Chapter one

A favour

Joanna had just finished filming her scenes for that day and was on her way home. Since she was the lead actress she had come to the set whenever she wanted...and then she had instantly demanded for her scenes to be filmed so she could leave. The crew has been upset but there was nothing they could do to her. She was the diva after all. If they upset her and she decides to leave the drama, they would all be in some serious trouble.

"Miss Anderson,your uncle had requested that you come back to the family home immediately you are done with filming" her assistant Lena said as softly as she could. She knew what the temper of this woman was like. Once she lost her temper with her it would mean the end of her job. She did not want that to happen to her. She still needed to hold on to this job. Even though Joanna was completely horrible,at least the pay was good.

The smile that was on Joanna's face immediately froze. What could those people want from her? They only know how to bother her when they want something from her. They really were the most terrible people in the world. Just because they spent a few thousand dollars to raise her up,they felt like they own her,that they could do whatever they wanted with her life. Well she was now a grown woman with her own life, if they think that they can push her around the way that they did when she was young then they were wrong. She would show them!

Joanna raised her face and looked at her assistant who was driving the car. Then with a very cold and detached voice she said. "Do I have to go there? What do those people want from me any way?" Her uncle and her cousin, those people were literally the worst. They even contacted Lena, it was only because they wanted to use her. They only remember that she is a member of thier family when they want something from her

Lena gulped. She had expected that Joanna would say something like this. But she knew that she had to convince her or she was going to be in some really serious trouble. She had to convince Joanna to go to them. "Miss Anderson you have to go! Your uncle said it was really very important. It said it had something to do with you getting married!" Lena said. She was not supposed to tell Joanna this because she had only over heard them talking about it on the phone, but she was hoping that it will get her to go to thier place.

Joanna froze for second. Her marriage? Her uncle had already told her that he would help her get married to a really rich man. For anyone who was looking on it would seem like he was helping out his niece but no...he was only doing it for himself. He did have a daughter but he would never use her. He doted on her too much. His company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The only way to save his company was a business marriage. Since he did not want to use his daughter Joanna was the next choice. He only wanted to use her as some sort of bargaining tool.

However Joanna had her own plan. Since they want to give her a marriage she was going to go along with it...but she was definitely not going to help them! She was going to make sure that they pay for what they've done to her! She would play along and get married but they are definitely going to regret thier decision! "Alright, let's go to the Anderson's family house" Joanna told Lena.

Taking out her phone, Joanna typed in a name on her search engine. The name was Raymond Walker. Immediately she typed in the name his picture came out. Joanna was satisfied by what she saw. He really was handsome, and he was the CEO of Helian Group...one of the top ten companies in the country right now. This was exactly the type of man that she needed. She is definitely going to get this man to fall in love with her! Even though they were rumours that he was a cold hearted jerk that had no feelings at all Joanna was not bothered. She was sure that she will be able to get him. She had her face after all. Her face, that had gotten her everything that she had today.

Allen was standing outside the hospital room. She really wanted to go in to see her grandmother but they were doctors inside treating her. They said that she could not go in until they was done. Allen was already shaking with fear. Her grandmother was the only family that she had, if she died now, she would be all alone in this world. Even if they did not have anything they were still together. She wanted it to remain that way.

Allen was still sulking in her thoughts when she felt someone gripped her shoulders from behind her. She turned sharply and saw her best friend Rita looking at her. She fell on Rita and started crying immediately. "Rita, what am I going to do? My grandmother, I don't know what is going to happen to her. They won't let me go inside to see her. I don't know what I'm going to do if my grandmother dies Rita. I don't know" Allen cried.

Rita hugged her friend tightly. She really felt sorry for her. She should not be suffering like this. Why does her friend have to have such a hard life.? She and her grandmother had struggled so much to get Allen through high school, just as she was about to get into acting college she fell ill for the first time. Allen used her tuition and got her grandmother through that first stage of her sickness. After that there was no way for her to go back to school. She had to give up her dream to become an actress and work as a waitress in a restaurant to make and meets for them. And now, her grandmother fell ill again. It really was pitiful.

"Don't worry Allen, everything is going to be okay. Your grandmother is going to be okay. She won't die. She still has to see you achieve your dreams and become an actress. She still has to see you live a happy life. So she is definitely not going to die. You just need to calm down. Let's wait for the doctor and what they are going to say. Don't worry too much okay? I'm here for you" Rita said. Even though she was comforting Allen, Rita felt really doubtful. She was already old and now she falls sick, will she survive it?

Allen looked at her friend. How she wished the words that she was telling her was true. Her grandmother was going to see her achieve her dreams, will she even be able to achieve those dreams? She did not know anymore. She already gave up the one opportunity that she had, so she decided to just go along with the flow. But deep down she still wanted to be an actress. Even if her grandmother lives, will she be able to do that?

