The main thing is to make a good marriage. A wealthy husband means a happy life, Mum kept telling Harriet, and Harriet always nodded.
Her dad was a protective sort, never letting her wander out at night, go to student parties or weekend camping trips. Everything was under his watchful eye.
Harriets first fiancé, a charming lad from a respectable family, turned out to be more interested in a freer, more exciting girl. When the dissertation deadline loomed, romance fell to the wayside. With dads help she landed a job, and Mum nudged her toward a new match: the nephew of a family friend.
Harriet, you ought to look at this man more closely, Mum said one afternoon over tea. Hes older, but thats a plus, not a minus. Why settle for a boyish fellow? James Turner runs his own firm, you wont even need to work.
Harriet protested, But hes married, Mum! He has a daughter, which means maintenance.
Mum waved it off. His ex-wife lives in another city with the girl, its no trouble for you.
The introduction went ahead. Harriets father stayed silent ever since she finished university hed left the womens side of things to them.
oddly enough, James grew on Harriet. A tenyear age gap didnt bother her; with his good looks and impeccable style, hed still turn heads a decade from now. He was courteous, always dressed to the nines. Harriet impressed him too, and they married.
Mum breathed a sigh of relief, having fulfilled her maternal duty, and threw herself into holidays in sunny Spain with James, shopping sprees, and salon visits all without a daughter to look after.
Harriet, meanwhile, settled into a comfortable life. Her only household duty was to nod at the housekeepers suggestions, as the staff already ran things smoothly.
Then, out of the blue, tragedy struck. Jamess former wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances, andwithout warningHarriet was told she now had to look after his daughter.
Dont make a fuss, James said, shes innocent. He brought the girl home in a battered suitcase and a school backpack.
Lucy was in Year3, tall, quiet, and almost mute. She said hardly a word, but her resemblance to James was uncannyexactly what Harriet liked, unlike the careless mother shed never met.
Living in a big house with a stepmother and a housekeeper was a shock for Lucy; she wasnt used to it. After dinner shed rush to wash the dishes, hunt for a broom, try to iron her own clothes, and Harriet found it all a bit irritating.
James was a workaholic, often late home, so his affection was sparse. Hed pat Lucys head and ask, Hows school?
Harriet began to feel squeezed for time no more early morning gym sessions, no latenight scrolling on her laptop, no impromptu trips to her favourite cafés. Lucys schoolwork also needed supervising, and James kept insisting Harriet keep an eye on it.
She tried suggesting a good afterschool club, but James snapped, and Harriet swallowed her idea. Their relationship grew tense, a hollow routine with resentment bubbling underneath.
Two years later Harriet gave birth to a boy, Ethan. When a nanny was needed, Lucy, now almost twelve, offered to look after her little brother. She proved a natural juggling homework, playing with Ethan, and keeping the house in order while the elderly housekeeper, Nina, began to tire at sixty.
Harriet learned to balance everything, keeping up her social life brunches, coffee with friends, a bit of shopping while still looking presentable for the society circuit. Ethan adored his big sister, and she adored him right back.
When Lucy finished school, Ethan was just starting Year1, and the whole educational burden fell again on Lucy, whod matured beyond her years. She went to university, studying English, and started tutoring her brother.
One evening James asked, Dont you think its odd, love, that youve handed the whole household and boy over to Lucy?
Harriet, now surrounded by friends and weekend outings, replied, Whats wrong with that? Lucy does everything wonderfully. Nina just pretends to work, cooks, and thats it.
James muttered, Exactly my point everythings on Lucy, right?
Harriet fell silent.
Life marched on. Lucy, now a translator at Jamess expanding firm, met Ivan, a sharp sales rep, and a quick romance sparked, much to Jamess surprise. He hadnt expected his quiet daughter to fall for a colleague, and it rattled him at first.
When Lucy announced theyd marry, Harriet felt a pang her reliable housekeeper was about to retire and James wasnt keen on finding a replacement.
Lucy, ever proactive, offered, Ill come over once a week to tidy and iron.
Mum, though, demanded, More often than that, please.
Eventually Lucy moved in with Ivan after a lavish wedding, and he started dreaming of his own business. He quit his job, set up a laptop, but the venture stalled. James, aggrieved, refused to back him financially, though he did give Lucy a modest raise.
Lucy, never one to spend on herself, funneled her earnings into the family pot, quietly slipping cash to her nowgrown brother Ethan. Their apartment was on a mortgage; James loved his occasional restaurant meals and holidays, and Lucy juggled household chores, finances, and helped Mum.
Soon Jamess health faltered, and foreign partners withdrew from the business. The firm teetered, and with his condition worsening, James sold it. Lucy kept her translator job, but her salary was slashed dramatically.
Both James and Ethan fell into despair after Jamess father passed away. Harriet and Ethan needed support, and Lucy moved back in with them, confronting James with an ultimatum: Either you find a decent job and bring money in, or were done.
James, in a fit of anger, shouted, What child? Get a grip! No work, no money. Your dad went bust, and now you expect a handout?
Lucy, stunned, filed for divorce on the spot, ending a marriage that had long lost its spark. She joined her stepmother and brother, a bright lad doing well at school, but money was tight. James left Harriet a modest nest egg, which she used sparingly.
Lucy became the familys sole breadwinner. When her own baby arrived, her stepmother, a surprisingly spry granny, dived into caring for the grandchild, learning on the fly despite limited experience. Lucy admired how Harriet handled the situation, even though she knew the stepmother had a new lover and seemed genuinely happy.
A year later, Harriet married her longtime love and moved in with Ethan. Lucy stayed in her fathers house, working remotely as a translator. The stepmother and her new partner helped with groceries and sometimes took little Katya for the weekend.
Ethan would visit often, calling Lucy the best sister ever, and she loved him just as much. He joked, Lucy, get your life sorted want me to set you up with my PE teacher? Hes a great bloke and single.
Lucy laughed, tugged his hair and said, Calm down, you rogue!
Life settled into a steady rhythm. No major family crises, everyone content in their own way. Lucy still cherished her family, yet deep down she dreamed of finding her own true love and, before long, that dream came true.
