Chapter 13: The Puppet

Harper was the daughter of Henry’s second wife. Henry also had three children from his first marriage: two sons and one daughter. One son managed his real estate business, while the other oversaw the aluminum profile factory. His eldest daughter was a disappointment in Henry’s eyes—uneducated, unskilled, and infatuated with a minor celebrity. But she was Henry’s firstborn, cherished and spoiled. Unable to bear seeing her suffer, Henry demanded that his sons allocate shares from their businesses to support their sister. The dividends alone were enough to fund her extravagant lifestyle.

Harper’s mother, on the other hand, was a young, beautiful, but shallow woman. To Henry, she was merely a decorative trophy wife to boost his image. Harper, their daughter, was groomed by Henry for a purpose—to be a valuable asset in his business dealings.

Henry spared no effort or expense in Harper’s upbringing. She received private lessons in music, art, etiquette, and all the qualities of a well-bred lady. To expand her worldview, he sent her abroad for education. At social events, she was always at his side, a poised and polished young woman.

Everyone knew Harper was Henry’s precious gem. But behind her flawless facade, Harper understood her reality all too well. She wasn’t a beloved daughter but a carefully crafted commodity. Her education, her skills, and even her public appearances were never her choices. She craved the freedom to love, to laugh, to explore the world like other young women.

During her time abroad, Harper crossed paths with a man who made her heart race. Handsome and charismatic, he seemed like the focal point of any room he entered. Harper, for the first time, experienced genuine infatuation. She sought him out, hoping to win his affection, but her efforts were met with rejection.

“Harper,” the man said coldly, “I know your game. I know why you’re here. Your charms may work on others, but they won’t on me.”

Tears streamed down Harper’s face as she protested, “I only wanted to love you! How could you say that?”

But the man’s smile was filled with derision. “Your first meeting with me was staged, wasn’t it? Don’t play innocent, Harper. Tell me, who tipped you off about my whereabouts today? If I hadn’t switched drinks, would I have fallen into your trap? You can’t buy my love, Harper. It’s too expensive—costing my career and future. I won’t pay that price.”

Before Harper could respond, her brother and his associates burst into the room. But the man, anticipating their move, had arrived with his own companions. They walked out unscathed, leaving Harper humiliated and broken.

Her brother’s voice echoed in her mind, filled with contempt: “You useless thing.”

Harper knew her role all too well. She was nothing more than a tool, a pawn in her family’s games. No amount of rebellion could change that.

As she approached marriageable age, suitors began to circle. During the Lunar New Year, Henry told her about Leon Everhart, the eldest son of the Everhart family. “He’s young, accomplished, and holds real power,” Henry said. “Not only does he control the family’s real estate empire, but he’s also heavily invested in mining.”

Years ago, the Everhart family had acquired a struggling non-ferrous metals company on the brink of collapse. They invested $2 million, gaining a 49% stake. When the company discovered rich copper deposits in the mountains it owned, that investment yielded a windfall of over $20 million.

Henry, eager to stake his claim in the mining industry, saw Harper as part of the deal. By offering his daughter in marriage and aluminum profiles at cost to the Everhart family’s construction projects, Henry hoped to secure his entry into the lucrative mining business.

Harper was merely the price of admission.

Harper felt nothing for Leon Everhart. She saw through the façade of his polished charm. Wealthy, handsome, and over 30, Leon didn’t lack for women. His eventual choice of a bride would never stem from love but from practicality. She would merely be the public face of a deeper, transactional arrangement.

When Henry ordered Harper to pursue Leon, she obeyed, though resentment simmered beneath the surface. Once, in a moment of defiance, she confronted her father. “Why are you doing this to me?” she demanded.

Henry’s cold gaze pierced through her. “This is your duty. You’ve enjoyed 20 years of luxury—it’s time to give back. Do you know how much your failures have cost us? You couldn’t even execute a simple task, and we had to clean up your mess. Do you think we owe you anything? You’re nothing but a liability.”

Harper had expected this response but couldn’t suppress the bitterness that followed.

As a child, she had rebelled before, refusing to follow orders. Her punishment was harsh: five days locked in a room, given only a trickle of water and no food. Her cries and pleas fell on deaf ears. By the time she fainted from hunger, she had learned her lesson—resistance was futile.

Leon’s fake politeness and hollow gestures didn’t fool her. Their dinners, their public displays of affection—it was all an act. They were both playing their roles, pretending to care for appearances while knowing the truth.

The clarity of her situation only deepened Harper’s despair. She was admired, envied even, as a beautiful, talented, and refined heiress. But she had no say in her life, no right to pursue happiness. She was a puppet, her strings pulled by others, bound to a fate she couldn’t escape.

Marriage and love were luxuries she would never have. Harper wasn’t a person in her own story; she was a bargaining chip, a decorative object in someone else’s game. Her humanity had been stripped away, leaving her powerless to fight back.