Chapter 1

‘I could feel every word they said as if it’s a knife stabbing through my heart, the pain is unbearable. The scornful eyes of my stepmother and my half sisters still haunt me. I still can’t escape their sneers even after all this time.’

‘My name is Ella Hughes, the first daughter of Howard Hughes and Lilith. My story is a sad one filled with heart breaks, I’m a 23 year old and I’m here to tell you a story of my life. ’

“ Get out of here you wrench, you don’t belong with us” A voice shouted followed by a plate being shatter sound,

Right that’s my step mother Rose, she’s furious at me for disobeying her orders. I’ve had enough of their torment and I kept up the good girl façade in Honour of my late father but they have crossed the line.

“You are to marry Keenan Reeves and that’s final” once again her words stabbed me like a knife, how could someone be so cruel to her daughter even if I’m not her biological one. Don’t I deserve happiness?

My eyes flooded with tears. I could feel the tingling, burning sensation of her palm against my cheek. My face throbbed so much I wanted to scream out to God if he’s there to take me away to a place where I’ll not be harmed.

That night I spent my night crying my eyes out, glancing at the moon. I’m nothing but a broken mess, a human with no feelings, dreams or soul. I’m just living for the sake of living. I have no hopes of making it through the remainder of my life.

‘When I was five my mother passed away, the cause was due to Leukemia cancer. On her death bed she asked my father to watch out for me. Six months after her burial my father married another woman and we all lived together happily but my father passed away. I suspect it’s due to poison from my step mother as they argued a lot. Sometimes to no definite end, after his passing my life turned into a living hell.ʼ

Ella glared at the moon, her meekness and kindheartedness made her an easy prey to both her step-mother and half sisters. She accepted anything and everything without ever questions. “ I wish I could just die. ” she whispered to herself wiping her tears with her blouse sleeve. 

But she could feel something, her gut intuition maybe? Arguing with her ideology of dying. She laid down on her worn out bed, the springs digging into her back but she didn’t care as she was content with what they have her. 

Tomorrow is another day in this hell—hole, mother, father I’ll be joining you soon. Wait for me so that we can be one happy family, I’m tired of living!. Ella thought relaxing her body, closing her eyes at that letting sleep take over. 

“ELLA!!!” Rose shouted, kicking the door to Ella’s room open. Rose was beyond angry, she was furious. Firstly, it was due to Ella’s tardiness, secondly the Reeves family representatives were already at the Hughes household. 

“Hmm?” Ella groaned twisting on her bed, pulling the covers to get more warmth as she continued to ascend further into dreamland, as it was the only thing rescuing her from her reality. 

This behavior ticked Rose further off, prompting her to take action and kick the foot of Ella’s bed, causing it to collapse down bringing the girl down on the cold, tile floor. “ Get up you lazy, disgrace of a daughter” She hissed, kicking Ella in the ribs. 

A yelp escaped Ella’s lips, as she propped herself on her elbows looking at her step-mother from her position on the ground, in her eyes, her step mother was nothing but a demon in human skin, a fiend send to make her life unbearable. “ I’m up” She meekly muttered, averting her eyes from Rose's eyes. 

“Good, now get dressed and go downstairs. The Reeves family is awaiting you, you do remember that you have to act as if you are Brittney ” Rose said, her face having lost its emotions as she enforced her domineering will onto Ella. 

Without batting an eyelash, she twirled on her heel and stomped out of the room, going downstairs to attend to the guests. 

And like that, I’m used as a scapegoat. My step-mother cherishes her daughters to a point she would sell me off in Brittney’s place. Ella talked to herself applying makeup to her face concealing the bruises from the day prior. 

Ella’s hand caressed the fine lilac dress that was hanging from the hanger, swallowing she stripped herself off her clothing and wore the dress with a matching pair of heels engraved with diamonds. “Here goes nothing” She reassured herself and exited her room, going down to the living room downstairs. 

Rose was keeping the Reeves family representatives company in the living room. She was doing her best not to crack up under the pressure. “ Any of you gentlemen want tea or coffee?” She asked, biting her lower lip. 

The representatives kept quiet, blankly staring at Rose who was fidgeting from where she sat. The elder of the trio, Silver Reeves observed the layout of the house and found it odd, how a well crafted house could be in such bad condition. 

“ Mrs Hughes, not to be rude to your hospitality, might I ask where the person we are seeking is?.” Silver asked, his eyes roaming around the velvet decorated house taking a liking to the antiques hung on the walls. 

“She was supposed to be here five minutes ago. ” Rose said, clicking her tongue in frustration. She wanted to make an impact on the Elders of the Reeves family, yet it seemed like Ella wanted to mess everything up. 

No sooner than she said those words, Ella majestically descended down the stairs. Her long lilac dress dragging behind her as if it was a peacocks tail. She walked to the couch and sat down next to her stepmother and she didn’t say a word. 

Rose smiled and decided to put up an act, for she was a talented actress who used to act before. “ Gentlemen, let me introduce you all to my second daughter Brittney Hughes. ” she said, puffing her chest out with pride, a fake one at that. 

Silver glanced at the two, finding no identical resemblance that signifys them as mother and daughter, but he wasn’t one to dwell on trivialities. His hand fished into his jacket and took out a pamphlet with the necessary information and placed it on the table. “The both of you need to sign the pamphlet” He said, his voice emotionless and firm. 

Rose nodded and took the pen that came with the pamphlet, and signed on the blank signature box, she handed Ella the pen and nudged her with a sharp and precise heel kick to Ella’s shin.

Ella winced and took the pen, she hesitated for a bit contemplating on whether to sign or not but she came to a conclusion that no matter what she does, it won’t change her fate. She signed her fake name on the pamphlet and placed the pen down, pushing the paper gently to the centre of the table.

Silver, nodded and took the pamphlet, stashing it in his jacket. “ As per the agreement of the families, the Hughes shall receive a cheque invoice of a billion dollars and a five percent share of the Reeves cooperation company” he said, nodding to his men, giving them the signal to place the cases full of money on the table.

He would stand up and turn towards the door. “ Brittney follow me. We are going to your new home, and Mrs Hughes the wedding shall be held on the tenth of October” Silver said, looking at Rose from the corner of his eye. He headed out of the door and into the car, behind him being Ella and the two bodyguards.

The car’s engine revved up and the car hit the asphalt, heading to London where the Reeves villa was located.