Chapter 3
1334 Words
LILY
“Maddy!” Mrs Croft hissed and a certain coldness seeped into my skin.
Did I still want to do this? From the corner of my eyes, Mr Croft shook his phone behind Dominic and I shuddered audibly.
Did I have a choice? It was either this or my family went under…
“Yes!” My voice was unusually high pitched sealing my fate.
If Dominic remembered me or not, it didn’t matter because in less than an hour, we had finalized everything.
He opened the door to his sleek Mercedes and I stood still for a moment.
“Maddy,” Mrs. Croft came out of nowhere “Won’t you give mummy a hug!?” She shrieked and pulled me into her before I could grasp what was going on.
Her fingers held a bit of my skin between her fingers and pain exploded from the spot to my brain.
“I don’t know what your problem is but get rid of it and act your part!” She whisper yelled then pulled away from the forced hug then went behind me and gave me a little push.
I jerked forward quickly catching the gown in my hands before Dominic noticed. I caught his eyes and quickly averted my eyes.
My heartbeat raced as I bent my head and entered the car. Sealing my fate without so much as a goodbye to my family. The envelope was still carefully hidden in my gown, rubbing against my rib cage, the only assurance I had left. The only leverage.
I blinked. There was no driver. Of course. Everything about this wedding was designed to be private and well controlled.
Even as my mind was in shambles, I still spiraled in thought.
Why?
Why were the crofts so bent on selling their daughter? And so private…?
I didn’t know when we got to our destination. Dominic stepped out but didn’t open the door for me. I followed his cue and only when I exited, did he move from the spot.
I still had the veil in front of my face, I didn’t have the courage to remove it. What if he recognized me?
Suddenly, all the speculations that Maddy and I looked identical were futile.
Dominic had to remember me. The letters I had written. The ultrasound results. The list of names I had sent…
I walked into the house and suddenly the realness of the situation dawned on me. Tonight was my wedding night. Dominic had every right to have me after all we were married. I refused to move from the door as Dominic walked past me towards another bedroom.
He hadn’t spoken a word to me since he said “I do”. My hands were balled into fists as my mind betrayed me with memories of the last time I was in this sort of situation five years ago.
I couldn’t forget any detail of him, his rough ridges. The abs that stood out, the way he ripped my shirt off of my body. The way he pinned me to the wall, our lips merging as one as I allowed him to take my virginity…
Tears stung my eyes and I was about to turn around. I couldn’t do this.
“Are you just going to stand there?” His deep rich voice like salted caramel floated to my ears and I gasped.
It was still the same. God.
“Come on,” he said slowly, his strides long towards me as he placed a mug of a hot liquid that smelled like chamomile tea.
Wait. Dominic Sinclair…the man rumored to be the cruelest billionaire, a woman’s man and the hottest bachelor in New York…was offering me tea?
His hand touched the small of my back and I was alarmed at how quick my body recognized and responded to him. I cleared my throat and let him lead me.
He led me to a bedroom and my body went cold. Did he want to sleep with me? Now?
He had prepared the room, it was devoid of life but it showed that he had tried his best.
My brows furrowed and anger started to bubble in my throat. I wasn’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t even my life!
He sat on the bed and tapped it invitingly but I didn’t move. He suddenly stood up and tutted.
“Sit down,” he hissed and I flinched.
What the hell was going on?
“Now,” he commanded and I swallowed. I walked to the bed and sat down. After all I had no choice anyway.
He cleared his throat and grabbed a desk chair, his legs straddling the chair. An image came up in my mind and I shook my head and dropped the mug.
“Are you going to wear that?” He asked and my eyes widened.
“The veil. Take it off,” he spoke and I paused.
“Please,” he said and I don’t know if it was the “please “ he said but my hands went behind me. Feeling for the hook attaching it to my hair.
Maybe he knew it was me? Maybe he finally felt guilty for abandoning me and his child for five years. Maybe he wanted to atone for his mistakes.
The veil fell on the bed while my luxurious hair bounced on my shoulders.
His eyes widened, taking in all of me. My body tensed tremendously before he suddenly gave a sigh.
Wait. What?
“I couldn’t say what I wanted with you looking like that,” his voice took on a more serious note.
“I didn’t marry you because I love you. I don’t love you,” he stated and a bit of discomfort overwhelmed me. I knew I was supposed to be Maddy but the sting hurt.
Dominic’s face took on a more handsome note, his features had sharpened, perhaps with age… or maybe because I didn’t fall out of love for him when I realized who he was at the time of my pregnancy.
“So, here,” he said and suddenly produced a similar envelope like the one I had safely tucked in my dress.
My body tensed as I reached lightly towards the envelope.
“What is this?” I finally spoke, confusion trailing my voice.
“Open it,” he commanded and I looked at him briefly before I opened the envelope.
The heading read “A contractual marriage agreement between Maddy Croft and Dominic Sinclair” caught my eyes and I dropped it on the bed by default.
What the hell was this?
I looked at him in confusion.
“What is that!?” I asked this time with a firmer tone.
He stood up lazily, his gaze never leaving mine.
“What does it look like?” He questioned, a slight tinge of arrogance in his tone.
Irritation creased my brows as I raised one at him.
“It’s a contract agreement between you and me,” he said stating the obvious.
“Why?” I asked. Even though I should be happy with whatever it was that he was proposing because if I knew what contracts were, it was something more tangible. Something leverageable. After all, I still had one hiding in my gown. The painful reminder of the secret I still carried.
“Because I only married you because I need your help with one thing” he trailed and my breathing stopped.
The room was cold with tension.
“And what’s that?” My voice shook while swallowing a lump down my throat.
His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“That’s for me to know and for you to not worry about,” he said.
I should have just said yes, this contract wasn’t even about love.
After all, I wouldn’t be hurting Maddy and I win on every end but silly me thought I was just surviving not realizing I was long since his property.
- Writer
