Chapter 4

Liliya

Before I could even respond, tears started streaming down my face. A whirlwind of questions flooded my mind, and I found myself without any answers.

Why do I feel so vulnerable when it comes to my family? Why can't I simply refuse the offer and let my father be, especially since it’s clear he loves Nessa more than me? Why can’t I just show Dad the picture of Henri and Nessa to expose their betrayal, as I had planned, and ruin them? And the most suffocating thought of all is that...

Why did Dice have to choose me? Why couldn’t he have picked Nessa instead? Does this mean he’s only doing this to get revenge on me for what I did to him? If Dad loses the bet, Dice could have taken something else from him—anything but not a marriage contract with me. I feel like I’m losing my mind, and the tears just keep flowing down my cheeks.

"Why are you crying, Liliya? It’s not like you’re marrying some poor rat; you’re marrying the great Dice Rexroth. Just cut the fake tears; it’s really irritating," Nessa said, rolling her eyes at me. Another surge of anger welled up inside me, and for a moment, I genuinely wanted to show Papa the picture of her with Henri. But just then, Papa spoke up, and I hesitated.

"Your sister is right, Liliya. Stop crying as if we're forcing you into a grave. I know marrying Dice is a favor to me, but you'll also benefit from his wealth. Plus, the contract is only for three years. After that, you’ll be free to marry whoever you love," Papa said, and I could feel his unwavering support for Nessa.

"What benefits are you talking about, Papa? You know that Dice hates me more than anything and he's..."

"Just stop it, Liliya. Do you really want your father to end up in jail? That’s why Nessa is our favorite daughter. If she were the one Dice chose, she would have helped your dad without a second thought. But here you are, being as useless as ever. Anyway..."

"Just know that if you don’t help your papa and Dice ends up sending him to jail because of you, we will also disown you as our daughter. I know you don’t want that, especially since your papa has been speaking to you so gently all this time," Mama interjected as she descended the stairs. Her words made more tears spill from my eyes.

Why are they so wicked and completely indifferent to my feelings? Instead, they take every opportunity to praise Nessa. I can't help but question if they are really my parents, considering how much they seem to prefer her over me but the evidence consistently shows that they are my parents, yet I can't understand why their affection for Nessa is so much greater than for me.

Nessa rose from the arm of the couch and walked over to Mama, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Mama! I love you and Papa so much for believing in what I can do for both of you," she said with a bright smile, and Mama lovingly caressed her cheeks.

"We love you too, princess," Mama replied. My heart shattered as I watched Mama shower Nessa with affection, knowing she wouldn’t be able to help them in this situation. Meanwhile, I felt nothing but resentment, feeling like I was receiving their disdain instead. To me, they're the worst parents ever.

Loving one child more than the other and even threatening to disown me if I don’t comply with their wishes is heartbreaking. I know that if they followed through with their words, my life would be completely shattered, and I would be left with nothing. If only Henri hadn’t betrayed me; he would have been the one I could turn to right now. But now, I have no one to support me if Mama and Papa disown me, leaving me with no choice but to do whatever they want.

"I hate it! Why did Dice have to choose her? It's not like she's more beautiful or perfect than I am. In fact, I'm more beautiful and perfect than she is," Nessa said sadly, as Mama gently caressed her cheeks.

"Don't worry, princess. We'll find you your own perfect prince charming who will treat you like a princess," Mama reassured her, and Nessa's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course, princess," Papa chimed in, and Nessa jumped up in happiness before Papa turned back to me.

I quickly wiped the tears from my face. What’s the point of crying anyway? This isn’t the first time they’ve shown how much they love Nessa more than me, and it won’t be the last. All I can do is stop crying like a fool and brace myself.

I'll marry Dice, but it's only for three years. I know I’ll have to endure whatever he has planned for me during that time, especially since he seems so determined to marry me without any good intentions.

"I'll treat myself to become a better and stronger person, so Mama and Papa will regret how they've treated me all this time. I won’t let Dice make me weaker; instead, I’ll grow stronger. When the time comes, I won’t depend on Mama and Papa anymore. I’ll make my own decisions without fearing their disapproval or the possibility of being disowned. I refuse to let that make me miserable." I thought, determination etched on my face, before nodding with a slight smile.

At the same time, I’ll make Henri and Nessa regret ever betraying me and making me feel foolish. There’s no point in showing the world or Papa their picture right now; it would only hurt Papa, not Nessa and Henri, which isn’t what I want. I need to come up with a clever plan to make them deeply regret what they did to me, and I have to do it within three years.

I smile with determination, noticing the confusion on Papa's face as he sees me grinning.

"Why are you smiling? Do you..." I cut Papa off before he could finish.

"I'm ready to marry Dice," I said suddenly, a huge smile spreading across my face. I could hear everyone gasp in unison.