1

The sun had long gone down, and pitch-black darkness covered the sky by the time Cass finally finished every single chore Loreen had ordered her to do. Her body ached all over. Her shoulders felt heavy, her lower back was stiff, and her hands were rough from all the scrubbing.

"Just a few more minutes, Cass. You can do this," she whispered to herself, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for days, but her mind wouldn't let her rest.

The house was completely quiet except for the sound of her own heavy breathing. Just as the young woman finished putting away the cleaning rags and the mop, the heavy front door swung open. The sharp click of high heels echoed across the freshly polished floorboards. Her stepmother had arrived.

Loreen walked into the living room, tossing her expensive purse onto the sofa. She didn't even look at Cass with kindness. Instead, she looked around the room, checking the tables for any signs of dust.

"Good, it is about time you finished cleaning," Loreen said, her voice completely flat and empty of any real warmth. She paused for a moment, smoothing down the front of her expensive dress, before looking directly at Cass. "By the way, we are having a guest tomorrow, so be prepared. I will introduce you to a very important person tomorrow."

"A guest? Who is it, Tita Loreen?" Cass asked, trying to sound polite despite her extreme tiredness.

"You don't need to know the details yet," Loreen replied coldly. "Just make sure you look presentable. Don't embarrass me."

Loreen did not wait for Cass to reply. Without another word, she turned around and walked up the grand staircase toward her bedroom. She left Cass standing alone in the middle of the dark living room, her face twisted into a deep frown.

Cass glared at the empty staircase, her fists clenching tightly at her sides. "That wicked witch! She always makes decisions for me without even asking!" she muttered angrily under her breath. "Who does she think she is? A queen?"

She made sure her voice was low enough so that it wouldn't carry up the stairs, but the rage inside her was burning hot. Stomping her feet with every step, she dragged her exhausted body up to her own small room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Tomorrow will be another disaster, I just know it," she sighed into her pillow.

The next morning came far too quickly. Cass felt like she had only closed her eyes for a few minutes when a loud, aggressive knocking woke her up.

"Get up, Cassandra! Open this door right now and go take a bath!" Loreen shouted from the hallway, her voice cutting through the morning silence.

Cass groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Five more minutes," she mumbled.

But the knocking only grew louder and more annoying. "Cassandra! I mean it! Move your lazy bones right now!" Loreen yelled.

Realizing her stepmother wouldn't leave her alone, she forced herself out of bed. When she opened the door, she was shocked to see not just Loreen, but also an unfamiliar person carrying a large black suitcase filled with cosmetics. Loreen had actually hired a professional makeup artist.

"What is going on here?" Cass asked, blinking her eyes in confusion. "Why is there a makeup artist?"

"Don't ask questions. Just sit down and let her do her job," Loreen commanded, waving her hand dismissively.

"What on earth is that old hag planning this time?" the young woman whispered to herself as she sat stiffly in a chair.

The makeup artist smiled warmly. "Don't worry, miss. We will make you look absolutely beautiful today."

"Thank you," Cass replied quietly, though she felt completely uneasy.

For the next hour, the artist painted her face and styled her hair. Once the makeup was done, Loreen handed her a garment bag. Inside was a simple, plain white dress.

"Put this on. Now," Loreen ordered.

Cass looked at the dress and then at her stepmother. "A white dress? Why? Are we going to a formal party in the morning?"

"Just put it on, Cassandra. Stop wasting time," Loreen snapped.

Cass put it on slowly, looking at herself in the mirror. The white dress felt strange, and a cold shiver ran down her spine. With every minute that passed, the nervous knot in Cass’s stomach grew tighter and tighter. Her heart beat fast against her chest.

She was so busy trying to guess what Loreen was up to that her mind went completely blank. She became totally lost in her own dark thoughts. Before she even realized what was happening, she had already been led downstairs.

"Get in the car," Loreen said, opening the door of their sleek black vehicle.

"Where are we going?" Cass asked, holding the edge of her dress.

"You will see when we get there," Loreen replied with a mysterious smile.

Cass was pushed into the backseat, and the car quickly drove away from their wealthy neighborhood.

