The Man I Shouldn't Love

Amy’s P.O.V Phew! Yep, that was the sound of me after successfully moving my ten-pound suitcase into my childhood home. A.k.a. my parent’s home. At twenty-one, entering my final year of college, my life should have been mapped out for success. I was supposed to be focusing on final exams, project work, completing my application for The Herbert Wige Fellowship program while trying to ignore how my oversized cardigans never quite hid the heavy curves of my body. Now before you judge me, Judge Judy, I have just been dumped by my boyfriend, and he is now set to marry a billionaire’s daughter. When I confronted him, he said I couldn’t offer him what she could. You know what, he was right. So, yeah, I will be finishing college from home, after which I plan to disappear to a place no one knows me. The moment I stepped into the foyer, the rich scent of a gourmet dinner hit me. Just then, my seventeen-year-old brother, Josh, who had just graduated from high school, sprinted down the stairs. The moment he saw me, he screamed, “Dad, Mum! Your adopted child is here!” “Screw you, Josh!” I retorted. “If anyone is adopted, it’s you.” He blew raspberries at me. I threw my arms around his neck and tickled him. He hated it. I loved it. My father, David Sanders, met us in the hallway with a wider than normal grin. Before I could even ask what was going on, he pulled me into a tight hug. "There she is! Perfect timing, sweetheart. Come into the dining room. We have exciting news to share with you." I followed him, my brows furrowing. My mother, Phoebe, was already seated at the table, practically vibrating with excitement. "Amy, sit down," Mom said, her voice trembling. "Your father just received the official confirmation this morning. He has been selected for the senior diplomatic advisory council. It’s a prestigious, four-year overseas government assignment." I froze, my hand dropping from my thick glasses. "Four years? Overseas? Where?" "Tokyo," Dad said, his eyes shining with pride. Dad and Mom held hands and giggled in each other’s faces for a weird one minute. Did I ever tell you my parents were high school sweethearts? Yep. Dad was captain of the football team and Mum, a cheerleading captain. Both of them, three times home-coming king and queen. They still have the perfect beauty standard society endorsed. Little wonder I was nicknamed ‘adopted girl’ in high school because how could someone like me come from someone like them. "And I’m going too," Josh chimed in, offering a dramatic sigh. "Apparently, Tokyo has better arcade culture, so I've agreed to bless them with my presence." "The timeline is incredibly tight, Amy," Dad continued, ignoring Josh. "We have to be on a plane by the end of next week. Josh will go to college there." "Next week?" My mind raced. I was thrilled for him, but a sudden weight settled in my chest. Great. Everyone is going to Tokyo to eat authentic ramen while I stay behind to battle college professors and student loans. "I am so happy for you, dad.” “Thanks darling,” dad said, but then his face fell flat. “We will be giving up the house-" “What? Why? Where will I stay?” I started to panic. “I can’t go back to my college dorm.” "Everything is handled, Amy. We will never leave you stranded," Dad assured me. "I-” Footsteps echoing from the adjacent formal living room interrupted him. A tall, imposing figure stepped into the dining room, and my breath seized in my throat. Stanley Pearson - Hotel and Luxury Hospitality mogul, cutthroat investor, and my father’s best friend of thirty years. Oh, f**k me! A rush of heat flooded my face, and I instinctively smoothed down my cardigan and adjusted my glasses. For years, I had buried a consuming teenage crush on this man. At fifteen, I had first noticed the way he carried himself. At seventeen, I had fallen hopelessly in love with him from afar. He was the standard against which I compared every guy at college, and none had ever measured up, not even the ‘stab-me-in-the-back’ ex. Ley was a walking, talking hazard to my emotional stability. Yep, I had nicknamed Stanley, Ley. It had been four years since I last saw him. But time had only made him more devastating. His suit accentuated his broad shoulders and lean frame. His dark hair was styled perfectly, and his piercing gray eyes held me in a chokehold. "Stanley," Dad beamed, standing up to shake his hand. "You remember my daughter, Amy.” Stanley turned his gaze toward me. I braced myself, my heart racing, praying he would see me differently now. Please don't look at me like I'm a human-sized dumpling. Stanley offered a polite nod. His expression remained entirely unreadable. "Of course. Hello, Amy. It has been a long time. You’ve grown up." Are you f*****g kidding me? You've grown up? Translation: Hello, child whom I am legally obligated to acknowledge. A sharp prick of annoyance sliced through my nervousness. Before I could salvage what was left of my reputation, another figure stepped out from behind Stanley. I stopped breathing. The blood completely drained from my face, and my glasses suddenly felt heavy on my nose. Quinn Heather — a breathtakingly beautiful woman who looked like she walked out straight from a magazine. But that wasn’t what made me freeze. Quinn was a year above me in high school. She spent two solid years making my life a living hell. She was the one who had nicknamed me 'The Human Eclipse' in the cafeteria. Yes, I know, I have too many nicknames. No. Way. Out of all the billions of women on this planet, he picked the head demon of my high school nightmares? She slipped her perfectly manicured hand effortlessly through his arm. Her flawless, cream-colored designer dress highlighted a slim, athletic physique. Her blonde hair fell in perfect waves, and her smile was dazzling. "Amy, this is Quinn," Mom introduced quickly. "Stanley’s fiancée." The word fiancée felt like a slap on my face. Quinn looked down her nose at me, her eyes lingering for a second too long on my thick lenses and my soft silhouette. A cruel, familiar glint flashed in her eyes before she covered it with a tight, performative smile. "Ah, so this is the little college student we’ve heard so much about. It’s so sweet to finally meet you, Amy. Stanley speaks highly of your father’s work." She’s pretending she doesn't know me, I thought, my jaw clenching. Classic Quinn. "Nice to meet you, Quinn," I managed to squeeze out through my teeth. Mom ushered them to the table. “As I was saying, Amy,” Dad continued. “We have to give up the house. It’s the government’s.” I frowned, adjusting my glasses and about to argue when my dad cut in. “I spoke with Stanley, and he has graciously stepped in." My eyes snapped to Stanley. He was calmly pulling out a chair to sit. "Stanley has a massive estate just twenty minutes from your university campus," Dad announced, a look of profound relief on his face. "He has plenty of room, top-tier security, and a full staff. He is the man I trust more than anyone else in this world." A cold dread began to mingle with a sudden, fierce heat blooming in my chest. Dad smiled warmly, delivering the final, inescapable truth. "You'll be moving in with Stanley next week." Now, this is where I should have said: Oh, f**k me! I looked across the table. Quinn’s perfect smile had completely vanished, her eyes narrowing into something dangerous as she stared at me. She clearly didn't want her old victim anywhere near her billionaire prize. But it was Stanley’s reaction that held me captive. His gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that burned right through my glasses. For the first time that night, he wasn't looking through me. He was looking at me. Then it dawned on me, four years in the same space with my longtime crush… I didn't know when a smile formed on my face.