I DON'T WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS

AMELIA

I yanked his hand away from my breast with a force that sent a jolt up his arms. “Get your hands off me, you sick pervert!” I seethed, my heart racing with a toxic mix of fear and anger.

Aiden stumbled back, his smirk faltering. “Calm down, little sis. No need to get violent.”

I glared at him, my jaw tightening. “You do that again, and I'll hit you so hard, you'll be in pain.”

He let out a mocking chuckle, looking at me. “Don't act so tough, Amelia. You're still a coward hidden behind a mask of bravery.”

I sat up on the bed, moving to the far end of the large bed. His words sent a slight chill down my spine. Maybe, I'm really still a coward.

“You're delusional,” I said, trying to mask the doubt in my voice. “I'm not the same coward of a girl you could abuse years ago, Aiden. I can defend myself now.”

He looked at me, grinning widely, a devious glint in his eyes. “I heard from mum that you're getting married to… Conrad, Amy's fiance right? You should be excited.”

“It's not your business. Leave my room now or there'll be consequences.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Consequences? Like what? Telling mum and dad? Don't tell me you think they'll believe you? You don't exist to them.”

I swallowed, his words piercing through my throat. He was right. None of them would care. At least my dad would pretend to, but my mum won't bother.

I sighed, taking out a pocket knife from my bedside cupboard. “Leave! Right now.”

He stared at me, his eyes dark and narrowing. Without a word, he turned and left the room. I quickly shut the door and locked it behind him.

I strode to my bed and sat down, glancing at my son beside me. He was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling. He was my pride.

***********************************

The sun had almost disappeared now, the streets growing darker as the skyline sparkled with city lights. I had spent hours dragging Noah from one hospital to another, filling out applications and hoping for even the slightest chance of employment.

The answer was always the same: “I'm sorry, you didn't get the job.”

I sat in a small cafe across the last hospital I had gone to. I sighed, massaging my temple, my fingers wrapped around a lukewarm cup of coffee. That was all I could drink at the moment.

The last thing I needed was for Noah to notice how exhausted I was. I had thought maybe if I could find a job in five days, I would leave the house and wouldn't have to marry… Conrad Pierre anymore.

Yet, it was in vain. Luck wasn't shining on me, but I couldn't lose hope right now. I still had four days to go and I hoped everything would go well.

“What is this little champ doing here all by himself?”

A cheerful and deep voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see Xander smiling warmly at me, a briefcase in his hand.

“Hello, Xander,” I said softly, managing a faint smile. He settled on a chair beside me, dropping his briefcase on the floor.

“Why are you lost in thought, Amelia?” he asked, scanning my face. I glanced at him, then at my son who was playing with his toy car.

“It's nothing, really,” I said, my voice low. “Why are you here? I mean around this area?”

“My father sent me to retrieve an important document around here,” he said.

Just then, a waitress approached our table, a smile on her face. “What can I get for you and this little, cute prince?”

I managed a faint smile in return, picking up the menu. My taste buds were bad and all I could taste was the coffee that had gotten cold and stale. “A toast and milkshake for kids will do,” I said, dropping the menu.

“Alright ma’am,” she said calmly. “Your son is adorable, sir.” I turned to Xander and his lips were curled up in a smile.

“No. You're mistak…..”

“Thank you,” Xander said, cutting me off. The waitress nodded and left.

Then, Xander turned to face me. “She was just complimenting his features,” he said. “There was no need to correct her. Besides, Noah and I both have the same blond wavy hair and slight similarities.”

I shrugged. He wasn't wrong though. I didn't know why I felt the need to correct her.

“So, will you tell me what's bothering you now? You look stressed out, Amelia.”

I heaved, looking down at the table. “I'm getting married in five days, Xander,” I blurted. Still saying those words and constantly reminding myself felt like punishment. A punishment that wasn't meant for me, but for my sister.

“What?” Xander's voice was a sharp intake of breath, his brows furrowing in genuine confusion. He leaned forward, his earlier relaxed posture vanishing. “Getting married? What are you talking about? To whom?

I squeezed my eyes shut, the absurdity of it washing over me in a fresh wave. “I'm getting married to my sister's fiancé, Conrad… Pierre.”

The name felt like an ash on my tongue, heavy and unwelcome. “It was supposed to be Amy… not me.”

“Who told you to do it? It can't be your decision,” he said, his voice calm and understanding.

My gaze lifted, meeting him. “My… parents. They concluded everything without my approval.”

He leaned in closer. “Why did they make the decision suddenly?”

I sighed. Thinking about the decision alone made my knees weak and my stomach rumble.

“Because of their company which went bankrupt. Conrad Pierre promised to invest in their company in exchange for another bride.”

“But you haven't fully recovered from your fiance's death and they're dragging you into another mess. What about your son? Conrad will not accept him.”

I looked at him, my brows arched. “Why do you say so? Do you know him?”

He brushed his hair back, looking at me. “He is the second son of the Pierre family,” he began. “He has a zero tolerance for emotions or childish noises. No one has gotten used to him yet.”

I looked down at Noah, his blonde curls soft beneath my palm, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in my own heart. He was engrossed in his toy car, making quiet vrooming sounds.

“I don't want to go ahead with this, Xander.”

“My father's company is large and flourishing, Amelia,” he said, his voice low. “What if my father invests in your father's company? Will I get to marry you?”