FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO

Harriet was busy harvesting some tomatoes in her prized backyard vegetable garden when her youngest daughter, Claudia, came running towards her.

"Mummy...mummy, we have a visitor." The bubbly seven-year-old chanted as she came closer to her mother.

"A visitor..." Harriet stood up, looking straight ahead, while slowly taking off her messy yellow garden glove.

"Why is your elder sister?"

"She went to see, Austin..." Claudia came closer to her mother, lowering her voice and cupping one side of her mouth with her right hand. "...her boyfriend."

Harriet shut her nosy little daughter with a nasty stare. "Who told you that?"

"David," Claudia said proudly.

"Your brother doesn't know what he's saying." Harriet's eyes narrowed to slits in anger.

"By the way, who is the person, at the door?" She asked, dusting her slightly sandy hand on her garden apron and wiping her sweaty forehead on the sleeve of her shirt.

"A fat grumpy looking woman who claims to be my Big cousin, Gwen." Claudia's cute face was laced with doubt as she looked up at her mother, squinting due to the bright rays of the sunlight. "I didn't open the door for her because I think she's lying."

"Gwen is here!" Harriet's eyes brightened, ignoring the worried look on her youngest daughter's face. She hurriedly brushed past her daughter, taking off her garden apron as she headed towards the back door.

"Mummy, I don't think she's my big cousin Gwen." Claudia ran after her mother, her cute voice slightly raised.

"Keep quiet, Claudia." Harriet reprimanded harshly as they neared the front door, where Gwen was impatiently waiting.

Harriet peeked through the front window to confirm the identity of the person standing in front of her porch before opening the door.

"Gwen! How nice of you to show up unexpectedly."

"You took long enough." Gwen pushed past Harriet, hissing, her forehead covered with perspiration.

Claudia stood behind her mother, eying the fat, grumpy woman holding some fancy shopping bags.

Harriet checked outside for Gwen's car but found none except for her low-cost Kia Picanto.

"Did she take a cab?" Harriet muttered under her breath as she shut the door and hurried after Gwen into the sitting room while her daughter tagged behind her.

"Why didn't you call that you were coming? I would have prepared something nice for you."

"I wanted to surprise you. Surprise." Gwen plastered a smile on her face that quickly turned into a sneer.

"You didn't drive?" Harriet asked, scrutinizing Gwen from head to toe.

"Can I please have a cold glass of water before you start bombarding me with questions? Gwen plopped herself into one of the double brown couches, dropping her shopping bag beside her.

"Sure."

Harriet disappeared from the sitting room and returned with a cold glass of water, which Gwen received with a sluggish thanks.

"Your dad called earlier this morning asking me if you came around," Harriet said, collecting the empty glass from Gwen, keeping it on a stool while taking a seat opposite her.

"And what did you tell him?" Gwen snarled, her chubby face scrunched.

"I told him I haven't seen you."

"He can go to hell for all I care." Gwen leaned her back on the couch, her eyes narrowing at the alarmed child now seated beside her mother.

"Mummy, I thought we were not allowed to use curse words." Claudia tugged at her mother's arm.

"Your big cousin didn't really mean to use that word, right Gwen?"

"Hell yes... I meant every single word, you little shit." Gwen spat out.

"Gwen!" Harriet cupped her daughters' ears.

"I can believe that little mouse kept me out there under the sun, pretending not to recognize me."

"You're not a nice cousin." Claudia's little eyes burned with tears.

"Pff...such a baby."

"I'm not a baby." Claudia heads to her mother's, tears falling down her moist eyes.

"Gwen, stop it. You don't have to be harsh on Claudia. You can't blame her for not recognizing you. It's been a while since she saw you." Harriet's tone was laced with disappointment as she tried comforting and cajoling her daughter to say hi to her big cousin.

"And whose fault is that? Mine?" Gwen sneered, scaring the little girl further.

