Billionaire's marriage bargain

MELODY “What is going on here?” I exclaimed as I walked in on an intense makeout session between my boyfriend and my best friend (Sorry make that ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend) in my house “Babe, I-I-I can explain,” he stammered, scrambling to pick up his clothes. “I don’t think you need to explain anything, Joe. It's not your fault she was always busy in the bakery. You just found love elsewhere,” Emily said, rolling her eyes. I stared in shock at the audacity of the girl I called my best friend for 13 years. “Get out! Both of you, before I call the police!” I thundered. “Babe, please, let's talk about this,” he pleaded, trying to hug me. Out of the corner of my eye, I searched for anything to use as a defense. My gaze landed on my brother's baseball. Perfect! “Either you get out, or the police will be the ones arresting me for murder!” “Joe, let's go,” Emily said as she pulled him out of the door. As the door shut, a million thoughts began reeling in my head. How could Joe do this to me? And of all people, Emily? For goodness sake, we had our future planned, from how many kids we would have to baby names and how many cats and dogs we would adopt. Angry tears welled up in my eyes, and their excuse was that I was busy? Oh, excuse me for trying to raise money for my mother's $200,000 heart surgery, or trying to pay off my father's gambling debt or my brother's tuition fees. The sound of my phone ringing brought me back to reality. It was an unknown number. I picked it up to hear the sound of my father's voice, the last person I wanted to talk to at that moment “How dare you ignore me, you bastard!” he shouted. It seems my father always had the worst timing. All the anger and frustration I had been holding back burst forth. “What do you want?!” I shouted at the top of my voice, furiously. "How dare you raise your voice at me, you ungrateful s**t! After all, I had done for you? This is why they say you shouldn't have daughters. They grow up to be ingrates anyway. I need some money…." As I cut the call, fresh tears began to flow. Each drop a testament to the angry, shattered trust and betrayal piercing my soul, leaving me feeling lost, broken, and utterly alone in the world. The argument between my parents echoed through the walls, their voices laced with anger and disappointment. I clenched my fists, trying to block out the familiar sounds of their heated exchanges. “How could you! You used the children's school fees to gamble?” My mother's voice resonated with anger, her brows furrowed in frustration. "Woman, I can do whatever I want. Besides, school is just a waste of time. I mean, look at you. Where did all that education end up? If it's such a problem, just homeschool them," my father retorted callously, devoid of any remorse. “What kind of father are you?” My mother's scream pierced the air. “Did you just talk back to me?” He raised his palms and landed a punch on her face. “Stop it!” I screamed, I woke up, drenched in sweat. It was just another night of reliving painful memories. I had gotten used to it My head throbbed as I stood up, taking in the familiar surroundings of my small apartment. Memories from the previous night flooded back – Joe's betrayal, the wine-induced stupor, and the throbbing headache I now endured. I glanced at my phone to see 50 missed calls, mostly from Joe, and a few from my dad. Not a single message from Emily. How could she not even apologize? Pushing aside the pain and confusion, I hurried to get ready for work at the bakery. I was already short staffed and I needed to be there to supervise. I tied my hair into a neat ponytail, slapped on my favorite jeans and a yellow knitted sweater, and applied makeup to hide the evidence of a tearful night. I grabbed my car keys and a small bag and headed to my car If I hurried there was still a chance to make it to Expresso Oasis, They made legendary coffee and if anything could cheer me up it would be their cinnamon swirl. I arrived at the café, the scent of freshly brewed coffee already lifting my spirits. As I reached for the door, my phone rang, it was Rebecca, my lifelong friend. Emily, Rebecca, and I had been friends since junior high. "Hi Reba," I chirped in the most cheerful voice I could muster "Oh no, that's your 'I'm faking being cheerful' voice," she quipped, instantly seeing through my facade. “You don’t have to pretend to be okay, you know,” Rebecca continued sympathetically. “I heard about what Emily did. I could never imagine she could do that to you.” “Me neither. Look, Reba, I’ll call you later. I'm about to get coffee, and then I'm heading to the shop,” I explained, checking the time on my watch. “We have to talk,” she insisted "I'm really busy, You know this a busy season'' I tried to explain "Melody Rose Carter, I'll meet you at the cafe in the next 20 minutes'' She said as she cut the call I sighed, She had always been the bossy one As I entered the cafe, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped me, offering a fleeting sense of comfort. Sammy, the barista, greeted me with a smile. “The usual, Melody?” he asked. “Yes, but can you add an extra shot? The older you get, the more caffeine you need, Don't get old Sammy” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Yes, but can you add an extra shot? Turns out the older you get, the more caffeine you need. Don’t get old, Sammy,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Sure thing,” he replied with a smile as he prepared my coffee. "Here's your Caramel Cinnamon Swirl, Mademoiselle," Sammy said, attempting a terrible French accent that made me chuckle. "Accents aren't your thing; perhaps you should stick with coffee," I teased, smiling back. What happened next was a blur as I found myself completely engrossed in filling out my planner, completely unaware of my surroundings. I bumped and spilled coffee into a figure adorned in a finely tailored suit, the fabric accentuating every contour of his impressively sculpted muscles. Startled, I wanted to apologize but I stopped at the sight of the most mesmerizing pair of blue eyes I had ever encountered. They possessed a captivating depth as if they could peer directly into one's soul. My gaze trailed down to his chiseled chin, accentuating his defined jawline, framed by tousled blond locks that seemed to catch the light in just the right way. Damn!, To say he looked like a Greek God was an underestimation, This guy could give Apollo a run for his money. Was it legal for someone to be this handsome?. My thoughts were interrupted when he scowled at me”Do they let idiots here too’’ Oh no He didn't! , He may look like Apollo but I'm not going to let him just insult me like that, I have had enough of that from my father. "Look I'm sorry about the coffee, here is my card'' As I fumbled into my bag "You can send me the dry cleaning bill'' I said trying to smile at him "Don't bother you can't afford it'' He mocked as he walked past me. I watched dumbfounded as he entered an expensive Porsche So what if he was rich?. He didn't have to be so rude. I shook my head, I didn't have time to be thinking about handsome grumpy rich men. I went to my favorite corner to wait for Rebecca, Who arrived 10 minutes later. She walked in looking as gorgeous as ever in a red floral dress with accentuated her black long silky hair with a pair of black heel heels. She was the fashionista in the group "Reba, You won't believe what happened to me, Some rich guy just called me an i***t, Although I did spill coffee on him, he didn't have to be so rude, "I said angrily "That's new, I have never seen you worked up about minor issues like this, You always pretend everything is okay, Just like you're doing now" She responded as she sat down "I'm not pretending, I'm fine really, And besides I don't have time to think about garbage," I said " Look I don't support what Joe and Emily did, But I don't want you to internalize everything, You know you can always talk to me ''She said softly as she took my hands "I know and I am really fine, Now tell me about that gorgeous boy you have been talking about'' I said as I tried to swiftly change the topic "I know you are changing the topic" She eyed me "Ethan is fine, He asked me out last week and I said yes, We are going out for dinner tonight''She said happily. "Wow, I'm so happy for you'' I said genuinely We continued talking for 30 minutes until I got a call from the bakery, "I really have to go, Talk to you later, Bye'' I said as I hugged her "Bye, Love you'' She called out as I walked towards the door