"Rita, do you really think that my grandmother will be okay? I don't want her to die. I won't be able to live on if something happens to her. So please tell me Rita. She is not going to die right? What you said, it's going to happen right?" Allen asked. Even though she really wanted to believe those words she knew that they might not happen. She just wanted to comfort herself. She needed strength to hold on.

Rita was going to say something to Allen when the door opened and a doctor came out of Allen's grandmother's ward. The both of them ran to the doctor immediately. Allen was the first person to speak. "Doctor, what is going to happen to my grandmother? Is she going to be okay?" Allen asked. She really could not calm down. Her grandmother had raised her up alone after all. Without a father and mother she did her best to raise her up. She can't die now.

"Yes doctor she is going to be okay right? Nothing is going to happen to her right? Tell us what is going on with her right now! Why are you so quiet? Is it really bad?" Rita was the one who said this. She was starting to get really angry when the doctor did not say anything to them. She had looked at the expression on his face. He looked really sad, like something bad was about to happen. Now she was just as scared as Allen.

"I'm really sorry but your grandmother's situation is quite serious this time Allen" the doctor said. He had already treated her the first time when she got sick and so he knew Allen and Rita quite well. He really felt sorry for this young woman. She had suffered a lot in the past five years. But unfortunately it was not about to get easier for her. It was about to get even more difficult for her. This time her treatment was going to cost more than it did last time.

"Your grandmother's condition is much more serious than last time. She has a tumour growing in her head and she needs a surgery as soon as possible. But it's not going to be cheap. Her treatment is going to be even more expensive than last time. I'm really sorry Allen but if you want to save your mother you will have to raise fifty thousand Us dollars in the shortest time possible" The doctor said. It was a hefty sum and even almost impossible for Allen but it was the only way.

Allen almost fainted but Rita held her quickly. What did she just hear? Fifty thousand dollars? Where in this lifetime is she going to get that ammout of money from? She still had the student loan that she was paying off. She had taken it out and used it for her grandmother's treatment. She was still paying that off. And now she has to raise that ammout of money or her grandmother is going to die.

"Doctor..how...how..is that really the only way to save my mother? If I don't come up with fifty thousand dollars my grandmother is going to die right? The only way for me to save my grandmother is if I come up with fifty thousand dollars in the shortest time possible right?" Allen asked. She wanted to confirm. What is she going to do? How does her life and up getting more and more twisted?

The doctor nodded his head. It really was the only way. He felt sorry for Allen but there really was nothing that he could do for her. It was a private hospital not a charity organization. And he was just a medical doctor. He still had to answer to the higher ups. So even if he felt sorry for Allen he could not help her. "Yes Allen. You have to come up with the money from the surgery if you want your granmother to survive this time" the doctor said and walked away from them.

Immediately the doctor left, Allen turned to her friend and started crying. Why on Earth is this happening to her? Where will she get the money? She was sure that even if she sold herself she won't be worth much. "What am I going to do Rita? I really don't want my grandmother to die. When am I going to get the money from? I really don't want her to die" Allen said still crying.

Rita could only pat her back to comfort her. She could not even say anything.

Joanna was standing in front of her uncle, Peter and his son Fred. She had a big smile on her face. Between the three of them, they knew the smile was fake. They never liked each other anyway. Even though they had made it seem like they were the perfect family in the eyes of other people, they were miles away from being a family. Joanna really hated her uncle and his son...and they hated her just as much.

"Joanna dear..I have really good news for you! I heard that Raymond Walker returned to the country s few days ago. I am going to meet his grandfather tommorow. Then we can start preparing for your marriage to him! Remember what we talked about right? Once you get married...you need to help us!" Peter said. He really hated this woman. If not for the fact that his daughter was so stubborn and refused to even listen to his talk of her arranged marriage, he won't even bother with Joanna.

Fred gritted his teeth. He really hated seeing Joanna in his house but he knew that he had to put up with it. She is the one who is going to marry Raymond Walker anyway. And then the fate of thier company will be in her hands,he had to be nice to her, at least until he could save thier company. "Yes Joanna, you are getting married soon, please remember to help our JK Enterprises as soon as you get married!" Fred said.

Joanna sneered in her heart. These people were really something. Just as she had expected, they wanted to use her. They had never spoken to her this way before. But since they need her help now they are suddenly so nice. What a joke! She suddenly had an idea. She knew that her uncle and cousin could not stand people going against them. She wanted to annoy them, as a little pay back

"Help JK Enterprises? But the last that I heard the company is facing bankruptcy. And besides, even if I do get married to Raymond Walker, it's just an arranged marriage? Why will he help the family of a wife that he probably married against his wish? I just think that he is not going to happen" Joanna said.

Fred got up at once. "Hey you! How dare you say that?! You should know that we are doing you a favor here!"

[:

His substitute bride