LavenderHim saying that out loud brought sudden silence to the living room. Everyone froze. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get goosebumps too. It was truly shocking to hear myself being called his wife.Normani was the first to break free from the frozen state. She held my mother’s arm and shook it to get her attention. My mother got up and walked toward us. Nikon was practically shielding me behind him.“Is this some kind of joke?” my mother asked in a soft, broken voice.“Of course it is. Don’t you know Nikon? He would never marry anyone but his fiancée,” his father said, clearly convincing himself that Nikon’s announcement was false.“Then I must say, you don’t know me either, Father. I can do anything I want. And I definitely don’t joke about this,” Nikon said firmly.Normani and Sabrina gasped, covering their mouths in shock.“Nikon! That’s not possible. Tell us you’re lying,” his father shouted, his finger pointing at me. “This skunk is only back for punishment. Say it!”The m
Lavender:“Why is she here?” It was Normani who had spotted me when I arrived with Nikon.“Oh, you brought her here to punish her?” she smiled to herself, not even waiting for a response from Nikon.I couldn’t even meet her eyes. The hate they had for me showed clearly when they attacked me last time. It felt as though everyone had been waiting for a moment like this, and the instant it arrived, they unleashed all their pent-up anger on me.Especially my own family.They didn’t even ask for details before throwing hands at me.“You did that right, big brother. We all should give her a piece of our mind,” Normani said briskly, walking beside Nikon as he led me to the living room where the others were waiting.I clenched my jaw, preparing myself to fight back. Now that Normani was following us and Nikon hadn’t said a word, even I was certain this was why he brought me here, he wanted everyone to torture me.But this time, I will scream and expose their secrets to each other. I will not
Lavender:"Not going to lie, fear looks amazing on you," Nikon commented, making me clench my fists.After I signed the papers, he left me alone with his guards, who watched me like I might drill a tunnel with my broken arm and escape. Later, Nikon sent his maid to give me a blue dress to change into. I understood, it was finally time. He was going to release me back into the world.I can't say I was excited to go back home. It’s not like I’d be returning to a better place where the issues were resolved and I could start over. I was going back with another big issue.I was now married to the devil himself. But at least I will get to stay in a new home and not face the others again.I changed into a blue dress after the nurse helped me shower. I came out, all ready to leave. I didn’t want to spend another night here.I took a deep breath as I was escorted out, blindfolded. Of course, Nikon wouldn’t let me have control over anything, not even knowing where I’d been kept for a week.The
Lavender:“Time is ticking, and I am getting bored. I have other important things to do,” Nikon grunted, leaning back in the chair again, holding the unlit cigar. He never lit it, and I wondered why.“What will you do once I sign these papers?” I asked, tired of sobbing the whole time.“I will go attend the next meeting with my clients,” he replied.“I mean—to me?” I uttered, feeling desperate to get a hint of what my life would be like after I signed these papers. And for how long would we suffer with each other?“You're not that important. I’ll save your life, and you’ll get to live normally. Go to college and all,” he shrugged, giving me a little hope about my future.It sucked that he was forcing me to sign these papers, but the fact that he didn’t intend to do anything worse was oddly comforting.I had asked him so many times why he wanted to marry me when he could help me without this deal. But he never answered. So I was left with no choice. I was starving, and my shoulder was
Lavender:I had been crying so hard ever since I saw that forced evidence, and Nikon let me shed those tears in silence.He had walked out of the room, and after several hours, returned again as if he hadn’t caused me enough trauma already.I was thirsty. My throat was dry from all the screaming and crying.But he came back empty-handed.I knew the moment he handed me those papers that I wouldn’t be granted any food, water, or comfort until I signed them.“This is all a lie to make me look bad. Lowell had been hitting on me, making me uncomfortable. He finally got a chance—”I was trying to explain my side when Nikon silenced me with a hand gesture and a disgusted look on his face.“Save all your nonsense. I’m not interested,” he said in a stern tone.“I saw the evidence, and I believe it. In fact, everyone believes it. Me, my father, your mother, your sisters, and my brothers.”I almost lost my breath when he mentioned his brothers.“Igor and Easton believe the evidence?” I asked, st
Lavender:For a moment, I couldn't even gather my thoughts. I kept staring at his face while he stood still, no movement at all. His chin was down, and his eyes stared at me from beneath his eyebrows.“Sorry, what did you say? I think I heard you wrong.” My brain failed to register.It was one of those crazy things I couldn't believe he said, almost like something so forbidden, even when it technically wasn’t.But in my eyes, it was. I had never even imagined joking with him about it.So I had to ask him again, because I was certain I heard him wrong.“These are our marriage papers. A contract, in fact,” he shrugged, finally saying it out loud. But it didn’t change anything.It only confirmed that he was unhinged, crazy.“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I hissed, clenching my jaw at him.“I’m not. The papers are in front of you. You can read them clearly,” he said, looking so nonchalant while my brain was running miles.Why did he want to marry me?Of course, it wasn’t because we had fee