~~~ “You’re quiet?” Mrs. Black asked, her sharp eyes studying me closely.Of course, I was silent—how could anyone just respond to such a bombshell? I could tell she doubted me the moment I said I didn’t know her family.To her, that probably only confirmed her low opinion. She took another sip of her wine, seemingly unbothered by my shock. “Well, it’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. As long as you understand what I’m talking about, then that’s good enough.”I finally managed to clear the lump in my throat, forcing a polite smile. “Sorry, ma’am, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m finding it very difficult to understand your words. You want me to act as a wife for your son? I mean, it’s kind of funny, right? Wouldn’t it just be easier for him to get married?” I chuckled nervously.Her expression hardened, the politeness in her tone disappearing. “Don’t act smart with me, young lady. After all, if you were indeed smart, you wouldn’t be in the position where I found you.”The chill
~~~~Clara, still standing at the doorway with her shopping bags, chuckled to herself like she’d just won a marathon, completely unaware of the chaos inside me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, staring blankly at her, my mind numb and heart heavy.“Wow! What happened here? Did we get robbed?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips, as if it were a joke.I kept staring at her, my gaze fixed on those bags—my stolen money. I struggled to push myself up, my legs shaking beneath me. As I approached her, tears silently streamed down my face.“Clara,” my voice trembled, barely above a whisper, “where did you go, and what are you holding?”Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting to see me there. “Oh shit! Damn, Mary, you scared the hell out of me!” she laughed nervously. “Why are you back already? I thought you were at work,” she stammered, her voice laced with poorly concealed guilt.She was pretending not to know I was in. Fine. Play it cool, Mary. I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “Ye
~~~~~Turning to me with rage, he demanded, “What did you just say to me?” His eyes darkened as he gripped my neck harder. “I think it’s best I kill you now, since you clearly don’t know your place. And just so you know, I don’t feel bad fucking a corpse,” he sneered, pressing both hands down on my throat.“Great, because I won’t feel bad killing you either,” I hissed, glaring at him. Summoning the last of my strength, I kicked him hard in the groin. He winced in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to breathe. Desperate, I reached for the hand mirror on the nearby cabinet.Without hesitation, I smashed it into his face. He staggered, trying to regain his balance, but as he lunged at me, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed a shard of the broken mirror and drove it into his hand, the jagged edges sinking deep. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding hand.I stood over him, panting and trembling as I forced ragged breaths through my nose. Seeing her boyfriend dow
~~~~The Black Multiple Enterprise, New York“THEY’RE CALLING YOU a wealthy, ruthless bastard, sir.” Carol said as she scanned the article in the business magazine. “You must be happy.”Eric Black looked at his secretary but didn’t speak. Eventually she glanced up and smiled. “You like being called a ruthless bastard, one that is wealthy too.” She reminded him.“I like respect.” He corrected.“Or fear.”He nodded. “Fear works.”Carol dropped the open magazine on his desk. “Don’t you ever want someone to think you’re nice?” she asked.“No.”Being the nice guy meant nothing in his world. He didn’t see the need for it. As the firstborn of the third-generation conglomerate family of the Harry Blacks, no matter what path he took, people would still stick to him, whether out of fear or ambition. Connections and power were handed to him like an inheritance, and in his mind, niceties were just another form of manipu
~~~~~While Ms. Nora Black spoke sharply into the phone, documents clutched in one hand, I found myself silently admiring the clean streets outside. For some reason, we had switched cars, and now she was sitting next to me in the backseat while a different driver took the wheel.As we moved from the quiet lane onto the bustling highway, Ms. Black finally looked up, a practiced smile slipping into place. "Oh! Sorry about that, just had to make a few calls," she said smoothly."It’s fine," I replied."We have a lot of ground to cover—starting with the hair salon, then makeup, and shopping. We’ve got our work cut out for us."I blinked, glancing at her styled hair. It looked perfectly fine to me. "Your hair seems fine, ma’am. Why do you need to go to the salon?"She gave me a stunned look, as if I had spoken an alien language. "I was talking about you, dumb girl," she said, her tone slicing through the air."Oh." I forced a smile, ignoring the insult. "But my hair looks fine.""To whom?"
