~ 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.”

~ A contract

After Roxanne played the last notes, she stood up and curtsied while the audience erupted in applause.

She whipped around to face the shell-shocked Maya. Smirking, she remarked, “Thank you, sis. I was wondering how I would introduce myself as Henry's future wife. Look around,” Roxanne said as cheers and praise echoed around them. “They love me.”

Maya clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth. She didn't expect Roxanne to know how to play the piano. She was even better than her!

How did she know? Roxanne never went for piano lessons. She was useless! Her mother made sure of that!

Maya couldn't fathom how her plan to humiliate Roxanne changed into an opportunity for her to look good in front of figures from wealthy families.

This was not supposed to happen!

A malicious glint flashed through Maya's eyes as she glared at Roxanne. 'I can't wait to get rid of her.'

On the other hand, Victor frowned but he didn't say anything. Deep down, he was impressed. He initially thought Roxanne behaved like a country bumpkin. He thought she was useless. But she proved him wrong that night.

She looked so sophisticated and classy. Her pearl-white skin glowed under the night sky as she smiled at the crowd after melting their hearts with her lovely song.

As Roxanne returned to her seat, Diego approached her and presented, “Miss Smith, Mr. Ford wants to see you.”

She followed him into the mansion and all the way to Henry’s study.

“Mr. Ford,” she greeted Henry and he just stared at her with his face devoid of any emotions.

“You keep surprising me, Miss Smith,” Henry said after a few seconds of silence.

“I've thought about your proposition.” He picked up a file and slid it across the table to her.

Roxanne took out the document and gasped when she realised it was a contract.

“Be my wife, Miss Smith," Henry proposed, his voice calm and husky.

Henry Ford was on the balcony the whole time. As he sat there, he saw everything that was going on in the backyard.

Normally, he wouldn't be bothered but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes off Roxanne.

She looked so elegant and sophisticated in her ivory gown. The high slit on her right leg would expose her milky long leg each time she moved. Her figure was accentuated perfectly in the mermaid gown she wore. It was a mix of elegance and sexiness.

'She's so beautiful...' Henry observed, a small smirk curling on his lips.

He had yet to give her a response about their marriage and he invited her to the banquet so that they could discuss their future.

His eyes narrowed when Maya suddenly went on the stage and called for Roxanne to play the piano. From his background check, Henry knew Roxanne wouldn't know how to play the piano, so he knew what Maya was up to.

He wanted to show up at that moment but Roxanne surprised him yet again. It turned out that she didn't need him to save her like she was some damsel in distress.

She walked to the stage with open confidence and awed the audience with her excellent piano skills.

Henry felt something stir in his heart when he watched her play the piano on stage. She looked every bit the epitome of perfection.

Without wasting time, he instructed Diego to bring Roxanne to his study. From there, he made a shocking request.

"Be my wife, Miss Smith."

When Roxanne's eyes rounded, he took in a breath and added, “Of course, it will be in public only. I won't pressure you to be my real wife at home.”

As Henry said this, there was a fiery glint in his eyes but Roxanne didn't notice this.

She read the contents of the contract carefully. There was nothing complex about it. His conditions were what she wanted too.

It stated that they would only be married for a year. After which they would divorce and she would get an alimony of ten million dollars.

Roxanne gulped as she read the last condition.

[The wife will not interfere with the husband’s private life and likewise. Since there’s no love between the involved parties, this marriage will be in name only.]

A year was enough for Roxanne to establish a strong footing in the management of the shopping mall. By then, she would have gotten full control of it and no one would ever steal it from her again.

In fact, marrying Henry was not a bad idea. There was no love between them but they both needed to fulfil the family's marriage arrangement.

“I don’t need the alimony, Mr. Ford. I’ll be able to make that ten million dollars in a year from my shopping mall,” she said haughtily and Henry arched one of his eyebrows at her.

This woman was feisty and had a fighting spirit. He liked it.

After a few seconds, Henry nodded and said, “Ok. I’ll look forward to seeing that. I’ll do whatever you want when the time comes.”

Smirking, Roxanne took the pen and signed the contract without hesitation.

Stretching her hand towards Henry, she declared, “It's a deal, Mr. Ford.”