Married to Damien

Chapter 2

It took an hour later for Jessica to reach her sister's house. The gate slid open as the SUV drove in, the lovely white compound coming into view.

"Miss Greenwood, welcome." The gray-haired housekeeper said as Jessica stepped out of the car and began to walk towards the house.

"Hello, Mrs. Harper." Jessica smiled at the lady who had taken care of her since she was a child and moved to stay with her sister; Astrid when she got married, "Is my sister inside?"

"Yes, she's in the sitting room waiting.." the woman smiled back, ushering her inside.

Jessica sat across from her sister, Astrid, in the cozy living room of her sister's home. She had originally come to her sister for comfort and advice, hoping that Astrid could help her make sense of the mess that her life had become. But looking at Astrid, she got worried.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned. Looking with worry as Astrid faked a smile that barely reached her hazel eyes.

"Oh, Jess…" she chuckled lightly, pushing her auburn backward behind her ears, "You're the one who texted with an SOS, I should be asking you."

"Yeah, I know but…you don't look fine.." Jessica knew when Astrid was lying and what she was doing right now. Physically, she looked okay but something was obviously wrong.

"Did something happen? Why the sudden text and a need to see?" Astrid asked, changing the topic quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Jessica decided she would press on later. When she was done venting,

"It's just not fair," Jessica complained, her voice tinged with instant frustration and sadness, remembering her father's words.

"Dad doesn't even care that I don't like any of this. He just wants me to marry a stranger only because he's rich and influential."

Astrid sighed sympathetically. "I know, Jess. It's not fair at all. But you have to remember that our father comes from a different time. He values power and status above all else."

Jessica frowned as she reached forward and picked up the glass of orange in front of her, "And the company's bankrupt." She looked up and saw the betraying emotion on Astrid's face. "You…knew?"

Astrid cleared her throat and shifted closer to Jessica, "Jess, Dad called and told me and, honestly, I think that's the only way to save the company..…"

"Are you serious?" Jessica stood up immediately. "You are both in on this?"

"Jess, if you could just listen—"

"How could you be okay with this?" Jessica protested with annoyance.

"I'm not…" Astrid sighed, "But it's not that bad if you think about it and it's for the family, Jess. I went through the same thing, and look, I'm married and..happy." The last word was said with a tinge of doubt.

"But that's not right!" Jessica protested, her green eyes flashing with anger. "He or any one else shouldn't be trying to control my life like this. I deserve to be happy, Astrid. I deserve to be with someone who loves me for who I am, not for my family's status or wealth."

Astrid reached out and took her sister's hand, guiding her to sit back down. "I know, Jess. And you will find that person. But…," She pushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ears. "Your duty to your family comes first. You know that."

Jessica wished she could have been angry at her sister at that moment. Like really angry, but all she could feel was frustration. Pure frustration at everything.

After a few more minutes, she decided to go back home and do what she was supposed to do. She really didn't have a choice.

"Take care, Sis," Astrid said as she hugged Jessica, who barely returned the hug, flashing a false smile in her direction.

"Tell Iann I said hi." She responded, referring to her brother-in-law and Astrid's husband.

Astrid's smile looked even more forced than Jessica's, "I will."

The ride back home was lonely as hell. It was like she was slowly traveling to her doom. She sighed as she leaned back on the headrest, thoughts going through her head and the one that happened earlier in Cameron's mind.

The encounter she had with the stranger who wanted to sue her, she smiled and scoffed. Coincidentally, the SUV drove past the scene of the incident and she looked out the window, hoping or wishing. That she would see him. She didn't really know why she did that and why she sighed sadly when his car obviously wasn't there.

The evening before the night, Jessica felt like she would take a running jump into the lake the more she thought about it. She was now conflicted. If she decided not to go, she would be a bad and ungrateful daughter who doesn't care about her father and if she did, she would be as unhappy as…well, her sister.

"Do you like this hairstyle, Miss?" The hairdresser her father got for her asked and, for the first time since she sat down, she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She was wearing a green cocktail dress, an off-shoulder sequin satin dress with a side slit, and a lacy train. Her hair was styled down her back with diamond-like hair clips pinned at the back of her head.

"Just get my purse." She said, standing up and walking down to meet her father. After collecting her purse, she followed her father outside.

"You look good, Jessica." He smiled, leading her into the back of his limousine.

"Thank you…dad."