Contracted: Love In The Shadow

As I stepped into my childhood home after an arduous four-year absence, a sigh escaped my lips. To avoid raising suspicions about my sudden arrival, I called my parents a few nights ago. However, they still appeared concerned. I had hoped to share the joyful news of my promotion to CEO of a prestigious fashion brand with them.

Upon taking a deep breath, I cautiously pushed open the front door and entered the living room. Observing my parents anxiously pacing back and forth, I sensed something troubling them. Without wasting any time, I approached them with care.

"Inquiry: Mom, Dad, what's the matter? You both seem worried," I asked from the doorway.

The moment my father, Nicolas Dolman, caught sight of me, he leaped up and hurried towards me, embracing me tightly. "Oh, it's a relief that you're home, dear," he exclaimed with excitement.

"Thank you, Dad," I replied, returning the embrace.

"My child, welcome home," my mother, Rachael Dolman, greeted me with a warm embrace as well.

Surprised and touched by their warm reception, I smiled at them. "You guys are very welcoming," I remarked. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Oh, nonsense! No matter how foolish or self-centered you may be, we'll always welcome you home," my mother stated matter-of-factly.

I smiled and redirected my attention to Father, who suddenly retrieved his phone to make a call.

"Yes, sir. She is here. Inform the boss that the wedding will proceed as planned," he spoke into the phone.

Wedding? I turned to my mother. "Is Lora getting married?" I questioned. Lora was my younger sister, and if I recall correctly, she should only be fifteen this year. Isn't that too young for marriage?

"No, it's not Lora," Father replied.

"Oh!"

"It's you," he corrected.

"What? Pardon me?"

"Today," he added, turning to Mother and instructing her, "Bring her belongings inside and get her ready. We don't have all day."

"Wow, woo-hoo," I blurted out. "Hold on a second. Wedding? What do you my wedding is today?" Mira's confusion blew up into frustration as she yelled at her parents, she had only just returned home.

"You've no choice but to listen to me." Her father orders her arrogantly and leaves to go make more phone calls.

“This-this doesn’t make any sense.” Mira stands frozen unable to react or decide... As she started confusedly to her Dad and then back to her Mother, whose face had gone pale. “Just what the hell is going on here?”

Mr. Dolman paused and observed her confused expression before sighing. "My business is collapsing," he admitted.

"That has nothing to do with me..."

"And if that wasn't enough, a few weeks ago, my team signed a contract with a conman. If I don't take action, I'll lose the company to someone else," he added.

"That's unfortunate, and am sorry Dad, I really am, but how does marriage settle anything?" I questioned him. "I mean, this is the first time in four years that I'm visiting home. I don’t understand the wedding you're talking about..."

Sighing, Mother interjected, "You've never been the sharpest tool in the shed. Your father made a deal with Lucian Creed. The only way he would help your father regain his company and provide him with capital is if your father finds him a wife. And so..."

"Okay... okay, that's an interesting deal. I've heard about the powerful and wealthy Creeds. After losing his parents at a young age, he took their family's wealth to new heights," I turned to my parents. "Then why not find him a wife? Why does it have to be me? Surely, we can find a woman willing to marry him. After all, he is rich."

"Do you believe any woman would marry a man solely for the sake of your father's business? No mother would allow her child to be sold off just for money," Mother pointed out.

"And yet, here I am, being sold off for the sake of your company," I retorted.

"You are our daughter. If you don't help us, who will?" Father pleaded.

Sighing, I replied, "Even if I intend to help out, I can’t just jump into a wedding, I’m not prepared for. At least give me some time to think about it. Does it make any sense that after returning from a trip that took four years, I am being sold... I mean, married off just like that?" I questioned angrily. "I don't even know him."

"You don't need to," Father replied. "And we don't have time for you to contemplate, okay, Mira?" He turned towards me and pleaded, "Get married now, and when I regain my wealth, we'll file for a divorce, alright?"

"Ah! This is unbelievable..."

"Do this for me, Mira. I'm begging you," he said earnestly.

I shouldn't have come home. Now I’m starting to remember why I’d fled in the first place,  "Fine, but I’ll not be a lamb to the clutter. If I’m going to do this, you have to convey my terms to him," I said to him.

"Sure, what are they?" Father asked.

"Since the wedding will be called off as soon as it begins, I don't want any physical intimacy with him, and I want you also to hurry up with the divorce paper as soon as possible, Is that a deal?"

My father and mother exchanged a glance and after a moment, nodded in agreement. "Deal," Father replied, but I couldn’t help but notice the stern look on his face,

"You better be sure about all of this or so help me God," I snapped at them both.

"Okay, get her ready. We leave in ten," he instructed Mother, and with one last exchanged look, Mother led me inside.

Just like that, I found myself in my bedroom, preparing for an unforeseen wedding. There was no wedding gown, no makeup artist—just my plain, simple mother doing her best. Throughout my twenty-eight years, I would have argued with anyone who claimed that a day like this would come. I later discovered that my younger sister, Lora, had gone to stay with our uncle in Florida when things began to spiral downward. Unfortunately, I had inadvertently walked right into this predicament, as I always seemed to end up as the scapegoat.

When Mother called me a dim-witted child, perhaps she meant it. Nonetheless, I cannot allow anyone to find out about this, or I'll never hear the end of it.

"Finished!" Mrs. Dolman suddenly announced, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned to the mirror and commented, "Not bad for an older woman."

She playfully smacked me on the head and retorted, "I'm not that old, just so you know."

Sighing, I asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is there something else you guys forgot to mention? I don't want to be taken by surprise or anything," I explained.

"No, dear. We've told you everything there is," Mrs. Dolman assured me, though she avoided meeting my gaze for some reason.

"Okay," I replied, turning back to the mirror. "I trust you."

"Put this on and meet me downstairs," Mother instructed, handing me a worn-out red gown.

I looked from the gown to her face and said, "You must be kidding, right?"

"I'm afraid not, dear," she responded. "Just hurry up. We can't keep them waiting when they arrive." With that, she left the room.

I sighed heavily as I watched my mother walk away with a slouched figure. "Why on earth did I come back here?" I questioned the empty room as I reached for my bag. Sighing once again, I muttered, "I should at least look presentable for my first wedding." I rummaged through my things and finally found a white silver-stone gown, a gift from my boss and lover, but no need to mention that. "I swear, you guys owe me big time," I said as I slipped it on. Turning to the mirror, I concluded, "Much better." Determined, I headed downstairs to face whatever awaited me. The twists and turns of fate had brought me back to this moment, and now I had to confront the unexpected news of an imminent marriage that might change the course of my life forever.