###Chapter 2
527 Words
According to the rumors, the bizarre fire years ago didn't kill the thirdborn of the Quinn family, but it did destroy him.
The flames left him with severe facial disfigurement and permanent wheelchair dependence.
People in Chicago whispered he looked like a demon crawled straight from hell, a figure terrifying enough to stop children's night crying.
The Quinns despised him. After the fire, they exiled him abroad.
"I won't do it! I won't marry someone like that!" Elianna defied.
Her mother, Hailie Terrell, yanked Elianna's hair hard."Oh? And what kind of man do you think you deserve?
"This is an honor the Quinns are giving you!
"You were willing to get into bed with some nobody before. Why is the Quinn family not good enough for you now?
"Face it. No decent man would want you with that prison record!"
The violent tug at her scalp sent Elianna reeling, dragging her back into that suffocating darkness.
She had thought leaving prison meant a fresh start.
She had believed her family might feel some remorse after those three unjust years.
But she was wrong.
As long as she breathed, the Meltons would milk every last drop of her worth.
A morbid thought crossed her mind. Would they even skin her corpse for a posthumous marriage if she died?
The car pulled into the Melton's villa.
Maids seized Elianna's arms, shoving her into a storage room.
"Reason with her gently," Richard called over his shoulder as he strolled away."Don't damage that pretty face. It's our only bargaining chip now."
"Mom, please look at me.
"I'm your daughter too. Marrying the thirdborn of the Quinn family will ruin my life!" Elianna reached for Hailie's hand, only to be slapped away with disgust.
"Having you as a daughter has always been my misfortune.
"Do you know how many contracts Melton Pharmaceuticals lost because of your scandal?"
"I'll make money to repay you. Just don't sell me off!" Elianna's hands twisted together nervously.
Three years in prison had left her gaunt and fragile as if even a gust of stormy wind could have knocked her over.
"Make money? Even if you sold yourself every night, you'd never make enough to cover the losses!
"This matter is settled. Just prepare to be a proper bride." Hailie stood to leave.
"I'll call the police. This is no different from k********g!" For once, Elianna found courage. She refused to let others control her life again.
"You ungrateful brat! After twenty years of food and shelter, this is how you repay us? You're just like a vicious dog biting its master!"
Hailie, who had been leaving, whirled back in rage and kicked Elianna viciously.
Elianna crumpled like a broken doll against the storage room floor, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth.
"Listen carefully. We're being generous sending you to live in luxury with the Quinns instead of marrying you off to some backwoods peasant!"
"The wedding is in ten days. She eats when she comes to her senses!" Hailie instructed the maids before leaving to join those wealthy wives for a card game.
With a bang, the door slammed shut, plunging Elianna into darkness.
- Writer
