Roxanne's fiancé was suddenly snatched by her stepsister. In return, she got into a forced marriage with her stepsister's fiancé, a wealthy billionaire whom her sister had rejected because he was disabled.Bound by familial obligations and in order to reclaim her late mother's shopping center, Roxanne agreed to replace her sister and marry the "Crippled" billionaire, Henry Ford. Little did she know that she had thrown a rock and picked a diamond instead. Henry Ford, the crippled billionaire, was more than meets the eye! For Roxanne, the grass was indeed greener on Henry Ford's side. …"Make me yours, Henry," Roxanne said, her eyes pleading. Henry's electric blue eyes whirled with affection as he gazed into her eyes. His love was all that mattered to her. "Roxy, are you certain? Once I make you mine, there's no turning back." Henry's eyes darkened as he got closer to her. “Is this what you really want?”"You don't want me?" Roxanne asked instead, looking sad. Henry grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. He glanced down at her and whispered, "I've wanted you from the very first day I laid my eyes on you." Roxanne's heart skipped a beat as she felt the intensity of his grip. She could sense the raw desire in his touch, and it sent delicious shivers down her spine. “Then prove it,” she whispered breathlessly.

~ Switching brides

The loud disturbing sound of a phone ringing suddenly woke Roxanne out of her deep slumber.

“Roxy, how can you still sleep when your sister has snatched your fiancé? I saw them flaunting their love at your mother’s shopping mall!” Heather Jacobs screamed at her best friend on the phone with anger laced in her voice. "Aren’t you going to teach them a lesson?"

The previous night, Roxanne Smith’s stepsister announced that she was pregnant and would be getting married to Victor Morgan who was also the father of her child. She claimed the two were in love and couldn’t stay away from each other.

Victor Morgan was Roxanne’s fiancé and yet, he was easily snatched by Maya Smith, her stepsister.

He even got her pregnant!

Nevertheless, Roxanne seemed to be unbothered by this matter. After receiving the news that night, she even slept like a baby until 10:00 a.m.

“Babe, I don’t care whether Maya and Victor are an item or not-”

“Are you crazy?! Why wouldn’t you care? Don’t you get it? Maya wants everything that you have. You shouldn’t let her get what belongs to you this time,” Heather responded, cutting off Roxanne’s words.

Roxanne Smith was once the only daughter of Kenneth and Grace Smith. However, things changed when her mother died and then Kenneth later married Miriam Hopper and had a daughter.

Although, on the surface, Miriam pretended to be good to Roxanne, she secretly mistreated her. Her father, on the other hand, believed in what he saw rather than what his daughter said.

In the end, Roxanne gave up and went with the flow. For the past twenty-five years, she always yielded to Maya Smith without a fight.

This time wasn’t any different. Maya had expressed interest in her fiancé like always and since Roxanne didn't love him, she happily let him go.

Rubbing her eyes to wake herself up, Roxanne said, “I don’t love Victor anyway. It’s good riddance. I’m a free woman now.”

“I would celebrate with you if that was the case, Roxy! I’ve called you because there’s some big news! You’re still getting married but your fiance is now Henry Ford! You and your sister have switched places! The news says you’re marrying her fiancé!”

“What?!”

Roxanne jolted up from bed, unable to feel sleepy anymore. Her stomach sank as she asked, “Are you being for real? Why would I marry Henry Ford?”

“It’s all over the news, Roxy. Maybe someone leaked the news but everyone knows now,” Heather replied sympathetically.

Feeling her heart go wild in her chest, Roxanne cut the call and immediately went online. She wanted to check for herself.

Her eyes widened when she saw the article that had gone viral all over social media and when she read the headline, her heart sank to the pits of her stomach.

[Henry Ford, the new CEO of the Ford corporation, is engaged to marry Roxanne Smith, the eldest daughter of Kenneth Smith, CEO of Starlight Inc.]

Roxanne couldn’t believe what she was reading!

When did she get engaged to Henry Ford? This piece of news was ludicrous!

She quickly rushed downstairs and found everyone seated in the living room.

