The Unloved Heiress Goes Rogue

Raine POV Slap. I stared at my mother in disbelief, unable to believe she had gone to such extremes in order to bend me to her will. My father stood in the background, nodding in approval, while my sister, the perfect golden child who could do no wrong, Summer, stood there smirking, her eyes glittering with mirth. She enjoyed seeing me hurt, almost relishing in it. Even though we were sisters, we were not close. We had never been close. “Why can’t you just do this for the sake of our family” my mother hissed, her blue eyes blazing as she narrowed her eyes at me. I put a hand to my burning cheek, staring at her in disbelief. When she summoned me to the living room, I did not know what she wanted, but now everything was becoming crystal clear. I felt bitterness rise inside of me. I should have known that it would not be anything good. I was always the sacrifice. Always the scapegoat. While Summer was the spoilt little princess of the Stockland family, I was the black sheep, the embarrassment, the one that was despised for merely existing. Now, I was proving to be a commodity for them, and they weren’t wasting any time in informing me of that fact. The company was beginning to falter and their solution was to sacrifice one of their precious daughters to the Rosethorn family in order to procure the future of the company and the wealth they had grown accustomed to. Of course, Summer couldn’t be the sacrifice, she was the beloved daughter, which meant the only one left to use….was me. “I won’t do it” I was breathing heavily as I faced the wrath of my parents, defying them even as Summer daintily sat down in a chair, looking highly amused. “You can’t make me.” They would have to force me before I would agree to the likes of this. “Raine Stockland, I rue the day I agreed to let you live here” my mother hissed, her hands clenched into fists. “How can you be so selfish as to turn your back on your family?” she cried, glaring at me. “Selfish?” I said dumbly, slightly incredulous, “selfish? If I’m so selfish and so despicable, why not have Summer marry Edgar Rosethorn then?” My father let out a low growl of exasperation. “You know how weak and ill your sister is. She would not make a good wife. Not like you, who is hearty and strong. Is this the thanks we get for housing and feeding you all these years? For providing for you?” his voice rose in anger. “Providing? I have provided for myself. I have worked my hands to the bone so that I haven’t had to ask you for anything” I said, my voice rising “while all Summer has to do is click her fingers and you buy her whatever she wants.” “So you are refusing out of jealousy?” my mother said, her lip curling up in disgust. “You are her sister when all is said and done. You act as though we have treated you wrongly when the truth of the matter is that as the illegitimate daughter of my husband’s mistress,” she turned glacial eyes on my father who shifted on his feet without offering any apology. “You are lucky I didn’t put you out on the street” she hissed. “Do you know how embarrassing it has been, raising the daughter of the woman my husband had an affair with? Have you ever thought about how that affects me” she shouted. “It was not my fault” I protested, glancing at my father who shot me a look of daggers. “How can you blame an innocent child for her parents’ wrongdoing?” “Because you are exactly like her,” my mother, or rather adopted mother said, her lip curling and her eyes blazing as she raked her eyes over me. “You look just like her. From the hair to the tips of your toes, you are an exact replica, and I despise you” she spat. “Please Raine” Summer’s voice cuts in, causing Mother to look at her sharply. “Don’t you understand what an opportunity this is? Edgar Rosethorn is wealthy, with a lot of powerful connections. You would be saving this family and doing your rightful duty as the eldest daughter, even if you are illegitimate. You should be paying back mother and father for all that they have done. Your life could have been much worse” she said quietly, “and for what it’s worth, mother and father do love you.” She gazed at me earnestly, daring me to contradict her. Love me? They were trying to sell me to a man who was more than double my age for their own greedy purposes. That wasn’t love. That was sickening. I swallowed hard, feeling as though I was being backed into a corner. My mother continued to push. “Without the Stockland name, do you think you would be making it anywhere? Do you think that those part-time jobs fell into your hands?” she asked smugly “The Stockland name has given you advantages that you otherwise would not have gotten. It opens doors for you that would otherwise remain closed.” “I got those jobs on my own merit” I countered, watching Mother’s eyes widen slightly “I never even used the Stockland name in my applications.” She gave a small shriek. “That’s it. I’ve had enough” she turned to my father “Talk some sense into her. We need this” she reminded him “or else we’re going to end up a laughingstock and our fortunes heavily decreased. Speak to your daughter” she snarled. I watched as she grabbed Summer’s arm with tenderness and helped her stand, the two of them glancing at me with revulsion before storming off, leaving me alone with Father. Slap. Unlike Mother’s slap, his was far more painful and bruised my face as my eyes welled with tears. “You were never meant to exist” he rumbled, glowering at me, “but your biological mother refused to abort you. When she died,” he said, pulling his shoulders back and looking down his nose at me, as though he was smelling something revolting, “I could have let you go to an orphanage or a foster home. You could have grown up knowing poverty and abuse, but instead I did the right thing and I took you in, even though it angered my wife” he exhaled and shook his head at me in admonishment. I wrapped my arms around myself, refusing to be bullied into this. All my life I had played second fiddle to Summer, forced to watch as she was granted every wish she could muster while I played with second-hand toys and was given clothes Summer didn’t want to wear any longer. Dinners were lonely affairs, taken in the kitchen while the rest of the family sat at the dining table, Evelyn Stockland, otherwise known as mother, not wanting the painful reminder of my presence at the dinner table. She claimed it ruined her appetite. “You will sign the marriage contract,” Father told me without compunction as I stared blankly at him “whether I have to coerce you or not.” “It’s illegal to make somebody sign a document under duress” I shot back, even as his eyes began to gleam “I wouldn’t…” “Very well then, plan B,” he said calmly as I deflated. Plan B? Now what trick was he about to play? He eyed me solemnly. “If you don’t agree to this marriage, I will personally have your grandmother moved out of that aged home that she’s living in and placed on the streets.” “You…you can’t” I whispered, my lip quivering “I’ve been paying all the bills.” “You aren’t her legal guardian now that she’s got dementia. I am” he said without remorse. “She’s your mother,” I said numbly. As well as the only person who had ever shown an ounce of caring towards me. The only person to show me any love at all. I couldn’t let her end up on the streets. Not at the age she was. My father gave a long slow smile. “Am I to take it that you have reconsidered the proposal?” he asked smoothly. My head hung low in defeat. What more was there to say? My father had found my weakness and exploited it to his advantage. I loved my grandmother Theresa. Even though she didn’t recognize me sometimes, I wasn’t about to abandon her. I felt myself trembling as I forced myself to look deeply into my father’s eyes. “Very well” my voice was choked “I’ll sign the marriage contract, but on one condition.” “Whatever it is, make it reasonable” he warned. I took a deep breath. “I want a proper wedding. I will only get one after all and I deserve it, considering what you are asking.” It would delay the marriage contract but not for long. I didn’t know what else to do. I saw my father debate what I asked and felt my spirits sinking. To my surprise, he nodded in agreement. “It would lead to gossip if we had you married without one. The last thing we need is our name smeared. A wedding, even just a casual one, will alleviate any malicious gossip and prevent any scandals from occurring.” I hung my head in a gesture of acquiescence. There was nothing more to be said.