Chapter 1 Blindside
Night fell. The Waller family today was marrying two daughters on a day.
Anita was sitting in front of the mirror in her wedding dress. Her delicate makeup couldn’t cover the happiness in her eyes. Today was the day she married Liam Jordan. After dating for a year, they finally tied the knot today.
“Sister, you are so Sawyercky to marry into the first-class family in Riverwatch and become the mistress of the Jordan family.”
Gwen Waller walked in in the same wedding dress, and spoke to her sister in a voice dripping in sarcasm. She looked at Anita’s overly beautiful face with jealousy, wishing to cut that face with thousand knives.
Anita’s expression turned stiff. “I should congratulate my younger sister too. You will soon become Hayden Sawyer’s fourth wife. By the way, I heard that young master was disfigured in a car accident not long ago. His legs are crippled. He won’t be able to live for many years. If you marry him, you will probably be a widow very soon.”
“Anita!” Gwen’s face paled. The thought of Anita marrying into the Jordan family, and she marrying a dying short-lived man, turned her ace even sourer. “Don’t be so smug. You may not be Mrs. Jordan for too long.”
“Gwen, Anita, you are both here!” Sonnet Waller came in with two bowls of lotus seed soup, smiling. “The Jordan and Sawyer families are coming. Drink the soup.”
The hypocritical smile on her stepmother’s face brought a knot between Anita’s brows. After living with her for more than 10 years, she had not known Sonnet’s character very well. Eating lotus seed soup before marriage was indeed the custom in Riverwatch. The thought of leaving the house soon, and that she no longer needed to see the pair of mother and daughter’s faces, made the process much more acceptable. Hence she took the bowl with hesitation.
“Thank you.” Anita only took a sip.
“Eat more, silly child. Don’t be so polite.” Watching Anita eat the soup, Sonnet breathed a sigh of relief, and a triumphant smile flashed across her face. “Although you’re not my biological daughter, I still treat you like one. I can’t bear to part with you now.”
Saying so, her eyes reddened. Anita sneered. No wonder Sonnet could have won Best Actress. She was indeed an ace.
At the age of eight, Anita’s mother had died, and in less than a month, her father had taken Sonnet and Gwen, who was a month younger than her, into the family. Only then had she known that her father had cheated on her mother in the marriage.
“Madam, the Jordan family’s here.” The servant reminded at the door.
“Good.” Sonnet grinned and handed over the veil. “Anita, quick, don’t delay the time.”
A wedding at night was Sonnet’s arrangement. She gave the servant a look and ordered, “Samantha, guide Anita to the Jordans’ car.”
Anita’s line of sight was blocked by the dense veil, and she could only be led by the servant. At the entrance of Waller’s residence stopped a car, to which Samantha directed Anita. Watching from the balcony as the car started and drove away, Sonnet deepened her smile.
“Mom, are you sure? What if Anita finds out on the way?” Gwen was worried.
“Don’t worry, I have arranged everything. She has to marry into the Sawyer family for you.”
Gwen stammered, “Then what should I do when facing Liam?”
Sonnet stuffed a bottle into Gwen’s palm and whispered, “Make him drink it tonight. As long as tonight passes, the Jordan family won’t be able to deny the marriage. Remember, don’t let him see your face.”
“I will.” Gwen hid the bottle, her face full of jealousy and hatred. “Mom, I want Anita to taste the consequence of snatching my man. She will beg for death tomorrow.”
Sonnet sneered, “Whether Anita can live through tonight is a myth. You know how the previous wives died? I heard that they were tortured to death.”
…
Anita suddenly felt a fire burning in her body, and she had the rush to take off her clothes. Her cheeks also burnt badly. She remembered the lotus seed soup sent by Sonnet, and cursed secretly. She fell for Sonnet’s trick eventually. There must be something wrong with the soup.
Anita pulled off the veil. Realizing this was not the road to Jordan’s, she immediately panicked. “Stop the car, stop now!” Anita shouted, “Who are you, where are you taking me?”
The driver was confused, “Ms. Waller, I am from the Sawyer family. This is the road to the Sawyer’s residence.”
“The Sawyer family?” Anita realized what was happening. She hadn’t seen a bait-and-switch coming.
“Stop the car. I’m marrying the Jordan family. It’s a mistake.”
“How could it be wrong? Ms. Waller, the veil on your head was chosen by Master Rowan himself.”
Anita looked at the veil in her hand, then came to a full understanding. ‘Sonnet, you are wicked! I will not marry into the Sawyer family, will not let you succeed!’ The drug had taken effect in her body. It seemed Sonnet did not only push her into the fire pit, but also wanted to ruin her reputation and completely destroyed her.
“Stop,” Anita growled, trying to control her body.
“Ms. Waller, we’re almost there… Ms. Waller, what are you doing?” The driver was startled, because Anita had opened the door and jumped out of the car.
Anita rolled a few times on the ground, the severe pain let her have some sobriety.
“Ms. Waller, get in the car. Ms. Waller…”
Seeing the car had stopped, and the driver had caught up, Anita gritted her teeth, endure the pain and limped to the other direction. The pain was the best way to keep her awake. She knew clearly the consequence of being caught.
“Ms. Waller, don’t run away. Come back with me. It’s almost time.”
Anita ran even faster, on the edge of crying. It was pitch black, the man behind her was about to catch up, and the drug in her body could not even be suppressed by the pain. Anita was desperate, not knowing where to run when she suddenly saw a light a few hundred meters away. Delighted, she headed there with all her might.
On the side of the road was parking a black car, and a man in a casual suit was standing by the door to answer the phone. When he was about to get into the car, Anita struggled to stop him, and pleaded, crying and panting, “Save me, please, save me!”
The man froze for a moment, his deep eye scanning through Anita’s body. At this moment, the person on the other end of the phone was urging, “The bride is about to arrive. Why isn’t the groom here yet? Argh, you are killing us!”
“Shut up!” The man hung up expressionlessly.
At this moment, the chauffeur of the Sawyer family was at her heels. Anita couldn’t wait for the man’s consent before opening the door and getting in. With her hands clasped together, she cried, “Help me!”
As soon as she said that, the chauffeur had already caught up with her. “Ms. Waller, come back with me. We’re running late, Mr. Saw…”
The driver was taken back when he saw the man. His words were left unfinished when the man swept a cold stare at him, “Get lost!”