Chapter One:- Vice Versa

"You are getting married to Damien McMillan, the eldest son of the McMillan family," My mother said to me with full authority, her eyes piercing through mine.

It didn't sound like she was asking for my opinion or approval, Instead, the look in her eyes gave me this threat that if I dared object or say a word, that would be the end of me. But, oh, right, I was a mute. I couldn't speak or say a word even if I wanted to.

This has been my disability for ten years.

Because of my disability, my mother and elder sister belittled me. In fact, they hated me and wished me gone. They both saw me as a burden and useless entity in their famous world.

The Adamson family, which is my family, is one of the most respected public figures when it comes to wealth and handling international businesses. My family owns the Royal Hotel, Royal Import and Export Corporation and the Royal Air.

The Royal Hotel was the number one in Westcrest Country. According to reviews, our hotel was the best when it came to services and maintenance. Our hotel rooms were highly equipped and convenient for users. The staff, despite the situation they might be in, never let smiles fade off their faces. That's how our hotel has been rivals with other hotels in the country.

For more than two decades, my family still maintained the position of being the top most wealthy and influential business owners in the country but until recently, we have a rival and an enemy who is willing to do anything to bring my family down.

The McMillan Family.

The McMillan family settled in Westcrest Country over ten years ago and since their arrival, our Hotel's reputation started to deteriorate slowly.

The McMillan family was known to be powerful and mysterious in their ways. In their previous country, they were the number one in the business world and ever since they built a hotel, First Royalty Hotel, here in Westcrest, they became a big threat to us.

Unlike our usual style in preparing dishes and designing rooms, the McMillan's way is very different.

They prepared different country's dishes and they uniquely built their hotel. Guests could have a tourist view from their rooms and they could inhale the fresh breeze of the sea or they could see the attractive view of mountains and tall trees from their rooms.

This made our hotel look less fashioned and unattractive for some of our guests. This made income a threat to us.

Clyde McMillan was known as the Chairman of the First Royalty Hotel, despite being the second son of the McMillan family. Blacks began to spread about the eldest son, Damien McMillan for being a womanizer and a useless son since he wasn't the successor of First Royalty Hotel.

Actually, my mother, Patricia Adamson was the one who started the rumor during a Live interview about the First Royalty Hotel. She did it to damage the Hotel's reputation and as if her plan worked, the Hotel began to be criticized by the public. They became a less threat to Royal Hotel, until the Chairman of First Royalty Hotel, Clyde McMillan made me the laughingstock of our company.

During an interview in the past six months, he said "At an event, I saw Patricia Adamson call her mute daughter 'useless' and a shame to her noble family" He said with a sarcastic laugh. This ruined the image of our hotel and family and because of that, my mother and sister hated me more.

"You don't have a choice, do you? You are the useless one here and you are the one fitted to be in the hands of our enemy " My mother said after a while. She looked at me with those emotionless eyes while my elder sister smirked, staring at me with those killing gazes.

Well, I expected my mood to lighten up after hearing the news but instead, my heart sank. The thought of leaving this hell-calling home supposed to make me happy and unleeched from the chain instead, I felt worse.

I was getting married to someone I hadn't met before and the fact that they were enemies with my family, made me even more bitter. Aware of the bad blood they have with my family would make them treat me like a slave or even worse and the thought of it made me shiver.

Lost in my dilemma, my elder sister spoke, "But Mom, doesn't this mean that we will be inlaws with our enemy?" Veronica asked my mother and then, a knowing evil smirk that I was used to seeing crept her lips as she sipped the glass of wine she had been holding since the beginning of this marriage discussion.

"Besides being inlaws with them, it can be called enemies helping each other. Creating a marriage alliance will stop the rumors we created with our hands and then, our businesses will be back to normal" My mother said, with confidence beaming in her eyes.

Even if that was all that my mother said at the moment, I knew her plan was beyond that. Becoming inlaws with them meant that she had other greater things to achieve but she wasn't ready to reveal them, at least not in my front.

Veronica, on the other hand always supported her mother's plan be it evil or good. They both worked hand in hand with every plan.

It was annoying and sad that I couldn't say anything to them, at least how I felt at the moment. There was no one to share my problems and pains with. I had no friends.

I stopped schooling when I was in third grade because my mother felt that it was useless to pay my fees since I couldn't speak. She made me stay at home all by myself and all I could do was watch movies, read stories that I found easy for me to understand, and at times, cover myself with a blanket and cry my eyes out when I couldn't do it.

I felt inferior to everyone I mistakenly came across. Unlike my elder sister, she had thousands of friends. At times she would bring them home and lock me up in my room so that her friends wouldn't know she had a disabled sister while at times, she would stay all night partying. I had no one to confide in. No one.

I knew getting married to Damien McMillan could be a lot worse. No one knew what kind of a person he was. He was rarely seen in public and sometimes he was referred to as a ghost.

His personality and lifestyle were unknown. Living with this kind of person would be tasking or demanding. That was what I thought about him.

Damien McMillan after all was the eldest son of the McMillan family, and getting married to someone like me, who is disabled would be a big insult to him but because of our greedy parents, Patricia Adamson and Marvin McMillan the retired Chairman of First Royalty Hotel, our fate was being forced together.

Feeling useless in front of my mother and sister, I left the sitting room and went to my room. That was the only place I felt belonged to and that's the only place that made me invincible to them.

The thought of getting married gave me an headache and the fact that I don't have the right to object made me sicker. Besides, I was just 19 years old and probably not at the age of marriage yet but this didn't matter to my mother because I was useless.

Every time she gave me an order and I whined she would say, "You were born to obey my others and clean up after my mess"

---

(McMillan's Family)

It was 10:00 pm and Damien McMillan was just arriving from the Hotel. His midnight black hair was messy and his grey eyes showed nothing but emptiness and tiredness.

His tie was loosened while he folded his sleeves up. He walked into the mansion, after handing over his car key to the Gateman who welcomed him immediately after packing his car in the garage.

Entering the mansion, he caught sight of his brother and father enjoying themselves with wines as their laughter echoed in the mansion. Damien stared at them with cold eyes, he was uninterested in what made them share such laughter.

Damien shook his head and as he was about to walk away, his brother Clyde called his name.

"You are back, brother!" Clyde called with an exciting tone which made Damien curious about what this was about.

Usually, Clyde ignored him, and instead of calling him "brother", Clyde usually called him "Half breed" because they were stepbrothers. Clyde only called him brother if he wanted him to be his ghost or if there was something he wanted from him. What does he want this time?

"Good Evening, Father" Damien greeted casually without staring at his father, his gaze was on Clyde who kept smiling mischievously at him.

"How was work today, Brother?" Clyde asked with a smile even if he knew how those questions irritated Damien.

Damien found it annoying. He had to secretly work as the Ghost Chairman for Clyde while he received praise from investors and the public. Where the company was today, it was all due to his hard work but no one knew him. All they praised and acknowledged was Clyde not knowing he was just someone who received praise for something he didn't work hard to get.

Damien still hoped that one day, all of this would be over and then he would be on his own. He wouldn't have to live behind his younger brother's shadow or keep following his father's order but he suddenly felt another leech tied around his neck when his father said ... "You are getting married to Claire Adamson, the youngest daughter of the Adamson's Family"