DEXTER'S POV:
I didn't lie, I was excited to get married not just to Lorraine. When my father presented the contract, I couldn't breathe or talk properly for five minutes because I was too stunned to speak and for the first time in my life, I didn't have another solution or option.
All my life I have hated Lorraine, she had a tongue faster than anything, unnecessarily competitive, so self absorbed and annoying. From highschool to college to us now working,we always found a way to cause chaos.
I didn't need to see her but the joy I derived from taunting her was something I couldn't explain plus her reactions were everything to me. The last time we saw each other was at a charity event and we caused absolute chaos when he fought and knocked over the foundation’s cake, it was an absolute mess. How our parents planned on keeping us in a marriage that none of us wanted was the mystery I believed wouldn't be solved and it only aggravated my annoyance more.
Getting into my penthouse, I take off my coat and head straight into the shower to take some steam off from my head and to release my tension but my phone rings, it was my Aunt.
“Aunty” I fake greet and show a little enthusiasm, I didn't like my aunt and my cousin even more.
“Dexy, how are you” she says and I could hear her smile from her voice.
“I'm fine aunty Gi, how are you and Matteo?”
“We're good, we're fine. Your father called me this morning to inform me about your wedding, I can't lie I am in shock"
“Yes Aunty I am getting married” I put the phone on speaker and start taking off my clothes.
“But I wasn't aware of a girlfriend, let alone a friend even, how come?”
“Love Aunty, it just…happened” I lie through my teeth. Part of the contract was that no one was to know anything about the arrangement as it defies the purpose, not even family.
“I can only imagine”, she sighs, “name of your wife to be?”
“Lorraine Withmore, you know her right?”
“You mean Lorrie? That you have hated ever since anyone in the family can remember? That Lorraine?” she questions worriedly.
“We found out way around it Aunt Gi, we're better, adults now,” I tie my towel and head back downstairs to pick up my tab.
“Hm…anyways I just wanted to inform you that we will be there on your big day”
“We?” I ask quickly and my heart racing.
“Yes, me and Matteo. He got back from his tour yesterday so he'll make it. Let me allow you rest, I'll call your father for more details”
“Um…yes, yes Aunt Gi..thank you for calling” I end the call without allowing her say another word.
Not only do I have to get married to that blood sucking demon now I have to do it with my second enemy, Matteo, the anger that was already subsiding increases.
*********
After showering I get ready to head back to the office to pick up some documents and attend a meeting, when I hear a knock on my door.
“Come in it's opened” I say as I put on my coat.
“Good afternoon sir, I just wanted to drop these for you and inform you that your meeting with the Withmore’s is in an hour” Nina says as she drops various documents on my table.
“You could have called Nina you didn't need to come all the way here to drop it. I was heading to the office anyways”
Ever since Nina started working for me, my job at the company became super easy, she is very helpful and extremely attentive but professional? She is not, everyday she wears the most slutty outfit to work just to get my attention, and I can't lie she is extremely attractive but not my type of attractive. At first I didn't pay attention to it but as time went on I realized, she wanted to sleep with me and get into my family by all means.
“I know sir but I just wanted to….”
“make things easy for me? Yes I know that line Nina. Come on, I'll drop you back at the office” I usher her out, grab my keys and head to my parking lot, making my way to the office.
**********
“Mrs Withmore and Lorraine are waiting for you in the boardroom” my other assistant Jeff, tells me as I hand him my coat and head toward the board room.
“Thank you Jeff. Nina, clear my schedule for the day”
“Yes sir” she says and heads to her office.
I enter the boardroom and the familiar eyes of Lorraine and her mother land on me, “sorry I'm late, traffic” I sit down.
“What's the first rule of attending meetings son?” I hear my father's thick voice from the other end of the table.
My heart shakes a little, “always be early no matter what” I say and swallow really hard.
“Your excuse isn't valid then,” he finally looks at me and turns to the Withmore's, “thank you for making time to come today it's appreciated”
“Anything for you Gregory,” Mrs Withmore says, “now down to business?” She smiles and brings out the contract file, “I'm supposing you've both read the contract, any questions?”
Me and Lorraine look at each other and a flicker of fear passes through her eyes but it disappears almost immediately and she looks away. The silence in the room was so thick I became so uncomfortable. We both knew what was on the line, if we didn't do this both our companies would never reach the potential we've been working on for years.
“Where do we sign?” Lorraine says with anger laced at the tip of her tongue.
“Here, and here,” her mother shows her and I follow suit and pick a pen, slightly reading through again I see the part where it says that if the marriage ever falls apart because of me, half of the Grayson family company would automatically go to Lorraine’s family and if she's ever the cause of the spilt, half goes to my family.
What the fuck?
I look up at Lorraine and realize that she also just saw it and she sighs and signs, stands up and leaves slamming the door behind her.
I do the same and that was when I realized, I just signed away my freedom to the devil aka my Father.
