~ Henry Ford

Victor Morgan raised an eyebrow. The confident manner in which Roxanne confronted them caught him off-guard.

Wasn't she a pushover? Where did she get the courage to stand up to them and humiliate them this way?

"You want to call the police?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I will if you don't pay. We have a word for people who get stuff without paying," Roxanne paused for a dramatic effect. "They are called THIEVES."

The temperature around them reduced to a negative. Victor narrowed his eyes at Roxanne dangerously but she wasn't intimidated by him.

Although he was handsome, tall with sandy brown hair and a rough beard, Roxanne looked down on him for having a poor sense of judgement.

Who in their right mind would love Maya? She had a rotten personality. Her fakeness was evident in the way she carried herself.

Was he blind?

Regardless, his choice was none of Roxanne’s concern. She was there to make money.

“Mr Morgan… if you and your fiancée are not buying anything, please leave my department store,” Roxanne said firmly.

She looked serious and professional in a white loose suit. The pants were high-waisted and wide while she wore a black tight top underneath the loose white statement-making jacket. Her hair was curled and left to cascade down her shoulders like a flowing waterfall.

“You bitch! This mall will belong to me, you have no right to stop me-”

Victor wrapped a hand around Maya's waist and soothingly said, “Baby, don’t worry. I’ll pay for your dresses. Let her have her fun. We all know you’re the heiress to Starlight Inc., so this mall will automatically belong to you.”

It was as if he was trying to show how affectionate he was with Maya but Roxanne’s attitude was indifferent. She rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah yeah… the money, please. Stop wasting my time. If it’s too expensive for you, the door is open. There's a thrift store down the hallway.”

Victor hissed. He had never been insulted like this. 'How dare this woman think I can’t pay for mere clothes?! I’m a CEO!'

He angrily took out his card and paid for the branded clothes that Maya had gotten while she batted her eyes at him and gave him a sweet smile. “You spoil me too much, baby.”

Maya was trying her best to show Roxanne that she had gotten the better guy. Alas, Roxanne appeared bored and disinterested.

She didn't like Victor. If anything, she was glad she didn't have to marry someone like him.

Roxanne smiled and handed over the receipt after the sales lady processed the payment. She glanced at the couple and taunted, “Thank you for shopping with us. Please call again.”

…

A little while later, Roxanne was about to head out of the store when a man in a wheelchair blocked her way.

When she glanced at him, her heart involuntarily missed several beats and her breath hitched.

"So, you're my bride..." Henry's deep velvety voice reached her ears and snapped her back to reality.

Her eyes rounded as she took him in and it dawned on her. So, this was Henry Ford! The rumours about him didn’t do him any justice. The man was smouldering.

Damn!

Despite being bound in a wheelchair, the man was oozing a powerful domineering aura. He was sprawled out on the chair, his arms resting on the armrests and his back resting against the chair.

Roxanne swore she had never seen a man as handsome as him before. Although he had a frown on his face and looked grumpy, she thought he was the hottest man she had ever laid her eyes on.

‘Wow! He looks like a Greek god!’ She exclaimed inwardly.

He was in a slim-fit black suit and although he was seated, Roxanne could tell that he was quite tall. His long legs were positioned awkwardly on one side, looking like he was having a hard time being restricted to the wheelchair, yet, he still looked imposing. The type to be the center of attention in a crowd.

It was like he came out of nowhere. Her heart was pounding violently but she maintained a poker face while looking at him.

For a few seconds, the duo stared at each other, neither dropping their gaze. Henry’s electric blue eyes bored into Roxanne’s dazzling green eyes.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, his husky voice finally reached her ears.

“I’m your hubby-to-be. That is if you don’t mind marrying a cripple.”

As Henry said those words, there was a mocking smirk on the side of his lips.

Roxanne’s heart clenched for some reason. This man was at the top of the world but he still had insecurities about his body.

