Married by Mistake, Desired by Fate

Chapter 4 - Six in the Morning

Sienna Koch

My mother slapped Scarlett, and that certainly woke me up. “How could you?” Mom barked, and Scarlett sighed.

“I had no idea they were friends!” Scarlett said, and I sat on the edge of my bed.

“You do realize it is six in the morning…” I muttered, and both of them glared at me.

“Who cares! This is an emergency,” Mother said, and I took a deep breath. Whatever this was, it didn´t concern me… I hoped.

I shrugged my shoulders and yawned… this was getting old and annoying.

“Start from the beginning…” Mother said to Scarlett, and she sighed.

“Three years ago, I met Salvatore DiMarco in Italy… It was around the time I met Fred, and I really liked Fred, but Salvatore, he was…” she paused, “Different… intense, more…” she stopped and lowered her gaze.

“It was meant to be a summer of fun, a fling, so when he asked my name, I told him I was Sienna Koch…” she muttered in the last part.

“What?” I barked, and she shrugged her shoulders.

“You were miles away! How would I have guessed this would come back to bite me in the ass?” She huffed.

“Anyways, last night I saw him, and well… one thing led to another, and we kissed…” She sighed, and I raised my eyebrows. She was more than kissing him, but for my mother´s sake, I didn´t correct her version.

“I couldn´t find out what he was doing here, but last night Fred introduced him to Claire as his best-f*****g-man… and Salvatore… he told Fred that he was here to marry Sienna, or so Fred told me…” Wait what? I was so confused as to what was happening right now. Scarlett must have banged her head into something.

“I don´t know any Salvatore…” I said, and she huffed.

“Follow the plot, Sienna…” Scarlett huffed.

“Let me get this f*****g shitshow straight…” I said, and my mother glared at me for the use of the colorful language. “You had a summer fling with a man named Salvatore, and for the fun of it, you told him your name was Sienna Koch, me…” I paused, and she nodded.

"Then you went ahead, stole my fianceé, who happens to be best friends with Salvatore, who is here at the island for your wedding, believing he will end up marrying you, or the fake Sienna…” I said, and she nodded again.

“Alright, so come clean. Tell Fred about it, be honest for once in your life… face the consequences of your actions, like a normal human being…” I shrugged my shoulders.

“You don´t get it! Three years ago, Sal was a regular guy… and Fred has always been the catch… somehow, he became powerful over the years, and he will not take no for an answer… he wants to marry a Koch woman…” Scarlett paused, and I laughed hysterically, almost to the point of tears.

“You have to be f*****g kidding me!” I stood up… “I am going to be a nun…” I sighed; the only noise in the room was my laughter and my voice. Scarlett didn´t dare say a word while my mother was deep in thought.

“Salvatore DiMarco is a powerful man, almost as good a catch as Frederick…” Mom mumbled, and my head snapped her way. She can´t be serious!

“He wants her! I am not HER!” I pointed at a shrunken Scarlett.

“I love Fred!, and tomorrow we will be husband and wife…” Scarlett shrieked, and I rolled my eyes. How stupid and entitled she can be…

“Mother, I am not taking the bullet for her this time…” I said, and my mother looked at me straight into my eyes.

“You don't get it, do you?” She looked me straight in the eye.

“The Koch and the Devereux families have been friends since before you were born… Franz Devereux and Claire helped your father and me when we had nothing! KD Media Group was formed, and they own most of the shares. We have a decent life because of them, we are millionaires because of them, but they, they hold the scale… They are the ones calling the shots!” Mom said, and I sighed.

“When Claire asked me for your hand in marriage, I thought that was the solution for all our problems. I don´t have the education to make business decisions, and having a capable man like Fred at the head of the company, leading it, protecting our interest as well, was something I was grateful for…” Mom sighed.

“That´s why I couldn´t stand up for you when he chose your sister…” Mom said. I could see she was tired… this power game, certainly getting the best out of her.

“Now, if Fred finds out and cancels the engagement… The Devereux would want to buy our shares, kick us out of the business, and then, in retaliation, leave us on the street!” Mom said, and I shrugged… I would be in a convent, I knew how to live with the bare minimum… it was not my f*****g problem.

“At least meet him…” Scarlett said, and I shook my head.

“No… I am not taking the bullet, I am not going to sacrifice my life, waste it because you couldn´t be a decent woman…” I said, and Scarlett stood up and stomped her feet.

“You just want to ruin my wedding… You are so jealous of me! You hate me because Fred wanted me instead of you, that this… this is just one of your tricks to get him back…” she yelled, and I almost laughed. How in the world is all this f*****g mess my problem? I just don't see it. My time in the convent not only made me stronger, but also gave me clarity on how toxic my family dynamics were…

“Darling… I will handle Salvatore…” Mother said to Scarlett. “Tomorrow you will walk down that aisle wearing that beautiful white gown, and marry the man you love.” Mom cupped her cheek, and Scarlett nodded with a pout.

“Marrying Fred means no more escapades with Salvatore…” I added, and she gasped, squinted her eyes, and gave me a threatening glare. I didn´t give a f**k, she must have guessed that I was the one who saw her in a very compromising position with her fianceés best man.

“Please, honey, don´t do anything reckless.” Mother looked at her, and she nodded. She had no other choice but to agree to it.

“Now, let me handle this, and what I say goes.” Mother looked at Scarlett and me. The way her eyes averted my gaze told me everything. She was going to save her neck, Scarlett's wedding, and I, I would be the lamb going to slaughter.

“I haven´t agreed to any of your ideas…” I mumbled.

“You don´t have to… You will do as I say, and that is final… and for the LOVE OF GOD! STOP WEARING THOSE HIDEOUS HABITS!” she yelled, turned around on her heels, and left the room.

Scarlett looked at me and snickered. “If mother manages to convince Salvatore to give you the time of day… I would have done you a huge favor, sister…” she sighed, “He is handsome, powerful, strong… and so f*****g good in the sack… so much that it makes me regret saying yes to Fred…” she said, and suddenly I felt disgusted by the woman before me.

“How could you?” I mumbled, and she laughed.

“Oh, sweetie… how naive? I knew who Frederick was, and he is a better catch than Sal… I wanted him, even if he is vanilla and boring in the sack… I wanted him, and I got him…” she smiled, walked towards the door, and turned around.

“Enjoy my sloppy seconds…” She opened the door and left.

She might not have known this outcome, but she knew who Fred was, and she took him away from me intentionally… Should I go to Fred and tell him everything… but would he believe me? One thing I know for sure, my mother is terrified of the consequences, and knowing Aunt Claire, I can guess why. The Devereuxes are a family one should not dare mess with.