A Happiness Thereafter

1
As the sole heir to the Sterling fortune, I was still invisible, especially to the three boys my father raised. I'd thrown myself at Liam Ashford countless times, only to be met with contempt. I thought he was just cold, until I saw him on his knees before our driver's daughter, Sierra, swearing an oath.
"Marrying her is a price for the Sterlings raising me. Once I control the company, I'll give you the real wedding. You will be my only wife. As long as Evelyn doesn't hurt you, I'll pay her to disappear."
The day before the shareholders' meeting, my father asked for my choice. I thought of Liam, Jax, and Ethan—how their eyes always slid past me. I smiled. "I am a Sterling heir. My marriage should be a merger."
"I'll choose Damian Blackwood."
My father frowned. "Damian? Since the accident, he's a paraplegic. They say he's... incapable. Are you sure?"
…
My voice was soft, but the words were steel. "In our world, Father, there's no such thing as true love. It's all about power. And if it's power we're after, then the Blackwood alliance is the only logical choice."
His face was etched with concern. "I understand the logic, but what about the boys? The three I chose for you? Do none of them hold a place in your heart?"
My father had adored my mother, but she’d died from a sudden aneurysm the year I was born. He couldn’t bear the thought of remarrying, yet he couldn't stomach the idea of leaving the vast Sterling empire in the hands of a daughter. So, on the advice of a friend, he’d adopted three boys from an orphanage. His will was already written: whichever one I chose would rule Sterling Corporation alongside me, a united front against the vultures on the board.
He loved me, I knew that. But his love didn't change his conviction that a woman alone couldn't command the respect needed to lead.
I met his gaze. "Damian may be in a wheelchair, and the rumors might be true, but we can have children through IVF. He's the only heir to the Blackwood fortune. An alliance with a powerhouse is infinitely better than propping up our house with orphans."
My father nodded slowly, a grim acceptance settling over him. "If those three couldn't win your heart, then they have no place left at Sterling Corp."
If I had told him the simple truth—that Liam didn’t love me and I refused to force it—my father would have dragged him into his office and demanded to know what right a charity case had to refuse his daughter. I didn't want him to use years of kindness as a leash, and I certainly didn't want a bitter, loveless marriage. Besides, Liam’s words to Sierra had already turned my heart to stone. Letting them go quietly was the greatest mercy I could offer.
As I left the office, I saw my father shoot Liam a look that could freeze fire. After dutifully seeing my father out, Liam turned to me, his brow creased with irritation.
"What did you go crying to him about this time?" His eyes were filled with a familiar mix of disgust and impatience, as if I were some loathsome creature.
Before I could answer, Ethan Cole, ever the cool observer, let out a short, humorless laugh. "What else? The usual complaints."
"That we don't play with her. That we don't worship the ground she walks on," he drawled.
Jax Ryder, the hot-headed one, sneered. "Honestly, Evelyn. It's the 21st century. Do you really think having a fat bank account makes you a princess everyone has to bow down to?"
The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder, a united front, their words like sharpened daggers aimed at my heart.
A knot of genuine confusion tightened in my chest. "None of you want to marry me. Why has not one of you ever just told my father that?"
My father, for all his old-fashioned ideas, wasn't a tyrant. If any of them had said no, he would have cut them a check and sent them on their way to a new life. But they never did. The Sterling fortune was a cage they refused to unlock.
Jax clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Oh, cut the crap. We're your father's charity cases, his pet projects. We're the dogs he keeps in his kennel. Since when do dogs get to refuse their master?"
Liam's face was a mask of grim resignation. "If you have to choose me, then fine. Just… leave the other two alone. Don't make their lives difficult."
At this, Jax and Ethan looked at him with profound gratitude, as if he were a martyr sacrificing himself for their sake. The sight of Liam's noble act was so absurd, so twisted, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I hadn't even found my voice when Sierra appeared, scurrying behind Liam as if she'd seen a ghost.
Instinctively, Liam shielded her. "She hasn't done anything. Just leave her alone today."
I looked from him to the others, and a cold realization dawned. The three men who were supposed to protect me were now forming a human wall to protect someone else from me.
It started five years ago. Sierra had just arrived at the estate and shyly gave me a cheap plastic barrette. As a welcoming gift, I gave her a Cartier bracelet worth a hundred thousand dollars. A moment later, as I was opening a box of macarons, Liam snatched it from my hands.
"That was a keepsake from Sierra's mother! You'd even stoop to stealing that?" he roared.
I stared at Sierra, baffled, waiting for her to explain that it was a gift. Instead, she burst into tears and dropped to her knees. "It wasn't Miss Evelyn's fault! I gave it to her! She was so kind to me, she even gave me this beautiful bracelet. I'm not upset, really!"
