Vanessa returned home later that night after spending some time with her grandmother, who had been admitted to the hospital.
As soon as she stepped into the living room, she found her father sitting in the darkness.
The others weren’t around, which was a good thing.
The last thing she wanted was to relive the scenes from that morning all over again.
However, with her father sitting there like a man waiting to say something, there was a high chance it was going to happen again.
Vanessa tried to avoid him, but he quickly stopped her.
“The wedding is next week.
Make sure you get ready by then.”
Vanessa turned to him, scoffing.
“I’ve already told you, I’m not getting married to Matteo.
You can do whatever you want, but I won’t marry him no matter what,” she responded, deadpan.
“Come to think of it, why do you want me to marry him so badly?
Noelle is already getting married to Tristan, so even if I don’t marry into that family, the business alliance you want so badly can still be sealed.”
“That’s none of your business,” he snapped, his voice harsh.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you.”
He didn’t.
He never did.
He simply did whatever he wanted.
He gave her orders and expected her to obey him blindly.
She had done that all her life, but she was tired of doing so.
There was already so much a person could take, and she had reached her limit.
She wasn’t some puppet in his game.
Vanessa took a step toward her father and said, “Sorry to disappoint you, Father, but I’m not marrying Matteo.
I’m not going to be some replacement bride for you to achieve your dirty goals.
Aren’t you tired of always ordering me around?
Why can’t you let me make this decision for myself?”
He grabbed her chin so tightly that she thought her bone was going to snap.
“I am your father, and you owe me your life.
Do you understand?
I’m the only reason you’re alive.”
He pushed her back with so much force that she nearly fell.
“How about this?” he said.
Vanessa glared hard at him, her eyes stinging with tears.
She quickly sniffled them back.
“If you don’t marry Matteo, I’ll stop the treatment going to your grandmother.”
Her world crashed.
“She’s been in the hospital for more than five years, and she hasn’t shown any improvement at all.
The doctor even said her chances of surviving are little to none.” He grinned when he saw her pale face.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t want to lose your precious grandmother over something this little.”
Vanessa shook her head, anger bubbling beneath her skin.
“You’re a madman!”
SMACK!
She held her numb cheek as it stung from the slap.
“You’re not wrong at all.
I am indeed a madman, and I won’t hesitate to sacrifice anything or anyone just to get what I want.”
She glared at him, her fists clenched tightly.
“She’s your mother,” she said matter-of-factly.
“You’re going to kill your own mother if I don’t accept your offer?”
Mr.
Voss shrugged completely.
“That will be all up to you.
Her life is in your hands now, and I’m sure you’re not going to let your stubbornness be the cause of her death.”
He turned and left.
Her grandmother was the one person who treated her like a member of the family and not some adopted child.
Her grandfather had died years ago, leaving her alone in this world.
After his death, her health had deteriorated.
If her treatment was delayed by even a second, the chances of her dying were…
Vanessa felt the walls closing in around her.
She despised being helpless.
Despite being the daughter of a wealthy family, she was dead broke.
She had no car of her own, no business, and worse, no career that could earn her enough money to take care of herself.
She worked part-time at a café down the street that only paid her twenty dollars per hour.
Even if she refused her father’s offer and decided to take responsibility for her grandmother’s treatment, she would need to work at least fifteen to twenty hours a day.
The chances of her raising enough money would be even harder.
“Vanessa, are you crying?”
She heard that agonizing voice again.
She looked up to find Noelle staring at her with a grin.
“Don’t cry.
I know it’s hard for you, but you’ll get through it.”
She attempted to wipe Vanessa’s tears, but Vanessa quickly grabbed her arm midair and pushed her away.
“You should just be happy now.”
“I am,” Noelle admitted with a smile.
“But do you know what’s surprising?
It’s how you never suspected Tristan was cheating.
We’ve done so many things right in front of you, but you were never suspicious of him.”
Vanessa knew exactly what she was talking about.
Sometimes, they would hold hands like a couple.
Noelle would peck Tristan on the cheek, and they would sometimes go out together under the excuse that they needed to bond since they would soon be in-laws.
‘You were so stupid, Vanessa,’ she thought.
“But it’s okay.
I understand that you were deeply in love with him.
That’s why you never noticed any of those things.
Tristan is the best man, after all.”
Vanessa wiped the tears from her face, a grin slowly forming on her lips.
“Truly, he is,” she replied.
Noelle’s eyes instantly narrowed.
“He’s so in love with you that he asked me this morning to forgive him and marry him.
He said I was the one he had always wanted.
Oh, he also said that you seduced him, so his love for you was never real.
He was just under the influence of being seduced.”
“What nonsense!” Noelle snapped.
The childish tone she had been using immediately disappeared, replaced by the voice of a mature woman.
“I don’t believe you.
He would never say that.”
“What you believe and don’t believe, I really couldn’t care less about,” Vanessa answered calmly.
“You two fit each other perfectly, and I’ll make sure to give you both my blessings.”