"I'll go play with my toys in my room, mummy." Claudia changed her mind halfway towards Gwen. She wasn't completely convinced that the angry and mean fat woman in front of how was her friendly and nice cousin Gwen.

"Yeah... Go play with your toys. You don't want me to bite your little cheek." Gwen made a scary face and Claudia dashed out of the living room screaming in fear.

Harriet sighed bitterly, shaking her head in pity.

"You've changed a lot, Gwen. You used to be..."

"Don't tell me what I used to be." Gwen snapped angrily, her sharp and cold eyes shooting invisible darts.

"You have absolutely no right to judge me. You weren't the one whose entire life was destroyed by a devilish witch. You weren't the one who had to spend six whole months behind bars listening to psychopaths scream continuously in your ears. You weren't the one whose husband and child were killed by the same b*tch."

Tears flooded Gwen's narrowed and reddened eyes as she spoke.

"I used to have a life, an enviable one at that. I used to have someone who loved me and would do whatever it took to make me happy. I used to have money, lots of it. My life was meant to be a fairy tale. But Amelia took everything from me and has turned me into this fat, ugly bitter woman that I have become."

"Gwen, take it easy. I'm on your side." Harriet stood up and joined Gwen on her seat, putting an arm across her shoulder.

"Amelia took everything from me." Gwen broke down in tears, leaning her head on Harriet's chest. "My husband... My child...my life. I want her to feel my pain. I want her to lose everything too."

"Don't worry, she will get what is coming to her. Especially after what she has done to my husband. I will never forgive her. This I promise." Harried cooed to Gwen, stroking her hair.

"That is why I need your help, aunt." Gwen lifted her head to look at Harriet. "I need you on my side when the time comes. Amelia seems to have won Dad and Grandma over. Neither of them loves me anymore and they don't care about me. I need you to promise you will always have my back."

"You have my word." Harriet wiped Gwen's streaming tears with her thumb. "And if you must know you are not ugly. You are still the pretty Gwen I know and there is someone out there who is going to love you and make you happy again."

As annoying as those words sounded to Gwen right now, she did believe she would find love someday with someone special.

"Do you still manage your unisex salon?" Gwen finally stated the real reason behind her visit.

Harriet sighed. "Yeah, but business has been very slow ever since Desmond went to prison. I haven't even paid my workers for two months now."

"How about a partnership deal." Gwen sat up, looking all serious.

"Huh! A partnership!"

"Yes," Gwen replied confidently. "I will help you take care of all your cash issues and even inject funds into the salon. In return, we will own the salon 50/50 as partners."

"Umm... That sounds like a great idea but... I don't know..." Harriet's gaze flickered with mistrust and anxiety. She was aware of Gwen's reckless choices in the past, and she didn't want a situation where she would end up on the losing end.

"It's just a suggestion. It's not compulsory you must partner with me." Gwen stood up picking up her shopping bag. "I've already been offered a juicer deal by Finesse Beauty. But I thought to myself, why work with another beauty salon when my uncle's wife runs one. Feel free to call if you change your mind. But you have until tomorrow afternoon before I accept Finesse's beauty proposition."

Harriet smiled feverishly. "Okay, I'll think about it and get back to you before your deadline."

A smile slowly stretched across Gwen's face. "I know you make the right decision. I'll have to take my leave now."

"Won't you at least wait for dinner?" Harriet offered, hoping to soothe things out with her youngest daughter and Gwen.

"No, I have to go home now before Grandma loses her mind." Gwen headed for the door. She was about to twist the door knob when an idea popped into her head.

"Aunt Harriet..." Gwen turned to face her, a sweet smile stretching across her lips. "I don't want that asking me too many annoying questions. If he asked me, I'd say I spent the whole day here with you."

"That's fine." Harriet grinned while wondering where Gwen could have been all morning.

"Also, would you mind dropping me off at home?"

"Umm...sure." Harriet forced a smile that didn't reach her heart.