Most times, life never goes the way we planned. Being disabled wasn’t the end of the world and she didn’t like the way he was talking down about himself.

She smiled politely and introduced herself, “Hi, Mr. Ford. My name is Roxanne Smith and yes, I’m your new bride. That is if you don’t mind marrying the useless sister.”

She emulated his words and saw him furrow his eyebrows.

“From what I just witnessed, you don’t look useless to me,” Henry said, appraising her with his eyes.

Silence befell them as they continued to stare at each other. Roxanne's heart was pounding loudly in her chest but her face did nothing to betray her emotions.

“Can we talk? I heard my bride is in charge of this mall so I came to take a look,” Henry suggested as he looked around the area, breaking the silence between them.

Although Roxanne was nervous, she agreed, “Sure. Let’s go to my office.”

Roxanne began to lead Henry to her office on the second floor while secretly wondering what he wanted to talk about. Perhaps he was here to ask her about the bride switch. Would he reject the new arrangement?

~ An invitation

Henry Ford's assistant, Diego Montero, pushed Henry's wheelchair. Diego used to work for Henry while he was abroad and when Henry came back to the Country, he was transferred back to continue working for him. He was an outspoken but kind man with curly dark brown hair and wore gold-rimmed glasses.

When Roxanne got into the elevator with Henry Ford and his assistant, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

The place felt so small.

Her heart was racing the entire time. Henry Ford’s powerful aura surged around them and she felt so small in his presence. How could a man still look so powerful despite his physical condition? Henry carried himself with an air of confidence that no one would dare look down on him.

The moment the elevator doors opened, Roxanne let go of the breath she didn't realise she was holding.

"Follow me," she told Diego and strode down the hallway confidently with her head and chin raised.

When they arrived in her office, Roxanne pushed away the chair in front of her desk to accommodate Henry’s wheelchair. Without realising, she was being considerate of his condition.

“Would you like some tea? Juice?” She offered but Henry politely declined as he observed her quietly.

She was a strange one this one.

Why was she being nice to him? Was it because of his status? Or perhaps she was pitying him for being disabled? The thought of being pitied caused a sliver of irritation to rush through him.

Henry was in the clothing store earlier and happened to witness Roxanne’s exchange with her stepsister.

From what he saw, Roxanne wasn’t the weak and meek woman everyone said she was. She faced her enemies with confidence and fearlessness.

She didn't look like someone who would easily get bullied and would do nothing about it. What he saw was a strong woman who could hold her own.

The sparkle in her eyes as she stood up to her sister shone brighter than a diamond. He could sense the relief that Roxanne got from that. It was as if she had been waiting for a long time to put her sister in her place.

Henry had done a background check and found out that Roxanne wasn’t favoured at home. She was rumoured to be weak and someone who never went up against her sister.

However, the woman he saw was totally different. She was smart, business-minded and knew how to deal with her enemies.

Who was the real Roxanne Smith?

Henry actually preferred the feisty Queen he had seen earlier.

What shocked him was how she didn’t discriminate against him because of his disability. Instead, she was very kind and considerate.

In the past months, although several women tried to get closer to him because of his money, he could see the disgust that they hid in their eyes. They didn’t want to be with him because they genuinely liked him. His status was what they were attracted to.

He came especially that day to observe Roxanne’s reaction to him. Her kindness surprised him but he kept a poker face as he continued to observe her.

On the other hand, the way Henry kept looking at Roxanne made her feel like he wasn’t pleased with the bride exchange.

‘Does he also prefer Maya?’ Her heart lurched at that thought. Everyone preferred Maya anyway. It wouldn't be the first time.

She cleared her throat and said, “I know you were supposed to marry Maya according to the earlier arrangement. However, I had no choice but to accept the new arrangement because she’s in love with someone else and doesn't want to marry you. If switching the brides annoys you, please feel free to reject it.”

Glancing at Henry, she added, “Whatever you choose to do is fine by me.”