She started bowing her head to the floor, her performance so convincing it made the three of them see red, reminding them of their own precarious positions.
"Just because you're a Sterling doesn't give you the right to bully someone into giving up their mother's memento!" Jax had yelled.
"That barrette might be worthless to you, but it meant everything to her! Give it back!" Ethan demanded.
"Always the same, aren't you? A spoiled brat who only cares about herself," Liam spat.
My face flushed with anger, but I swallowed it down, thinking it was just a misunderstanding I could clear up later. I held the barrette out to Sierra. As she reached for it, her hand "fumbled," and the cheap plastic shattered on the marble floor. She bit her lip, drawing blood, and screamed at me.
"If you were just going to destroy it, why pretend to give it back?"
Liam, always the champion of the downtrodden, had leveled a cold threat at me. "Apologize to Sierra. Right now. Or I swear, I will call off this whole arrangement."
I had just confessed my feelings to him then, telling him he was the only one I would ever marry. He used that confession as a weapon, forcing me to my knees, metaphorically speaking. I was young, terrified of losing him, and too stunned to defend myself.
So I apologized through gritted teeth and blurry eyes.
And that one apology trapped me in a cycle of apology for five years. From that day on, every time Sierra saw me, she would either fall to her knees or burst into tears, like a mouse cornered by a cat.
And I had never done a single thing to her.
My face hardened. I looked straight at Liam. "If you're so worried I'm going to hurt your precious Sierra, maybe you should keep her on a leash."
My words dripped with sarcasm, but he took them literally. "Is that a threat? What are you planning to do to her?"
Jax clapped his hands together. "I know what this is about! It's because we gave her The Celestial Ocean for her birthday, isn't it? You're going to make her pay for that."
Ethan’s gaze was glacial. "You have everything, Evelyn. Sierra's never even had a proper birthday party. It's just an aquarium. Is it really worth all this drama?"
My blood ran cold. "The Celestial Ocean?"
The Celestial Ocean was a massive, private underground aquarium, a project started the day I was born. Its main feature was a wall of flawless, deep-green emerald on the far side; when the water rippled, light would refract through the stone, creating an illusion of a living, breathing galaxy. It was set to be completed six months ago, and my father had tasked Liam with overseeing the final touches. It was meant to be my birthday gift, unveiled in one month.
And now, my gift belonged to Sierra.
My eyes locked on Liam. He was in charge of the project. No one could have gotten inside without his approval. He flinched under my gaze, a flicker of guilt in his eyes before it hardened into anger.
"Sierra grew up poor, working her whole life. She's never seen a real night sky. I just wanted to give her that one wish. Besides," he added defensively, "the deed is still in your name, isn't it?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair like a man at the end of his rope. "Look, stop making a scene. How about this? At your birthday party next month, I'll officially announce our engagement. Will that make you happy?"
He said it like he was tossing a bone to a stray dog. For a dizzying moment, I wondered if I was the one who had been adopted. But no one else seemed to notice anything wrong. They just looked at Liam with pity, as if he were making some great sacrifice.
"You don't have to do that for her, man. She's a vicious, spoiled brat. You'd be better off joining a monastery," Jax grumbled.
"She's probably going to be so thrilled she won't know what to do with herself. Her life's dream, finally coming true," Ethan muttered.
"Oh, Liam," Sierra sobbed, "please don't throw away your life for me! I'll… I'll beg Miss Evelyn for forgiveness! I'll be her servant, I'll do anything…"
My throat felt like sandpaper. A single sentence escaped my lips. "I won't be marrying you."
Liam’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Jax and Ethan exchanged panicked glances, terrified I might choose one of them instead. The open disgust from the three people I'd grown up with was a physical blow. I had to get out of there before the tears came.
I turned to leave, but Sierra grabbed my wrist. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she, once again, dropped to her knees before me.
"Please, don't punish Liam because of me. The three of them… they owe your family everything. They’re already beneath you. If you're angry that they gave me the aquarium, if you're going to tell your father… I'll apologize. I'll kowtow to you."
Thump. Thump. Thump. She began knocking her forehead against the hard floor, again and again, until a raw, red mark bloomed on her skin.
Liam, his face a storm of protective fury, pulled her up. He whirled on me. "You say you won't marry me, but let's see you stick to that! What is this, some twisted game to torment Sierra? Is that all you know how to do?!"
"This is just another ploy to get my father to throw her out, isn't it?"
I stared at him, my expression unreadable. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But you can rest assured, I will never choose you as my husband."
I expected that to be the end of it, but he lunged forward, his fingers digging into my arm. "If not me, then who? Ethan? Jax?"
He took a ragged breath. "Jax is an artist; he wants to study in Paris. Ethan craves freedom. Isn't ruining my life enough for you? Are you going to drag them down with you, too?"
