Three

I must have heard something wrong. Marriage? What the hell is wrong with these people? Have they not witnessed the way Nathan and I have always treated each other? Do they think this was some kind of game we are playing to hide our feelings? The only hidden feelings– or desires if I may correct myself– we have for one another are probably our deep need to strangle each other. For the love of God! We have just given them a demonstration of how we can bear the presence of each other without even knowing what they wanted to talk to us about? Do they need more evidence to understand that we can’t stand each other?

I look at everyone the moment I stop coughing and surely, I have heard everything right because Nathan looks as stunned as I am.

“Who is marrying whom?” I say, anger bubbling inside of me. Apart from the lovely person my family has chosen for me, they have no right to set me up for something like that. This is my life and I'm not a puppet in their hands.

“You are going to marry Nathan,” Dad replies, and I scoff. He says it as if he's informing me that we are going to have chicken curry for dinner tomorrow.

“I would rather sell my soul to Lucifer than marry Nathan!” I snap, slamming my hand on the table.

“Calm down, princess. It’s not like I’m dying to spend the rest of my life with you,” Nathan hisses. 

“You knew about this!?” I almost yell, looking at him. I have no problem plotting his murder if he knows anything about this.

“I wouldn't have come if I had known,” he tells me. He seems honest.

“Okay, you two need to calm down.” I look at Malory as she speaks and I wait for any logical explanation. “Nathan, your lifestyle is getting out of hand and it’s not looking good for the family or even yourself. You’re getting worse and we can’t just hand you the CEO position if you keep doing what you’re doing. Your reputation may ruin the enterprise’s reputation.”

“So you think I need to get married to be fixed? What makes you think that I won’t continue with the same lifestyle after getting married?” He’s making a good point. Okay, Nathan is smart.

“Because we still won’t hand you the position until you prove that you have left this lifestyle behind,” his dad replies. “You need somebody to fix your image.”

“And I happen to be the unlucky bride?” I wonder out loud.

“No matter how much you two hate each other, we have to admit here that Linnea has the perfect image. She's such a hard worker with a perfect reputation. Exactly what you need to fix your reputation,” Malory explains.

These people have gone mad. No way in hell am I ever going to agree on doing this. What’s in it for me to agree? Just because the two families are friends, it doesn't mean I'm going to give myself up.

“This marriage isn’t permanent,” Mum tries to convince us.

“It will also help the image of both our enterprises,” Uncle Gabriel adds. Now business is speaking. The enterprises do not need help! They complete one another and their reputations are great in the market.

“No!” Nathan and I speak in unison.

“Nathan, you’ll get the position you want if you take the marriage seriously.” Nathan shuts his mouth upon hearing this.

They all look at me and I shake my head. “Sorry, but it’s still a no from me.”

“What if…” my dad starts, then shakes his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he mutters under his breath, “What if I give you ten million dollars to start your dream company?”

Now we’re talking logically. Ten million dollars? This amount is good enough to let me start a respectable security software programming company.

“How long will the marriage be?” I question.

“At least a year,” Mum says.

“Not more than a year,” Nathan corrects her.

“But what are we going to say when people find that you two got a divorce so quickly?” Malory wonders.

“That we disagreed a lot and we decided to remain friends,” Nathan answers her.

“I would like a contract to be written though,” I say and I get glares from everyone, but I shrug it all off. I don’t give a damn. “What? I need to make sure that I’m getting the money after a year and I also need to make sure that Nathan will be nothing but a loyal husband. I’m not going to be pictured as the wife who constantly gets cheated on, yet she chooses to stay with her husband.”

“Fine,” Malory agrees.

Being married to Nathan is something I would have never imagined in my entire life, but I guess this can be one of the new wonders of the world. We’ll probably end up setting the house on fire.

“When should I get married to my beloved?” Nathan sarcastically asks, making me roll my eyes.

As if I'm dying to marry his ass. He is the one who needs me, not the other way around. Yes, I'm benefiting from this arranged marriage, but I can make it with or without all of them. Agreeing on this is nothing but a shortcut.

I have always been a practical person and I do what benefits me and since I'm going to get the money I want to start my dream company, then signing a piece of paper that binds me to somebody I hate for a year is nothing.

“In two months,” his dad replies.

“They should get security guards, but not to protect them, to separate between them because they will fight 24/7,” my brother says as he struggles to stifle his laugh. The urge to kick him under the table builds up inside of me. 

“Good idea,” Nathan comments, and I glare at him. Maybe I really am marrying Lucifer, but I’m just as evil as Lucifer. “Can’t wait till we live under the same roof, geek,” he smirks.

“Oh Nathaniel, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. Never underestimate a geek.” This is going to be one hell of a year.