FAMILY SECRETS
1479 Words
Lily froze without saying a word.
“I asked you a question,” he yelled. “Where exactly were you going.”
“I...I just needed some air,” she stamarred.
He moved closer to her. “You needed some air? And you were planning to find it outside the gates, alone, and at this time of the night?”
Lily became aggravated. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”
“Yes you do,” Martin replied, with a serious expression.
At this point Lily expected him to get furious but he then spoke softly to her instead. “Why, Lily? What's so important that you had to sneak out this way?”
Lily hesitated, but then figured out there was no point in lying. “Naomi wants to talk.”
“Naomi?” Martin laughed a bit. “Let me guess, she has some urgent revelation about your family?”
Lily gasped. “How do you—”
“She’s playing games.” Martin cut in. “She knows exactly how to mess with your head.”
“Maybe,” Lily admitted. “But I still want to hear what she has to say.”
“No, you won't.” Martin replied sharply.
Lily frowned. “I refuse to be kept here like some prisoner. You don't get to control me”
“Actually, I do,” Martin said. “You gave up those rights the moment you agreed to become my wife.”
Lily’s clenched her fists. “So what, are you gonna lock me up here forever? and prevent me from ever seeing anyone??”
They stared at each other for a while in silence then Martin sighed. “Fine.”
“...What?” Lily replied.
“You can go see her.”
Lily was surprised by his sudden change. “Really?”
“You can do as you wish,” Martin replied. “But understand that I'm only trying to protect you. Your family will use whatever means necessary to manipulate you."
“And you won't?” Lily exlaimed in a rather rude tone.
Martin's expression suddenly turned sour. “I've been transparent about things with you.”
“Except for why you married me in the first place," Lily challenged.
“Have a good night,” Martin said, as he walked away, ignoring Lily's statement.
---
The next morning, Lily went to a popular restaurant downtown. Naomi was already waiting there, taking a strawberry smoothie.
“You actually came,” Naomi said with a smile as Lily sat down. “I’m impressed. I thought Martin would have put a leash on you by now or something.”
“I don’t have much time,” Lily frowned. “Just tell me whatever it is you needed to say.”
Naomi sighed, still taking a sip of her smoothie. “Oh Lily, you were always an impatient one.”
“Naomi.” Lily groaned
Dad’s
“Fine, fine,” Naomi mutturred. “It’s about business.”
“What about it?” Lily responded.
Naomi’s finally looked serious . “You really have no idea, do you?”
Lily was silent.
Naomi then continued. “Did you ever wonder why Dad was so determined to marry you off to Mike?”
Lily sighed. “I don't know but possibly to climb up the the social ladder, like he always does.”
"Partially," Naomi conceded. "But there's more. Dad's company is in trouble, Lily. Serious trouble...”
Lily frowned. “What do you mean, serious trouble?”
“I mean, he’s drowning, Lily. Debt, bad investments, failed deals… The company is falling apart.” Naomi responded.
Lily’s became tense. “That doesn’t make any sense. Dad always made it seem like everything was fine.”
“Of course he did.” Naomi fired back. “Do you think he’d tell you his precious little empire was crumbling? That’s why he was desperate to marry you off. Mike was his way out.”
Lily shook her head in disbelief. "That’s ridiculous. Mike isn’t even that influential.”
“You really don’t get it, do you?” Naomi continued. “Mike’s father has connections—banking connections. He was willing to secure a deal that would have saved Dad’s company. In exchange, you would have been the perfect little wife, tying our families together.”
“So that’s what I was to them? A bargaining chip?” Lily said, upset.
Naomi sighed. “Agh, don’t be so dramatic. It wasn’t just about you—this was about all of us, this deal would have benefited us all. But you walked out of the wedding that day and you didn't just humiliate Dad but you destroyed the only change we had to save our family.”
Lily’s frowned. “That’s not fair. He never told me about any of this.”
“And Would you have gone through with the whole thing if he had?” Naomi asked. “Would you have sacrificed yourself for the family?”
Lily didn’t answer.
Naomi sighed. “You don’t get it now, but eventually you will. When the company falls and Dad loses everything, you’ll realize what you’ve done.”
“Dad is not my responsibility.” Lily barked out.
Naomi laughed a bit. “That’s what you keep telling yourself, but you'll see eventually. And now, instead of being with a man who would have helped our family, you ran straight into the one who could destroy us.”
Lily tensed up. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Listen closely,” Naomi lowered her voice. “Let's just say that Dad's ‘respectable’ company isn't as clean as it seems. You think he got all that wealth in the past from good honest work?”
“And why are you telling me all this now,” Lily sighed.
“Listen, the point is, Dad has enemies, like really powerful ones,” Naomi replied. “And they are people out there who love to destroy him, and not just in business but personally.”
Lily was silent.
Naomi continued. “Now, here’s where it gets interesting. You married a man with enough power to bury our family if he wanted to. And you don’t even know why he married you.”
Lily's heart pounded. “And what does Martin have to do with any of dad's business?”
Naomi hesitated, “Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? I don't know that but—”
“Martin wouldn't hurt our family.” Lily cut in.
“Oh, Lily. Don't be so naive.” Naomi snorted. “Listen, I might not have anything on him, at least not yet. But he's a powerful man, and men like that don't just randomly show up and propose a marriage deal for no reason.”
Naomi then stood up to leave, “I should get going now, but just think about what I said sis.”
As Naomi walked away, Lily just sat there, looking confused and lost in her thoughts.
Her father’s company was in trouble. He needed Mike to save it.
And Martin…does he have any reason to harm her family? She took a deep breath.
---
That evening, Lily returned to the mansion, still thanking about what Naomi had said.
Martin was waiting in the living room, sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey.
“You finally got back?” he said without looking at her. “Tomorrow we have an—”
“Why did you marry me?” Lily cut in. “And don't tell me it would benefit us both again, I wanna know what those benefits are.”
Martin dropped his bottle of whiskey, “Naomi fed you with ideas, didn't she?”
“This isn't about Naomi,” Lily yelled. “As your wife, I have the right to know what I'm involved in.”
Martin grinned, “Before you interrupted me, I was gonna tell you that we had an important event to attend tomorrow.”
“What event?” Lily replied.
“A gala.” Martin stood now. “It’ll be our first public appearance as a married couple, and we'd have to appear as the perfect happy newly weds.”
“You didn't mention this earlier,” Lily said frowning.
“Well I am now.” He said. “Get some rest and prepare, we'll leave at five in the evening.”
“What about the questions I asked you earlier,” Lily cried out.
Martin then smirked. “Play your role as Mrs Luther perfectly well tomorrow, and you'll get all the answers you want, I give you my word...have a good night”
With that he left Lily in her thoughts. Her first public appearance as Mrs Carter? It would be an interesting day.
- Writer
