"Mabel Baldwin! You got no shame. How in the world did you get knocked up before you're hitched? Spill the beans, lady, who's the daddy?"
"She's had the baby! Oh my Lord. The baby didn't make it!"
In the mental hospital, a young woman lays sprawled on the bed, her delicate features stark against her pale skin. She's got a troubled look on her face, like she's stuck in a never-ending nightmare.
"Kiddo..."
The voice from her nightmares, hounding her for years, echoes in her brain once again.
"Good girl, give it to me. I'll marry you..."
"Whoosh!"
Mabel jolts awake, her thoughts a jumbled mess.
Just another lousy dream.
But maybe it ain't just a dream. What happened in her dream felt too darn real. She's been haunted by the same dream for half a decade.
Mabel gets out of her bed and walks over to the window, staring at the bright blue sky. There's a hint of bitterness in her eyes.
Five years ago, her very own sister, Camila Baldwin, set her up and stole her innocence with a stranger.
A month later, she finds out she's got a bun in the oven. Eight months later, she gives birth to a stillborn baby.
At that time, Mabel's dad was at the peak of his career and couldn't stomach her actions.
To add insult to injury, Mabel's mom and Camila latched onto her weak state after delivery. They twisted the situation and sent Mabel to the loony bin.
They also robbed Mabel of all her shares in the family business.
Mabel squints her eyes as she spots a luxury car parked at the hospital gate. A spark of determination flickers in her gaze.
That car's come to fetch her.
"Miss Baldwin."
Someone knocks on the door. "We're here to take you home."
Mabel smirks, her eyes ice-cold. The Baldwin family sent someone to fetch her because they want her to take Camila's place as the bride.
The Baldwin family had orchestrated a matrimonial alliance to expand their business. Mabel's been saddled with marrying Jayden Griffiths, the second-born of the prestigious Griffiths family.
However, rumor has it that Jayden's health has always been fragile. He's also disabled. They say he'd live only until he was 28.
Camila was the apple of the Baldwin family's eye, so they didn't want to marry her off only to become a widow. That's when they remembered they had a daughter rotting away in the mental hospital.
Mabel spins on her heels and walks out the room without a care.
She knows it's high time she got back at the Baldwin family.
She made a pact to make those who crossed her, hurt her, and owed her pay the piper.
Five years fly by, and the city's thriving even more.
The Baldwin family's mansion seems more worn out than it was five years ago.
Mabel feels nothing more than a common last name binding her to the Baldwin family.
As soon as Mabel steps into the mansion, she catches a glimpse of Victoria Fletcher and Camila sitting on the couch from afar. Victoria's peeling grapes for Camila with affection.
"Camila, you got the gift of the gab."
Victoria grins and says, "If you hadn't suggested marrying off Mabel, I'd have felt so darn sorry for you."
"Mom!" Camila wraps herself around Victoria's arm, acting like a spoiled brat. "Don't badmouth Mabel. I only threw the idea out there. She might not bite!"
"She ain't allowed to turn it down!" Victoria chuckes the grapes onto the table in anger. The sheer thought of Mabel gets her blood boiling.
"That good-for-nothing woman's a stain on the Baldwin family. Not only did she get knocked up by some random dude, but she also had a stillborn baby! It's a miracle anyone's willing to marry her, especially her future folks, who belong to a high-profile family in town. She's got no say in this."
Sam Baldwin puts down his newspaper and says, "Your mom's got a point. That thankless kid brought enough shame on me! It's a privilege she can still get hitched. How dare she be choosy!"
"Dad, but..."
"Camila!" Victoria furrows her brows and looks at her daughter. "You're too soft for your own good. Have you forgotten how she slandered you five years ago?"
Camila inhales deeply. "Mom, don't fret. Lewis and I won't turn out to be like Mabel. We'll move hell and high water to make you proud."
Only then do Sam and Victoria flash a smile.
Camila and Lewis Baldwin were their prized possessions. More so, Lewis, the young and brilliant successor. Two years ago, the Baldwin Group was on the brink of a financial crisis. It was Lewis who saved their bacon with his smart business ideas.
Under Lewis' stellar leadership, the Baldwin Group had flourished over the past two years.
Having such a phenomenal son was the Baldwin family's feather in the cap.
Mabel stood at the doorway, her eyes radiating ice-cold resolve as she watched the scene unfold. Smiling, she interrupts, "Who told you guys I ain't got the right to turn it down?"
Everyone in the room stood there, speechless.
Victoria's the first to react. She shoots a death glare at Mabel and says, "Shouldn't you be heading to the Griffiths'? What on earth are you doing here?"
Mabel strides forward casually and parks herself on the sofa across them.
"I'm here to claim what’s rightfully mine."
With a loud thud, Lewis slams his palm on the table. "You got the balls to bring up your shares! Your disgraceful antics caused the Baldwin Group's stock prices to nosedive. We were on the verge of going bust, and yet you have the nerve to bring this up!"
Mabel sat back with an icy smirk on her face, legs crossed casually. "You don't want to give them back? Well, then, no need to talk about the wedding."
"You—" Sam was fuming, shaking with rage. His hand shot up, ready to smack Mabel.
"Go on, hit me," Mabel taunted, "smack me — then get ready to marry off your precious Camila!"
