CONFLICT IN THE COLLINS' MANSION

' Turns out you're quite famous, husband' Raelle thought to herself, the picture of her husband's thin lips painted in her mind.

"Such a pity Raelle, you've landed with a disabled old man," Kim said with a mocking smile.

Raelle didn't respond. Instead, she turned to the door, her certificate in hand, and she walked out. Leaving Kim and his little girlfriend speechless.

She couldn't be bothered by such mundane pests. She'd get back at them in the nick of time.

Walking out of Kim's house, she didn't make the mistake of looking back.

Raelle's one major rule in life: once you take a step forward, don't ever look back.

Stepping out of the apartment, she boarded a taxi, heading to Collin's Mansion. Now alone in the backseat of the taxi, she let out the tears she had been holding in.

After a while, she pulled herself together, wiped her tears, and leaned back in her seat. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander.

***

The Collin's Mansion...

Raelle walked down the lonely path that led to the house quickly.

She had asked the cab driver to drop her off quite a distance from the house. She wanted to gather courage as she walked as she didn't know what she'd be met with at home.

"Damn you! Shameless bitch! Look at what you've done"

Raelle walked into the living room, only to be welcomed by her father's angry cursing. It seemed the news had gotten home before her.

"You've ruined my reputation!" William said through gritted teeth.

Raelle was just about to reply when she heard Claire's voice from behind her.

"Dad, don't be angry. It wasn't her fault. Maybe she doesn't love him. Please forgive her."

Raelle felt like puking blood. Seeing Claire trying to play the ' white lotus sister ' was disgusting. The devil trying to be an angel. How sad!

William replied with a scoff, "Forgive? How can I forgive such a stupid and thoughtless daughter who couldn't even think of the family before doing things?"

William Collins owned a dying shipping company. And his reputation was the only thing he had ever truly cared about. So, naturally, seeing his daughter trying to soil his reputation, he was full of anger.

Raelle didn't panic in the face of her father's vile words. Instead, her lips curled into a beautiful smile that showed her perfectly positioned dimples.

"The family? What family?" She scoffed. Did she even have a family?

"I don't think I was ever a member of this family. All I ever was, was a pawn for you. Am I right, father?"

William was burning in rage. This brat! Just who did she think she was? Huh!

"I thought as much." she continued to speak fearlessly.

"How dare you speak so rudely to your father? Just who do..." Her stepmother, Grace had just started speaking, only to be cut off by Raelle.

"You were not invited into this conversation!" Raelle cut her off with a fierce warning. "Outsiders don't speak when the family speaks!"

Grace was speechless. Did Raelle just talk back at her? No! This couldn't be Raelle

Turning to her father, Raelle ignored the shocked expression on his face as she asked "Why don't you ask your beautiful daughter, Claire what happened? I mean like mother, like daughter?"

Even though she was only five years old when her mother died, Raelle knew that it didn't take up to three weeks before her father brought in his mistress and their daughter who was only two years old at that time. Since then, the heroic image of a father that lives in Raelle's heart burnt to ashes. She no longer saw him as worthy of being a father.

William couldn't hold it anymore and his blood pressure shot up. How did the weak and timid Raelle change in a few hours?

"Sister, how can you say such words? Apologize to Father and let this all pass away!" Claire was still trying to play the role of a good daughter.

Raelle sneered inwardly at her sister's act. How pathetic!

Want to make her apologize?

Hell no!

"What am I apologizing for? I didn't do anything wrong. We are all adults here so I have a right to make my choice." She paused for a second before she continued "Besides, I wasn't the one who decided to ditch the marriage."

Claire, still playing the sisterly act said, "Dad, sister is only joking. It's just a joke, right?"

"She'd better be joking!" William retorted in anger. "I can't lose my reputation because of a worthless child like her!"

Raelle giggled when she heard those words. She brought out the red cover booklet from her bag and said, "If I were worthless, why did I have to be the one to get married to Kim just for 200 million dollars?"

William and Grace were shocked to the core. How did she know? When they made that deal with Davis, she wasn't home.

"H-how did you know?" William managed to say.

Laughing, she threw her hands in the air, indicating that she didn't know. She'd rather die with it than tell them.

******

Before the date of the marriage was fixed, The Davis had come to the house. At that time, Raelle had gone out, but she had forgotten her phone upstairs so she came back to the house to pick it up. Stepping into the hallway, she heard their conversation.

Raelle was shocked, she couldn't believe they were selling her off. But, since she and Kim were in love, or so she thought, she didn't let it bother her.

****

Raelle waved the certificate before them with a fulfilled smile on her beautiful face.

"Who said I was joking? You had seen the certificate yourself Claire, so why tell your father that it was a joke" She asked Claire with a smirk.

Turning to her father directly, she looked into his eyes, and with a very clear voice said, "I am married now, father."

William was instantly struck by lightning at the sight of the booklet. His daughter was married?

Unable to hold his anger anymore, he raised his hand and slapped Raelle hard in the face. "Bitch! How dare you?"

Due to the intensity of the slap, Raelle fell to the floor.

Grace who had been quiet since Raelle had reprimanded her, now had the guts to speak. "You vile spawn! Harlot! You're as shameless as your mother!"

Raelle's bright and fair cheek was contoured with five bright red bar marks. She could feel the pungent metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

Covering her cheek, she sneered. "Oh... I get married just like you wanted and I'm wrong. But, when Claire snatches my fiance.. sorry, ex-fiance, it is right?"

"Damn you!" William said, raising his hand to slap her again.

The cold glint that flashed through Raelle's eyes made his hand freeze mid-air.

"Don't even think about it!" she mouthed.

"Mom... It's a lie! I didn't do much!" Claire seemed to have suffered a heart attack, crying on her mother's shoulder.

"Put your hypocritical tears away! it's disgusting!" Raelle spat in anger at the pretending Claire.