Jay’s face flushed with anger, and he was about to argue again when Ophelia loudly said,
"Stop! Stop it! You both will not reach any decision like this!"
Brenda turned toward Ophelia with fury sparkling in her eyes and asked, "Oh? Then what kind of solution are you proposing, my useless daughter?"
Brenda’s words stung Ophelia; however, she held back the tears and gritted her teeth. "Why not let Jay marry both? Ember might agree to beco a concubine of Jay."
Jay’s eyes widened in disbelief; when his sister intervened, he had a slight expectation that she would support him, but she... she shattered whatever remaining feelings he had for her.
"No!" He refused outright, "First marry soone as your concubine, and I will consider your proposal."
"Brother!" Ophelia’s voice was mixed with disbelief and anger.
"What? You looked completely fine when you proposed to make Ember a concubine, and now you feel angry because of my suggestion?"
"Idiot." Brenda snorted, "Jay, I agree with Ophelia; just marry that witch as a concubine. She has already lost her virginity to you... she is now a second-hand good."
Thud!
Jay kicked the sofa, and though he looked weak, the sofa was almost knocked over by his forceful kick.
"She is not a second-hand good! And how dare to talk about her! If she is second-hand good, then I am worse than a shoe!"
Brenda was stunned by her son’s outrage and opened and closed her mouth like a thirsty fish.
"You know what? I don’t want to stay in this family. Go to hell!" Jay bellowed and turned to leave.
"Jay! If you dare to leave, never return to the Sutton family!" Brenda shouted as she stood up; the sound of the chair scraping the floor resembled the sound of her heart being shattered with each step Jay was taking.
Jay didn’t stop and almost reached the entrance when Brenda shouted, "If you leave, I will marry off your sister as a concubine to that York!"
A trace of hesitation flashed in his eyes, and the rare good mories he had spent with his sister flashed in his mind.
However, soon he snapped out of it and stepped out. "I am sorry, sister. Take care of yourself... Ah..."
Midway through his words, he felt a dull ache spread from the back of his head, and he heard Ophelia’s trembling voice.
"Sorry, brother," Ophelia whispered, her voice shaking as tears welled in her eyes. "But I can’t let you destroy yourself for that woman."
Jay’s vision blurred. The world tilted, and as he fell to his knees, his eyes caught a glimpse of Ophelia’s trembling hands gripping a thick wooden stick...its tip faintly stained with blood.
He wanted to speak, to ask why, but his body no longer obeyed him.
The mont before he lost consciousness, the last thing he heard was Brenda’s cold, trembling laughter.
"Good job, Ophelia," Brenda said as she placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. "You did what was necessary. Don’t cry; you saved your brother’s life."
Ophelia’s body quivered. "Mother... Will you not wed as a concubine now? Please?"
"I won’t!" Brenda said with a huge smile. "Now go and invite Payton. Say your brother has agreed."
.........................................
The next day.
Payton was a fair-skinned woman... the only problem was her average facial features.
Before the apocalypse, her father owned a wholesale food supermarket, and once they got the news, she and her father had safeguarded as much food as they could.
As a result, they were treated as a billionaire!
She had already recruited more than 10 boytoys, but Jay held a special place in her heart. He was handso and gave off fragile vibes.
Hence, she decided that she would make him her main husband.
"Where is he?" Payton asked with a bored expression.
"In his room," Brenda replied with a forced smile, her voice soft and honeyed.
"He’s resting right now. You know how n can be stubborn when they don’t understand what’s good for them."
Payton raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with amusent.
"Oh, I know all too well. But that’s fine. I like them better when they resist a little...it makes things more...entertaining."
Her words made Ophelia’s stomach twist with unease, but Brenda’s eyes sparkled with relief.
"You’ll find him upstairs. Please, take good care of my son. He’s a bit hot-headed but very loyal once he’s... persuaded."
Payton smirked, brushing an invisible speck of dust from her silk sleeve. "I always do."
With a soft hum, she sauntered toward the stairs, her perfu heavy and suffocating.
The mont Payton disappeared from sight, Ophelia turned to her mother, panic flashing in her tear-stained eyes.
"Mother, are we really doing this? Jay will hate us when he wakes up!" she whispered hoarsely.
Brenda’s gaze hardened.
"He won’t. By the ti he wakes up, everything will already be settled. Once Payton declares him her husband, her people will protect us. No one will dare oppose the Suttons then."
"But, Mother..."
"Enough, Ophelia!" Brenda snapped, slamming her hand on the table.
"Do you want to starve? Do you want to die in this filthy world with nothing to your na? That woman, Payton, can give us safety... luxury! You think love will save you in the apocalypse? Grow up!"
Seeing Ophelia open her mouth to argue, Brenda smirked.
"Or if you truly want, why not take your brother’s place and..."
Ophelia’s face turned pale, her words trembling as they left her lips. "No... I...I can’t. Please don’t say that, Mother."
Brenda’s expression softened slightly, but the glint in her eyes remained cold and calculating.
"Then don’t question again. This is for our survival. Your brother will understand one day... maybe even thank ."
She knew her son. Once the rice was cooked, he would have no choice but to marry Payton, and then he would see others suffer for food, while he would have warm dishes ready for him three tis... he would slowly start to love Payton instead.
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