Chapter 2 - You Would Make Beautiful Wife (1/2)

Reality hit Arianna hard, her uncle had not only taken a loan, but from loan sharks? What the hell was he thinking?

Shock stricken, she turned to her aunt and cousin still shivering in fear, ”Is that true?” was her question, her voice barely above a whisper.

”Father put all of his money into the company research which we hoped would have paid off by now, unfortunately, there were some delays and he had to resort to this method,” Claudia was the one who managed to speak. And God, who knew she had such a meek voice - she was always yelling at her.

”Why didn't you tell me? You know how delicate this matter is and yet you all kept it from me?” Arianna couldn't believe it.

”Why?” Claudia snorted, the usual contemptuous look crossing her features, ”What could you have done? Give us your trust fund?”

Of course, why wouldn't they have their eyes on her trust fund? This greedy lot of people!

Before Arianna's father had died, he set up a trust that she would control once she clocked Twenty-four. Sadly, she was twenty-three, and fortunately for her uncle and his greedy wife, she was just a year away from claiming her fortune.

Arianna's father had been a business mogul right before he died and those businesses were taken over by his brother. Upon the fact that her uncle had reaped huge benefits from her father's death, they still claimed she owed them.

”You ungrateful bitch! If not for the shelter we provided, you'll be out there in the streets like a street rat!” her aunt would yell and hit her in the name of discipline.

”No, I only took what belonged to me! Those businesses were my fathers!” She would always retort

”Fine, go and take it up! Let's see how you manage it! This is why raising someone else's kid is hard nowadays, because they would grow up rude and unappreciative!” She would say at the top of her voice just so the neighbors could hear and tag her as a ”good woman” and she ”the bad ungrateful niece”. What a great hypocrite.

But then their greediness grew and currently, they were awaiting her trust money so they could bill her - claim they raised her for years and want compensation. She could already see through their plans.

”What an entertaining family,” remarked the arrogant man from earlier and he seemed to be the collector or something, ”As much as this has been interesting, it cannot provide our money,” He said.

”You assholes!” Claudia couldn't take it anymore and said in an outburst, ”The loan would have been paid halfway by now if you guys hadn't charged us at a ridiculously high-interest rate of forty percent per fortnight. You all are sharks in the ocean that prey on their victims!” She stared at them fiercely.

Why were they called ”Loan sharks” in the first place? Pun intended.

The collector simply rubbed the inside of his ear with his finger as if he was bored to death, ”Hey,” he called to one of his men, ”Shut her up, she talks too much. My ear is beginning to hurt.”

”What?!” The color left Claudia's face, fear finally setting in. But it was too late.

”Mother!”

”My daughter!”

Mother and daughter both cried and struggled but the man broke them apart, suppressing Claudia until he successfully gagged her mouth with a cloth.

”Now, that's better,” The collector smirked at Claudia whose scream was muffled, before turning to Arianna whose heart leaped out of her chest. Was he going to gag her as well?

”Now, let me speak to the reasonable one in the family,” He said.