Unwillingly Yours.

Pulling the car into the driveway, Riley Woodson cuts the engine and leans back in her seat with a sigh. She pulls out her phone, checking the time—7:34 p.m. Tucking a stray honey blond strand behind her ear, she opens her email. Most of the recent emails start the same way, 'Thank you for applying to Nexor Financial Group. While your qualifications are impressive, we have decided to move forward with another candidate.' 'We appreciate the time and effort you put into applying to Monroe Global. After much consideration, we have decided to proceed with another applicant.' Letting out a deeper sigh, Riley scrolls through the rest—more rejections, and more and more. Her heart sinking, she tosses the phone onto the passenger seat and rests her head against the steering wheel. It’s been almost a year since she graduated from college. Even though she has a job, all she wants is to leave the company. After a series of initial rejections, she stopped applying elsewhere, focusing entirely on her job at Woodson corps—until recently, when she’d hoped things might finally change. Looking out the car window at the brightly lit house, standing out in the dark night, Riley feels her heart sink even further. The thought of everyone being home doesn’t bring her any comfort. Her gaze drifts and soon, she’s staring at the house without really seeing it. ~~~~~ "You’re either studying what I want, or you’re studying nothing at all!" Henry Woodson shouted at his daughter, losing his temper. They were arguing again. "I want to study art, Dad! I’m not interested in business," Riley yelled back, her voice rising. "You want me to study that just so I can work in your company!" "And why shouldn’t you?" her stepmother, Margaret, interjected, rising from the sofa to stand beside Henry, who was glaring at Riley. "Any grateful child would jump at such an opportunity," Margaret adds. "You've been everything but grateful to your father and I, after everything we've given you" Margaret continued, her voice full of disdain. Riley's hands ball into fists. "I’ve done nothing but live according to your plans! You never care about what makes me happy." Henry's face twists with anger. "What makes your parents happy should make you happy," his voice booming over hers. But Riley doesn’t back down. "None of your decisions are good for me!" She turns to Margaret. "Your daughter gets to do what she wants, whenever she wants. She’s spoiled—she gets everything—" SLAP! Riley’s words are cut short as Henry’s hand strikes her face. She’s on the ground before she knows what happened, tears blurring her vision as she glared up at him. Margaret watches with a look of cold satisfaction. "You mention your sister like that again, and I’ll make sure you don’t leave this house for a week," Henry threatened, towering over her. Riley stays silent as he continues. "Now, listen" he began "Go ahead and choose whatever useless course you want, but don’t expect a single cent from me. You’d better be prepared to take out loans, because I’m not paying for it." With that, he stormed off. Margaret leaned down, her smirk deepening. "If you don’t listen to your father, you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off debts that could’ve been avoided." Then, with a final glance, she follows Henry out of the room. Riley stares at the ground, her tears falling onto it. ~~~~~ The house comes back into focus. With a resigned sigh, her eyes stinging at the thought of the memory from five years ago, Riley steps out of the car and heads inside. The aroma of food stirs a growl from her stomach as she enters. She barely ate during her lunch break at work, and now is starving now. She has been having heavy workload for a while now, with hardly any time for herself. The empty living room greets her, which means everyone is probably in the dining room. Not in the mood to see any of them, she heads straight upstairs, deciding to come down later. Just as she turns toward the stairs, Vanessa, her stepsister, comes down. "You're late," Vanessa says, her damp blonde hair suggesting she just got out of the shower. Wearing shorts and a small top, Vanessa is undeniably stunning, with flawless skin and a doll-like face. It's no wonder she's the face of her mother's skincare brand. Her light blue eyes sweep over Riley condescendingly. Riley says ignores her and moves to sidestep her, but Vanessa calls out loudly, "I'm talking to you, Riley." Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Riley sighs. Lately, she’s been doing that far too often. "Look, I've had a long day, and I just want to—" “Did you just get back?” her father’s voice interrupts. He’s stepped out of the dining room, Margaret close behind. Vanessa’s thin lips curve into a smirk. “Yes, Dad,” Riley answers, her tone neutral. “Join us for dinner,” he says, leaving no room for argument before turning away. Thirty minutes later, they’re all seated at the dining table. Riley feels more refreshed after her shower, but the atmosphere is as uncomfortable as ever. She hardly eats with them anymore, thanks to working late, but tonight feels especially tense. Her father sits at the head of the table, his dark blond hair streaked with gray. He eats slowly, his blue eyes tired and distant. To his right, Margaret sits with her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her thin lips barely move as she eats with what Riley can only describe as forced elegance. Her dark eyes catch Riley's hazel ones before Riley looks away. Next to her, Vanessa sits on their father’s left, looking just like her mother. Riley often thinks Vanessa must’ve inherited her hair and eyes from her own father. The atmosphere weighs heavy, and Riley can’t shake the urge to leave. "You should be aware that some things are happening at the company," Henry begins, catching Riley’s attention as he speaks. "What things?" Vanessa cuts in, her eyes narrowing with interest. Henry sets down his spoon and hesitates. "Woodson Corp is having a few... issues at the moment." His discomfort is clear, but Margaret continues eating, indifferent to the tension rising at the table. “Financial issues?” Vanessa asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Please, Dad, that’s been going on for a while now, hasn’t it?” She waves a hand dismissively and goes back to her meal. Henry’s expression hardens, but he quickly masks it with a practiced smile. "You’re not helping the situation with your endless shopping sprees, Nessy," he replies pointedly. Vanessa just rolls her eyes. "Excuse me, but I need to keep my wardrobe fresh. I’m a model, remember?” she retorts. A model who hasn’t landed a deal with any brand besides her mother's, Riley thinks, though she keeps the thought to herself and takes a slow sip of juice. Vanessa isn't finished. “And, for your information, Mom’s products aren’t cheap. Even if I’m her model, I still have to buy some of her stuff.” That’s a lie, Riley muses. Vanessa’s modeling contract is heavily favored, thanks to Margaret’s doting. Surely Henry knows this. "She's right," Margaret adds, finally speaking up. "Since the companies are merged, the issues with Woodson Corp are affecting Margeaux Radiance as well. We can’t afford to give away too many freebies." She takes a measured sip of juice, and Vanessa nods along, as if that explains everything. Riley remains quiet, listening. “Well,” Henry continues, looking at both Margaret and Vanessa, “I’ve found a solution.” He pauses, “We’re going to sign a merger contract with another company.” Vanessa gave a short derisive laugh, "Another merger? Seriously?" "You’ll want to listen to this, honey," Margaret says, her voice sugary sweet. She’s stopped eating now, and Riley senses that whatever’s coming will likely involve Vanessa more than anyone else. "We’ll be merging with a bigger company—RussoDeSanto," Henry says, a smirk creeping across his face. Riley hears Vanessa’s gasp as her spoon clatters against her plate. “You’re kidding,” Vanessa whispers, almost in disbelief. Both Henry and Margaret are smiling now. "No, sweetheart,” Henry says. “Your mother and I have known Ricardo Russo for a while. He’s agreed to help us.” "Isn’t his son the CEO of RussoDeSanto, though?" Vanessa asks, leaning forward. "Yes, but Ricardo is the chairman and still has influence. And we’ve added a clause in the contract to secure our future” Margaret explains. Vanessa is on the edge of her seat. “What clause?” Margaret and Henry exchange knowing glances before Margaret drops the news. “Marriage.” “Between you and Ricardo’s son, Matteo Russo,” Henry declares, pride evident in his voice. Vanessa's eyes light up with excitement. This night just got a lot longer, Riley thinks to herself.