MARRIED TO MY EX-BOYFRIEND FATHER

Episode 4

Jessica’s POV

The hotel’s chaos swirled around me, a cacophony of shocked whispers and clinking glasses, but my world narrowed to Sandra’s pale face and the USB drive clutched in her trembling hand. Her mouthed words—I found something—echoed in my skull, a lifeline in the storm of Elise’s threat: Leave Damien and Jade, or the video goes viral. You have 24 hours.

The photo of me in that Vegas chapel, drunkenly saying “I do” to Damien, burned in my mind, as did the bombshell that the marriage was invalid, the officiant unlicensed. Elise’s smirk as she orchestrated this trap, Jade’s desperate confession of love, and Damien’s possessive fury—it was a house of cards, and I was the one about to fall.

“Jessica!” Damien’s voice snapped me back, his gray eyes blazing as he stepped closer, oblivious to the crowd. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Jade grabbed my arm, his touch a painful reminder of his betrayal—eight months of lies, a secret Vegas wedding to Elise, and a baby I hadn’t known about until she’d shoved that sonogram in my face. “Don’t go with him,” he pleaded, his voice raw. “I meant what I said. I love you.”

Elise’s laughter cut through, sharp and venomous. “Oh, Jade, you’re pathetic. She’s already tangled with your father. Let her crash and burn.” Her hand rested on her barely visible baby bump, a cruel taunt.

My chest tightened, rage and fear collided. Sandra tugged my sleeve, her eyes urgent. “Jess, we need to talk. Now.” She glanced at the USB drive, her expression a mix of fear and determination.

I yanked free from both men, my voice shaking but resolute. “Enough! All of you, back off. I need a minute.” I turned to Victor, my boss, who hovered nearby, his face a mask of irritation. “I’m taking a break. Five minutes.”

He scowled but nodded. “Make it quick, Jessica. This circus is bad for business.”

I followed Sandra to a quiet corner near the bar, my heart pounding. “What’s on the drive?” I whispered, my eyes darting to ensure no one followed. Elise’s deadline loomed, and that video could ruin me—my reputation, my future, everything.

Sandra’s voice dropped to a hush. “I hacked into the hotel’s security footage from two weeks ago, the night you… married Damien. Jess, it’s not just Elise’s video. There’s more—proof she drugged you.”

My breath caught. “Drugged me?” The blurry night in Vegas, my slurred vows, Damien’s ring on my finger—it had felt wrong, but I’d blamed the champagne. “You’re sure?”

She nodded, her eyes fierce. “The footage shows Elise slipping something into your drink at the hotel bar before you left with Damien. She planned the whole thing—got you to that chapel, faked the marriage, and recorded it to control you. But there’s something else.” She hesitated, her face paling. “Jade was there too. Not in the chapel, but outside, talking to Elise. They were arguing about… money.”

The revelation hit like a freight train. Jade, involved? My knees wobbled, but I gripped the bar counter, fury surging. “Money? What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Sandra admitted. “The audio’s patchy, but it sounds like Elise paid him to keep quiet about something. Jess, this drive could expose them both—or get us in serious trouble.”

My mind raced. Elise had manipulated me into a fake marriage to trap me, but Jade’s role was a new wound. Had he known about her plan? Was his “I love you” just another lie to keep me tethered? And Damien, caught in this web, thought he’d won a wife, not realizing he was a pawn. I needed that drive, but Elise’s threat loomed—24 hours, or my shame would be plastered across every tabloid.

“Give it to me,” I said, my voice low. “I’ll handle this.”

Sandra hesitated but handed me the USB, her hand shaking. “Be careful, Jess. Elise isn’t just vindictive—she’s dangerous. And if Damien finds out you were Jade’s girlfriend…”

“He won’t,” I said, though doubt gnawed at me. I slipped the drive into my purse, my resolve hardening. Elise wanted to play dirty? I’d play dirtier.

---

Back in the main room, the tension hadn’t eased. Damien stood by the exit, his posture rigid, while Jade argued with Elise, their voices hushed but heated. I caught Jade’s eye, and he broke away, striding toward me. “Jess, please,” he said, his voice low. “I don’t know what’s going on with my dad, but we can fix this. I’ll leave Elise. I swear.”

