1 Chapter 1: My dreams my sister lived

It was a Tuesday morning and summer was bidding farewell and ushering in the new season.

It was a cool morning but for some reason, Olivia was feeling very hot.

She was in the midst of a heated argument which must be the reason why the room felt hot, or maybe it was knowing the fact that whatever decision that would be taken today would affect her life greatly.

She didn't move, she couldn't, she just sat there with her face down hoping no one throws any question or remark towards her.

Her mother is seen at the end of the conference table where she normally sits as the chairman of the Luthel Industry, looking unnaturally calm and composed even intimidating.

But that was Judy Luthel, always composed and determined to make everything go according to her will, even her daughter's future.

The other people in the room were, Mr and Mrs Winfrey of the Castlehill Group with their lawyer and Mr Vince, Judy's trusted lawyer.

The Winfrey's are trying to make Judy see reasons as to why they have to end the contract between the both companies, but Judy is determined to make sure that it doesn't happen.

Olivia can't believe that all these was happening now, when its barely less than a month since her twin sister died.

She had always seen her mother as unfeeling, but never would she have thought that it would reach even to this extent at her own daughter's expence.

Couldn't they hold this meeting in like 4 or 5months from now? Everything was so nauseating, and she wasn't in the right frame of mind to handle this matter yet, she still needed more time to grief her sister's death.

"You have to understand Mrs Luthel, the conditions that were behind us signing this contract is non-existent now. Having your daughter as our daughter-in-law was a great joy to us, but since she is gone, shouldn't we put an end to every other precedent?

We sympathize with you, but without Sophia this contract is void to us", Mr Winfrey stated.

"You came to me on bended knees few years ago begging me to help you save Castlehill, and today you want to terminate our agreement in a heartbeat without thinking about the consequences, isn't that a foolish thing to do?" Judy asked calmly.

If they had come to her asking for another way to sustain the deal between the both companies, that would have been better.

But her daughter had just died, and all they could think about was how to loose themselves from the contract that was signed back then, irrespective of the feelings of her late daughter then.

This made her mind go through a lot of possibilities concerning the death of Sophia.

Could it be that the Winfreys had planned the assassination of her daughter so they could call an end to the contract?

Few years ago, Castlehill Group incurred a very huge debt and investors were pulling out and taking with them what they could, it was at the brink of collasping with lots of debts to pay.

Matthew Winfrey had come to her on bended knees asking for her help, and that it doesn't matter what Judy wanted in return as long as she help him save Castlehill.

It took a serious toll on Luthel Industry after that risky save, so as a businesswoman she asked that 60% shares of Castlehill be transferred to her.

The Winfreys would be left with only 40% and this scared them, so they proposed a marriage agreement between their son and a Luthel's daughter.

This was the only way they could at least secure up to 15% out of the 60% Judy asked for.

Getting their son married to one of Judy's daughters would automatically make her daughter's own shares in Castlehill their son's, making him the highest shareholder of Castlehill with already 25% shares making it a total of 45% shares in his name and her daughter's name.

But with Sophia dead, all 55% of the shares was now in the Winfrey's name. She wouldn't be surprised if the death of her daughter was their doing.

"We have honoured this contract from day one, but it doesn't benefit either of us any longer so we have to end it. You said something about you 'saving Castlehill' we won't argue that, and we are willing to still let you have shares in Castlehill but no longer as one of the major shareholder," Barbra Winfrey stated.

"If you both have decided this together and have given it lots of thought, why are you here? Go ahead and do as you please, what's the use of telling me this? Isn't Castlehill Group yours?" Judy questioned.

"We also want you to willingly sell 25% of your shares back to us before the next board meeting.  This way the investors will clarify the rumour of you leaving with your own shares," Barbra boldly requested.

With an emotionless smile Judy spoke, "And if I don't, what will happen? I know the investors, I called them all, and I know that the moment I leave Castlehill, they would leave too, after all I still have 45% shares. Castlehill could be brought down to her knees again if I leave, but I don't want that. So I want to make a new deal, a stronger one."

If Judy goes ahead to do what she plans, then the odds would be against her, especially if the same thing that happened to Sophia happens again.

On the other hand, Olivia would become one of the major shareholders, but was this what Olivia wanted?

Olivia had only had her eyes on Markian Winfrey since their college days, but she never said anything not even to Sophia.

While Sophy had always been the bright and cheery one among the both of them, Livy had always been so distant and quiet.

Sophy had lots of friends and from time to time they would offer Livy a chance to hang out, but she always turns them down.

She lived in her own world, and though she only speaks to Sophy, she kept a lot of things from her, like the fact that she was in love.

Only after her mother had broken the news of Sophy's marriage to Markian, did Sophy realised that Livy was in love with her fiance, Markian.