LORRAINE'S POV: One week later….Waking up to the brightest sunlight and wrinkled sheets has now been the best thing ever since we landed in South Africa for our honeymoon. Dexter brought up the bright idea to explore animals overseas as a pass time for our so called ‘honeymoon’, I don't mind, anything to stay away from my blood sucking demon of a mother. I've done nothing but go to different Safari's, tried different African cuisines, bungee jumping, basically done everything I could possibly do on the itinerary. Dexter and I however have avoided each other like a disease, different hotels, different itineraries, different paths all through the last week and I am loving every last bit of it. Sadness however washes over me whenever I remember that I married or I look down on my finger and I see my ring shine back at me or when someone compliments my ring, it always reminds me that I don't have freewill concerning my life, I might have here in South Africa but never in life. Tod
DEXTER'S POV: I had said so many ‘thank you’s’ and ‘welcome’ that every other word in my vocabulary had vanished but that wasn't the only cause, the kiss.Why I pulled her back to kiss her, I didn't know. My mind had gone blank and was on factory reset mode when she just peeked me so everything I was doing was all new to me but it all steamed from her looking at Matteo like he was her husband. How dare she? On our fucking wedding day? She couldn't even pretend, she just kept staring at him and her face was turning pink, I was so close to punching the living daylight out of him. Seeing her in that dress also contributed to the kiss. Lorraine is a very attractive woman, she had the curves of a goddess, eyes of a siren, voice as quiet as peace but the attitude of a serpent…so my hate is still valid. I went outside to drink out of my whiskey bottle because I needed to breathe outside Lorraine sphere. “Drinking on your wedding day is absolutely unbelievable” my father says as he st
LORRAINE'S POV: My golden haired boy, my safe space, my Venus and my haven….Matteo. Ever since we were kids he has always fascinated me, from the way he viewed the world to his platinum white hair and brighty coloured grey eyes, he was always did do something to me, things I has never been able to leave my mind. My body still replayed his hug on my skin, his voice, my memory kept on recalling his scent in my olfactory lobe and it made my mind lose its actual thoughts. “It's your wedding Lorraine, the least you can do is smile you know..God!” My mum complains as she walks into my room. Despite the fact that mentally I wasn't here, it is however my wedding day, I've been up since 5am, taken so many pictures that I'm sure I have lost my smile, missed my normal routine for what? a sham of a wedding. “If you want me to smile, call of the wedding mother” I look her dead in the eye through the mirror. The makeup artist, my designer and Ava all turned in shock to me. “Everyone, l
DEXTER'S POV: After what felt like hours, I finally arrived at my father's house and seeing my Aunt's car just made me understand, Matteo is here.The entirety of Matteo's existence I hated, he was the perfect person, everyone's sunshine boy and it made my father give me unimaginable heights to reach. Anything and everything I did was always compared to Matteo and it made me extremely sick to my stomach where my hate grew from. From the doorstep I could hear laughs coming from the yard so I head into the yard and see Aunty Gi and my annoying father having a sibling moment. “Aunty Gi” I say as I hug her, “father” I give him a curt nod. “Look at you Dex, you've changed a lot” she smiles as she touches my shoulder. “Lots of work out Aunty” I give her a tight smile. “It is paying off,” she laughs again, “your cousin is in the garden. Be nice” she warns. “I'll try”. The garden always reminded me of my mother. She adores flowers and anything floral, most of our home decoratio
MATTEO'S POV: 10 years ago….. “Photography? That sure is far from the family's business” Lorraine laughs as we eat lunch together in the janitor’s closet. It's always been like this with her, I didn't complain, I needed Lorraine more than anything and if that meant sneaking around school, I would. “I know, if my uncle ever found out he'll have my head” I laugh. “Same” she laughs back but it dies down almost immediately and her bright face is replaced with a sad look, “when are you leaving?” “Three days, mum already got the tickets, but I'll be back, it's a six month program and then I'll be a professional and we can run away together just like we've always talked about” I hold her hand to reassure her but she removes her hand and hugs herself. “Matteo, I…I don't know about running away anymore. We are no longer kids you know, I'll be eighteen in a few weeks and…and I'll need to join my family's company. I don't have the free will like you do” she sniffles as she continue
LORRAINE'S POV: “You look so beautiful darling, can you bring the veil?” my mother says with a bright smile on her face. “Mum, I don't need a veil” I groaned as I try to adjust myself in the gown. “yes you do Lorraine, be quiet” she shuhes me and puts the veil on my head, “ugh, breathtaking absolutely breathtaking” she gasps and takes pictures. It's been two hours since we arrived at Lotus Threads to pick up my wedding dress that my annoying mother ordered a month ago. I didn't have a say in the wedding and I didn't want to have any, all I wanted was the whole charade to end as soon as possible so everyone can leave me alone. Over the last week ever since the engagement broke out, every news blog and magazine has done nothing but talk about it. Everywhere I turn I'm either being followed by parasite paparazzi or I'm stopped by a stranger to get a photo of my ring. When Dexter gave me a 24 carat rose gold engagement ring, I didn't understand why he went all out for a wedding