember when we were little and mum used to shout at you?"

"I wouldn't use the word used to because she still shouts at me, but proceed."

"You would run away from the house from the back. Which door do you use when going out?"

"There's a small door behind dad's big portrait in Uncle Ben's room. It leads to the garden outside. Why are you asking?"

"I want to smoke. Mum won't let me but I can't help it. You can't tell mum."

"Why do I care what you do with your life? I would be the happiest if something were to happen to you. Now get out of my room. I want to sleep."

"It's just 8 pm."

"Mum told me not to come downstairs. I'm just obeying mum."

"That's good. Whenever you are around, you ruin all the fun."

"What?" She walked out of the room. She said I ruin the fun when she's the real fun killer. I grumbled. I bounced on the bed and lay down. I picked up my Bible from my bed and ran through Revelation 1, before going to bed. Tomorrow will be the last day I will have to put up with Lisa. For the first time, I felt very happy going to bed.