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The First Year
publish date:
2026-03-13 17:33:01
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MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Singapore Project
December 2045The Singapore expansion project reached its critical phase in December. The board will hear final presentations. Funds being green-lit. Consent for the timeline. Executives with decades of experience building worldwide operations examined every detail.Elena devoted five months of her time to the project. What began as an assignment from Rebecca has transformed into her main duty. Despite her junior status, she had taken charge of the market analysis team and had three analysts reporting to her.It shook with fear. And thrilling. Alex had been pulled onto the project full-time in November. They worked together daily now. Long strategy sessions. Late-night conference calls with the Singapore team. Shared pressure and shared victories.The dynamic between them had shifted since their honest conversation. Not quite friendship. Not quite romance. Something in between. Something undefined but comfortable. "These projections are too conservative," Alex remarked as he reviewed
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Thanksgiving Gathering
November 2045 - ThanksgivingThanksgiving at the Mercer estate was chaos.Forty-seven people crammed into the dining room and adjacent rooms. Three generations. Multiple family branches. Controlled chaos.Elena arrived with her parents and siblings the twins Daniel and Sophia, now sixteen and impossibly annoying. "Elena's lover is on his way," Sophia whispered as they entered. "He's not the one I'm seeing.He works with us. "A colleague you have feelings for," Daniel corrected. "We heard you on the phone with Maya. Walls are thin.""Eavesdropping is rude.""Being loud on the phone is rude. We're even."Inside, the family had already gathered. Elena's grandparents Marcus's parents Leon and Aria, now in their eighties but still sharp. Zara's mother Lorraine, vibrant at seventy-nine.Aunt Sophie and Uncle James with their daughters Maya and Ella. Aunt Kenya and her husband with their three kids. Uncle MJ and his wife with their twin boys.And the youngest generation Elena's cousins, the
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Aftermath
November 2045The week after the town hall was excruciating.Alex avoided Elena completely. Different lunch times. Different meeting schedules. When they had to collaborate on the Singapore project, he was professional. Distant. Cold.Gone was the easy banter. The shared jokes. The comfortable working relationship they'd built.Now he treated her like like Marcus Mercer's daughter.Careful. Formal. Guarded.Exactly what Elena had been trying to avoid.She threw herself into work. Spent twelve-hour days at the office. Took on additional projects. Anything to avoid thinking about how thoroughly she'd screwed up.Rebecca took note. "You're working yourself to death," her mentor told Elena as he showed up at her cubicle on a Thursday at eight o'clock in the evening. "Go home." I'm great.Just finishing the Singapore market analysis—""It's due Monday. You have all weekend. Go home. Rest. You're no good to this project burned out.""I'm not burnt out." It's becoming easier for you. Perched
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Complication
October 2045Alex Chen was the complicating factor.A young adult (18 years old). Personnel change in the department of corporate strategy.Transferred from Chen-Hale's London office.Brilliant. Ambitious. Gorgeous.And completely unaware of Elena's family connections.He'd been in London for five years. Never worked at New York headquarters. Didn't know the internal politics. Didn't know the Mercer family beyond their executive titles.He saw Elena as Elena.Junior analyst. Smart. Hardworking. Nothing more.It was refreshing."You're the one working on Singapore expansion?" Alex asked, appearing at her cubicle one afternoon."I am. Why?""Rebecca wants us collaborating. I handled the London expansion three years ago. She thinks my experience could help.""Oh. Okay. That's helpful."They started working together. Meeting twice a week. Sharing research. Coordinating analyses.Alex was impressive. Sharp. Strategic. Saw angles Elena missed.He was also kind. Funny. Easy to talk to.Elena
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Mentor
July 2045Elena's second month at Chen-Hale brought a new challenge.Mentor assignment.All junior analysts were paired with senior executives for guidance, development, networking.Elena was paired with Zara Thompson-Mercer.Her mother.Elena responded, "This is a joke, right?" when she got the assignment. "They put me with my own mum?"Sarah looked like she was in a bad mood. "It's random assignment." Made by a computer."But if you'd rather—" "I'd rather not have my mum help me at work, yes." That goes against the whole point of establishing that I can accomplish something on my own. I'll ask for a new assignment.Within twenty-four hours, the new assignment came through.Rebecca Martinez is the new mentor. She is the Chief Strategy Officer. Not family. Not connected to Elena except through Chen-Hale.Great.Elena met Rebecca at her office, which was on the twentieth floor, close to her father's suite but not in it.Rebecca was in her fifties, bright, and no-nonsense. She had a rep
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Cousin Dynamic
June 2045Elena had dinner with her cousins that weekend.The "Next Gen Crew" as they called themselves.Elena (age 22), Maya (age 24), Ella (age 23; Sophie's second daughter), and the twins Daniel and Sophia Mercer (age 15; younger children of Marcus and Zara; unexpected pregnancy at age 40).Away from the prying eyes of their relatives, they met at a Brooklyn eatery."So," Maya said, attacking her pasta immediately. "How's corporate hell?""It's fine. Very good. Challenging.""Translation: miserable but you're too stubborn to quit," Ella remarked while enjoying a glass of wine. I'm not unhappy. Just changing. Being "the boss's daughter" everywhere I go is strange."That's why I left Chen Designs," Maya said. "Couldn't handle being Sophie's daughter. Everyone watching. Waiting for me to fail. Or succeed only because of her connections. So I went to tech. Built my own thing.""How's the startup?" Elena asked."We just closed Series A funding. Three million dollars. For an AI ethics pl
MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Singapore Deal
Tuesday, 7:52 amWhen Zara arrived at the workplace, Marcus was already at his desk, speaking quickly in Mandarin while holding his phone to his ear.Startled, she paused in the doorway. She had read in his bio that he was multilingual, but hearing it was different.His whole countenance softened w
Last Updated : 2026-03-24MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Mother's Blessing
Monday, 8:47 PM - Thompson ApartmentWhen Zara forced open the apartment door, she saw her mother seated at the kitchen table, papers spread out before her, tears running down her cheeks. Mom—" Where is this money coming from?" Lorraine's voice broke."Dr. Chen's office sent all this," Zara replied
Last Updated : 2026-03-24MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Family Dinner
Tuesday, 6:18 PM - Thompson ApartmentFor the third time, Zara changed out of her work clothes while standing in her bedroom. As she browsed her phone in bed, Kenya remarked, "You look fine." In actuality, you appeared fine the first two times as well. You're nervous.""I'm not nervous."Kenya shif
Last Updated : 2026-03-24MARRIED BY MISTAKE The Board Meeting
Wednesday, 8:34 a.m.When Zara got there, Marcus was already drinking his third coffee, surrounded by papers, and appeared to have not slept at all. How long have you been here? "Since five. Couldn't sleep. Kept thinking about the board meeting Monday." He gestured at the documents covering his de
Last Updated : 2026-03-24
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