“Father, why am I being announced as Henry Ford’s fiancée? Wasn’t he arranged to marry Maya?” Roxanne questioned, her heart thundering in her chest.

Were they making her marry Henry Ford because Maya refused to marry him?

Kenneth cleared his throat and averted her gaze, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. He was about to reply when Miriam beat him to it.

“Roxanne, dear, you finally woke up? I was going to tell you the good news when you woke up. Victor fell in love with your sister and got her pregnant. As your mother, I cannot stand by and watch you be aggrieved. Henry is so handsome and rich. You are our lovely daughter, and you and Henry couldn't be more compatible. It was the best arrangement and I'm really happy for you. As a mother, I am so glad to see my two favorite daughters finally grow up and will soon get married.” Miriam said fakely, trying to wipe away the tears that didn't exist.

Roxanne clenched her hands into fists. Here it was again. Miriam was once again exercising her hypocrisy, just as she had always done since she was a child.

Roxanne’s eyes fell on Maya and she saw the smug smile on her lips. Roxanne knew it was all part of their plan. Maya switched sides so quickly because her fiancé had an accident six months earlier and lost feeling in both legs. After seducing Roxanne's fiancé, she also wanted to let her marry her disabled fiancé in her place.

“Did you discuss it with Mr. Ford?” Roxanne asked, “Does he agree to switch the brides?”

As the top CEO who lived abroad with his grandfather for years, Henry decided to return to the Country and take over as CEO of the Ford Corporation. However, he was involved in a terrible accident and was bedridden for months. Despite the many months of physiotherapy, it was confirmed that the heir to the Ford Corporation would be bound to a wheelchair forever.

This information was all over the news. Henry Ford was disabled and bound to a wheelchair for life! Roxanne knew Maya didn’t want to marry a crippled man so she came up with such a scheme to have her take her place.

“Even though Dad was friends with Henry's late father, and even though Henry's parents died in an accident when he was ten and he and his grandfather went abroad, I don't think Henry forgot who his bride is. If we suddenly switched brides after his car accident, I'm sure Henry and his grandfather would misunderstand,” Roxanne reasoned.

She saw her father's thoughtful expression after hearing her words and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

That’s it, she knew her father's weaknesses.

However, Miriam wasn't going to let Roxanne convince her father. She quickly cleared her throat and intervened in a gentle voice that didn't match her demeanour.

"Roxanne, dear, why do you think so? We are doing all this for you. The original agreement did not specify who was Henry's bride. As our favorite eldest daughter, you should have been Henry's bride. It turns out that you are more patient and caring. You are a better match for Henry than Maya."

~ Her mother's legacy

Miriam seemed to have a warm smile on her face, but Roxanne could see through her façade that Miriam just didn't want her daughter to marry a disabled man.

What an excuse.

Internally rolling her eyes, Roxanne was about to say something but Miriam continued, "My dear daughter, since your mother passed away, your father and I have worked hard to raise you and your sister. We all hope that you can marry the best man, and now, Henry is a good choice.

Moreover, if we break the agreement, the reputation of the Smith family will be ruined. Likewise, the friendship between your father and the Ford family will cease to exist. As the best-behaved daughter of the Smith family, this must not be what you want, right? Kenneth?"

Miriam threw the ball into Kenneth's hands. Indirectly urging him to convince Roxanne. Having mentioned the Smith family's reputation, Miriam knew Kenneth would not change his mind.

Kenneth cleared his throat and looked at his daughter, saying, “I think there’s no problem. Both of you are engaged to rich and powerful men. You’ve merely just exchanged grooms. Roxanne, Henry is a good man and I believe he will make you happy.”

Roxanne sighed. Her father always cared about the reputation of the Smith family and her stepmother also knew what her father cared about most. This was why Miriam used the family's reputation as a weapon to thrust her into another arranged marriage.

To be honest, Roxanne didn’t really care who she would marry knowing she had no choice in that matter. Marrying for love was a luxury and this was a fact she had accepted a long time ago.

Maya suddenly approached her and placed her hand on Roxanne’s shoulder, saying, “Congratulations, sis. I’m sorry I fell in love with Victor and he chose me too. Henry is not so bad… he might be a cripple but he’s rich.”

