RELUCTANTLY HIS MATE.

When reality hits.

RAVANNA

“You are my wife now, you better act like it.” He walked me to a helicopter on the roof of a skyscraper. I still couldn’t make out what part of the map we were on. The journey took a while. Reed sat on his seat and read a novel, minding his business like I wasn’t a stranger he had just married. We literally just met yesterday.

No, we didn’t meet. He r***d me and forced a marriage on me.

Did I like it? An intrusive thought crept in and I swallowed. Maybe…just maybe.

I slept off during the flight and woke up later. We were back in the city. I had the feeling that Reed did something to make me fall asleep.

The chopper landed on the roof of Hallo Ltd, the number one Movie company in the world.

Now I remember why his name sounded familiar. He is the f*****g CEO! f**k! f**k! f**k! What have I done? The company is my father’s company’s competitor. My father always strives to be as successful as Hallo but after several years of trying, he never got there. Hallo is one of the top investors at my father’s movie company.

Once we got down, he held my hand and led me straight to an elevator. The elevator stopped at the top floor, the one before the rooftop and that is where his office was located.

It’s a big area, more like a villa. It was bigger and better than my father’s house. I couldn’t help but gawk at the beauty.

“Clearly, you have been poor your whole life!” Reed smirked. “This might be a mistake. I don’t want a dumb wife.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have forced someone you didn’t know into a marriage. You talk about a mistake, you are the shady one here.”

He laughed and walked closer. “You have no idea. Be glad you are still alive.”

“What would you have done? Kill me? Go ahead. Try to kill me if you can. Kill me just the way you killed the poor dog.” My heart shattered. I never confirmed it but, could he have really killed the dog?

“What dog?”

“Last night. I saved a dog from the street. When you came in, it was gone.”

He laughed hard, sitting on his chair, he laughed at me like I was stupid.

“I am not a dog, and you didn’t save anything. You brought all this upon yourself. Now it makes sense. You took me in yourself.”

I ignored him. He was spewing nonsense.

He glanced at his watch. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

He took my hand once again and led me to another elevator. “It’s time for what?” I demanded.

“Time to go to your house..”

My stomach grumbled, I don’t want to be there, I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to see anyone’s face!

When we got to the last floor and came out, he still held my hand. Everyone in the company froze when we stepped out. No one dared take a step from where they were or what they were doing. It’s like time paused for him to walk.

Some of them trembled in difficult poses, some cried. Someone mistakenly let his pen fall. Reed caught it from the side of his eyes. When we got outside the company, the people inside unfroze and went back to doing their regular activities.

He called a guard. “Sir!”

“Take care of that dude. He pissed me off.” Reed sounded so toxic. Too toxic.

The guard bowed and left. We got into the car and the driver drove straight to the front of my house.

We parked the car. I sat still, fisting my dress, I glanced at the house. A lot of hate and pain await me in that house.

“I’d like to go in alone. I need to explain things to them.”

Reed remained indifferent and said nothing. I got out of the car and knocked on the door. I heard my mom’s voice, then her footsteps. When she opened the door, she dropped the book in her hand and hugged me hard.

“Ravanna! Goodness. My dear, come in. Is everything okay? Are you fine?” She glanced back. “Whose car is that?”

I ignored the question and followed her inside. They appeared one by one. First, Calico. She sat in the sitting room in a casual dress like she was in her own home.

“She’s back!” My mom announced. Calico shivered when she saw me like she’d just seen a ghost.

My brothers appear one after the other, Mark, Joel, and Loic. Then my father…before Alex finally came out.

Everyone was silent. It was awkward. They stood there and just watched. Then Calico started. “Ravanna! Are you okay? I can’t believe you ran away because I fell sick. I thought you and Alex would come together but you stayed behind. You didn’t have to run away, Rave. It’s just a wedding, you could do it another day.”

She walked closer to hug me, I stepped to my side and she pushed herself to the ground. Alex moved then, running to her. He pushed me to the side.

“Calico, are you okay?” Alex carried her hastily.

“I didn’t know you were this angry at me, Rave. You didn’t have to push me!” Calico ranted. I fisted my hand.

“I won’t waste anybody’s time, I’m only here to pick up my stuff,” I announced.

“Rananna, that was my extreme. You could hurt her,” Alex took her side and helped her up. I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t believe I fell in love with someone like him.

“You have nothing that belongs to you here,” my father spoke, walking into the sitting room with his majestic aura. “I warned you. You are no daughter of mine.”

I opened my lips to speak but I couldn’t.

“Steve, she is our daughter. There is no way you are really sending her out of here. She is staying!” Mom murmured. I pressed her hand and gave her a light smile.

“It’s okay Mom.”

“Mom, you spoil her too much,” Mark started. “Let her go. Just a wedding and she acted like everything was always about her.”

“Everything is about me!” I snapped. “I put everything into this relationship. Everything! Only for my big day to be treated like we went out for lunch. Just because my best friend fell sick on my wedding day. You all are sick and father, I don’t care what you say. I am taking what belongs to me and I am leaving. I walked past him.

He slapped me across the face, making me stagger.

The main door flung open and Reed appeared. His expression was readable this time, he was visibly angry.

“Who the f**k is that?” Calico murmured.

Reed, in five long strides, caught up with me.

“I told you I had this,” I whispered to him. He glanced at my red cheek then looked at my father letting out an annoyed hiss.

“Who the f**k are y–”

A loud sound of a slap filled the room.

Everyone gasped.

My father was on the ground holding his cheeks while Reed held my hand.

“Next time you lay a finger on my wife, I will take your last breath.” He turned to me. “Let’s go.”