/0/68157/coverbig.jpg?v=812f4ff1b4246b6cabb4288957cb81aa)
Due to her father's illness and mounting debts, Brianna was forced to work at her Uncle John's house as a maid, while her father took on the role of gardener to cover their hospital expenses. When her father suffered a second heart attack and required bypass surgery, she borrowed money from her uncle's wealthy wife, Daphne. However, Daphne demanded a different form of payment: She had to change her appearance and impersonate her cousin. This was because Hailey, Daphne's daughter, wanted to marry the billionaire Blake Miller and needed to maintain a facade of purity before the wedding. Blake had insisted on certain conditions before marriage, and since Hailey had been involved with many men, she feared Blake would refuse to marry her if he discovered she was not as innocent as she claimed. Brianna was helpless when one night, someone ruined her face, forcing her to undergo plastic surgery to look like her cousin, Hailey. Would she agree to sleep with the man her cousin was destined to marry? What if Blake proposed to her instead of his real girlfriend? Driven by thoughts of revenge for the harm done to her father, Brianna accepted Blake's proposal and married her cousin's fiancé.
Chapter 001
"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, and 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 with 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 it 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 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 heard about guests coming. It was the Miller family. She had heard about Blake Miller from Hailey and Daphne a few times, but she hadn't met him yet. She had high hopes that Hailey would alter her bad attitude once she married the man of her dreams.
When she told her dad about the visitors, she had already noticed that he wasn't feeling well, but he still had this smile on his face as he engaged in conversation with her.
"Sweetheart, I had a talk last night with your Uncle John about you going to school this year." Rob remarked as he gently stroked his daughter's hair, and tucked a lovely white daisy behind her ear. It had always been his goal for Brianna to complete her education and attend a reputable institution.
Brianna's eyes immediately lit up. "Really? What did Uncle John say, dad?"
Rob didn't want to break his daughter's heart, so he said, "He promised to enroll you and pay for your tuition at Manhattanville University."
"That's Hailey's school!" she squealed in happiness, flinging her arm around her father's waist. "Thank you, dad. At long last, I can continue my studies. Your dreams for me will finally come true!"
"Of course, baby. And I know that's your dream too." he kissed his daughter's hair and hugged her back, but suddenly winced when he felt the squeezing pain in his chest.
When Brianna walked back inside the house, the tremendous thud that she heard coming from behind her caused her to turn around and discover her father lying on the ground with his palm pressed on his chest.
"Dad!"She cried out, rushing back to her father. "Daddy, wake up!"
"Brianna, what happened?" Tom, the Parker's driver, helped her take her father to the hospital.
The doctor told Brianna that her father needed to have coronary artery bypass grafting as soon as possible if she wanted to save him. And the surgery would cost 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 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.
Nicole Summers had to step up for her stepsister Kendra and marry Nathan Monroe, a guy everyone claimed was both unattractive and poor, just to help cover her niece's medical expenses. She believed those rumors until the wedding day when she discovered Nathan was actually kind-hearted and handsome. To her shock, he turned out to be the same guy from that one-night stand who rescued her at the casino. He was way more charming than people said, and as the days went by living together, she found herself developing feelings for him. But what if she learned that Nathan was actually a billionaire and owned the company she worked for? What if she found out he was the one who helped her niece get the best doctor for her recovery? When Nicole decided to forgive him, she learned he had returned to his ex-fiancée who had left him at the altar.
Reese agreed to marry Troy, thinking their feelings were mutual. It turned out that he only used her to get close to her mother, Mandy. When she went home after taking care of her mother-in-law who pretended to be sick, she caught her mom and husband in their bed. She exacted revenge by having a one-night stand with a stranger, who happened to be the wealthiest man in town, and the business partner of her unknown biological father, Vincent.
Their marriage was nothing but for the benefit of the two families. He could choose anyone to be his bride, but the moment he laid his eyes on her, he knew she was the one he wanted. However, their marriage didn't last for a long because of her indifference. Until the moment he signed the divorce agreement, he finally witnessed her true colors. It turned out that she also took advantage of him. Their divorce was not an end but the start of the real love game.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
Kara Martin was known as Miss Perfect. She was a beauty with good personality and successful career. Unfortunately, her life changed at one night. She was accused of adultery, losing her job, and abandoned by her fiance. The arrogant man who slept with her did not want to take responsibility. He even threatened to kill her if they met again. What's worse, Kara was pregnant with twins and she chose to give birth to them. Four and a half years later, Kara returned to work at a large company. As the secretary, she would frequently face their notorious CEO. Kara thought it wouldn't be a problem, but as it turned out ... the CEO was the father of the twins!
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”