The Marriage Clause

〘⚫Chapter One⚪〙

Chapter One.

I stared at the invitation sitting on the table, its thick cream paper almost mocking me under the warm light of the dining room chandelier.

My name was printed on it in elegant black script.

So was his.

I picked it up slowly, feeling the weight of it more than I should have, and looked at it for a few seconds longer than necessary. Then I dropped it back down as if it had burned me.

“I’m not doing this.”

My father didn't even look up from his phone.

“You are.”

“I said no.”

“And I heard you.”

That finally made me look at him.

He was sitting across from me like we were discussing a normal business deal, not my wedding. Not my life. Not my future.

The room was too quiet. Even the ticking clock on the wall felt louder than usual. My mother sat beside him, her hands folded neatly in her lap, looking tired in a way that went deeper than just exhaustion.

She had been getting weaker lately. Some days she barely left her room, and today wasn't any different. She had insisted on coming downstairs anyway because she wanted to talk to me about the wedding.

The wedding I didn't want.

The wedding I had been dreading since the moment I heard his name attached to mine.

My father finally put his phone down with deliberate slowness.

“You know what this marriage means for the company.”

I let out a short, humorless breath.

“There are other ways to expand the company.”

“Not this quickly.”

“So that's what this is about?”

He sighed like I was the one being unreasonable.

“Of course it is partly about the company. I'm not going to lie to you.”

I laughed once, sharp and empty, the sound bouncing off the walls and dying just as fast.

“At least you're honest.”

My mother reached for my hand before I could pull away.

“Please.”

I looked at her.

That one word was enough to make my chest tighten painfully.

“Mom…”

“I just want to see you settled.”

“Settled?” I pulled my hand away gently, trying not to hurt her but needing the space. “You're talking like I'm leaving tomorrow. Like my life is some problem you need to fix before it’s too late.”

She smiled weakly, the kind of smile that didn’t reach her eyes anymore.

“You'll understand when you're older.”

A bitter laugh almost escaped me.

“I don't want to marry him.”

My father's expression changed immediately, sharpening.

“You've known him for years.”

“Exactly.”

The word came out colder than I intended.

He stared at me, waiting for more, but I didn't give him the satisfaction. I looked away instead, focusing on the edge of the table, the polished wood, anything but him.

There was a time when I actually liked him.

He had been my friend before everything changed. Before expectations. Before business deals. Before our families started looking at us like pieces on a chessboard.

We grew up around the same people, attended the same events, spent holidays with our families. He used to make me laugh without trying. He used to feel… normal.

Then somewhere along the way, he became someone I couldn't stand being around.

Possessive.

Jealous.

Always deciding what I should do, who I should talk to, where I should go, like I was something that belonged to him by default.

And every time I tried to pull away, he somehow found a way back into my life, smiling like nothing had changed, like I was the one being difficult.

I had told my father before.

More than once.

He didn't care.

To him, the man was a good match.

Powerful family. Good reputation. Strong connections. The kind of name that opened doors without effort.

A perfect marriage.

A perfect business deal.

Just not a perfect life for me.

“I won't force you,” my father said suddenly.

I looked at him, almost relieved despite myself.

Then he continued.

“But your mother may not have much time.”

My heart dropped so fast it felt like it hit my stomach.

The air in the room shifted.

I knew exactly what he was doing.

“Don't.”

“I haven't said anything.”

“You don't have to.”

My mother looked between us, confusion and worry flickering across her face.

My father leaned forward slightly, his voice quieter now, more calculated.

“She wants one thing before she goes.”

“Dad.”

“She wants to see you married.”

The words landed like a weight I couldn't lift.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.

“That isn't fair.”

“Neither is life.”

I stood up so quickly my chair scraped harshly against the floor, the sound cutting through the room.

“You're using her.”

My mother's eyes filled with tears instantly.

“No, sweetheart.”

The regret hit me immediately.

I shouldn't have said it like that.

I walked toward her and knelt beside her chair, lowering my voice.

“I'm sorry.”

She touched my face gently, her hand trembling slightly, as if she was trying to memorize me through her fingertips. Like she was afraid I would disappear if she blinked too long.

“I just want to know you'll be okay.”

“I'll be okay without him.”

“I know you think that.”

“I know it.”

She smiled sadly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

“You've always been stubborn.”

A small laugh escaped me despite everything, soft and broken.

“That's your fault.”

She laughed too, quietly, the sound fragile but real.

For a moment, it felt like everything was normal again.

Just me and my mother.

No pressure. No contracts. No names written on invitations like sentences.

Then I looked back at the table.

At the invitation.

And reality came back heavier than before, pressing down on my chest until it was hard to breathe.

The wedding was in six weeks.

Six weeks.

That was all the time I had to somehow get myself out of this.

I stood slowly and picked up the invitation again, turning it over in my hands like it might offer a different answer if I looked long enough.

My father's eyes followed me.

“You'll attend the engagement dinner tomorrow.”

I looked at him sharply.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Dad.”

“Six weeks.”

He paused, letting the number hang in the air like a verdict.

“That's how long you have to make peace with it.”

I stared at him for a long moment, searching for even a hint of doubt, of hesitation, of anything human.

There was none.

I put the invitation back down carefully, almost gently, like I was afraid I might break something if I didn’t.

I didn't answer.

There was no point.

I turned and walked out of the room, my footsteps echoing down the hallway behind me. I could feel their eyes on my back even after I left.

The moment I reached my bedroom, I locked the door.

Twice.

Then I slid down against it and sat on the floor beside my bed, my knees pulled to my chest.

I stared at the ceiling.

Six weeks.

It felt like a countdown I couldn’t stop, ticking louder with every breath I took, every thought I tried to push away.

There had to be a way out.

There had to be.

I grabbed my phone from the bed and opened my messages, scrolling without really seeing anything.

Nothing.

No solution.

No miracle.

Just another reminder from my assistant about tomorrow's schedule, as if my life wasn’t currently collapsing into something I didn’t recognize.

I threw the phone back onto the bed.

I wasn't marrying him.

I refused to accept it.

I didn't care what my father said.

I didn't care how powerful his family was.

And I didn't care about the company.

Well…

That was a lie.

I cared about the company.

That was the problem.

My father knew exactly where to hurt me without ever raising his voice.

The company was mine now. I had spent years building it from the ground up, sacrificing sleep, relationships, and pieces of myself I could never get back. I couldn't just walk away and let everything collapse because of one marriage.

And my mother…

I closed my eyes tightly, pressing my fingers against my temples until I saw stars behind my eyelids.

I couldn't hurt her either.

For the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to do.

And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

Six weeks.

I had six weeks to find a way out.

And I was going to find one.

No matter what it took.

I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the dim light spilling through the curtains.

And I was going to start tonight, even if it meant digging through every secret my family thought I would never question.