001

I found out on my friend's wedding day, in a city miles away from home, that I am in a lavender marriage without my own consent. Well... before you ask, "A lavender marriage without consent? How is that even possible?" let me take you back to how this nightmare began.

I have been in toxic relationships all my life. That was my "normal" until I met Maxine. He was every girl's dream—or should I say every guy's? He was tall, handsome, a young CEO with piercing blue eyes and blonde hair. He had everything a man could need, except for a shred of masculinity. Before him, every guy I dated ended up cheating on me because I told them I didn't want to have sex until marriage. Some would pretend to stick with me, only to screw another girl right in front of me. If I dared to look away, I would get the beating of my life.

The cycle repeated until I turned twenty-eight. By then, the family pressure was a heavy, suffocating weight. They wanted me married to someone rich—someone who could change their lives. As the eldest daughter, I was expected to be the savior, even though I didn't even have my own life in check.

Growing up in a family of werewolves and humans was its own kind of hell when you're the outlier. I was the only human without a wolf—or maybe a hybrid without a wolf? I don't even know what to call it. Rejection followed my family like a shadow. I got rejected by the supernatural world, and when I tried to stick to my own kind, the humans did the same to me.

My mom was an Omega and my dad was human. The pressure usually started with her, desperate for me to support my younger siblings. I worked every job I could find just to make ends meet, never spending a dime on myself. To my family, the only way out of our "shameful" lifestyle was for me to get married.

"A friend of mine said his son is looking for a wife," my mother said one morning, her voice full of that familiar, desperate nagging. "He is thirty-two and a perfect match for you. Why not accept the blind date?"

"That's not a blind date, Mom. It's something else. And no, I don't want to."

"Is this how you are going to stay forever?" she snapped. "You are barely earning enough for us to eat. This guy is a good guy, and I know it's going to work out. Just do it."

Gave birth to me only for me to feed you, I thought bitterly. I hated my life. I had promised myself I would never give my own children this kind of existence; I'd rather never give birth at all than put a child through this poverty.

I kept slicing cucumbers for my bread, trying to eat quickly before heading to work. My father walked in, ready to take my little sister to school.

"Listen to your mother," he said quietly. "Who knows? You might end up liking him."

My father hardly ever spoke up in the house; it was always my mother doing the nagging. Seeing him take a side made me pause. Why don't I just trust him and go with it? I turned to my mother.

"Fine. You win. I'll go."

She jumped up from the worn-out couch. "Yessss! Thank you! It's at the luxurious hotel down the street. Be ready by noon!"

I stared at her. She wasn't asking for my consent earlier—she had already accepted the date on my behalf. Typical Omega, I sighed, grabbing my bag and walking out the door.

Arriving at the cafe, I saw Linda was already covering for me. Her shift should have ended an hour ago.

"Good morning," I greeted her as I took over. Linda was the only friend I had who truly tried to assist me. She was a Beta's daughter, working here without her father's knowledge because she was tired of the confinement of her pack life. She always wore a hat while working so her father wouldn't recognize her. Despite being much younger than me, she was one of the sweetest, most mature people I knew.

"Why do you look so rough today? What happened?" she asked, passing me my apron. She stood at her usual spot by the counter, staying with me just to talk.

"It's my mom," I said, arranging a customer's order. "She came up with something again. She wants me to go on a date at noon today."

Linda laughed, tipping her hat back. "Your mom never stops, does she? What did she say?"

"Hahaha, serves you right," Linda teased. "I thought you were done with men?"

"I am, but there's no one for me anyway... That's the last of the cake," I responded, handing a plate to a customer.

"There is someone. Since she recommended this one, just try him out. If it doesn't work, you can just leave."

"You think?"

"Yeah. And you need to change your look. You look... well, horrible."

"I don't want to make a good first impression," I muttered. "If this goes well, I'll never have peace in that house again."

"I know, right? Well, I wish you all the best," she said, disappearing toward the restroom.

I handled the lunch rush, then checked my wrist. It was five minutes past twelve. "Gosh, I'm late!"

I washed my hands, wiped them down, and scrawled a note for Linda: Call me by 7 PM. When I arrived at the hotel, I realized I was out of my element. The lobby was filled with people in designer attire. I was wearing a short floral print gown and carrying a long striped bag. My black hair hadn't been straightened in days, and I wasn't wearing a lick of makeup.

Then I remembered—Linda had left a red lipstick in my bag the other day. I opened my bag and found a small makeup kit with a note: You will need this. I smiled. That girl knew me too well.

I used the mirror near the entrance to apply the red lipstick and a bit of powder. As I stepped into the hotel restaurant, I looked around searching for just anyone. When I finally looked at the row beside the entrance, I saw someone's hand raised.

I approached the table and my heart skipped. He was handsome—my mother wasn't lying. He looked like he had walked straight out of a magazine. He wore a crisp corporate long-sleeve shirt, beige trousers, and a beige sweater draped over his shoulders. His aesthetic was so clean that even the other women in the eatery were sneaking looks at him.

"The lipstick looks good on you. Matilda, right?" he asked.

Shame washed over me. "Yeah. Nice meeting you, Maxine."

I couldn't believe he had been watching me apply my lipstick in the lobby. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole, but I buckled up and went with the flow.

We clicked instantly. I tried to push him away at first, but he was so nonchalant and charming. After the date, we exchanged contacts. We started dating, and he began spending on me. I stopped working at the restaurant and started training to be a professional chef. He took care of every bill. His mom and my mom became best friends. For the first time, I had the life I wanted and I could give my siblings the life they deserved.

The best part? Whenever we were together, he never tried to touch me or pressure me. We never even hugged properly. Whenever I asked, he would say, "I respect you. I want us to wait until marriage."

That made me love him even more. Where else could I find a guy who spent money on me, loved me, and didn't ask for sex?

It was a dream come true. Or so I thought.