Taken By Him

Charlotte's pov 

I always knew that my family owned the international reserve of audacity. 

But this…this was too much even for them. 

“So what's your telling me…” I tried to reiterate her words while backing away, “is that I should take the place of Cecilia and marry a man I don't even know so that I can save the company, correct?” 

Mother planted her hands on her hips self righteously, “well when you say it like that we sound like monsters, don't we? Do you think I would be asking you to do this if we had any other choice?!” 

“Mother, I'm still married, did you forget that?”

She released a derisive chuckle.

“There's no way you are being serious right now, do you call that a marriage? The only thing about it that surprised everyone must be that it lasted so long. Everyone could even see him drooling at her on your wedding day, don't tell me you're heartbroken over a man like that,” 

I stared at my mother in .

I had pointed out that very same worry to her on my wedding day, it had caused me to have cold feet. Back then I was ready to walk away and just call it quits.

She was quick to reassure me that I was only overthinking and even if his affection for me was not that deep, if I continued to show him undying love and affection eventually his walls would come down.

Now I wouldn't place all the blame on her doorstep, but nevertheless she deserved a good chunk of it. 

She had hoped that marrying me off to a wealthy man as a substitute for my sister was going to work out in her favor. It didn't. Jacob was always rather tight with his pocket when the person receiving the money wasn't Cecilia. 

Now she wanted to repeat history again, except the man in question was somebody who could ruin what was left of my life if I tried to deceive him.

And even if I managed to do it without a hitch, I wasn't leaving one marriage with a man who only wanted my sister to go head first into another married with a man who only wanted my sister. 

“Mother please just leave me alone…I need to think,” 

She turned around, actually listening to me for once.

“Remember, Charlotte, this is for the Green family. I hope you think long and hard about your choice,” the moment she was gone I just cried some more.

Then I stood up straight, tired of crying, and went to wash up in my twin sister's room. The whole place had advanced with her tasty guys what's more expensive by the day. 

As I was in the shower I remember how just a few minutes ago my husband who couldn't even plan a proper date was talking about taking my sister out on our anniversary. 

The cheapest thing you can buy in my sister's favorite bakery started at $200, knowing Cecilia she would eat at least $600 in one sitting and then take about $400 with her back home. 

Then there was also the dinner planned. 

My tears followed the shower, by the time I stepped out I didn't want to go back down to face my family so I changed into Cecilia's clothes, they all fit. I came down, fishing out my pros from the duffel bag as my entire family gave me looks that varied from surprise to annoyance.

But I hardly paid attention to them. 

“I'll be heading out tonight,” I told them not waiting for permission and not waiting for a response.

I just left.

As I was passing the gates of the villa I saw a familiar car approaching the headlights spilling all over me. I paused momentarily, then Jacob stepped out of the car with his smile that ran from one ear over to the other holding a bouquet of flowers that completely eclipsed his face as he approached me.

“Cecilia you didn't have to come out to welcome me, but I'm so touched that you did….here these flowers are for you,” 

He handed me a bouquet of flowers.

Red roses.

Her favorite. 

There was even a little cutesy note attached to it.

He was still grinning like a fool as my heart split into two. 

He still remembered every little detail about her, her favorite bakery…her favorite flowers…everything?

And me? 

Well I was not more than the forgettable foolish wife who had wasted 10 years on him, I was less of a person and more of a drug to help him with his withdrawal when he missed her. 

A copy that could never beat the original.

“Should I have made the bouquet bigger?” He said as my eyes remained focused on the roses. 

I thought about just yelling at him that I was actually his wife at least currently and right now we were not even divorced. I wanted to tell him that he was completely heartless for coming to hand flowers over to my sister on our anniversary. 

But then I remember that phone call and I knew that no matter what I said none of it ever mattered to him. 

The only words that held meaningful weight to him were those of my sister.

So I dropped the roses and began to stomp them underfoot just like how he had been disrespectfully stomping on my heart for the past 10 years. By the time I was done the bouquet was a squashed mess. 

“Cecilia…” I thought he'd at least tell but instead he got on his knees. “I'm so sorry, I forgot that you only take hand grown roses not fake ones like these…please forgive me …” 

He was down on his knees begging, I just shoved past him because I knew if I spoke my facade would fall away immediately and I would just burst into tears.

Why couldn't he look at me that way? 

Why was I the bad person because I wanted to cherish him?

I went wherever my feet took me until I arrived at a nearby bar. 

I thought I would order a drink and take myself as far away from soberness as I could tonight when two men built like brick walls rounded me. 

“Our boss wants to speak to you,” they said in this disturbing matching tone.

“I think you've got the wrong person, I don't know who your boss is,” 

 One of them sighed, gave a signal to the other and then before I knew it I was grabbed and taken to this VVIP lounge, I kicked and screamed but nobody even came forward to help.

I was shoved forward and I landed on someone's lap. My chest pressed against his thigh as he growled, tipping my chin to look at me.

“Hmmm, how long did you think you were going to be able to hide from your own fiance in this city, Cecilia Green?”