Due to Henry Ford’s accident, his grandfather had become anxious and wished for him to quickly get married and have children. The old man kept urging him to fulfil the marriage agreement that his father had made with Kenneth Smith.

To ease his grandfather’s worries, Henry agreed to get married. At first, he was ok with marrying anyone but seeing Roxanne who was seated opposite him, his curiosity about her increased.

She was an interesting woman. One who had piqued his interest. He wanted to know more about her.

Nevertheless, he didn’t respond to her statement. He didn’t agree or reject the arrangement. All he did was stare at her for a few minutes before a small smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

"Looking forward to our next meeting, Miss Smith." After Henry said this in his deep baritone voice, he let his assistant push him away, leaving Roxanne standing in confusion.

Did he agree to the bride switch or not?

…

Roxanne was in her office when she received a golden envelope which was sealed with the Ford family crest.

When she opened it, she discovered it was an invitation to a banquet to celebrate the inauguration of Henry Ford as CEO of Ford Corporation.

She was invited as Henry Ford's plus one. Looking at the card, Roxanne's eyes squinted.

'What does this mean?' She thought.

The last time she talked to Henry, he didn't give her his stance on the marriage issue so she had no idea whether he was ok with the switch or not.

Did he still want to go through with the marriage? He never said anything.

A week had passed when he suddenly sent her an invitation to his private banquet. Roxanne didn't know what to make of his actions.

Regardless, she decided to go since she was invited by Henry himself.

When it was time, she dressed up in an ivory gown and styled her blonde hair into an elegant updo.

She quickly found her way to the Ford's mansion after following the address on the invitation card. The backyard was decorated elegantly and many businessmen and women could be seen chatting and making new business connections.

Roxanne was about to look for Henry when an irritating voice reached her ears.

"Oh, look who's here. If it isn't my dear sister, Roxanne."

~ Skills

Roxanne rolled her eyes and turned to face her sister who was standing next to Victor and her obnoxious friend, Alisha.

A scoff escaped her lips.

Indeed, they were birds of the same feather.

Maya hooked her arm around Victor’s and sneered, “I didn't expect to see you here, Roxanne. Did you sneak in?”

Of course, Maya thought Roxanne wouldn't have an invitation to such an upper-class event. It wasn't open to any Jim and Jack and only a few invitations were sent out.

Maya was only able to go because Kenneth was invited and she begged him to give her his invitation card.

Seeing Roxanne at the banquet came as a shock to her.

"Henry hasn't seen you since news of your engagement was released and neither did he admit it to the media. It seems he doesn’t care about you. How do you still have the courage to attend a banquet?” Maya said sarcastically.

“Mind your own business, Maya. I didn't come here for you,” Roxanne responded flatly.

Meanwhile, Victor furrowed his eyebrows as a sliver of irritation flared through him. He thought Roxanne wasn't willing to break the marriage arrangement between them, hence, she was following him around.

"Are you stalking us? How did you get in?” Victor questioned with contempt. “Quickly leave this place before anyone sees you. Only those with invitations can attend this banquet. Stop embarrassing yourself by trying to get close to me. I already chose your sister."

Roxanne rolled her eyes and shook her head before she whipped around sharply and walked away.

Narcissistic much?

She couldn't believe she would have married such a dumb ass.

On the other hand, hatred was brewing within Maya after being ignored by Roxanne. 'How dare she? Who does she think she is?'

“Baby, can you get me a drink?” Maya asked Victor through gritted teeth and when he left, a vicious look plastered her face as she glared in the direction that Roxanne went.

“I hate her so much! What gives her the right to attend such a prestigious event?!” She hissed, clenching her fists.

“She's engaged to Henry Ford. So maybe that’s how she was able to come here...” Alisha responded.

“She's so smug. Did you see that? She's becoming more bold after taking charge of the RG shopping mall. We need to teach her a lesson. I want her to humiliate herself that she would never want to attend an upper-class event ever again,” Maya declared while Alisha agreed with her.

