Chapter 2 What Do I Want?

Winfrey Mansion

"What?... please tell me this is a joke. Dad, it's barely a month since my wife- your daughter-in-law died, and you want me to get remarried to her sister?!” Markian exclaimed baffled.

He still wasn't clear about the sickening news his parents had just casually offloaded on him.

It was as if they really don't care about anything else if it isn't about Castlehill, not his happiness, not even his peace of mind.

What surprised him the most was how on earth they thought he would go along with their recent insanity to make a mockery out of his relationship and memories of his late wife.

“It wasn’t our idea really. But if you look at it from our point of view, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Listen, if Judy walks away with her shares of the Company, then Castlehill Group will surely be ruined. This was her idea. We don't know why she would make such a request but, it benefits us more son". Barbara spoke softly in an attempt to calm him down, but was cautious enough to keep her distance.

"She has given us 2days to make up our minds, and your mother and I intend on giving her a positive reply. So be prepared,” Matthew instructed coldly.

“I don’t fu'king care whose idea it was or who suggested it in the first place. I don’t give a fu'k about what may or may not happen to Castlehill at this point. All I know is that there's no way in hell I’m gonna marry my late wife’s sister, all because of some stupid contract, ok? Never!” Markian stated sternly.

This was beyond his comprehension- a marriage between Olivia and himself? Why would anyone even think of such an inhumane thing in the first place?

First of all, he doesn’t even like Olivia, neither had he at anytime thought of her in anyway that would make anyone misunderstand their relationship- he was sure of that. If for anything, he really disliked her and was never able to understand why she hated him in the first place.

So, why was she agreeing to this madness all of a sudden? Is she a part of this insane plan?

No, it couldn’t be. He is almost sure that this isn’t what Olivia wants either. No one in their right mind would ever agree to get married to their late twin-sister’s husband just a month after her passing. No one can be that selfish or heartless to do something as disgusting as that.

“Son, your father put his life and sweat into making Castlehill a conglomerate after your grandfather passed away. And even when the business was about to fall, he brought down his pride and begged Judy Luthel for help. We finally got to save the company, but it also meant we had to lose a huge chunk of the company still. Getting you married to a Luthel daughter was so we could get a little bit of our company back from the Luthels, and fortunately for you, you fell in love with her. Don't let both your sacrifice and ours all go to waste, including her death. All your hard work would all be for nothing, if we still lose Castlehill. Think about it.” Barbra sympathetically stated.

After that, Markian was in a dilemma as Mr and Mrs Winfrey left his room.

The President of Castlehill Group- Markian Winfrey, have lots of attributes. He is a very handsome, daring, bold, strict, resilient and brave young man, but when pushed to the wall he can become very rugged. He can also be egocentric, selfish and proud- never attentive to anyone else but himself, until he met his late wife-Sophia.

She soon became the light that shined in his gloomy world, and boy- did he love that light. He was ready to do anything just to see her smile and happy.

At first it was an arranged marriage with no intention of starting anything real with her, until he met her for the first time on their very first date.

He soon discovered that she was more than just a pretty face and a gorgeous body. She had dreams and they both had a lot in common as well. She had a weird behavior of talking a lot about herself, a behavior he had only noticed in himself- and he enjoyed it. She makes him smile just by smiling, a talent only few people in his life possessed. So, he soon fell in love with her until her last days.

‘If you love something or someone so much, oftentimes you end up losing them’. After her death, he wondered for days if that saying was what had happened. Did he love her too much? Was that why she was taken away?

Her death was his, and the day she died- he thought- marked the end of his happiness. He lost the ability to believe in phrases like ‘I love you’, ‘true love’ and ‘true happiness'. Above all, he knew very well that he would never let anyone get close enough to his heart-like Sophia did, ever again.

She was the only person that mattered in his life, so why are they trying to snatch her memories from him? He is not in support of their decision and have to do something about it real quick.