Going against her mother's wish was futile, so Livy hid her feelings as deep as she could, that even when Sophy had seen some signs and confronted her about her feelings for Markian before the marriage, she lied and said that she just dislikes Markian so much, and that she doesn't trust him for agreeing to an arranged marriage.

After Sophy's death, Livy blamed herself for days. She thought maybe in her sub consciousness she might have wished ill of her twin sister, because she was bitter about her sister's marriage to Markian.

She loved her sister a lot, so when she saw that she was excited about the news of her marriage to Minnesota's most eligible bachelor, she couldn't help but hide her feelings deeper than they already were.

Though she did a terrible job at suppressing her feelings, still her sister's happiness was more important than her one sided love for a man who doesn't even know anything about her existence.

Who was she? She was no one of any importance that could catch his eyes.

Sophy was a one-time winner of Miss Minnesota, she had the looks and body of a supermodel and she was a social bee. So it was no surprise that even though it was an arranged marriage, Sophy and Markian hit it off very fast like they were destined to met.

Livy on the other hand was more reserved, timid and low headed, never once did she go on a date with any guy in her college days, and was always referred to as Sophy's opposite.

One would even argue that they both were sisters let alone twins.

Sophy was the bright one and as a result casted her shadow on Livy, though Livy didn't mind but sometimes she wished she was just a little bit bold and brave like Sophy, then at least she would have been able to express her feels to the man she loved, but it became too late.

After the wedding, Livy became even more withdrawn from everyone especially Sophy.

Whenever the couple would visit the Luthel mansion, Livy would act as though Markian repulsed her every single time, and as a result was disliked by him.

When her mother told her that she would be attending a meeting with her this morning, never in her wildest dreams did she think it would be this.

They were talking about her sister as though she had died years ago, like till the very end she was just an asset to them and nothing more.

"A marriage proposal, I want to get my older daughter married to your widowed son," Judy stated.

All colour left Livy's face and it felt like a boulder have been placed on her, the air in the room had suddenly become thin and she was suffocating.

She felt like the ground should open and swallow her whole before anything else is said or done.

A marriage to Markian, her sister's husband? What in the world was her mother thinking when that vile thought crossed her mind, was she even thinking straight?

Of course not, her mother must still be shock of Sophy's death.

She felt like screaming, but her throat was too dry for words to form.

"What? That is absolutely absurd, we won't do anything of such. Why would we want to get our son married to your other daughter when his late wife just died 3 weeks ago?" Matthew spoke, disdainfully.

"For the same reason you want me to sell my shares back to you, this is the only way you can have my shares. Its either that or I will walk with my 45% and my investors, good luck finding new ones. I think this meeting is over. When next we meet, I hope you would have an answer for me," Judy abstrusely dismissed them.

Standing up and heading to her exquisite glass desk, she didn't let her face should any sign of emotion whatsoever. She was sturdy as a tree, very elegant and graceful, but her decision made everyone in the room freeze for a while.

Soon, they all stood and left the room without a single word or happy expression on their faces, leaving only Livy who at the moment looked like she was about to collapse.

"You too may leave now, I have work to do so you can ask me whatever question you want to ask me when we get home," Judy spoke without looking up from the document she was reading, clearly referring to Livy who was still glued to her chair.

After a while she gathered up her strength and stood up from the chair staggering. Her feet were weightless and her eyes were heavy filled with tears. She was feeling light headed but she still dragged herself to the door.

Looking back at her mother who was busy going through an important document, she wondered if this was real and if all she heard today was just a dream, but it wasn't.

She knew her mother so well, and telling her to ask her what she wanted when they got back from work was just a formality.

Whenever Judy made a decision, there was no room for opposing or arguing. That is one of her many tracts as a successful businesswoman.

So Livy left the room without saying a word, and only when she had left, did Judy raise up her eyes from the file she held and gave a deep sigh.

She knows how awful she must have appeared to be, but she needed Castlehill. After the save, Luthel Industry suffered but was quickly recovered after Castlehill hit the international markets again. If she loses her shares in Castlehill, Luthel Industry might suffer a risk of huge debts and that is not going to be a pretty sight. To secure her shares in Castlehill, she needed Livy to be obedient and get married to Markian, as this would make her a major shareholder of 60% shares. It's risky, but it's a risk worth taking, especially if the Winfrey's were really responsible for her daughter's death.

In her office, Livy felt very nauseous and sick she had to leave the office early. She still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she might be getting married to her sister's husband, the only man she had ever loved, the man that hates her so much.

Was this fate or coincidence? She had dreamt of getting marrying to Markian, but after him and her sister had gotten married, she had brushed off every thought of such.

She was not social so she rarely gets asked out on a date, but when she is asked, she makes up an excuse and turns it down.

She was used to being alone, so after Markian and her sister got hitched, she mentally convinced herself that a life of solitude was what's best for her.

But now, seeing the turn of event, she doesn't know exactly how to feel or react about everything.