The car drove for a long time. Cass stared out the window, watching the clean, wide streets turn into crowded, narrow roads. The beautiful glass buildings faded away, replaced by old, rusty structures. Finally, the car came to a full stop in the middle of a poor, crowded slum area.

"We are here. Get out," Loreen said, stepping out of the vehicle immediately, not caring about the dust in the air.

Seeing no other choice, Cass opened her door and followed her out. The moment her feet hit the unpaved ground, Cass twisted her face in disgust. A terrible, heavy smell hit her nose—a mixture of rotting garbage and stagnant gutter water.

"Ugh, what is that horrible smell?" Cass cried out, covering her nose with her hand. "Why are we here, Tita? This place is filthy!"

"Follow me. I have somewhere important to go," Loreen said. Her instructions were short, cold, and left no room for argument.

Cass remained completely silent, refusing to give her stepmother the satisfaction of an answer. Instead, she started questioning everything inside her own head. Important? In a dirty place like this? Is this some kind of a new, sick prank? she thought, holding her breath as much as she could to block out the foul odor.

They walked deeper into the neighborhood until they reached a small plaza. The smell of the crowded streets filled Cass's nose even more. On the sides of the dirt road, many people were sitting on plastic stools or directly on the ground. Some were begging for spare change, while others were loudly trying to sell cheap goods.

"Stay right here," Loreen ordered suddenly, stopping right in front of a small, broken-down house that looked like it was held together by scrap wood.

"Are you leaving me here alone?" Cass asked, looking around nervously.

"Just stand there and don't move," Loreen replied sharply.

Cass stood still, her eyes fixed on her stepmother. Her eyebrows pulled together in deep confusion as she watched Loreen walk up to a shabby, untidy man who was sitting quietly on the dirty sidewalk curb.

Cass could hardly believe her eyes. Her high-and-mighty, incredibly picky stepmother was actually talking to a beggar. It made absolutely no sense. "What the... what is going on here?" the young woman whispered to herself, her eyes wide with shock. "Is she seriously talking to him?"

She began to examine the man from a safe distance, looking at him very closely. To her surprise, his clothes were simple but relatively clean, and his face didn't have the layer of dirt she expected. His hair was quite long and a bit messy, but Cass could not deny a striking detail: underneath the unkempt appearance, the man actually had very good features. If he were to be cleaned up, dressed in proper clothes, and given a haircut, he would be undeniably handsome.

Her jaw dropped when she saw Loreen lean down to speak to the man.

"Are you ready?" Loreen asked the man, her voice surprisingly calm.

The stranger listened quietly for a few seconds. He didn't say a word, but he slowly nodded his head toward her stepmother.

"Good. Follow me," Loreen told him.

Cass was incredibly curious about what the two of them were discussing, but she had no intention of asking. She knew that questioning Loreen would only make the older woman lose her temper, and Cass didn't want to start a loud fight in the middle of a crowded street.

When Loreen finally walked back toward Cass's spot, the young man stood up and followed close behind her. Cass looked at him, her mind completely filled with questions and doubt.

"Who... Who is he?" Cass finally managed to ask.

Loreen’s lips curved up into a wide, unnatural smile. "He is going to be your husband."

Cass’s eyes went completely wide at those words. The world around her seemed to stop. She quickly shifted her gaze to the man standing next to her stepmother. The young man simply gave her a brief, empty nod. He looked completely bored, as if he had absolutely no care in the world regarding what was happening to his own life.

"Say what?! Husband?! No!" Cass yelled in disbelief. "You must be crazy!"

Loreen let out a long, dramatic sigh, shaking her head as if she were a disappointed parent. "Cass, my dear, I am doing this entirely for your own good. You need to grow up. You need to learn how to be independent, and the perfect solution for that is marriage. It will force you to learn how to be a good housewife."

"A housewife? To a stranger from the streets? No way!" Cass shouted back, tears of anger gathering in her eyes.

"Listen to me first," Loreen continued smoothly. "This is Liam Lucas Javier. He is a perfect match for you. I tried my best to find someone suitable for you from our own social circle, but all of those wealthy men failed to impress. Just like your father, I only want what is best for you."