He grabbed his phone from the table and made a call to his secretary. He told her to make an appointment with Mrs Luthel as soon as possible. The sooner he meets with Mrs Luthel and get this madness sorted out, the better for everyone.

That night, he couldn't eat nor was he hungry because he was brainstorming ideas of how to put an end to the recent development.

Luthel Mansion

Livy sat on her queen-sized bed, curled up in a sad position with her face buried between her knees. Ironic how the emptiness of the hundred-million-dollar mansion since Sophy left, never bothered her until today. Somehow, she's feeling especially lonely and confused.

Her mind was in a riot, her head was hurt and her stomach was churning. What exactly happened today? Why on earth is she of all people struck in such a messed up situation as these?

She can’t just sit back and watch as things unfold the way they are this time, she has to do something before she's forced to marry a man that can’t even stand her.

It's true that she have loved Markian for a very long time now, but ever since he got married to Sophia, she suddenly becomes overcome with fear and anxiety whenever he is close to her.

Sometimes, her palms begin to sweat and she starts to terrible. At his slightest action or touch, she would recoil as though his presence was corrosive.

She had never been in an argument with him, nor has she had in a calm conversation with him either. The only time they had briefly spoken to each other was at the post-wedding party, and even then she could not muster up the courage to stand still for 5minutes nor look at his face.

And when he had tried to move closer to her to calm her down, she recoiled and warned him sternly never to come close to her again. So, he never did.

She doesn’t hate his touch nor his presence in any way. On the contrary, she secretly wished to see him again and be close to him. Little did she know that fate was about to play a cruel one on her and make Markian her brother-in-law.

She can’t understand why she gets all nervous and scared whenever he was around her. And when Sophia had confronted her about her feelings for Markian, Livy denied it.

It's true she was very timid and shy, but that was not reason enough for her mother to make such an important decision without informing her first.

Judy have always had things done her way and answers to no one. But this time Livy was determined to speak her mind and make her mother understand the commotion she was going to create in both her's and Markian’s live.

Sophy’s death took a toll on everyone especially Markian. Livy had noticed just how sad and broken he was at Sophy’s funeral, so there was no way in hell he was on board with this whole madness.

Suddenly, all of Livy’s thoughts came to a halt as she heard the front door open up. She slowly raised up her head and looked curiously towards her room door like she was expecting someone to come barging in.

Her eyes were very red and swollen from crying, and there were traces of tears running down her very pink cheeks. That must be her mother returning home from work, which means this was her chance to try and stop this mistake from happening.

She quickly crawled down her bed and ran out of her room towards the hallway that led downstairs. She came to a stop at the balcony overlooking the living room as she stared at Judy climbing up the stairs towards the balcony where she stood.

Judy was looking so elegant and beautiful, as though she hadn’t just returned from the office after a stressful day. In fact, in all of Livy’s 24years on earth, she have never seen her mother look anything less than elegant, bold and beautiful.

For once she wished her mother wasn’t so intimidating to look at or talk to, maybe then she wouldn’t have any problem speaking to her freely and honestly.

Judy got to the balcony and took one look at her daughter inquisitively for a brief moment, then walked right pass her without saying a word. Livy just stood frozen to the ground, unable to speak as Judy walked pass her.

Only when Judy was three steps pass her was she able to force the words that were begging to come out- to express how she's feeling about the decision Judy made today behind her back.

“I…i don’t agree to that marriage proposal! I…c…I can’t get married to that man. Please mom, y…you have to stop this from going any further, I beg of you.” She spoke softly as Judy stopped, with both of them backing each other.

“I heard you left work early today because you were feeling sick. Are you better now?” Judy questioned, completely ignoring what Livy just said.

“Mom pleassse, I…can’t marry that man, h…”

“That is not for you to decide,” Judy interrupted, then continued walking away.

With tears now running down her eyes and blurring her vision, Livy turned towards her mother and with all her will she yelled,

“...but he is my sister’s husband! How…how, I… I will never marry him!”