His words were a knife, twisting in old wounds. “Leave her?” I laughed bitterly. “You married her, Jade. You lied for months, and now she’s pregnant. Don’t pretend you’re the hero.”

His face crumpled, but I saw it—a flicker of guilt, not just for me, but for something deeper. Sandra’s words rang in my ears: *Jade was there, talking to Elise about money.* “What did Elise pay you for, Jade?” I asked, my voice icy.

His eyes widened, panic flashing. “What? Nothing. She didn’t—”

“Don’t lie to me!” I snapped, stepping closer. “I know you were with her that night in Vegas. What was the deal?”

He froze, his mouth opening, then closing. Before he could answer, Damien’s voice boomed. “Jessica, we’re done here.” He grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the door. “This drama ends now.”

I yanked free, my anger spilling over. “I’m not your property, Damien. That marriage was a fraud, and I’m not playing your game.”

His eyes darkened, a mix of frustration and intrigue. “You’re bold, Jessica. I like that. But you signed a contract, fraud or not. We’ll sort this at home.”

“Home?” I scoffed. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Elise sauntered over, her smirk unwavering. “Trouble in paradise? Jessica, you should listen to Damien. Or would you prefer the world sees your little Vegas performance?”

My hand itched to slap her, but the USB drive in my purse was my weapon. I needed time to view it, to confirm Sandra’s claims. “You don’t scare me, Elise,” I lied, my voice steady. “Push me, and you’ll regret it.”

Her eyes narrowed, but before she could retort, a man in a suit burst through the crowd, his face grim. “Ms. Carter,” he said, addressing me, “I’m with the district attorney’s office. We need to speak. Now.” He flashed a badge, his gaze sweeping over Damien, Jade, and Elise. “This involves a fraud investigation tied to your… marriage.”

My heart stopped. Fraud investigation? The invalid marriage was one thing, but this felt bigger, tied to Elise’s schemes. Damien’s jaw clenched, his eyes flicking to Elise, who paled for the first time. Jade stepped back, his guilt palpable. The DA’s man handed me a card. “Meet me tomorrow, 9 a.m. Bring any evidence you have.”

Evidence. The USB drive burned in my purse, a ticking bomb. If it proved Elise drugged me, I could bury her. But if it implicated Jade further—or exposed my motives to Damien—I’d be ruined. I nodded, my throat dry. “I’ll be there.”

As the man left, Elise recovered, her smirk returning. “Good luck, Jessica. You’re playing with fire.” She turned to Jade, her voice sweet but lethal. “Let’s go, darling. Our baby needs us.”

Jade hesitated, his eyes locked on me, but he followed her, leaving me with Damien. “This isn’t over,” Damien said, his voice low, almost admiring. “You’re tougher than I thought, Jessica. But don’t cross me.”

I met his gaze, defiance masking my fear. “I’m not the one you should worry about.”

---

That night, alone in my apartment, I plugged the USB into my laptop, my hands shaking. The footage loaded—grainy but clear. Elise, slipping a vial into my drink, her smile predatory. Then, outside the chapel, Jade arguing with her, his voice muffled but angry: “You promised me half the payout!” My heart shattered. Jade hadn’t just known—he’d profited from Elise’s scheme, selling my dignity for cash.

But the video kept playing, and a new figure appeared, watching from the shadows. My breath caught as the camera zoomed in—Victor, my boss, handing Elise an envelope, his grin sinister. What was he doing there? Before I could process, my phone rang, an unknown number. I answered, my voice trembling. “Hello?”

“Jessica,” a distorted voice said, chilling my blood. “You have the drive. Hand it over, or Sandra pays the price. Check your door.”

Dread gripped me as I ran to my front door, flinging it open. A photo lay on the mat—Sandra, bound and gagged, her eyes wide with terror. A note was pinned to it: Deliver the USB by midnight, or she’s gone. The clock read 11:15. My scream echoed in the empty hall,

my world collapsing as I realized Elise’s game was deadlier than I’d ever imagined