As Loreen spoke those words, a secret, wicked smile flashed across her face.

Cass stood frozen to the spot, her tongue tied and her mind spinning out of control. Is she really that desperate to get rid of me and throw me out of the house? This is completely unacceptable! Of all the men in the world she could choose, why did she pick someone from this place?! Who knows what will happen to me if I get married to him! Loreen, you absolute witch! Rage boiled deep within the young woman's chest.

She glanced over at Liam again. He was completely distracted, busy looking down at his own fingernails. He hadn't said a single word since they arrived, acting like he was just a random spectator rather than a main character in this nightmare.

"No! I am not going to do that!" Cass turned her fury back to her stepmother. "Don't try to fool me! I am not stupid enough to obey you blindly! I can survive all of your cruel treatment, and I can handle being your personal servant, but marrying a complete stranger from the streets? No! I am going to tell Daddy everything the moment he gets home! He will stop this!"

But the moment the word 'Daddy' left Cass's mouth, Loreen’s eyes turned incredibly sharp and dangerous. The fake sweetness vanished instantly. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and spoke in a low, vicious whisper right into Cass's ear.

"Go ahead and try," Loreen hissed. "If you don't want me to completely ruin your father’s reputation and take absolutely everything away from your family, you will obey me, Cassandra. Let me remind you that I have the power to turn everything upside down. I can easily destroy your name in front of your dad, and even in front of your entire extended family. They will take my side, not yours. You know they will believe me. Do you want to see your father lose everything?"

Cass stared at her stepmother, completely speechless. "You... you wouldn't dare," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Try me, Cassandra. See what happens to your precious daddy," Loreen smiled viciously.

A cold feeling of absolute helplessness washed over Cass. She knew, deep down, that Loreen wasn't lying. There was no way out of this trap. She couldn't run to her father for help because Loreen held all the power, all the money, and all the cards in her hands. The only thing Cass could do right now was to stay quiet and pretend to be okay, even though this forced marriage was tearing her soul apart.

The young woman fell completely silent. She lowered her head, looking down at her shoes as she fought with all her might to stop her hot tears from falling down her cheeks.

Seeing the broken look on the girl's face, a massive, triumphant grin spread across Loreen’s face. She had won yet again. Whenever Cass stopped fighting back and bowed her head in silence, it meant she had finally given up and accepted her defeat.

Loreen clapped her hands together in pure delight, the sound loud and mocking in the quiet air. "That settles it then! Let us get back to the car right now so we can head straight to the city hall for your marriage ceremony. Oh my, I am feeling so incredibly excited! Liam, get in the front seat."

Liam didn't say anything. He just turned around and walked back to the car with slow, lazy steps.

During the entire drive toward the city hall, Cass kept her head turned toward the window, desperately trying to swallow her tears. The white dress she wore now felt like a heavy weight. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned her eyes to glance at the man sitting right beside her—the man who, in just a matter of minutes, would legally become her husband. Loreen was in the front, humming a happy tune, completely ignoring them.

Cass leaned closer to the young man, making sure her voice was extremely low so Loreen wouldn't hear.

"Tell me... how much money did she pay you just to make you agree to marry me?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "Is it a million? Two million? Tell me the truth."

Liam didn't even turn his head. He kept staring straight out of his window, watching the city buildings pass by. "She didn't pay me anything, because I have absolutely no interest in taking her money," he answered in a flat, indifferent tone.

Cass frowned, not believing him at all. "Then why? Why on earth did you agree to this?" the young woman asked again, her voice desperate for some kind of logical explanation. "There must be a reason. Nobody does something this crazy for nothing. Are you helping her to ruin my life?"

But Liam did not say another word. He just closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat.

"Please... just tell me. Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Cass pleaded.

Just like before, she received nothing but absolute silence from the young man. He remained completely still, leaving Cass alone with her tears as the car pulled up to the city hall steps.

"We are here, lovebirds!" Loreen announced cheerfully from the front seat. "Get out of the car. Your new life is waiting for you!"