Hello, nemesis

It has been universally acknowledged- not by Austen - that my sister's ex-boyfriend and I are supposed to hate eachother. There is no basis for this judgement. It is more of what is expected of us ever since my sister died in a car crash. It all happened in a sudden instant. One day she was alive and giving me girl talk and shit, the next day she was just gone.

But right now, if someone where to ask me who I hate the most, the answer won't be a particular Everest.

The tension in the hall was thick, My mom looks at me nervously as the sits with her legs crossed under her pencil skirt. My Dad maintains his stance as he cross his hand over his chest, trying hard to give me his strictest look. My hands are shaking as I the words I just heard kept echoeing in my ears.

"This is for the good, Harley" my Dad says

"Senator Campbell is a very decent human being and has taking a liking towards you"

"He's Fifty" I murmur my breath this time because shouting the previous times didn't make any difference to the conversation.

Dad's business was on the verge of collapsing and senator Campbell has offered to help him with his loans if he can have me in exchange. Any decent father would have rejected the over but not mine. Benson Powers is a misogynist. According to him, women are born to serve and must do what they are asked of.

I dig my nails into the sofa, gritting my teeth as the need to shout at my Dad, to tell him what a horrible father he is, passes through my mind. unlike me, dad doesn't look like my defiance has any effect on him. His shirt is still white and not tainted by his misdeeds. His face is strong at the age of fifty-three and the glow is still young, his black hair is combed backwards in a neat manner. He spends a lot grooming himself even more that mom does.

I look at mom, seated on the single seater beside me with her perfectly polished nails reflecting the light from our chandelier. She had her blonde hair straightened just this morning and it falls on her shoulders flawlessly. I can she that she's also startled by the news but she's a blind follower of whatever dad proclaims and she will never stand for me.

Fine! I'll stand up for myself.

"I'm not marrying him!" I get up from my seat and looked at my father unfazed. His eyes widened a little before they go back to their neutral look

"You have no choice. You're under my authority. My decision is the final one" Dad snarls, taking steps taking closer to me until we were standing chest to face. He wants to intimidate me with his words and height but I'm not going down without a fight.

I don't care if senator Campbell is fucking rich or not. I don't care if he holds immense respect in society or how powerful he is. This is my life and I value my independence. Senator Campbell might as well go suck his ass.

You treat me like shit!" I shout

"He's coming tonight, he will propose and you will say yes. I don't want to hear anything else" Dad's voice is determined and it irks me

I clench and unclench my fists, the heat in my body burning with rage. As I stare at dad, I see can see nothing I say will make him change his decision. He doesn't care if I'm happy or sad. He only cares about his business and pending loans which he took for himself at the prime of success. He is a man who is hellbent on doing what he wants to do and gets what he needs, whatever be the cost

"You suck!"

I turn around and run towards the staircase to go to my room. My wedges thump against the floor; they are deliberate and loud. It makes me feel childish that I want to remind my father that I'm bot happy with every step up.

I am not happy at all

When I reached my room, I shut the door with a slam and lock it before dragging my body to the floor. I put my knees to my chest and put my arms around them as I let the tears pout out of my eyes. I hate myself for being under the care of a man who doesn't care for me at all. Ever since my elder sister, Bella, died in an accident four years ago, Dad has been distant from me.

I understand his part of resentment. Bel died because of me. If I hadn't stayed late and gotten drunk at prom, she wouldn't have had to come and get me. mostly she wouldn't have let her boyfriend drive the car.

That night was the worst night of my life and I miss Bel. She was the best sister and she understood me. If she wasn't here, she would have done anything to stop Dad. She always had my back, no matter the cost. Dad thinks that his pampering was the reason I became rebellious. Little does he know that I'm just another copy of him and I loathe myself for that.

I forced myself to stop crying and rub my tears. If I don't do something about it then tonight is going to be the night of my doom. I have to make him stop. I'm not an item for sale. If he has trouble understanding that with words, then it'll be my actions.

There is only one person my Dad hates more than me and he is none other than my dearest foe, Xavier Everest. He is the enemy of our household and the reason for my Dad's lack of peace. The Everests and Powers has been at each others throat since Bel's death and there is nothing that can tame the loathing my Dad has for them, especially for my late sister's boyfriend.

Xavier is synonymous trouble for Dad. His entrepreneurship skills are the talk of every business magazine which my Dad reads and stresses himself about. At the age of twenty-six merely, he holds the position of the CEO of Everest Capitals and is worshipped throughout the industry. They are one of Dad's toughest competitors in the market.

Not only that, but a year back he was also mentioned among Forbes's most eligible bachelor and women throw themselves at his feet even though they know he's only going to use them for one night only. Being seen with Xavier is both a mark of prestige and scandal, and women love the prestige more.

Naive women

I spot my phone on my bed and an idea storms to my mind. I crawl over to my bed and picked it up. Sitting on the foot and leaning against the wall, I scroll through my contact list until I find him.

'FOE' - it reads as his contact name. I never asked for his number, he stole my phone and saved it himself at a party we both attended four years back. He wants to piss me off, inhaling in deep, I press 'dial'. It rings for a while before he picks it up just when I was about to end the call.

"Your place or mine?" His deep, husky voice greets my ear and I squeeze my thighs together

I once vowed to myself that I would never let Xavier have the same effect on me as he has on other girls and I mean to keep that. I am stronger than my hormones.

"Xavier?" I say, making it sound like I don't remember his voice and want to confirm that it was indeed him

"Hello, nemesis"