Love and Disdain

Chapter 2

A Deal with the Devil

Mariah sat in her apartment, replaying the conversation with her mother over and over in her head. There had to be a way out of this. An arranged engagement? To Sebastian Grey? This was beyond absurd. She needed a plan, and she needed it fast.

She paced the length of her living room, muttering under her breath. Her best friend, Olivia, watched from the couch, sipping a glass of red wine with a bemused expression.

"Okay, let me get this straight," Olivia said, tucking her legs beneath her. "Your mother and Sebastian’s father decided, out of nowhere, that you and Sebastian should get married?"

Mariah groaned. "It’s not out of nowhere. They’ve been meddling for years. They think we’d make the ‘perfect power couple.’ As if that’s a valid reason to force me into an engagement."

Olivia smirked. "And Sebastian? How did he take it?"

Mariah gritted her teeth, remembering the smug amusement in his eyes. "That arrogant bastard didn’t even protest! He just stood there, smirking, like he found the whole thing entertaining."

Olivia let out a low whistle. "Wow. He really does know how to get under your skin."

Mariah flopped onto the couch beside her. "I can’t do this, Liv. I refuse. There has to be a way out."

Olivia considered for a moment, then grinned mischievously. "Why don’t you make him back out instead?"

Mariah perked up. "Go on."

"Sebastian is a control freak. If you become the worst fiancée imaginable, he’ll be the one to call it off. And then, your mother can’t blame you."

Mariah stared at her best friend, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "That… is actually brilliant."

Olivia raised her glass. "To sabotage."

Mariah clinked her glass against hers. "To making Sebastian Grey’s life miserable."

The next evening, Mariah arrived at Sebastian’s penthouse for dinner. It was supposed to be their first ‘official’ engagement discussion, arranged by their ever-so-helpful parents. She had spent the entire day planning how to make it unbearable.

Step one: Arrive fashionably late.

Mariah rang the doorbell precisely thirty minutes after their agreed-upon time. When Sebastian opened the door, his expression was unreadable, but she could tell he wasn’t pleased.

"Punctual as always," he remarked dryly.

She swept past him into his sleek, modern apartment. "Oh, was I late? My mistake. I was so busy picking out the perfect outfit for our romantic evening."

Sebastian arched a brow. "That explains the excessive sequins."

Mariah grinned. She had deliberately chosen a blindingly sparkly pink dress, the exact opposite of the understated elegance Sebastian seemed to prefer. She twirled. "Like it?"

"You look like a disco ball."

"Why, thank you!"

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Let’s just get through dinner."

Mariah plopped into the nearest chair. "Lead the way, fiancé."

Step two: Make the conversation unbearable.

As they ate, Mariah launched into an exaggerated, dramatic retelling of her past romances, ensuring to highlight the most ridiculous moments.

"…and then he wrote me poetry. Terrible poetry. I mean, who rhymes ‘love’ with ‘dove’ anymore? So cliché. And don’t get me started on the guy who wanted to name his future children after video game characters. Imagine having a kid named Link Valdez."

Sebastian stared at her, unimpressed. "Fascinating."

Mariah leaned in. "You know, Sebastian, we should come up with a couple’s nickname. Like ‘Sebariah’ or ‘Marastian.’ Thoughts?"

Sebastian took a slow sip of his wine. "I think I’d rather walk into traffic."

Mariah beamed. "Oh, darling, you’re so dramatic. I love it."

His jaw twitched. "Are you quite finished?"

"Not even close. I’ve been thinking, since we’re engaged now, we should get matching tattoos. Something meaningful. Maybe our initials inside a heart? Or, ooh! Your face on my arm."

Sebastian set his fork down. "Are you trying to scare me away?"

Mariah gasped. "How dare you suggest such a thing? I am merely embracing our newfound love with enthusiasm."

Sebastian studied her for a long moment, then smirked. "Alright, Mariah. Let’s play."

She blinked. "What?"

"You want to test my patience? Fine. But you should know, I never lose."

Her stomach twisted slightly, but she refused to let it show. "Game on, Grey."

Step three: Be as clingy as humanly possible.

Over the next few days, Mariah went all in. She sent him an obnoxious amount of texts, filled with heart emojis and pet names. She showed up at his office unannounced, bringing lunch with ‘I ❤️ My Fiancé’ written on the bag. She even started referring to his penthouse as "our future home."

To her frustration, Sebastian didn’t flinch. If anything, he seemed amused.

"You’re relentless," he remarked one evening as she dramatically draped herself over his couch, reading a wedding magazine.

"Why, thank you. I aim to please," she chirped.

He chuckled. "You really think this is going to work, don’t you?"

"I have no idea what you mean, dear fiancé."

Sebastian leaned in, his gaze steady. "You’re trying to make me call off the engagement."

Mariah’s heart skipped, but she quickly masked it. "What? Me? Never. I’m just embracing our upcoming nuptials with open arms."

He smirked. "Alright, then. Let’s take it a step further."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He pulled out his phone. "We should announce our engagement publicly. A big, lavish party. Let’s make sure everyone knows."

Mariah stiffened. "That’s unnecessary."

"Oh, but it is," Sebastian countered. "You wouldn’t want our families to think you aren’t serious, would you?"

Damn him. He was turning the game around on her.

Mariah forced a smile. "Of course. Let’s throw the biggest engagement party this city has ever seen."

Sebastian leaned back, looking entirely too satisfied. "Perfect."

As Mariah left his penthouse that night, she clenched her fists. This was war. And she refused to lose to Sebastian Grey.