Personal Gains

"Big sister, congratulations on marrying a middle age... I mean, influential man," her sister teased, hoping to provoke Cyril further and relish in her discomfort in becoming a sacrificial pawn for the family.

She had always harbored jealousy towards her step-sister, resentful of the beauty that made even her own attractiveness pale in comparison. 

The idea of Cyril being violated, subjected to the whims of a man she did not even love, brought a twisted sense of satisfaction to her heart. 

And she wasn't alone in this lined of thoughts. 

Her stepmother, biological sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, and aunts all saw her as nothing more than a useful tool, finally good for something despite being a bastard child.

The truth was, the only reason she was given money, schooling, maiden training, and a luxurious lifestyle was because her family saw it as an investment .