Job Of The Older Daughter

Hazel had spent two days locked in her bedroom. She cried and starved, still unable to believe that all this was happening to her.

A knock came at the door, and the maid's voice followed. "Miss Hazel, your father requests that you come downstairs."

"Get out," Hazel muttered. She didn’t want to see anyone, let alone their faces.

"He says it’s an order," the maid added before leaving. Hazel sighed, dragging herself off the bed and reluctantly making her way downstairs.

Her mother was busy ordering the maids around, preparing for tomorrow—Nady’s wedding to Max. Even the guests weren’t aware of this sudden twist.

"Hazel," her father called from the patio, and she walked over to him. Nady and her mother joined them, and it was at that moment Hazel realized something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked nervously. 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; why even ask?

"Of course she’s angry," her father interjected. "That’s why we’ve decided to make it up to her," he added, and Hazel noticed the mocking look on Nady's face.

"A wedding invitation came 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 did she mean by accepting the offer for her?

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

"Then you chose to accept the offer for me?" Her voice wavered, needing clarity as her mind buzzed with confusion.

"The man is very influential. He—"

Hazel raised her hand, cutting her mother off. She had heard enough.

"Stop this madness," she scolded, her tone sharp with disbelief.

"You will marry Coyle Anderson. End of discussion," her father declared, and Hazel finally understood why Nady’s face carried that mocking expression. Of course, Coyle Anderson was far more influential than the Wilson family. He was the CEO of Anderson Group, the largest investment company in the country.

But unlike his thriving business, his personal life was shrouded in mystery. No one had seen him since the tragic and mysterious death of his parents. Rumors circulated that he was crippled and disfigured from the car accident he had been in with his parents. Some even speculated that the accident had damaged his esophagus and that he had only a few months to live.

"Half a man" was the cruel nickname people had given him.

"Hazel." Her father’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Her gaze shifted to him. His expression was cold and void of love. First, they had replaced her as the bride in her own wedding, and now they wanted her to marry a man Nady had rejected.

"We’ve already approved the wedding. It will take place the same day as Nady's," her father added.

Hazel blinked back tears. Nady’s wedding was tomorrow. Did they seriously expect her to marry a complete stranger on such short notice?

"So you're going to trick the Andersons into believing I’m the bride they wanted?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Leave that to me," Mrs. Jones chuckled. "All you have to do is show up tomorrow for the wedding." Her nonchalance was infuriating.

Her father smiled at her as if he’d done her a favor. "See? Everything worked out. You still get to marry an influential man," he said before walking away.

Nady, who had been watching the entire scene with amusement, finally burst out laughing.

She stepped closer to Hazel, folding her arms smugly beneath her chest.

"It’s so sad," Nady said mockingly. "You’re going to die a virgin since even your husband won’t be able to fulfill his duties. After all, he can’t even stand on his own two feet."

Nady smirked and added, "At least you’ll be rich. You can always hire a male escort."

Hazel stood up and walked past her sister without a word. Maybe her only way to escape her biased parents was to accept this marriage. Coyle Anderson wouldn’t touch her, which was actually a relief.

After a few years of marriage, perhaps they could come to an agreement and get divorced.

Back in her room, Hazel picked up her phone and searched for "Coyle Anderson" online. All she could find were articles about the Anderson Group and a few pieces about his family.

One article caught her attention. It claimed that Coyle had chased his uncle—who had raised him after his parents’ deaths and managed his inheritance—out of the enterprise as soon as he turned twenty.

The article painted him as ungrateful, accusing him of leaving his uncle with nothing despite the care and love the man had shown him.

"Did he really do that?" Hazel wondered aloud. She shook her head, deciding not to take it too seriously. The media was often full of exaggerations and lies. Even if the story were true, it wasn’t her business.

"But if he really is that kind of person, he’ll be furious when he finds out we tricked him," she muttered. The invitation had clearly been for Nady. It would be humiliating to take her sister’s place.

"Maybe I should just leave," Hazel thought as she grabbed her purse. She could leave the house and come back after the wedding.

She opened the door, only to find her mother standing there.

"Mother." Hazel flinched slightly, startled. Mrs. Jones seemed to know exactly what she was planning. After all, she had expected this.

"Do you know why the Andersons extended a wedding proposal to us?" her mother asked. Hazel shook her head.

"Because we begged for it," Mrs. Jones revealed.

Hazel’s brows furrowed. What did her mother mean by that? Was it even possible to beg for a wedding proposal?

Mrs. Jones sighed heavily, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"What’s wrong?" Hazel asked, worried. Had her parents done something terrible? Why else would they have begged the Andersons?

"Your father approached the Anderson Group with a business proposal, which they approved. They decided to invest in it, and the money was deposited into the company’s account. But your father spent it all," Mrs. Jones explained, and Hazel’s eyes widened in shock.

He squandered the money meant for business? What was he going to do when the Andersons asked for profit? How could he have been so reckless?

"Do they know?" Hazel asked.

Mrs. Jones shook her head. "No, they don’t. That’s why we begged the old Anderson to choose a bride for his grandson from one of our daughters. He chose Nady."

Hazel nodded. Of course, he had chosen Nady. Nady was everything a man would want in a woman, while Hazel was just a simple girl with nothing exciting to offer.

"But Nady loves Max, so you have to take her place and save your father from going to jail," Mrs. Jones continued. Hazel found her words ironic. She had loved Max as well, but her mother hadn’t cared about that.

"So I should marry Coyle Anderson and endure all the insults and humiliation because I’m not the bride he wanted?" she asked sarcastically.

Mrs. Jones grabbed her hand and nodded.

"Exactly, Hazel. That’s what you’ll do. That’s the job of the eldest daughter: to protect the family."