Not His Choice, Not His Ending

Elise Jensen was labelled a bringer of bad luck as a small child and sent away to be raised in the countryside. Years later her twin sister Sylvia was promised to Cyrus Fenton as part of a business partnership between the two families. Sylvia ran from the wedding. Elise was brought back and married Cyrus under Sylvia's name, on a three-year term. Her mother promised her a sum of money and her freedom when the term was up. Cyrus was in love with another woman for the whole of the marriage. He kept his distance from Elise and spoke to her coldly. Elise was blamed for things she had not done, and on one occasion she was forced into a frozen lake. The other woman moved against her repeatedly. Elise served out the three years, took the money and left on a plane without telling anyone. Sylvia came back and resumed her own name. She and the other woman clashed, and the other woman worked out that a substitute had been standing in the marriage and told Cyrus. Cyrus turned on the other woman and went looking for Elise.