“Your sister is dead, but you are not! We are about to lose Castlehill and maybe Luthel Enterprise if we don’t act fast. I am trying to secure your future here, can’t you see that?! I would lose everything I've worked for, so my decision. is. final. We will have no further discussion about these. In 2days time, I will get a reply from the Winfrey’s- so be prepared. And make sure to take better care of your health. Don’t fall sick at the office again, that’s just embarrassing.” Judy concluded, leaving Livy in tears as she walked away.

Livy felt like she was going to cry her eyes out as her legs lost all strength and she fell on the marbled floor. The floor was cold, but not as cold as she imagine her mother’s heart was. All she can do now is just sit here and cry for a while- and so she did, before the maids came and took her back to her room.

She lost all appetite and was unable to eat anything even till the next day. Judy had told the maids to tell her not to come in to the office the next morning, that she needed to rest in order to feel better.

That was perfect since she was feeling very tired and weak, mostly because she had not eaten anything all through yesterday and this morning. The maids ran her a bath and gave her some vitamins since she refused to eat anything. They took good care of her just as she wished her mother would at a time like this.

She had particularly never felt close to Judy, not even as a child. Mostly because Judy spent most of her time at the office working, and strangely enough she understood why.

After their father had passed away leaving them and the company without a replacement, her mother decided to continue running the family business in his name. Although the investors and shareholders were skeptical of Judy's ability to run the company, she rose up to the challenge and proved them wrong. She was always that kind of person who works really hard no matter how much it took from her or how much she loses- even if it meant her own children.

Livy and Sophy didn’t miss Judy much because they had each other. Even though they needed her, she was never available. Her top priority was Luthel Inc, wealth and power. She doesn’t care how she gets it or who she hurts in the process, all she knew was to keep working, signing contracts and making deal even at the expense of her own daughters.

AT LUTHEL INC

“Good Afternoon Mrs Luthel, trust you’ve been well?” Markian asked humbly.

“I've been wonderful Markian, and so have you. So, to what do I owe this visit? It's not every day the President of Castlehill Group visits Luthel Inc.” Judy stated, giving her icons half-smile as always.

“True, but I'm afraid I've come for a more personal issue rather than business,” he said, sitting the record straight.

“go on,” Judy permitted looking curious.

“Thank you. This is regarding the marriage proposal between your older daughter and myself. I came to personally inform you that I will not be accepting your proposal. You can hold on to your shares at Castlehill as long as you want, and I would even be willing to sell back Sophia’s 15% shares for just the small price of you letting me mourn my late wife in peace.”

Markian was with his business face and strict personality, the type that gets deals done and contracts signed.

Judy chuckled calmly letting down her own serious demeanour but only for just a brief second before speaking.

“It’s really comforting to know that my daughter is loved by her husband even after death. I’m flattered but, I don’t want any more shares from Castlehill. All I want is a marriage alliance between Castlehill Group and Luthel Industries. Together, we could become the biggest Conglomerate in the International sector,...”

“At what expense? Olivia? Have you thought of how your decision might affect her? She just lost her twin sister, I highly doubt she's on board with this,” Markian stated.

“She will be fine as long as it’s you. It's my decision after all, and I'm usually right” Judy commented.

“And what about me? Have you thought about what I want? I just lost my wife- your daughter. I need to mourn her, she was my world,” Markian stated disheartened.

“You’ll be fine, trust me. You might not see the big picture yet but, this will all make sense someday,” she stated.

“I don’t want it- I don’t want any of it, I just…I just want my peace of mind. Isn’t there any other way?” he asked sadly.

“I’m afraid not, it’s either this way or I'll walk away from Castlehill” she affirmed coldly.

“I see. Well, I should said ‘it was nice seeing you again’ but, that would be a lie. Do have a nice day Mrs Luthel.” And with that, Markian left her office abstrusely without hesitation.

Judy knew he was hurt, but she meant every word she said. She plans to leave Luthel Inc in his capable hands and that's why she wants the union between him and Olivia. But she also needed to find out what truly happened to Sophia.