He looked utterly exhausted, as if I were a parasite that had been draining him for years. "Just promise me you'll leave Sierra alone," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "If you do that, I'll marry you. Just… please, stop all this."
I looked deep into his eyes. "You'll get your wish."
He was terrified I would hurt Sierra. He was terrified of marrying me. Once I married Damian Blackwood, all his problems would be solved.
I avoided him for the next month. On the day of my birthday gala, he finally showed up, his face a thundercloud. Ethan and Jax flanked him, their expressions equally sour. I shot a questioning look at my assistant. I had explicitly told her not to invite them, that the announcement had nothing to do with them. She just shook her head frantically, mouthing, They came on their own.
I sighed and decided to ignore them. The guests, however, were not so inclined.
"Mr. Ashford, you're a true prodigy! That deal you closed last month must have netted Sterling Corp millions. No wonder Miss Evelyn only has eyes for you."
That deal was mine. I had negotiated it for weeks. Liam just signed the papers.
"Mr. Ryder, your fiery spirit is a virtue. You stand up for what's right. Miss Evelyn will be safe with you."
I suppressed a bitter laugh. Jax was the one who hurt me the most, treating me like a venomous snake he had to crush.
"And Mr. Cole, such a handsome and refined gentleman. A fine choice for Miss Evelyn. We look forward to working with you."
The three of them moved through my birthday party like they owned the place. Just as I was about to step in and end the charade, they all glanced down at their phones.
Before I could process what was happening, Jax's face contorted with rage. He stormed towards me, and the world exploded in a flash of white. The crack of his palm against my cheek echoed in the sudden silence. My head snapped back, and I staggered, nearly falling to the floor.
The entire ballroom went quiet. Guests scrambled back, creating a wide circle around us, their faces a mixture of shock and fear.
Liam’s hands were clenched into fists. He grabbed Jax’s arm to stop him from hitting me again, then turned his furious gaze on me. "We're here. We showed up to be put on display like prize cattle for you to choose from. What more do you want?" he snarled, his voice low and vicious. "Do you have to actually kill Sierra to be satisfied?"
I was still reeling, the question making no sense. Seeing my confusion, Ethan’s lip curled in disgust. "You sent thugs to kidnap her while we were gone. Don't play dumb. It won't work this time."
The accusation hit me like a second slap. It was Sierra again, pulling her strings. I looked around the room, at my father's friends and business partners. Not a single person stepped forward. In that moment, I understood. They had all bet on the boys. They truly believed the Sterling empire would never be mine, and they wouldn't risk offending its future kings.
I clutched my stinging cheek, my eyes locking onto Jax. "Apologize," I commanded, my voice shaking with cold fury.
He glanced at my tear-filled eyes and sneered. "Sierra almost lost her innocence. You just got a little slap. What have you got to cry about?"
On cue, a heart-wrenching sob cut through the room. Sierra ran in, her designer dress strategically torn, her hair a mess, a perfect picture of a damsel in distress. Liam immediately stripped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her, his expression a mask of pure revulsion as he looked back at me.
"You're more manipulative than I ever imagined. I would rather die than marry a monster like you."
Ethan, who rarely spoke, stepped in front of Sierra protectively. "Your mother couldn't give your father a son, so he brought us in as tools to secure the legacy. We accepted our fate. But even that wasn't enough for you, was it?" He shook his head. "Fine. There's no reason to keep up this pathetic pretense of peace."
He turned and walked away without a second glance, caring nothing for the public humiliation he was inflicting on my family. As he reached the door, Liam threw one last pronouncement over his shoulder, his voice dripping with condescending power. "I will marry you. But you will be a wife in name only, a figurehead. If you want me to protect the Sterling empire, you will learn to behave."
I laughed. A raw, broken sound. Had they forgotten? Without me, they wouldn't even be here.
As the three of them made for the exit, some of the guests finally moved to stop them, to salvage the situation.
But I raised my voice, a clear, sharp command that cut through the murmurs. "Let them go!"
Sierra shot me a triumphant smirk over her shoulder, a conqueror leaving the battlefield.
I stood frozen in the center of the room. My assistant rushed to my side, wringing her hands. "Miss Evelyn, what are we going to do? They're all gone! Who will you choose?"
The guests were muttering amongst themselves. "A woman is bound to marry out of the family eventually. If the three boys who know her best won't have her, who will?"
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, took a deep breath, and raised my champagne flute. "Ladies and gentlemen," I announced, my voice ringing with newfound strength. "As you all know, tonight is not just my birthday gala. It is also my engagement party."
The massive screen behind me flickered to life, displaying the face of a man with chiseled features and eyes like chips of ice.
A collective gasp swept through the ballroom.
"Is that… Damian Blackwood? From New York?"

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