Chapter One

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My eventual becoming as the heiress of the DuMont family fortune wasn't always a path planned for me. My eldest brother was to be the one to inherit the vast fortune curated by previous generations of DuMont men, and if not him, then my second eldest brother would have been next in line to claim the inheritance. But as I grew into my own, and my brothers proved with their lackadaisical, bachelor's lifestyles that they could not be trusted to continue the legacy, my Father willed the vast majority of our wealth to me on my 13th birthday. I wasn't thrilled, but the importance of "duty" wasn't lost on me, and thus the grooming process began immediately. I excelled in every aspect of preparation for my eventual takeover of the conglomerate. At twenty-two, I graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Spellman's, ranking among some of the highest-performing students, and graduated again a year later from their Master's program. I was on top of the world, and in a few short years, my Father would be handing me the keys to the kingdom.

It wasn't too much of a stretch to say that my life had been consumed by being the best in a man's world– fighting hard to prove myself as the "spare" in my household. But now, the fruits of my labor would come to fruition, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop me from reaching them...

Nothing except the universe's own denial of my proper place. The eve of my twenty-third birthday happened at the tail-end of my graduation, and the night was meant to be a celebration of life and all of its good fortunes. The clock struck 12, and as all of my friends and family cheered for me, it was as if lightning coursed through my body. Every inch of my skin was on fire, and I fell to the ground in pain. My Mother, who favored regality, was the first at my side, fraught with worry, comforting me as she directed orders to call for an ambulance. I spent two days in the hospital unconscious, during which they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.

Once I was discharged from the hospital, my Father had enough sense to have me seen by a Jujutsu researcher. The stories of our ancestor's usage of cursed energy were little more than fairytales now; over time, the techniques became watered down, essentially rendering the present-day DuMonts as non-users, so seeing the researcher was supposed to be just a precautionary visit.

"It appears to be some kind of binding vow that's affecting you."

My parents and I were both dumbfounded by the researcher's words. I'd never made such a pact with anyone, not myself. Our initial worries were that this was a scheme concocted by a rival conglomerate, but once we denounced that idea, the other explanations we came up with were just as nonsensical...

I wouldn't find out the truth until much later...

"You're to be engaged by next fall."

"You're kidding?"

It was my Mother who'd come to deliver the news to me a month after the mishap at my birthday party. My Mother wasn't one to joke about these things, but the news was so shocking that I couldn't believe it.

"No," She said, "We will be flying to Tokyo next week to meet them, and you will begin Japanese lessons tomorrow."

"Mom, I'm not marrying a strange man from another country I don't know. This is crazy!"

My Mom sighed. She seemed to be holding back her thoughts on the situation, as if trying not to upset me more than I already was.

"I understand and know how you feel, but we can't get out of it. Your Father has already rewritten the will, so there is no other choice but for you to marry. It's now your duty."

Suddenly I was appalled by that word. It was now being used as a tool formed against me, and I wanted to hear nothing about duties and obligations. My life was consumed with preparing to take over DuMont Holdings, and now it was all going to shit so that I could play housewife with a man unknown to me.

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: Jun 24, 2023 ⏰

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