Judy sees Markian as capable to lead her company and would do everything in her power to make sure it happens the way she wants it. If only these kids would just obey and do as she says, then she wouldn’t have to result to dirty tricks and schemes.

*************************************

The next day, Livy was all set for work and was doing some finishing touches on her nude makeup. She doesn’t like wearing makeup but, since she had to be at the office and walk by top notch business people all day, she needed to look lively and smart.

As she didn't have much sleep or food last night, she looked very pale and gloomy.

Working at Luthel industries was the only thing she could do since she wasn’t very good at expressing herself in public, and her mother would never let her take up fashion designing as a real profession.

But she loved her position as an accountant and only had to face her mother with the financial dealings of the company. Although sometimes, she had to be present at meetings, but it's mostly just for formality sake. She would always shy away from further conversations once such meetings are over.

She stopped in front of her vanity staring at her reflection for a few seconds, but soon another image appeared in the mirror startling her.

Judy stood few feet away from her but moved closer when she noticed she had frightened her. Putting her hands on Livy’s shoulders, she tried to help her relax into a chair.

Her reflection looking back at Livy’s in the mirror, she informed, “today, the Winfrey’s will be coming with a reply to your marriage proposal.”

Suddenly, Livy got all tensed up and nervous at the mention of 'marriage proposal'. She had tried to put the whole marriage thing behind her, and tried forgetting that her life wasn’t on a timeline.

She knew without a doubt that Markian would never agree to marry her even if it meant to save his own life. So, she was confident he would come up with a plan.

Maybe he would leave town for a few weeks, or stand her up the day of the wedding. But knowing all of this still didn’t help her nervousness, they increased it. Would he really leave her standing alone in the courtroom on a day that is supposed to be her wedding day? Does he really hate her that much? And if that were to happen, would she ever recover from the pain of his rejection? Of course she won’t, she is in love with him after all. And if left to her vices she was ready to marry him if he agrees to the marriage.

Was she that kind of person? Was she someone who would marry her sister’s husband because of her selfish one sided feelings? Was she a traitor?

“And if they refuse, what would happen then?” she asked back challengingly, surprising Judy.

“Then, they will have to bear the consequences of their decision. They would lose my support and that of the investors. They would be faced with the risk of losing Castlehill for the second time, and Markian would be branded incompetent as a President, as well as a man. Soon, he would be forced to sell Castlehill just to save his reputation. Aside from that, I would whisper words to investors all over not to invest in Castlehill any longer, and I'll whisper to the press just how unfortunate the Winfrey's are at running a business. I can make sure they fall and never rise from their ashes,” Judy answered accepting her challenge.

With wide eyes of disbelief, Livy was left dumbfounded and unable to think of anything else.

Was her mother really capable of ruining a company like Castlehill? Of course she is. She is the most successful business woman in all of Minnesota and one of the most influential women in the country after all, so challenging her abilities was futile.

Livy began to wish that Markian doesn’t think of leaving town or leaving her on their wedding day, or refusing the proposal- though that last one is not even an option at the moment.

Thinking of Markian in that state of confusion and disarray as her mother had explained, left Livy empty. At the office, she was unable to concentrate on work because she couldn’t shake off the feeling that nothing would end well with this arranged marriage.

She was tired from thinking, and since she skipped breakfast she was generally feeling weak. She stood up to get a bottle of water from the fridge when she saw Mr and Mrs Winfrey walked past her department, heading to her mother’s office.

Her heart began to race. Was it time already? What was she going to do? She felt faint and light headed. She was about to fall, so she grabbed on to a nearby chair and helped herself into it.

The thought of her future being discussed and finalized by those people and her mother gave her goosebombs. And the fact that she couldn’t object to their decision made her eyes teary and her cheek pink.

As she sat there motionless and fatigued, the sleep which had eluded her the night before suddenly came knocking and she answered.