CHAPTER 9: THE PROMISE

Winter’s POV

“What?! Winter is going to marry that man?!” mommy said while we were having dinner together with the asshole that grandpa wants me to marry. 

“I am so sorry I wasn’t able to introduce myself Immediately. My name’s Matthew Hughes.”

I rolled my eyes. 

Acting like a good guy in front of everyone, huh?

I don’t even know how he got the trust of my grandpa.

“What’s your job?” dad asked him.

“I-I am currently trying to find a job. I just quit my job as an office clerk last month, so---

“An office clerk?” mom joined in again.

The man nodded his head. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“I think that’s a good job. At least you have experience when it comes to clerical work which has something to do with running our company.” Summer commented with a smile on her face.

Why doesn’t she just marry that bastard instead?

“There’s no way a mere office clerk like him can run our company. Dad, what are you even thinking? Winter should at least marry someone who is rich and capable enough since she herself cannot contribute to our family!” mom suddenly said.

Okay, so it was really necessary to say some awful things about me while talking about another person?

“You don’t have to worry about me, Mrs. Wesley. I may be a mere office clerk, but I can say that I have enough knowledge about running a company. And also, I don’t mind studying and learning from all of you.” 

“Oh, really? A poor man like you?” mom said, then she rolled her eyes.

“Stop that. Matthew is a smart young man. Don’t judge him when you haven’t even seen how he works.” Grandpa suddenly said to all of us.

And of course, the best daughter spoke, too. “Grandpa is right. Personally, I think Matthew is a good and smart man. Let’s just see how he works. And also, what’s important here is how he will make Winter happy, right?”

“As long as I am married to Winter, I will take responsibility for her. I will take care of her, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”

What does he think of me? Someone who cannot take care of herself?

“Fine, then let’s see. By the way, when will be the wedding?”

“Tomorrow.” Said grandpa.

My eyes widened. “Tomorrow?!”

***

“You’re getting married tomorrow?!”

I nodded my head. “Yes, that’s what grandpa wants me to do. He keeps on saying that he wouldn’t allow me to continue being an actress if I don’t agree to marry that man so what else can I do?! They’re blackmailing me!”

“But what if your fans find out about that?”

“No one’s going to find out if we don’t tell them. Besides, the wedding will just take place inside our house and there will be no visitors.”

They both nodded their heads. “Are we invited to your wedding?”

“Are you crazy? I’m not even inviting myself there.”

“By the way, Winter. Is the man handsome? Is he hot?” Haley continues asking as if she was so interested in the appearance of the asshole grandpa wants me to marry.

I glared at her. “He looks like trash. He even has an eyepatch on his right eye as if he’s a pirate.”

“Really? Then you must be so unlucky to marry someone like him. It would be better if he’s your type or something. But he’s not even rich as you’ve mentioned.”

“Anyway, it’s better to marry him than to lose my job. I don’t want grandpa to disown me anyway. My parents disowned me since the day they had me, so if my grandpa ends up hating me too, I wouldn’t have someone beside me anymore.”

“You are right.”

“And anyway, I’ll make sure that man won’t even last a week with me. I’ll make him regret starting his dirty plan with me. If I can’t convince grandpa that he has bad intentions, then I would be the one to show his true colors to everyone.”

Themis’ POV

“I apologize about what my family has told you. They don’t know who you really are. That is why they were acting like that.” Mr. Wesley told me after our dinner with his family.

As expected, all of them didn’t want me to be a part of their family. I can’t blame them, though. Who would want a poor man to be a part of their family?

I shook my head. “You don’t have to apologize to me, Mr. Wesley. I completely understand them. After all, who would marry a penniless man when your family is one of the wealthiest families in the world?”

“You know your family is way higher than us.” He replied.

“It’s nothing. What’s important right now is that Winter agreed to marry someone like me. Or maybe she’s just forcing herself to do it. I really have to apologize to her once my plan is already accomplished. I need to apologize for using her too.”

“She was upset with me at first, but she couldn’t do anything.”

“I kind of feel sorry.”

“You don’t have to, Matthew. She made the right decision, I know that.”

I just smiled at him. “I promise I won’t do her any harm. And after accomplishing my plan, I promise not to show my face to your family again.”

“Don’t talk like that, Matthew. I just want you to take care of my granddaughter. As you can see, she doesn’t have a good relationship with her parents. That is why I am giving her the attention that she needs. I just don’t want her to feel lonely.”

“I understand. You love your granddaughter so much.”

After talking to Mr. Wesley, I went back to my apartment and prepared my things since the wedding would be tomorrow already. As I lay down on my bed, I saw the teddy bear our parents gave me when Tim and I were still kids. 

“Mom, dad, it’s been so long now. I’m so sorry if it took me this long to think about finding the people who killed our family. I had to have enough courage, and I had to make sure Tim and I could take care of ourselves even when we were away from each other before coming up with a plan like this. I know you would be mad at me if you find out that I left Timothy there, but I had to do it. He’s with our butlers, anyway. They will surely take care of him. Don’t worry about me here. I can take care of myself. I will do everything just to accomplish what I have to do. I will go back there and bring our family back to life again. Those people who destroyed our family, I will surely make them pay.”