Roxanne could feel how fake Maya’s words were and they made her stomach churn.

How dare she pretend to congratulate her when she deliberately changed grooms to avoid marrying Henry?! She created all this mess just because she didn't want to get married to a disabled man.

Just thinking about it made Roxanne's blood boil. The mother and daughter always did this. Acting kind and sweet in front of Kenneth and when he wasn't looking, they showed their true colours.

Despite knowing what her stepsister and stepmother were doing, Roxanne couldn’t reject the marriage. She would still end up in another arranged marriage with someone else so there was no point in fighting it.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Maya’s gloating smile and anger flared through her. She didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.

Roxanne smiled brightly and replied, “Although Henry Ford is a “cripple”, he’s the richest man in Brentwood City. And so much better than my Ex-fiancé.”

She glanced at Maya and then at her stepmother before adding as a smirk curved the side of her lips, “Thank you for making me the most powerful woman in the City.”

Maya and Miriam’s smiles instantly dropped at those words.

“I’ll marry Henry Ford but only on one condition,” Roxanne declared after taking in a sharp breath.

There was no point in refusing the marriage as it was inevitable. However, that didn’t mean she would accept it blindly without fighting for something else.

She had to benefit from this arrangement and her eyes were only on one thing.

The legacy that her mother left for her.

Looking at her father, she proposed, “I’ll marry Henry in place of Maya if you put me in charge of the shopping mall. The one my mother left for me.”

Anger surged within Miriam when she heard Roxanne’s condition. A vicious look flashed through her eyes but she quickly hid it before saying, “My dear, why are you mentioning the shopping mall? You don't even know how to run a shopping mall. Don’t be childish, it has nothing to do with your agreement to get married."

She glanced at Kenneth and said sweetly, "Honey, Roxanne is too young. She's still acting like when she was a child, every time she encounters something she is not satisfied with, she becomes vexatious."

Miriam didn't miss the opportunity to discredit Roxanne.

There was a smile on her face but her blood was boiling with hatred.

How dare this little bitch try to steal the most profitable shopping mall?

Miriam had other plans. Only her daughter deserved to inherit the shopping mall and all the businesses that Kenneth owned. She had no intentions of giving anything to Roxanne, never!

She didn’t marry a rich man for her and her daughter to end up empty-handed.

Kenneth sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and remarked, “Your mother’s right, Roxanne. With no skills or the right qualifications, how would you run a shopping mall? Besides, unlike your sister, you’re an introvert and have no connections. How will you improve the shopping mall if you can’t bring in big clients?”

Roxanne scoffed internally at his words. Whose fault was it that she wasn’t known among the socialites? Whose fault was it that she didn’t have a proper degree?

When Kenneth married Miriam, it was at a time when Roxanne had poor health.

Miriam took advantage of that fact and made her stay home while her daughter got the best education and nurtured her talent.

If Roxanne didn’t have an online business course secretly, she would still have no qualifications to her name to that day.

‘I have to get my mother’s shopping mall back at all costs! I’ll never let Maya and her mother have it, ever!’ Roxanne promised herself.

For years, she had watched Miriam take over almost everything that her mother had contributed to until all traces of her disappeared. The RG shopping mall was different since it belonged to Roxanne as per her mother's will.

She would never forgive herself if it landed in the wrong hands.

~ Managing Director

"Father, I don't want to destroy this shopping mall, it was left to me by my mother, wasn't it? And this shopping center is very profitable. Also, Henry is an extraordinary man. He is so rich and so outstanding, I'm afraid he will not see me as a good partner if I have nothing to my name.

What if he annuls the marriage? After I marry Henry, I believe that he will help me run this shopping center. This is a great opportunity for the Smith family,” Roxanne reasoned with Kenneth and tried to persuade him.

She was not going to give up without a fight!

The area fell into silence as Roxanne waited with bated breath. Her future lay in what her father’s decision would be that day and he did not disappoint.

When Kenneth sighed again, Miriam’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile and asked him, “Honey, you’re not thinking of putting her in charge of the mall, are you?”

