Chapter 1

"Miss Claire, your mother's condition is getting worse. She must undergo chemotherapy as soon as possible. And... I must remind you to pay the outstanding hospital bills immediately." 

Hearing about the medical bills, Claire immediately turned to stare at her mother's face as she lay on the hospital bed. 

"How much of the bill do I have to pay?"

"80 thousand dollars. Not including the chemotherapy."

Claire sighed.

"Okay. I'll pay the bill right away, but please give me some time," Claire begged.

Although she didn't know where she was going to get that kind of money.

In fact, Claire already had $50,000 in savings. But the money had been borrowed from Noah - her boyfriend - who claimed to be in need at the time. Noah also promised to pay it back when he inherited his father's company. And Claire really believed in her boyfriend.

But the thing is, Claire needs the money now. Noah wasn't going to pay the money anytime soon because Claire had tried to collect it yesterday.

But there was another way. That was to go to her father's new family home.

"Should I set foot in that house?" Claire grumbled.

When Claire was five, her father was caught having an affair with his boss, Nancy, and he had a daughter a year younger than Claire.

Claire's parents divorced. Her father married his mistress and has never cared for Claire or her mother since.

"I hate to beg the man. But this time I have to do it for my mother," Claire said as she held her mother's hand.

***

Taking a taxi, Claire arrived at the gate of the luxurious home.

Her feet were now in front of the gate as her eyes scanned the front of the house.

Arriving at the front porch, Claire saw that the front door was wide open.

So she immediately stepped inside without feeling the need to ring the bell.

However, Claire's brow furrowed when she heard her lover's voice, as if she were having an intimate conversation with her stepsister. The direction of their voices came from the living room.

"Did I hear it wrong? It sounded like Noah." Claire stepped into the living room to satisfy her curiosity.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Noah kissing Alice on the sofa with Alice on his lap.

"Ah, Noah. Don't be too hasty. We can't do it here. Remember! My mom and dad are upstairs."

"Alice, I can't take it anymore. Who told you to seduce me first? You make me horny in such a sexy dress."

"I'm sexy? Who do you think is hotter, me or Claire?"

"Why talk about Claire when we're alone together? Talking about her will only interrupt our time."

"So when are you going to break up with Claire?" asked Alice as she wrapped her arms around Noah's neck.

"As soon as possible, baby. I'm not waiting any longer to get rid of that trash," Noah replied and kissed Alice on the lips again.

"So you think I'm trash?" Noah and Alice immediately turned and looked in the direction of the voice.

At first they were surprised by Claire's arrival, but then Alice stood up with a big smile on her face.

"Oh, my stepsister? How are you? I'm glad you came, even though it's a bad time. I feel terrible. You must have just heard Noah call you trash and he can't wait to get rid of you," Alice said as if she didn't mean it in a rude way. 

Claire's face flushed from the heat in her chest that was torturing her.

She looked at Noah with a hurt expression on her face.

For those three years, Noah was the second most important person in Claire's life, after her mother.

Claire had always thought that Noah was the only man who was honest and loyal to her. But now her trust was shattered in an instant.

"Noah, tell me none of this is true! You know how much I trust you." Claire stood in front of Noah. Hoping that what she saw was not real.

"But unfortunately it's all true. I've decided to end our relationship. And one thing you have to know, I'm going to marry Alice soon." Noah said firmly, then his eyes turned intently to Alice, then he immediately approached her and put his arm around her.

"Is that so? So I have been fooled by your good behavior all this time? I thought you really loved me, but it turns out you're a loser." Claire shook her head, unable to think.

"I'm a loser? Claire, you should be able to think, I'm the future heir of the 'Sanders Company'. How could I be interested in a poor woman like you, if not to play around?" Noah pointed his finger at Claire.

Claire's hands clenched at her sides.

"Claire, my unrecognized stepdaughter, how dare you set your filthy feet in my house?" they all turned toward the stairs. Where Nancy - Alice's biological mother and Graham - her husband were coming down from the top floor.

Nancy approached Claire. Her eyes scanned Claire's appearance from top to bottom with a look of disgust.

"Have you come in your shabby clothes? Have you come to beg your father for money? Well, I'll give you some money. You can buy some food outside." Nancy took a ten-cent bill out of her purse and threw it in Claire's face.

Meanwhile, the one being thrown stayed where she was. Her eyes looked right at Nancy. Of course, she held back her anger.

"Sorry. I dropped it by mistake. You can pick it up, Claire. Pick up the ten cents and get out of my house! This house is too nice for your filthy feet." Nancy's eyes gaped in disgust at Claire's feet in cheap slippers.

If it weren't for her mother, Claire would never have set foot in this house.

Alice smiled with satisfaction at her mother's insult to Claire. Meanwhile, Graham remained silent as he glared at his eldest daughter.

"The hell with you! I'm here to talk to my father!" Claire shouted. She tried not to care about the people looking down on her.

She stepped up to Graham and looked straight into her father's face.

"Why did you need to see me?" Graham asked.

"My mother is very sick. She has been in the hospital for almost a month. She also has to undergo chemotherapy in the near future. I'm behind on the hospital bills. I would like to borrow some money."

Graham looked a little surprised to hear that his ex-wife was in the hospital. But his expression went flat again, and then he asked.

"How much?"

"Eighty thousand dollars," Claire replied.

"What? Eighty thousand dollars?" screamed Nancy, interrupting her husband and stepdaughter. "Do you think we would give that much money to your mother?" She folded her arms over her chest.

"I am not asking you for money, but for my father!

"May I remind you that your mother is no longer my husband's concern! You won't get a dime from your father, except for the ten cents I threw on the floor."

Alice smiled ironically at her mother's contempt for Claire. "If you need money to pay your mother's medical bills, just take the ten cents! The rest you can look for out there. Maybe by selling your body or begging on the side of the road," Alice taunted. Her smile showed her satisfaction.

"You'd better go home, Claire. You'll only make a fool of yourself here. Nobody will give you any money." Noah spoke up this time.

"Looks like coming to this house was a bad decision. I swear I will never set foot in your house again! Excuse me!" Claire turned to leave.

"Wait! I'll give you the 80 thousand dollars." But Claire's steps stopped when she heard her father's voice.

Everyone there was shocked and suddenly looked at Graham with a protesting face.

Claire turned around and looked at Graham with a look of disbelief in her eyes. "You want to give me money?"

"Graham! What are you talking about? I'm not willing to give her a dime!" Nancy protested.

Graham ignored Nancy's words. His eyes remained fixed on Claire.

"Yes. You'll get $80,000 as long as you agree to marry Mr. Alexander Knight as your stepsister's replacement!"

"Alexander Knight?!" screamed Claire in astonishment. Her eyes widened at the condition her father had set for her. 

Of course, Claire knows who Alexander Knight is. He is the son of a bankrupt billionaire who, rumor has it, went into hiding because of his ugly face after he was the victim of a fire that burned down his house eight years ago.

Long ago, Graham was indebted to Robert - Alex's biological father - for helping him make his business a success.

In return, Graham had to marry Alice to Alex.

But now Graham suddenly wants Claire to marry the billionaire's ugly son.