“You're right. She thinks she’s the Ford's matriarch already. Let’s put her in her place.”

Meanwhile, Roxanne who was unaware of the brewing scheme got tired of looking for Henry so she found a chair next to the buffet and after grabbing a few sweet treats, she sat down and began to happily munch them.

She regretted coming to such an event, knowing very well she wasn't cut out for such kinds of things.

While Maya loved to attend social events, Roxanne stayed home and read a book or watched a movie.

After a few minutes, she began to feel awkward and out of place.

'Where's Henry?'

She looked around again but he was nowhere to be seen. He invited her and didn't even show up, making her look lost.

As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Maya's voice speaking through a microphone at the setup stage in front.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My sister, Roxanne Smith, admires Mr. Henry Ford very much. She told me she wanted to play the piano for him as a gift to welcome him back to the Country. My sister is very good at playing the piano. She will blow your minds...”

With a cheery voice, Maya's eyes found Roxanne's frame. She smiled and said while gesturing with her hand, “Put your hands together for Roxanne as she comes up to play the piano for the CEO!”

The guests followed Maya's eyes and looked at Roxanne expectantly while applauding for her.

Maya smirked as she looked at Roxanne who looked like a deer caught in headlights. ‘You’re done for, bitch! Who’s smug now?’

Roxanne had never had piano lessons before. Maya was confident she would make a fool out of herself in front of so many important people. 'Serves you right!'

Her mind was filled with evil thoughts but she maintained a sweet smile on her face as she cheered for her sister to come on stage.

At the same time, Roxanne had a poker face as the crowd cheered for her.

She knew Maya was trying to make a fool out of her.

Since everyone was looking at her, she had no choice but to walk to the stage.

“Show them your skills, sis!” Maya squeaked with a fake smile on her face.

'Let's see if you will be able to show your face after this, bitch,' she sneered inwardly.

Roxanne shrugged and said, “I'll try. I'm not so good at playing the piano.”

Maya secretly laughed. 'Are you justifying your inevitable failure?'

She was ecstatic knowing Roxanne would fail and Henry would hate her.

There was nothing worse than having a husband who hated you. ‘Just wait, Roxanne. I’m going to make your life a living hell.’

“Come on. Don't be so humble. We both know you're an expert. How can someone from the Smith family have no piano skills?” Maya said, making sure her voice was amplified by the microphone. "You even earned so many rewards. I'm sure they will all love your piano skills."

She sounded like she was praising her but there was a taunting tone in her voice. How could Roxanne have earned many rewards when she never participated in a competition?

Maya mentioned this to set a certain expectation in the audience so that they would be more disappointed when they witnessed Roxanne's horrible skills.

Roxanne mentally rolled her eyes and went towards the piano, ignoring Maya altogether.

Since Maya wanted a show, she was going to give her a show.

She sat down on the stool next to the piano and after a few seconds, she began to play the piano, stunning the crowd altogether.

Her fingers gracefully moved along the keys as she played a ballad. Not only did she play beautifully, but she sang along too.

The crowd fell silent as they listened to the beautiful music and angelic voice of Roxanne.

“Wow. I heard the eldest daughter has no proper skills but it seems the rumours are false. She's so good.”

“She has such a lovely voice and her piano skills are top-notch. I feel like I'm at a concert.”

Those comments came from the audience as they watched Roxanne's performance.

Roxanne looked elegant as she played the piano and she was exuding a noble aura that made her look like a queen.

She captured everyone’s attention including the man seated in his wheelchair on the balcony, watching the scene in the backyard.

He narrowed his falcon-like eyes at the beautiful figure on the stage and a complex emotion stirred within him.

“Interesting,” he muttered to himself.

His substitute bride was getting more and more mysterious. There was more to her than meets the eye and the more he watched her, the more he wanted to know more about her.

Turning to his assistant, he instructed, “Bring her to me.”

“Yes, sir.”