Billionaire's Wife Of Doom!

Blood isn't always thicker

Though her mum's car taking off gave her no relief, her house's uncommon silence did the trick. The argument had stopped. A drop of a pin was sure to be heard if experimented on.

Gina, now convinced her mum had left, got her 9-year-old butt out of bed, hoping to see her dad without peeing her pants at her mum's sight.

Her mum bullied him a lot, which made no sense to her, since she'd been told they were deeply in love. The woman's deep manly voice drowned her dad's soft voice in the middle of any argument, often leaving him handicapped on what to do, since he would never raise a hand to a woman.

You might be wondering what the cause of their argument is.

It has always been about 'The Richard's!

Since her dad signed off a partnership deal with this family whom her mum despised so much, the house knew no peace. Their bedroom got chaotic, causing the security dog to bark ferociously at the sound of broken bottles. Her mum fumed so much at everything he did, leading Gina often to the brink of tears.

Arriving with a tensed look, she'd sighted her dad bleeding from the nose.

"Mum should stop this!" Her voice cried out in frustration. She'd stood before the door gazing at his trembling hands. He was sick and his mum knew it but showed no concern about it at all. For some reason her mind was only wrapped in that deal.

"Come my love". He'd opened his arms to her, ignoring the streak of blood dripping down his nostrils.

Her small body got wrapped around his.

"What's in the deal? Why does mum get mad about it so much?" She'd asked.

"Let it be my love. The argument will be over before you know it." His chapped lips kissed her forehead as he tried being a strong father.

She hadn't cared about his strength or society's norms. Her father was sick and her mum acted insane. That's all she knew and all she struggled with. It was difficult bearing the fact everyone turned a blind eye towards the happenings in her home, constantly convincing her all was fine. All wasn't fine! What was their definition of fine? Sleeping every night with her pillows over her ears or constantly being the one to pacify her dad each time her mum storms out. Which one of this made sense to them? The thought of thinking about outsiders drove her insane. She couldn't take this anymore. She just couldn't bear worrying about the fake fake members who placed her on their laps and called her theirs.

As an only child, her parents loved her so much, hoping the best for her. She lacked nothing, starting from the best education to the best toys in town. Maybe not the best of the best due to their lack of wealth but she felt the need to roll with it. This would have been suitable enough for her to be considered the luckiest child on the planet if her mum stopped the conflicts.

Gina recalled vividly a time they had sat at the dining table having a regular family meal they always had at 8pm.

Her dad mentioned the name Drake, causing her mum to go ballistic. Her mum flung a ceramic mug towards him, which he'd narrowly dodged.

"Do not mention them here! Cut that deal off now!" Her mum repeated these words a thousand times.

That night, she was sent off to bed early so as not to witness their heated argument.

Nothing went better after that day. Not one moment she remembered was one she hoped for in her life.

It was the present day; a few weeks before Christmas. Since her mum was nowhere to be found after she'd driven off, Gina invited a few of her friends over to plan a brief hangout for the holiday. They'd planned among themselves the perfect gift to get for each other.

As the discussion went on with Mia and Kassie choosing a unicorn plushie, Gina's dad, the man whom she'd trusted her whole life, walked in with a family whom she had never seen before; Their expensive clothing and classy way of chatting made it quiet obvious they had the cash pumping in.

Her friends stopped the discussion on plushies and stepped away from the living room, giving the guests a way to explore. They hardly noticed them.

"Your house does look lovely, Mr Xavier '' The only man among them said to her dad, inspecting their 'not so luxurious' living room.

"This is the way we live, Mr Richard. Your help is needed", her father replied with a smile.

Gina had the piece of paper listing her toys stuffed in her pocket as she gazed up at the guests and then her father.

"We will have everything taken care of", Mr Richard's wife, Aurora, gave him a slight nod. "It's little, but it won't be yours for long."

"My family will be grateful for this"

Mr Richard's wandering eyes fell on her. He'd turned to her dad enthusiastically.

"I already love this deal. I like her and I am sure my son will love her too."

" She doesn't look bad, honey. As she grows older, she will be eligible enough to run the firm. I guess that's the primary goal here", his wife added.

Being 9 year old she was, Gina took everything like a grain of sand. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was going on but she'd known her dad's guests were 'The Richard's'; her mum's worst nemesis.

The family left an hour later after a boring discussion she wished had ended sooner.

"You trust me, right Gina?" Her dad asked when they were left in the house alone, enjoying the sweet aroma of curry sauce in the kitchen. She nodded abruptly.

"You trust me more than your mother?" He continued.

Once again, she nodded, confused about where the discussion was headed.

"You will be given to a family this weekend "

"How long will I be gone?" She questioned.

"I can't say for sure, but while you stay with their son, our life is gonna change.There will be an increase in our wealth."

Gina's heart knew no tension. Since his happiness mattered to her, she'd agreed with his offer without giving it much thought. It was temporary. She didn't see the need to mind.

On the day before she was handed over to this strange family, her mum had cried her eyes out. She'd walked into her playroom with red-swollen eyes, pleading her to answer 'No' to whatever questions she was going to be asked. The urge for revenge caused her to close it all off. Her mum's ill-tempered hardened her heart towards all she requested. She hated her so much and had no intention of stepping back for her.

The court wasn't crowded with clients on that day.

On the table before her were placed white pieces of paper which were required to be signed by her. She did without giving it much thought.

A ring followed, alongside one of Mr Richard's sons who seemed to be as ignorant as she was.

"Do you accept Drake Richard as your lawfully wedded husband? " The judge asked. Confusion struck her deeply. She'd turned to her father, trying to get an explanation of what was going on.

" Am I getting married?"

"It will only last for a temporary period of time, my love. I promise you that". He tried relaxing her. She felt uneasy.

"Do this for me Gina". Her dad blackmailed her with emotions, forcing her to agree while trying not to hurt him.

Since the marriage was temporary, she convinced her mind about this, tricking herself to feel comfortable in her new home. The Richard's treated her as one of them, just as her dad promised. She was enrolled into a better school, got the chance to learn music and follow up with the latest fashion trends.

Despite all this, nothing felt right. Her father's promise on the marriage being temporary got suspicious to her. Weeks turned to months, months turned to years… she'd seen less of her parents and more of Drake being forced in her face.

Rules got stricter as she grew older, causing rigidity in her life. She wasn't allowed to have more than one friend, speak to guys, eat in public, visit anyone, attend gatherings… she'd felt like she was imprisoned.

Drake saw no shame in doing whatever he wanted, taking the marriage as worthless. The rascal slept with girls, started relationships, refused her before his friends. It'd broken her so much to realize no one questioned him regarding his actions.

This all felt choking and devastating for her. There was always a dead-end to discovering the truth.

As she thought of a plan, trying to reunite with her family; probably disowning her dad for making her life a living joke, her confusion got cleared by Felix, Drake's elder brother, who'd dived in deeper for her to confirm the truth.

"Your dad sold you..." He reported. "... and your mum tried to stop the deal"