Unfortunate to be his wife

II. Present Day

"Amethyst Athena West, you have once again captured the hearts of the audience! That's a catchy headline." My mother boasted to her friends while showing them this year's Glam magazine cover.

"We'll see Naiame's face when she sees this year's world family wealth rank hahahaha!" My mom's friends filled the room with laughter, which irritated me because I needed my beauty rest, but they are still loud, and this deafening sound is clearly not letting me rest.

"We worked hard to get to second place! We've been third for a long time, but this time we'll take what's rightfully ours! We deserve that spot, not some evil step sister; clearly, they deserve all of the criticism they are receiving." -Mom

I removed my headphones as I listened to my mother's gossips; five years had passed since we left Ihwa and lived here in City of Ethios, and since I left Ihwa, I had never had the opportunity to contact Storm and Cheska because mom cut all of my contacts and banned me from contacting anyone back then.

"When are you returning to Ihwa to start your new business?" I was astounded by what I heard; mom had never discussed returning to Ihwa with me, so I turned down the volume of my music while pretending not to hear their conversation.

"Our flight back is next week, and since my eldest son and husband will handle our business here, I will delegate our business to my daughter in Ihwa." -mom

My heart was filled with joy and excitement because I would finally be returning to my hometown! I'll finally get to see Storm again! My heart was pounding, but I pretended I hadn't heard anything; how come Mom hadn't told me about this?

My mother and I left the restaurant early because we had an important event to prepare for tomorrow, and she said I needed to rest. My mother controlled my life here in Ethios; I never had a life outside of studying, modeling, and my business career, though I am not that busy with business because I have two older brothers who handle most of our business with mom and dad, and I was busy most of the time being the muse of our family.

"Be there early tomorrow, I've already scheduled your appointment with the most famous stylist, so all you have to do is be presentable, am I clear?" -mom

I nod in response; I'm not even sure what event we're going to, but I have to trust my mother because she's always right.

"I suppose you earned your freedom, here." My mother surprised me by handing me an iPad and a phone.

I was never allowed to use my gadgets without her supervision, and I have never had the opportunity to read any comments about myself since the beginning of my career. I took the iPad and said, "Thank you." When I got into my room, I immediately looked up Storm Ihwa in the news, and a slew of articles popped up on the screen; I slowly scrolled through everything, and he was still very handsome, but there were no pictures of him smiling.

Success of the Ihwa Clan's heiress in new business

Storm Ihwa has been appointed as the new CEO of Ihwa stocks.

Ihwa has a new founder.

Everything in the news is about Storm's success, so why isn't he content? I was searching for Storm Ihwa's girlfriend when I accidentally typed F, and my heart began to race when the search recommendation turned into

Francheska Chen, Storm Ihwa's girlfriend

My fingers were trembling. I immediately clicked on the search recommendation and the first article.

Chen and Ihwa, two famous families' heiresses, are dating?

Although neither of the two people admitted to being in an intimate relationship with each other, witnesses and former classmates claimed that the two were very close and frequently seen with each other. According to sources, the two were seen dating on Valentine's Day and were very intimate. Recently, Francheska was seen wearing the famous Iris jewelry brand rare black diamond heart necklace, which according to the owner, Iris Miaque, was a customized order from none other than Storm Ihwa. However, no one was certain about their true relationship and whether the speculations were true or false.

The article is two years old, but it still has a huge impact on my heart. I looked up Francheska's name in the search bar, but unlike Storm's, Francheska's article is all about her family's bankruptcy and her failed music career. I was taken aback and unsure how to feel about everything I'd read; a lot has changed in five years and I'm not sure what to feel; I put my hand on my chest as I felt pain; I wanted to cry but don't want to risk having a puffy eye tomorrow, and I don't want to be scolded.

I got up before my alarm, which was a wise decision because there were already a lot of people in our house, a lot of different stylists, I was shocked with all the fancy dresses and shoes, and even the world's famous stylist was here! I know my mother would not splurge this much on "just" an event. I know this event is big, but I don't understand why I need to be overly prepared.

I have no choice but to let the experts decide what I should wear, how I should look, and what bag I should carry, as if I were their doll.

"Are you prepared for your engagement, darling? I heard he was very attractive! so your— "Before my assistant could finish, my mother shushed her and gave her the evil eye.

Engagement? What kind of engagement!? I spoke in hushed tones, but my mother abruptly cut me off.

"Everything we do is for you, so as long as you trust us, your life will not be the same as mine; trust mommy, and you will have the life you've always wanted."

Those words she uttered sent shivers down my spine; what does she mean? Can I really rely on my own mother? Why is she keeping everything hidden?

It was time for the event, and we were staying in a luxury hotel, which we own. There were a lot of paparazzi outside, and  I felt like we were all over the news. I'm alone in my room and have no idea what's going on; I've even forgotten about my phone and iPad, and boredom is killing me. I took a deep breath and decided to take a nap, but before I could doze off, my assistant knocked on the door.

"Ma'am, it is time," she said.

I nodded anxiously and began to walk outside the room; I couldn't see clearly because camera flashes were everywhere and a large number of people were clapping their hands while an orchestra played. I was told to come to a halt in the center of the stairs, and my father accompanied me as I descended the stairs, which were quite long. My hand was trembling, but my father gripped it tightly.

"I can't believe this day has come, my princess; I know everything is confusing, but I hope you understand that everything is for you and our family."

My father's words were so sad to hear that I wanted to cry for no apparent reason. I hugged him tightly as we reached the bottom of the stairs, and he kissed my forehead and helped me to my seat. As I scanned the long table, I noticed familiar faces that made my heart skip a beat.

Storm's grandfather, Mr. Leong Ihwa, sat at our table, staring and smiling at me. Storm's mother and father, as well as his older sister and her husband, were also present, but there was no Storm. I smiled and greeted them, and they all smiled back. I wanted to ask about Storm, but I chose not to say anything.

A loud cling silenced the entire room, and Mr. Leong abruptly stood up while his personal nurse assisted him, his hands shaking as he attempted to lift a glass of champagne.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I thank you all for coming to celebrate with us the engagement and the beginning of the union of two powerful families, I present to you my grandson Storm Ihwa, the new CEO of Ihwa stocks and the new leader of Ihwa Association."

My eyes widened when the doors burst open and the most beautiful man I've ever seen entered the room with his emotionless face and carelessly holding a bouquet of flowers on his left arm, his furrowed brow and clenched jaw made him twice as attractive, and I couldn't stop my heart from beating irrationally. I wanted to s***k my chest so hard, but I froze when he gave me the bouquet and took my hand in his for a kiss.

"Cheers to Amethyst Athena West and Storm Ihwa's engagement!"

The room suddenly filled with cheering for us, and I froze in shock.

Who am I engaged to?!?!