They Loved Me for Twenty Years, Then Proposed to the Maid’s Daughter Chapter 1

When my family went bankrupt, my mother’s best friend took me in. That’s how I ended up entangled with the two sons of the illustrious Hayes family for twenty years.

Their devotion and fierce protectiveness were the envy of everyone we knew.

But when I finally decided I was ready to settle down and start a family, they both turned me down.

The older brother, David, said, “My career comes first. I’m not interested in marriage right now.”

The younger one, Ethan, said, “I’m still young. I want to have fun for a few more years. Besides, what we have is just a casual fling. It was never serious.”

The very next day, at my birthday party, they both proposed to the housekeeper’s daughter.

To entertain her, they forced me—a person with a chronic stomach condition—to drink a glass of high-proof liquor. As I was rushed to the hospital with internal bleeding, they both covered her eyes and laughed, mocking me for being dramatic.

That was the day my heart finally died. The day I was discharged, I called my mother.

“I’m ready,” I told her. “I’ll marry the heir to the Russell fortune.”

* * *

The autumn wind cut through my thin hospital gown as I stepped outside. My phone rang. It was David Hayes, the older brother. His tone was sharp, laced with blame.

“Audrey, where have you been hiding? Did you think running away would solve anything? Get back here right now and apologize to Mina.”

I could hear Ethan, the younger brother, in the background. “It’s your fault Mina is upset! You and your fake illness. She’s so fragile, she’s barely eaten in days because of you!”

I glanced at my reflection in the glass door. I was a wraith, so thin and frail it looked like a strong gust of wind could carry me away. My stomach has been weak since I was a child, my health always delicate. For years, those two brothers had fussed over me endlessly.

I remember one night, I had a severe attack, and David carried me on his back down twenty flights of stairs because the elevator was out. Ethan once scoured the entire city to find a specific rice cake I loved, just to see me smile. They controlled every meal I ate, every sip I took, personally overseeing my diet.

But that was all before Mina, the housekeeper’s daughter, arrived. After she appeared, they tossed twenty years of memories aside like trash.

I hung up without a word and dialed my mother’s number.

“Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll marry the Russell heir.”

There was a long pause on the other end. “Audrey, darling, this is your life. Are you absolutely sure?”

When my father passed away and our family business collapsed, my mother sent me to the capital to live with her best friend, while she stayed behind to salvage what was left of our family’s legacy. For twenty years, she worked tirelessly to build a connection with the powerful Russell family, securing a chance for us to rebuild.

But more than any business alliance, she cared about my happiness. Even after the Russell matriarch had taken a liking to me, my mother had left the final choice in my hands.

I used to believe that true love was worth waiting for, that I would eventually choose between the two Hayes brothers. Now I saw the truth. I was nothing but a diversion for them, a toy to pass the time. I should have left long ago.

I opened my phone to book a flight and saw a new post from Mina. It was a picture of her, lounging in my bedroom, flaunting two different diamond rings on her hand. The caption read: True love needs no words. Only desperate old women have to scheme their way to the top.

She was wearing the designer suit and crystal heels the Hayes brothers had custom-made for me six months ago as a birthday present.

I silently blocked her number.

“Mom, I’m serious,” I said, my voice firm. “I want to have a child of my own, soon.”

The doctor at the hospital had told me the internal bleeding had taken a serious toll on my body. If I didn’t get pregnant while I was still young, I might never be able to have children. I didn’t have any more time to wait.

“Alright,” my mother said, her voice soft with understanding. “I respect your decision. Mrs. Russell has already had your charts read. Next Sunday is an auspicious day for the marriage registration. As soon as you’re back, I’ll arrange everything.”

She must have guessed what had happened. Just before hanging up, she added, “Remember to say a proper goodbye to Aunt Caroline.”

I looked up at the grey, overcast sky. The doctor said I needed a week to recover. One week. Just enough time to say goodbye to everything.