Married to the crippled billionaire

Chapter 4 _ A surprise

Lucian POV

A setup plan? I whispered my voice barely audible as I listened to the conversation my new bride was having with her family.

I peeped from the corner I hid, sitting in my wheelchair; the way Clara's lips pressed into a tight line and her eyes darted away, revealed that this wasn't a joke.

“No,” I watched as my bride shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. “You're lying, Clara. This can't be true,” Her voice cracked, and I could see her legs trembling.

A smirk appeared on Clara's face, her eyes glistening with malicious satisfaction. “Oh, it's true, Rhoda. Your precious sacrifice for the family was nothing at all. Dad's debts? Non-existent. The deal with Mr Kenneth? A lie. They just used you”

Mrs Thomas's face hardened, her jaw clenching, but she still didn't speak. She didn't deny it or defend Rhoda.

Instead, she crossed her arms, her expression cold and unfeeling. “Clara, I instructed you not to say anything. You're beginning to talk too much” Mrs Thomas said sharply, her tone laced with anger

“Don't yell at me, Mom. She was going to find out anyway” Clara said with a hint of remorse on her face

“Mom is this true?” Rhoda asked, her voice trembling as tears spilled freely from her eyes “Is everything Clara saying true?” she asked again

My hands clenched my wheelchair handle as if trying to hold onto every strand of self-control I had left in me

I still wanted to hear what they had to say, and I was curious to know the sort of people my inlaws were.

“Mom, answer me,” Rhoda suddenly yelled, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall. “Did you….did you and sell me off like that? Mom, I was just about to go to college. Was I never enough?”

Mrs. Thomas finally met Rhoda's gaze, her eyes cold and devoid of remorse. “You were never enough, child. Marrying you off to Luian solved our problems and you should be grateful.”

Grateful? Grateful that her family used her like a pawn and discarded her like she was nothing more than a problem

I watched as Rhoda staggered back, her legs barely holding her up. Her breathing became ragged as he stared at Mrs Thomas in disbelief

“You used me.” Her voice broke as she whispered

Clara her sister laughed mockingly flipping her black hair over her shoulder “Used is a strong word dearest sister. Think of it as…. fulfilling your purpose. After all, someone had to make the sacrifice” she added her words dripping with venom

My grip tightened on the cold metal of the wheelchair my knuckles turning white as a storm of emotions swirled within me.

I watched as Rhoda's shoulders trembled, her body seeming so small yet brimming with raw pain and disbelief

“What's going on here?” Mr. Thomas asked his worried gaze on my wife, who didn't even spare him a glance. “Rhoda, why are you crying?” He asked, his voice laced with concern

Rhoda slowly raised her gaze to meet his, her eyes empty and laced with sadness “Is it true?” she asked, her piercing blue eyes

“True about?”

“That those beating, hitting, and blood I saw was just to make me marry Lucian” she replied, her tone laced with anger and pain

“Who told you that?” He asked, clearly shocked by Rhoda's question.

“Dad” Rhoda yelled, disbelief evident on her face.

“I won't stand here and watch you yell at me. I deserve respect” he uttered coldly, the worry and concern I saw in his eyes previously, vanishing into thin air

“Dad answer the_”

“Yes it's true” he replied harshly, his voice cold and distant “But it wasn't my fault okay” he said with no remorse in his eyes “Mr. Kenneth came to me first and promised alot of good things I couldn't turn down and with the condition that one of my daughters must marry his son”

Dad was behind this too? I thought to myself, shock and anger engulfing me

“He fulfilled his promise by giving me some shares in his companion and I also needed to give one of you out to him. I knew if I came clean to you, you wouldn't try sacrificing yourself and that was why Clara, your mom, and I came up with a plan to make sure you marry him”

I just watched from a corner, listening attentively to everything as my blood began to boil

I rushed out of the corner I hid, rolling the electric wheelchair straight to where Dad stood with a glass in his hand

“You're supposed to be spending time with your wife so I can get heirs as soon as possible,” he said the moment his gaze landed on me

“You set me up right?” I asked, glaring at him and he just paused, staring down at me

“I don't know what you're talking about” he denied, turning around and gulping the champagne in one gulp

“You're a liar and a f*****g bastard” I yelled angrily, my jaw clenching as I watched him slowly turn back around to look at me

“What did you say?” He asked, stunned by my words

“This was all a setup marriage, right? You planned all of these with Rhoda's father and threatened me with the company just so I could get married”

“Yes, I did’ he responded sharply “You don't expect me to die one day and leave my company in the hands of a crippled man. I need heirs, not disabled creatures moving in an electric wheelchair” he uttered venomously

“Dad is that how much you love the company more than me?” I asked, hurt by his words.

All my life, he never treated me right. Always set high standards for me and even when I exceeded his expectations, he still never recognized my efforts

“Yes, Lucian. This is how much I love the company and how much I doubt your capability to oversee it” he said, gritting his teeth and all I could see was red

I didn't know where I got the strength from but I forcefully rose from the wheelchair swiftly.

Mom gasped and Dad's eyes grew wide