Deceitful Desires: A Billionaire's Betrayal

Chapter two

By contrast, within the massive mansion, Marianna entered with elegance and humility; her kind words and soft greetings flowing smoothly from her mouth are something that she has always done effortlessly; it is an art form that she has perfected perfectly.

She is fully aware that only her mother or little sister notice them at all, but because it forms an important part of her personality as well as a habit, it cannot be dismissed out of hand because it is a pure and lovely trait that she has always exhibited without fail.

As was usual in such situations, she became anonymous again in person, just making up the numbers, while Aunt Millie, her father's mistress, moved around the compound’s busy kitchen, working between pans and pots.

In the meantime, she was busy in the kitchen, in a corner of the kitchen, preparing the array of delicious dishes that she would later sell at her charming food stand, which was strategically placed outside their humble house.

Karen, the second mistress of the household, stood out as a radiant jewel in their father's eyes, basking in the warmth of her father's love and admiration.

She is now also struggling to navigate the intricate and complex dynamics of this household, relying on her own abilities to overcome any obstacles.

It is here that she spends her time and effort to make different drinks, each unique and skillfully made, which she sells with her reliable friend Millie in this intricate environment.

When Marianna arrived home most days, she would send a gracious word of welcome towards them, but they would sneer back at her with the same answer as always: that her very existence was hated by them.

In response to their neglecting style, she kept quiet or else went about their business gracefully without saying anything to them while she proceeded to their small house.

Going into the sitting room, she takes off her shoes like they were made of glass, just not to prevent someone stepping on them accidentally or something similar from those present in there, as this might cause conflict of some sort, and goes into the living space to avoid any potential confrontation.

Their disagreements droned on like hens cackling far off in a barnyard after she vanished from view.

"There are countless things in this universe that go beyond rationality yet touch our senses within time’s weave. Consider the unlikely scenario of a woman who, after venturing into the world to trade her body for coin with the town's men, returned to the sanctuary of her maternal home." Initiating the conversation, Millie's voice pierced the tense atmosphere with a tale that blurred the lines between morality and reality.

"If I were her, I would have sure moved out ages ago," she added, expressing a strong sense of longing and contemplation.

Karen said in such a funny voice, "Oh, Millie, sometimes naivety takes the form of absurdity. How could she leave her at home while she’s bringing back loot for them to enjoy?” The friends shared a laugh, recognizing what was hidden beneath the surface of their exchange.

“It’s only a matter of time before she exposes this cursed house,” Millie proclaimed.

With the events unfolding in their minds, everyone is perfectly waiting to see the certain consequences that will befall this cursed existence as a result of certain people. If at all they were both called well enough, then this one single person could in the long run bring great shame onto one family, which, according to the common understanding between them, was an eventuality they all foresaw together.

Marianna and her mother, Meridith, listened with rapt attention to the ominous prophecies uttered by her mother as they exchanged dire statements among themselves.

Their conversation echoed in the air like the worst kind of fabric ever created, capable of bringing dark netting to any living room around here.

This was not just any event. The mother-daughter duo was already familiar with this type of thing in their own home.

An integrated design made them get used to these disturbing happenings and take them for granted since they had become part of their daily routines. Fate’s whispers, mixed with yesterday’s darkness, created a web of interlinked lives that desired to tie them down into an uncertain and tough tomorrow.

But they are sure ready to face it all and conquer it effortlessly.

Despite having a common sense of anxiety, they remained still, knowing that whatever lay ahead must be faced just as it was set before them: with a firm resolution and constant fidelity.

“I’m back, mom,” Marianna exclaimed joyfully upon entering, her face radiating happiness in a burst of light.

Unfortunately, Marianna’s beloved mom had already settled down. There was really nothing except for that vacant couch found within this unpretentious but congenial living room. In those warming words spoken by Marianna, which seemed to dwell everywhere, making them feel like true home, leaving someone at least thinking about human greatest resilience and adaptability, who could take pride or find pleasure in such an apparently unremarkable or modest location from an outside observer's perspective?

"You're welcome"

It was that smile, the only thing she gave at this moment in return for what an expression of gratitude the lady had offered her, and it felt so warming—it would almost be described as heartwarming, if not a cheesy word, but heartfelt.

"Then, go fast, take a bath, and then you can come have your lunch, though it's already late for lunch," sending her in the direction of the bathroom with an urgency of needing to cleanse and rejuvenate herself.

In addition, she extended an offer for Marianna to join her in a healthy meal despite the late hour, suggesting there was a deferment inside standard lunch times, showing thought and obligeness.

As she walked out of the room, she nodded her head in a manner indicating willingness; her motions were fluid and elegant, while her bag thudded softly on the floor.

However, there is only one toilet facility in the entire household where everyone else can go and use it, hence the need for mutual understanding and cooperation.

With both desire and fear mixed together, she silently asked the universe for some luck, hoping that the bathroom would be empty when she got there; her steps were controlled but with a racing pulse towards her destination.

When she got there, fortune shone on her as she reached an uninhabited spot, thereby just giving her an opportunity to gain entrance unnoticed within its premises.

A hurriedness overtook her, and she began taking off her clothes, discarding everything that was on her.

She turned on an old-fashioned shower gadget while still watching how water streamed down on her body slowly and gently; every inch of it was left wet, relief from the scorching heat outside that had been troubling her.

At that silent moment, she thought of an evanescent dream that lingered in her mind’s eye like a gentle breeze—that it could be nice if she could stay there forever, feeling fresh under the beneficial stream of water.

In a panic, she realized the necessity of getting her bath finished at once out of fear of being discovered in the act as she had not locked the door.

Quickly repackaging herself again, she left the toilet in a hurry. On her way back to their shared room with elegance, Isaac, her younger half-brother, suddenly turned up as if by magic.

Before she could comprehend how he could collide with her, thus causing him to tumble over and spill out all the hot tea he had been holding in his hand that was jammed tightly against her neck, an event occurred quite quickly.

An intense pain shot through every part of her body when the hot liquid first touched her skin, and at this time when everything was happening so fast, it was not until much later that it dawned on her what was going on: hot brew running down the fabric of her skirt, following the lines of her legs, increasing discomfort with every passing second.