“I am… she’s right. The Fords won’t accept a wife with no proper qualities. Roxanne, you will be the managing director from now on-”

“What? She’s not qualified!” Miriam squeaked, dropping her façade.

Managing director? Roxanne didn't deserve such a high position. Only her daughter did!

When Kenneth glanced at Miriam with a questioning gaze, she quickly changed her demeanour and spoke gently, “I mean… don’t make such a rash decision, honey. This is a shopping complex we are talking about. We might lose clients and revenue if not managed well-”

“Don’t worry. Henry is a great businessman. I’m sure he will be able to help Roxanne run the shopping mall. He might even pump in more money and help us expand,” Kenneth said in a tone that hinted that the discussion was over.

Hatred flashed through Miriam’s eyes. She was pissed but she couldn’t do anything. There was a limit to what extent she could control Kenneth. Besides, she didn’t want him to suspect her if she continued to persist.

She would just look for a way to oust Roxanne in the future.

At the same time, Roxanne released a sigh of relief. Finally, she got the mall that was rightfully hers. Now she just had to make sure she took full control so that it didn’t end up in her stepmother’s hands.

…

A few days later…

Roxanne had settled into her new job as the shopping mall’s managing director.

One section of the mall had an RG department store which was divided into several stores selling products such as clothing, electronics, furnishings, footwear, toys, cosmetics and groceries.

The other section was for partnerships. Some stores were put on rent for the purpose of selling goods, others were for fancy restaurants. Others rented the stores for office space. This meant they would get revenue from the rentals and from the department store too.

Roxanne was patrolling the mall, inspecting it to make sure everything was running smoothly. She also wanted to see what she could work on and how she would increase the profits of the mall. After all, she wasn’t here to play.

Making large profits would make the board members favour her in the future.

She frowned as she looked around the place, “How come no one thought of adding a kid’s section in this mall? If we have restaurants or cafes with a kid’s area, we would attract a lot of families. Families spend a lot of money… what do you think, Sarah?”

“That’s a good idea, Miss Smith,” Sarah Stevens replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.

She was Roxanne’s assistant and so far, they were getting to know each other.

As they were patrolling the department clothing store, Roxanne happened to see Maya and Victor walk into the clothing store.

She cussed and muttered under her breath, “Great. Just the two people I wanted to see while at work.”

Roxanne didn’t have anything against the couple but she would rather not bump into them at all.

She was about to walk out and avoid them but Maya’s words stopped her.

“Hey, you!” Maya pointed at a sales lady and ordered, “Pack this for me. And this… and this lingerie…”

She picked about twenty branded clothes and wanted to get them for free.

Roxanne furrowed her eyebrows when she witnessed this. She thought Maya had no shame at all. Didn’t she know such actions were bad for business?

Approaching the couple, she folded her arms across her chest. She glanced at them and said, “You have to pay for those clothes. We don’t offer freebies in my mall.”

Maya frowned when she was embarrassed in front of so many people. She glowered at Roxanne and screamed, “What right do you have to stop me? I’ve always gotten free things from this mall!”

“That was then, dear sis. Under my management, no one gets anything for free. Do you want the mall to go bankrupt?” Roxanne glanced at Victor and sneered, “Brother-in-law, if you want anything in my mall, you gotta pay for it. However, since you’re about to become family, I’ll give you a discount.”

After being addressed by his “useless” ex-fiancée, Victor’s eyes narrowed. ‘I never thought she could be this fierce. How dare she embarrass me like this?’

He looked around and saw that many people were staring at them. If news got out that he failed to pay for clothes, his reputation would be ruined. In the world of business, reputation is very important.

Victor Morgan was the CEO of the Morgan transport and logistics Company. He was arranged to marry Roxanne but after learning how she wasn’t favored at home, he decided to choose the woman who would bring value to him and that was her sister, Maya Smith.

He glared at Roxanne and scoffed, "When did you take over the mall? How can you be so rude to your sister? Or are you jealous of her? Stop dreaming, I would still not marry you even without Maya's presence."

Roxanne tried not to roll her eyes. What a couple they were. She ignored his words and stretched out her hand, “Pay up, please. Or do you want me to call the police?"