Chapter 3

"Ah, here, have more champagne, dear friend, a toast to my baby's arrival!" Caroline said loudly.

Four days after her mother's death, she was shocked and heartbroken to see her father bring in a new woman and her daughter, only for her to find out that the girl was three years older than her, it went to confirm that her father was never loyal to her mother.

All those while they seemed like a happy family, he was sneaking behind her mother to go see his other family.

The moment she set her eyes on her stepmother and stepsister, she hated her father, and her view of all men changed.

From then on, her life changed for the worse too. Her father became a stranger to her as he showered all his love and attention to her stepsister, while she was forgotten and turned into a housemaid.

Ariel was busy watching the dishes when she heard Stella greeting her father as she was leaving.

She rolled her eyes, her father was never home early when her mother was alive, but now, he's always home before the proper work closing hour.

Well, it was understandable, his real family was now with him, so he didn't need to sneak around going to see them.

"Oh, honey, you're back! I missed you so much," Ariel felt like puking when she heard Caroline's fake voice from the living room.

"Yes, my love, I couldn't wait to get back to you, hahaha!" She heard a kissing sound and quickly turned her ear away from the disgusting couple.

Arielil was serving them dinner, she had just finished placing the food on the dining table when she heard Caroline's excited voice.

"Honey, we have to throw a party tomorrow for our princess, she'll be here in an hour," Caroline said excitedly.

"That's true, I've missed my darling baby, what's it been? Three years?" Jude asked.

"Yes, you see now, you've made me tear up," Caroline sniffed.

"I'm sorry, my love, I didn't intend it that way," Jude held Caroline's hand, petting her.

"What are you standing there doing? Get out!" Caroline barked at Ariel who was still standing behind them, listening to what they were saying.

Ariel startled and quickly walked into the kitchen, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Hearing them talking about her stepsister with such love and affection hurt her so much, she's tried getting over the feeling but each time they praise her her in front of her, it leaves her feeling worthless and inferior.

On many occasions, she's planned to run away from home, but each time she remembered she didn't have enough money, she stayed back and kept enduring the sufferings she faced at home.

Ariel stood behind the kitchen door, eavesdropping on his father's and stepmother's discussion.

"Jude, there's something we need to discuss," Caroline said quietly.

"What's that, my love?" Jude asked, worried by the change in Caroline's face.

"We can't let our daughter marry a good for nothing just because we owe that family a fortune," Caroline whispered.

"I know, Caroline, I'm thinking of a way out too," Her father replied, sighing.

Caroline scoffed, "Thinking, Jude? There's nothing to think about," Caroline said in a haughty tone.

"What do you mean?" Jude asked.

"It's time we put to use that good-for-nothing daughter of yours, she's the perfect match for a nobody like that man," Caroline said, hatred lacing every word she said.

Jude thought about it for a while before he slowly nodded.

"Good, I thought you were hesitant," Caroline scoffed.

"No, darling, just like you said; a useless person should be matched with her kind," Jude chuckled.

He didn't care, as long as it was Ariel, he wasn't losing anything giving her off to a nonentity.

He was saving his first daughter, hoping he could find a way to introduce her into the socialite world so that she would land herself a rich husband and bring more wealth into the family.

Ariel stood frozen in place as she heard what they were planning about her, the walls were closing in on her.

Are they planning on sending her into an endless life of suffering by marrying her off to a poor man?!

She felt devastated because she knew that if she ever let that happen, that would be the end of her dream.

No!

She wouldn't let them dictate how her whole life would be for her. She had to make a move and she had to make it fast.

First thing tomorrow morning, when everyone has left the house, leaving her with piles of work to do, she will escape. She would gather all the money she had and run away; she didn't care about the remaining course any longer; she had to save herself first.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Ariel clenched her fists beside her as she heard her stepsister's voice from the entrance of the living room.

She slowly opened the door, enough to let her eye see what was happening in the living room.

"Oh my goodness! Eva! Look, Jude, My baby is home!" Caroline dashed towards her daughter at the center of the living room, hugging her tightly and placing kisses all over her face.

"Hahaha, Mom, stop it, I'm no longer a child," Eva laughed softly, hugging her Mother back.

"Come here, Princess," Jude said as he walked with widened arms towards the mother-daughter duo with a large smile.

"Dad, I missed you so much," Eva ran into her father's arm, burying her face in his chest.

"We missed you too, Princess, come on, let's have dinner together," Jude led his wife and daughter back to the dining table.

"You two go ahead, I'll bring in my luggage from the car," Eva said in a gentle voice.

"No way! Where's that imbecile? Ariel!" Caroline called harshly.

Ariel sighed and moved away from the door; her time as an observer was over; it was time for her to become the center of attraction.

She quietly pushed the door open and walked in slow strides towards them.

"Oh mummy, she's still as slow as ever; look, it's starting to rain; I don't want my expensive bags damaged by the rain," Eva complained like a child to her mother.

"Move quickly! You silly child," Jude barked at Ariel.

Ariel felt her heart shatter; this was the first thing a father had said to his daughter since that day.