Chapter 4
1015 Words
Mia POV
"Sir—"
"You're not deaf. You heard me," Alexander repeated.
I blinked wildly. My head was spinning in a thousand and one directions, still not sure if I had heard him right or not.
"Your son?" I repeated. "What do you mean I'm marrying your son?"
"This is crazy. I'm not doing this. I don't even know her," he said in an exasperated tone. "Why are you always such an asshole Dad? Huh? f*****g answer me, dammit!"
Alexander did not turn around. He merely walked around to the table and sat down as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
He glanced up at me again. "Take it or leave it. I do not negotiate when I am offering help."
"May I have some time to think about it?" I asked. "Or at least some terms? What is this, exactly?"
"No. Say yes right now, or forget it."
I looked at Peter. He had the look as though he was going to throw something. I looked back at Alexander.
I had no choice because I could not allow my father's company to go to dust. That was the closest thing I had to him so I was determined to fight tooth and nail to keep it.
Marriage was no big deal, or was it?
"Yes," I replied, before I began to overthink anything.
Alexander nodded, as if he already had assumed that. "You'll receive an email contract in an hour."
Peter turned around to face him. "You can't be serious."
Alexander did not say a word to him. He simply smiled at me. "The door is that way. You can leave."
I nodded and walked out of the main doors, then through the lobby.
I was halfway to the exit door when I heard angry footsteps and then, someone grabbed my arm in a tight hold.
"What the devil is the matter with you?" he exclaimed. "Why do you want to trap me into a marriage that I don't wish to have?"
I released my arm. "I didn't trap you into anything. Speak with your father."
He stepped closer to me. "Go speak to my father. Tell him that you don't wish the wedding."
I looked at him and then sighed. "I'm doing what I have to do to save my company."
"This is my life you're going to destroy," he said.
"It's just a sham marriage. It's on paper. You're free to do whatever. We don't even need to live together, we just—" I swallowed hard and turned away from him. I didn't know how to explain it to him.
My body was moving on its own through the lobby and out into the building as if all of this wasn't real. The sun still shone but it wasn't warm.
A guard escorted me to the main gates. It was a long walk and my legs ached. Finally, I reached the gates and I stepped out. The city noises around me sounded quieter than usual, as if the world knew not to speak too loudly now.
My phone was ringing in my pocket. I reached in and picked it up without looking.
"Hello?" I said.
"Mia?" It was June. Her voice sounded frantic. "I saw it all. The search and seizure. The police. The surveillance tape from the lobby. What's going on with you? Why didn't you call? You know I'm always here for you, don't you?"
I held the phone tighter against my ear and kept walking.
"Jason defrauded the company, they thought it was me and I'm getting married."
"You're—what? What do you mean you're marrying someone? You've had a fiancé since when? Mia, are you all right? Are you drunk? What's going on? Marriage. How?"
"It's a long story," I said with a sigh.
June was continuing to pester me with questions as I got into a taxi and provided my address. I did not have the answers, so I just sat and listened to her freak out on me the rest of the way home. As I exited and closed the door, she was still speaking.
"I'll call you later," I told her, then hung up.
I walked towards the elevators leading up to my apartment complex, still in shock at what I had agreed to do.
The apartment was quiet. I plumped my bag onto the floor and took off my shoes. I did not even turn on the lights.
My phone beeped again. The email had arrived.
I opened it and looked at the document. The contract was long, with too many words. I scrolled through it slowly, reading what I could, skimming what I couldn't. The wedding date was in bold.
Saturday.
Three days from now.
I signed it. My hand did not even shake as I typed out my name and drew the signature. Maybe it should have.
Then I ordered a pizza. There was no food at home, and I didn't feel like cooking or pretending to be able to eat something elegant. I waited at the door for it to arrive even though I knew it wasn't going to come until thirty minutes later. I did not even go inside my own bedroom to change my clothes.
I didn't feel like doing anything except wallow in self-pity.
When the doorbell finally rang, I opened it, gave the money to the guy, and took the box. My eyes caught a glimpse of something on the floor when I stepped back inside.
An envelope.
There was no name, no stamp or anything that indicated where it was from. It was just paper.
I bent down, picked it up, and opened it slowly.
Call this off or you'll regret this.
The note didn't even have a signature but I knew who it was from.
None other than Peter Anderson. He wanted the wedding called off.
I still had it in my hand when my phone beeped again.
My driver will come to fetch you to pick up your wedding dress tomorrow.
I had signed... There was no turning back.
- Writer
