Chapter 1

               Chloe's POV

"Your Engagement to Lucas has been annulled, you're marrying someone else."

I was some seats away from my father's large study table but it felt like he had pierced a sword into my heart up close.

"What do you mean father? I just got engaged yesterday, you liked Lucas, is this a joke?"

"I wish it was my princess, this is for something bigger, you can't meet up with that man again, get ready for your husband." He said and continued going through the files on his table.

Lucas had been my boyfriend for the longest time, he had met my family and heck, they've even complimented us on several occasions.

I had gotten impatient when the proposal wasn't forthcoming, I felt he only wanted me for the good time but alas! He had gone on his knees the previous night and placed a diamond ring on my finger, was I supposed to throw all that away?

"Father, you can't possibly do this, Lucas is my life." I said, my voice quivering.

It felt like life has been pulled out of me, each pull leaving excruciating pain in my chest.

"You have another life now, I don't want to go over this topic again. Don't meet up with him anymore, you can return his ring."

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

"You make it sound like you're asking me to pack my bags and leave town, you're asking me to leave someone I love, someone I have spent the last 3years of my life with, just to marry a stranger? How could you do this to your own daughter? What kind of a father are you?" I asked, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

I didn't mean to, he was still my father but at this point, I doubted it.

"Listen, princess, I want the absolute best for you and every other thing that concerns our family but right now, there's absolutely nothing we can do about it, it has already been decided, you'll be fine."

I laughed at his poor attempt at consoling me, his words would have come out from the mouth of my favorite character in a novel and I would have simply called it madness but hearing these words from my father? It broke my heart.

There was absolutely no way I would throw all I had shared with Lucas for some stranger who should have found love the way I did instead of snatching one from her fiance. 

"Decided by who? Why are you doing this?." I asked moving close to his table, my hands on his. " Why is this so important that I have to put my life on pause for?"

He cleared his throat "it's those sought of business marriages that would change the trajectory of our family business for good, we need this, the company needs this."

"Who is he?"

"Grayson Coleman, you know his father."

Of course, I knew Mr Coleman, he was a business associate of my Dad and honestly, I've never understood their friendship, everything felt off.

His son? He wasn't someone I knew personally but a few times, I had heard about his playboy life and how he messed up with girls, he had left the country for a while now, I was never that Interested to know what he looked like.

"This is the end of this discussion, I'm not going any further, you can leave." He said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Father." I pleaded.

"Leave Chloe." He barked at me.

Chloe. not princess. Not Baby. Just Chloe. My fate had already been decided.

                               ~•~

The rest evening had been spent in my room crying my eyes out, I couldn't believe my dad, the same man who had sworn to protect me, turned out to be the first man to break my heart.

I wiped my eyes for the 50th time, my mind had already been made up, it would take the world falling for me to leave Lucas.

I stood up from my bed and picked my hoodie from my bedside table "Chloe, it's your life, they can't push you around and you're marrying no Grayson. Put yourself together, you got this." I muttered to myself.

I held my window after locking my room door, placing my legs safely on the window panel, I jumped down, nothing could stop me from meeting Lucas, not even the security guards he had placed in front of my room.

I had met Lucas as a teen in highschool, after so many times of breaking up, we had decided to be serious, I had given him my virginity as a promise to never leave him, I wasn't going to let my dad destroy us, I will fight for us.

His house was some blocks away from mine, he had moved here from his parent's house to make meeting easier for us, I didn't want to break the news over the phone, it would be better I do it in person.

His car was parked outside, so he was definitely at home, his living room was usually quite when I got in, he always played games downstairs every night, the fact that he didn't lock his door was unusual too

"Lucas." I called but I got no answer.

I walked up the staircase towards his room, that was when I heard voices , it was his but he wasn't alone.

"I proposed last night, I don't see any reason for her to leave, I mean it would be too embarrassing, I have her on a lockdown already." He said and laughed.

Proposed last night? Lockdown? Was he talking about me?

"But if you marry her, where do I stand? Do you want to throw our 5 years relationship away?" The female voice asked.

Five years? We've been dating for three years, wait!

"You know we need her father to get the life we want, when everything is set, I'll marry you properly."

I moved backwards not believing my ears, he was indeed talking about me; the man I was willing to disobey my father for, didn't even want me.

My head felt heavy, like it would explode.

I moved to the door and gently pushed it open, there he was on the bed with this strange woman between his legs, his hands pressing her head down to his crotch, they were both naked.

I gasped! 

Audible gasp

They both froze, I could see his head turning to look at the door, our eyes met, he yanked her away from his body.

But I didn't wait, I moved back and did the only thing my brain was screaming at me.

"Run.”