The Billionaire's Legal Wife

Heart attack

Chapter 03

Brianna endured the discomfort coursing through her body as she got dressed, her hands trembling with each movement. Once she had finished, she rose slowly from the bed and made her way to the door. Before she could open it, she paused to cast one final glance at the man who lay peacefully asleep on the bed.

Blake possessed everything—wealth, charm, and an enviable physique. He was almost perfect. Unfortunately, he was not hers. He would never belong to her.

With a shake of her head, she finally opened the door and stepped outside, gently closing it behind her with a soft thud.

As she strolled down the hallway, memories flooded back about how she ended up in this situation.

"The Millers are coming in a few minutes, and you're still not prepared?" John Parker yelled at his daughter Hailey, who was still painting her face in front of her vanity mirror.

She was dressed in a dark-blue fitted midi dress that was exceptionally low-cut and did not leave much to the imagination.

Today, they were anticipating the arrival of Blake Miller, as well as his parents, so that they could discuss the preparations for their upcoming wedding. Hailey was making her best efforts to impress the handsome, wealthy man.

"Just a minute, dad..." Hailey rolled her eyes after the final touch of her lipstick. "I should look more gorgeous in front of Blake and his family."

"Make it quick! I want you to be standing in the doorway when Blake arrives!" He rasped, turning away, and was about to step out of his daughter's bedroom when he almost bumped into Brianna. "What are you doing here? You should be in the kitchen, helping the maids! Where's your father? Has he replaced the flowers in the vases?"

Brianna was John's niece, and the daughter of his brother, Rob. She was working as a helper in her uncle's house, while her father was the one taking care of the lawn and flowers in the garden.

Their family had formerly resided in a rural community known as Genesee, which was located in the countryside. Their means of subsistence consisted of cultivating grapes and planting crops. On the other hand, when her Uncle John finally tied the knot with a wealthy woman, he relocated to Manhattan with his new wife, Daphne, and left his hometown and family with his daughter, Hailey.

One day, Brianna's father had a mild heart attack. He was able to survive, although he needed medication for maintenance. In the absence of any other options, Brianna was forced to make a request for assistance from her Uncle John.

"I'll pay for your father's medication, but you have to work for it!" That was Daphne's final decision, and Brianna had no choice but to accept it for the sake of her father's health.

"Uncle John..." Brianna's lips trembled as she spoke, brushing away the thought of the past. Tears started to well up in her big sapphire eyes. "Dad was brought to the hospital this morning. He--"

"What?" A tear had just escaped Brianna's eye as she shuddered in response to the stern voice of Daphne coming from the hallway. "Does that mean that you need money again?"

"Oh, honey. Don't worry about other people's problems. We'll talk about this matter later." John met his wife in the hallway, giving her a peck on the forehead. "Brianna, the Millers are coming today. We don't have time for your drama at the moment. Go and help the maids in the kitchen first!"

"But Uncle..."

"No more buts! You heard dad! Just go!" Hailey pushed her out of her room, a hint of disgust was seen on her face when she accidentally touched Brianna's skin.

Instead of getting mad, Brianna stared at her cousin in awe. She looked like a living barbie doll, and her make-up was done to perfection.

They shared the same dark brown locks, but Hailey's hair was swept to one side, looking so much lovelier, and had a far shinier appearance than hers. A short dress that stopped at her mid-thighs revealed her long, slender legs.

They were the best of friends when they were still living in the countryside. But when she got a taste and socialized with high-class people, she had forgotten about her cousin and best friend, Brianna.

"I said, go!" Hearing Hailey's angry voice again, Brianna's heart was shattered into a million pieces as she walked past them with her head hung low. Following her descent to the lower level, she assisted the maids with setting the dining table.

This morning, she found out that the Millers were coming over. She had heard a bit about Blake Miller from Hailey and Daphne, but she hadn't met him yet. She was really hoping that Hailey would change her negative attitude once she tied the knot with her dream guy.

When she mentioned the guests to her dad, she could tell he wasn't feeling great, but he still managed to smile while chatting with her.

"Hey sweetie, I had a talk with John last night about you starting school this year," Rob said, gently running his fingers through her hair and tucking a pretty white daisy behind her ear. He always wanted Brianna to finish her education and go to a good college.

Brianna's face lit up. "Really? What did Uncle John say, Dad?"

Rob didn't want to let her down, so he replied, "He promised to get you enrolled and cover your tuition at Manhattanville University."

"That's Hailey's school!" she exclaimed joyfully, wrapping her arms around her dad's waist. "Thanks, Dad! Finally, I can get back to my studies. Your dreams for me are about to come true!"

"Absolutely, sweetheart. I know this is your dream too." He kissed her head and hugged her tightly, but suddenly grimaced as a sharp pain shot through his chest.

When Brianna stepped back into the house, a loud thud made her turn around, and she saw her dad collapsed on the floor, his hand pressed against his chest. "Dad!" she shouted, rushing back to him. "Daddy, please wake up!"

"Brianna, what’s going on?" Tom, the family driver, rushed in to help her get her dad to the hospital.

The doctor informed Brianna that her father urgently needed coronary artery bypass surgery to survive, and it would cost a whopping two hundred thousand dollars.

Her Uncle John was unaware of what had happened because they were busy preparing for the lunch that would take place later with the Miller family.

She went upstairs to tell her uncle about what had happened to her dad, but it seemed that the meeting with the Millers was more important than his own brother.

John Parker never cared about them anyway. Only Rob was constantly worried about his younger brother. After the passing of John's wife, they provided financial assistance for them, and Rob even sent Hailey to high school. John didn't even bother to express gratitude to his older brother after everything that he had done for them. And now that he had a lot of money, it was so difficult to approach him and ask for assistance.