A cab arrives at a beautiful mansion and the passengers alight the car to get their luggage. The young girl among them stares at the mansion so carefully without moving an each as she admires it.
"Come on, Becca" The second passenger, who manages to get their luggage calls her attention to walk forward into the mansion.
They both enter the mansion as a man dressed in suit comes to pick up their luggage and a woman dressed in a uniform approaches them.
"Welcome, I'm Sofia, Mr Edward asked me to show you to your rooms.Follow me please"
They follow her lead and are directed to their rooms.
Becca walks around the large room admiring the aesthetics, then she sinks into the comfy large bed as she stares at the walls and thoughts run through her mind.
"I never once imagined in my life that I would live in a mansion. It's like a palace, from the floor to the walls to the furnitures, the decor, everything speaks royalty but I know this place can never be home to me. I was diagnosed of a heart disease when I was 12. I needed a lot of money to pay for my medical bills so I could keep living. My dad left us when the bills became too much to bear, leaving my mom to provide for everything all alone. She did all sort of jobs, a maid, cleaner, typist, waiter, all just to pay my medical bills. I was feeble and could collapse at anytime and every time I did it sucked all the money out of my mom's pocket"
"For years, we managed to push through without dad even though we had nothing but when I was on my dying bed, everything changed. I needed a heart transplant and we had no money. My mom begged and begged the doctors to give me a new heart all to no avail. She had already given up all hope when Mr Edward showed up. Mr Edward's wife had a severe brain injury and was diagnosed to be brain dead anytime soon. She had already forgotten everyone dear to her and was on her deathbed"
"My mom was begging the doctors when Mr Edward offered to give me his wife's heart in exchange for my mom to marry him. As a divorced woman with her only child about to die, my mom agreed to the contract marriage and that's how I got to live. I guess the reason he wanted to marry my mom was to make sure that his wife's heart was well nurtured after. I haven't actually seen him or his family before but they must be really nice people to give their most beloved woman's heart to me so I could live" she sighs "Or I think their nice"
She pulls off her clothes and proceeds to take a shower. Later, her mother opens the door.
"Becca, come meet everyone"
"Everyone, as in everyone?" She raises her brows high enough to display her nervousness.
"Yes, everyone, now come on"
She leaves with her mom as she slowly walks down the stairs with her eyes fixed on the family awaiting them downstairs.
"Good, everyone's here" the tall built man with dark hair and eyes, wearing a casual but expensive outfit says as everyone takes a seat in the living room
"Welcome to my family, Clarice, Rebecca. Please feel at home" his smile as warm as ever as he fixes his gaze on Rebecca.
"I'm glad to see you're healthy and well. We haven't met before. I'm Edward Windsor, you can just call me Edward"
"Nice to meet you Mr Edward" she wears a short smile.
"The pleasure is mine" he replies with a smile. "These are my boys, Arthur and Albert"
"Hello" Albert greets with a short smile.
"Hi" Becca replies with the same smile.
Arthur stares at her and when their eyes meet, he turns away in a rather unwelcoming way.
"Now that you've all met each other, how about dinner? Clarice, Becca do feel at home and eat to your fullest" his smile unwavering.
"I'll pass" Arthur stands up to to excuse himself from the room and the awkwardness in the room increases as Edward breaks the silence.
"Come on, let's have dinner"
"Actually dad, I think I'll pass as well, I already had dinner" Albert leaves the room.
"Well I'm sure you must be starving Becca, please, join me for dinner"
They leave for the dining room as the awkward tension in the room fades.
The next morning, Becca hears the whispers of argument between Edward and his sons.
"You could have at least had dinner with us" Edward whispers to his boys
"Why would I wanna have dinner with strangers!" Arthur whispers
"They're not strangers they're family now!"
"Family? There hasn't been a family in this house for the past 10years and now suddenly you marry a stranger from the ghetto and expect us to embrace them as family?" Arthur yells outloud
"Keep your voice down!" Edward whispers
"Why! You don't want them to hear the truth. That they're nothing but leaches sucking their way into this house under the pretext of a family that can never happen, all because of money!"
Becca comes out of her hiding place and her presence interrupts their duscussion.
"Bloody gold diggers!" Arthur spites as he storms out of the kitchen.
"Arthur!"
"I'm off to school dad" Albert leaves after taking his bag and a sandwich.
The tears already formed in Becca's eyes start to flow down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that Becca.."
She storms out of the kitchen to her room and starts packing her things as her tears flow endlessly.