Job Of The Older Daughter

Hazel had spent two days in her bedroom; she cried and starved, still not able to believe that all this was happening to her.

A knock came from the door, and their maid said, "Miss Hazel, your father requests that you come downstairs."

"Get out," Hazel muttered; she didn't want to see their faces.

"He says it's an order," the maid added before leaving. Hazel walked down the bed and dragged her feet downstairs. Her mother was busy ordering the maids around as tomorrow was Nady's wedding to Max; even the guests weren't aware of such a twist.

"Hazel," her dad called from the patio, and she walked to him. Nady and her mom joined, and it was at this moment that she realized something was wrong.

"What happened?" She asked nervously, and her parents exchanged looks before her mother sat next to her.

"Are you angry with us?" Mrs. Jones asked, but Hazel didn't reply; they already knew the answer, so why ask her?

"Of course she is angry," her father butted in. "That's why we decided to make it up to her," he added, and Hazel saw the mockery look on Nady's face.

"A wedding invitation came in for Nady, but we decided to accept the offer for you; the man is more influential than Max." Mrs. Jones explained, and Hazel's eyes widened in shock. What does she mean by accepting the offer for her?

"A wedding invitation came in for Nady?" Hazel asked, and her mom nodded.

"Then you chose to accept the offer for me?" She needed clarity because her brain was in a buzz.

"The man is very influential; he..."

Hazel held her hand up. She heard enough.

"Stop this madness," she scolded.

"You shall wed Coyle Anderson. End of discussion," her father said, and Hazel finally understood why Nady had a mockery look. Of course, Coyle Anderson was more influential than the Wilson family; he was the CEO of Anderson Group, the biggest investment company in the country. But unlike his business, which is doing so well, he wasn't 

No one ever saw his face after his parents' mysterious death, but it was rumored that he was crippled and had a burnt face because of the car accident he encountered with his parents; some reporters even say the accident affected his oesophageal, and he had just a few months to live.

Half the man was the inside joke.

"Hazel." Her dad took her out of her trance; her gaze shifted to him. It was void with just darkness and no love; first they chose to make her sister the bride in her wedding, and now they wanted her to accept the wedding alliance that was sent to her sister.

"We have already approved the wedding, which will take place the same day as Nady's."

Hazel blinked back her tears. Nady's wedding was tomorrow; did they also want her to marry a stranger that quickly?

"So you are going to trick the Anderson/s into believing that I am the bride they wanted?"

"Leave that to me; all you have to do is show up tomorrow for the wedding." Mrs. Jones chuckled before leaving, and her dad smiled at her.

"See, everything worked out. You still get to marry an influential man," he said before leaving.

Nady, who had been watching the scene with an amused look, finally burst out in laughter.

She stood before Hazel, folding her hands below her bosom.

"It's so sad; you are going to die a virgin, as even your husband won't be able to fulfill his rights to you, seeing that he can't even stand on his feet."

Nady smacked her lips pitifully before she added, "At least you will be rich; you could just hire a male escort."

Hazel stood up and walked past her; maybe her only way of escaping her biased parents was by marrying Coyle Anderson; he wouldn't even touch her, so that was a relief.

After some years of marriage, they could come to terms and get divorced. Hazel arrived in her bedroom and picked up her phone and searched for "Coyle Anderson" on the internet; all she could find was about the Anderson group and also some articles about his relatives.

It was said, Coyle chased his uncle, who had raised him after his parent's death and also taken care of his inheritance, out of the enterprise once he turned twenty.

They said he was unappreciative and didn't hesitate to snatch back all his inheritance from his uncle, leaving him with nothing despite the fact that his uncle had treated him like their son.

"Did he really do that?" Hazel questioned herself; she shook her head and decided not to think much about it; the media was fond of spreading fake news, and besides, even if it was true, it was none of her business.

"But if he is that type of person, then he will be so upset about us trying to trick him," she muttered. The invitation had clearly come for her sister, so it would be humiliating if she took her sister's place.

"Maybe I should just leave."

Hazel walked down the bed and picked up her purse; she could go and return after the wedding.

She pulled the door open, and there stood her mother. "Mother." She flinched a little in fear. Mrs. Jones understood what she was trying to do; after all, she had expected it.

"Do you know why the Anderson's extended a wedding proposal to us?" she asked, and Hazel shook her head at the negative.

"Because we had begged for it."

Hazel's brows furrowed; what did her mom mean by that? And was it even possible to beg for a wedding proposal?

Her mom sighed heavily; her eyes became sore with tears as she tried blinking them back.

"What's wrong?" Hazel got all worried. Did they do something? If not, why will they go to beg Anderson's?

"Your father approached Anderson's group with a business proposal, which was approved, and they decided to invest in it, so the money was deposited in the company's account, and your father lavished it all," she explained, and Hazel's eyes widened in shock.

How could he lavish the money meant for business? If so, then what was he going to give the Anderson's when they asked for profit? How could he have been so stupid?

"Do they know?" Hazel asked, and her mom shook her head in denial.

"They still don't have an idea about this, so we asked the old Anderson to get her grandson's bride from one of our daughters, and he had chosen Nady."

Hazel nodded; of course it was normal for him to choose Nady. Nady was everything a man wanted, and she was just a simple girl with no excitement or help to offer.

"But Nady loves Max, so you will have to take her place and save your dad from going to jail," Mrs. Jones explained, and Hazel found her words funny; she was in love with Max as well, but her mom didn't consider that.

"So should I marry Coyle Anderson and accept all the tortures and insults he will throw at me because I am not the bride he wanted?" She asked sarcastically, and her mom held her hand and nodded.

"Exactly Hazel, that's what you will do... That's the job of the oldest daughter, to protect the family."