CHAPTER ONE : SO MANY DEBTS

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Her ringtone filtered through the quiet atmosphere, making her head snap from her dazed state.

She looked at the caller ID and breathed a sigh of relief.

"At least it's not the loan sharks this time, but who knows how long I can keep them at bay," she thought, breathing out heavily as tears clouded her vision.

"Sophie, I have something that might help you. Meet me at the cafe downtown, let's talk," her friend's voice came from the other end of the phone.

She nodded until she remembered it was a phone call, and her friend couldn't possibly see her.

"Okay," she said in a tired voice.

"Be there in thirty minutes," the voice replied, cutting off the call.

***

"So yesterday, I was going through my phone, and then an ad popped up.

Look, this is the website—'Find Rich Men to Marry,'" her friend said, pointing at her phone.

Sophie sat in her seat, confused, wondering what her friend was getting at.

"What do you mean, Daisy?" she asked her redheaded friend, who sat opposite her with a wide smile. Daisy had been the only real friend she ever had, and if there was anyone she trusted with her life, it would be Daisy.

"Okay, let me break it down.

When the ad popped up, curiosity got the best of me, so I clicked on it.

And girl, they pay tons of money. I looked through it, searching for the man who pays best, and the highest I could find was fifty million. And do you know what came to my mind when I saw that? That's the exact amount you need," her friend rambled on, enough for Sophie to catch every word.

"That's good," Sophie said out loud. She needed fifty million to pay the loan sharks her father had borrowed money from before his death. She wouldn't have been so worried if they hadn't taken her seven-year-old sister.

"What do I need to do?" she asked Daisy eagerly, noticing her friend had a nervous expression.

"What's the problem, Daisy?" she asked, concerned at the sudden change in her friend's face.

"Actually, they're all old," Daisy said, feeling a bit bad. Every man she saw on the website was between seventy and ninety years old. How she wished she could help her friend so she wouldn't have to go through such a degrading method to make money, but she was broke too. If it were in the past, she could have helped, but ever since she was thrown out of her family by her wicked stepmother, who took over everything, she had to survive on her own.

Sophie's face fell at hearing this, but what was she expecting?

Isn't it better if the man is old? Then, he could die sooner, and she'd be able to live her life again.

"Well, that's good," Sophie said with a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Daisy asked, confused by Sophie's reaction.

"It's good that the man would be old. Find the oldest man for me, then. It'd be better if he's very old, that way his time would be limited, and he could die sooner," Sophie said with a forced grin.

"Okay," Daisy said, her hands tapping on her phone eagerly until her eyes lit up.

"Found him!" she said excitedly.

"Eighty-six years old, has leg paralysis—well, at least he's handicapped.

Willing to offer fifty million for a contracted wife," Daisy said, showing Sophie her phone with a smile. Sophie read the biography and looked at the picture.

The old man sat in a wheelchair, smiling widely, most of his front teeth missing, the rest brown and decayed. Sophie held her breath as she made up her mind.

"I can't imagine giving my first time to a ninety-year-old man," Sophie said with a frown.

"Apparently, he's eighty-six. But that doesn't matter—having leg paralysis doesn't make him sexually inactive," Daisy said, raising an eyebrow to make her point.

"Well, let's forget my sex life. How do I apply?" Sophie asked in a low voice.

At least something good would come out of this—Stacy's freedom, her younger sister. That was all that mattered.

"Um, Sophie, I know I brought this idea to you, but are you sure you want to do this? I mean, he's definitely not husband material for someone your age," Daisy said, feeling guilty.

'Damn, I shouldn't have shown her. Why didn't I just ignore the ad last night?' Daisy thought regretfully.

"Daisy, look at the bright side. I can finally pay the loan sharks and get Stacy back.

I can't delay any further. I was given till Friday, and today is Wednesday. There's no way I can gather that amount in such a short time. This is the best option I have, so don't worry," Sophie said, trying to reassure her friend.

"Oh, okay," Daisy said with a sigh of resignation.

"We apply online, almost like applying for a job. You fill out everything, including your details. If he accepts it, then you go for the signing face-to-face," Daisy explained, walking Sophie through the process.

"Let me do it for you," Daisy offered, filling out Sophie's information in the application.

"Then what?" Sophie asked eagerly.

"We wait for him to accept," Daisy replied.

"How long?" Sophie inquired.

"I'm not sure how long it'll take…" Daisy trailed off as her phone dinged, and her eyes widened.

"He accepted!" Daisy shouted, drawing attention from nearby tables before offering an apologetic smile to the onlookers.

"Look! He accepted the contract, Soph! All that's left is the signing, then you'll be fifty million richer, and you can finally free Stacy," Daisy said, genuinely happy for her friend.

"The company is being mortgaged tomorrow," Sophie said in a small voice, causing Daisy to gasp.

"Why? I thought they gave you more time," Daisy asked, her expression somber.

"The time has run out, and there's no way I can gather that kind of money.

What was my father thinking when he borrowed ten billion from the bank?" Sophie sighed, struggling to hold back her tears.

"I'm really sorry, Sophie. I wish I could help," Daisy said sympathetically.

Before Sophie could reply, Daisy's phone rang loudly, breaking the mood.

'Damn it,' Daisy cursed when she saw the caller ID.

"Who is it?" Sophie asked, reading her friend's expression.

"My tyrant boss. He needs me back at the office," Daisy replied, clearly annoyed.

***

"The auction of one of the largest companies in the country, the famous Adams Industries, once owned by one of the oldest and strongest families in Britain—the Adams family," the presenter started as the hall fell silent.

Sophie's eyes roamed around the building until they landed on one man. Her eyes darkened with hatred as she studied him.

He stood confidently in the center of the hall, seeming to be the main attraction alongside his heir, the young master of the Rudrick family. They attracted a lot of attention, as other rich men from various clans approached to greet him.

Senior Master Robert Rudrick, the current head of Rudrick Industries.

Her father's so-called best friend, who abandoned him when his company was on the verge of collapse. It's true what people say:

"Money comes and goes, along with fake friends."

It was a shame—all her father's friends were fake. They stuck around only when they needed something, like a contract or help growing their industries, but when he needed them, they turned their backs.

Now, they were seated here, ready to buy her father's hard work and sweat while he lay six feet under.

"The auction for Adams Industries will begin with a starting bid of forty billion," the auctioneer announced as bids were raised.

"Fifty billion."

"Fifty-five billion."

"One hundred billion."

The whole hall gasped at the last bid. No one would go higher.

Adams Industries was no longer worth that much after losing its reputation during bankruptcy. One hundred billion was already a stretch.

Sophie's eyes filled with tears. She turned to see who had made the bid, only to see Robert Rudrick sitting with a smug smile, his number raised.

She should've expected nothing less.

"One hundred billion dollars for Adams Industries. Sold, sold, and…"

"Five hundred billion dollars," a loud, masculine voice interrupted, silencing the hall.