~~~~~As the plane touched down in Austria, I could barely keep my legs steady from the nerves. Mrs. Black glanced over and sighed, "No need to look like someone about to face the firing squad, Mary. The marriage won’t happen right away. You still need to meet my son and discuss a few things. So, try to look a bit more alive."Easy for you to say, I thought, but managed a strained smile. "O...kay," I replied. "So, where are we heading now?""To the Black Estate. My son is expecting us there," she said, signaling to someone nearby. Almost instantly, a pristine white SUV pulled up in front of us.I mumbled to myself, “Wow, it must be nice to have this kind of money.”Mrs. Black turned with a curious look. “What was that?”"Nothing," I quickly replied, smiling.“Good. Now, get in the car.” She climbed inside, and I followed, bracing myself as we drove off.To be honest, from the airport to the Black Estate, I kept asking myself why on earth I agreed to this kind of arrangement. For the f
~~~~Eric sighed in frustration as he glanced at his reflection, the veins in his neck visibly pulsing.He felt an overwhelming urge to strangle the person responsible for his current predicament. "What on earth is 'virginal hair'? This is absurd." Despite his intense anger, he had no choice but to endure the situation; everything had already been set in motion, and canceling now would be a tremendous hassle.***Alone in the spacious sitting room, I couldn't contain my laughter. It was an uncontrollable fit, one I hadn’t experienced before. The expression on Eric Black's face was absolutely priceless.I continued laughing until Mrs. Nora entered, holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. I quickly stifled my laughter, not wanting her to suspect anything. She settled down beside me, and I smiled, extending my hand to receive the coffee. However, the look she gave me made me retract my hand.After a moment, she sipped her coffee and asked, “What did my son say?”“Oh, nothing much.
~~~~~It was finally the long-awaited wedding day, and I couldn’t shake the nerves gripping my stomach. It had been two weeks since I last contacted my family, and that weighed heavily on my heart.As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I thought, “This is supposed to be the happiest moment of a woman’s life, but because of this situation, it’s the worst for me.” Who would have imagined that my first wedding would turn out to be a sham? If my parents found out about the path I had chosen, they would be furious and might even disown me.No matter the circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to explain my choices to them. It would devastate them. My family was devoutly religious, adhering to a strict moral code. They would never compromise their principles, even if it meant their own destruction.So, to preserve my family’s happiness and unity, I had to keep this part of my life a secret. Once the six months were over, I planned to leave it all behind.Yet, despite my resolve to keep
~~~~We moved from the dining table, our fingers meshed together, silent but connected.The house felt quieter now that Nora had left, and maybe that’s why my heart beat louder. Every step toward the sofa felt heavier than it should have.Eric dropped onto the big white couch, casually leaning back like he had no idea my brain was in knots. I sat beside him and faced him fully.“I… I don’t really know how to say this,” I started, voice low. “But I was wondering… that piece of land you showed me the other day—does it still belong to me? Is the contract still valid?”His reaction was instant, but not what I expected.“Huh?” he muttered, staring at me with a strange, unreadable expression. His brows drew together slightly, but it wasn’t confusion—it was something else. Something darker.What the hell?That look alone made my stomach tighten. He’s
~~~~~~Eric collapsed onto the bed, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling like he’d just run a marathon. He dragged a hand through his hair, dazed and a little stunned. He had never—never—done something like this before.Not even back when he was single. Masturbation? That just hadn’t been his thing. He’d never needed it. But tonight? Tonight was different.Who would've guessed that giving someone else so much pleasure could leave him this breathless, this wrecked?He sighed, turning his head to glance at Mary—curled up beside him, flushed, glowing, looking like something out of a dream. And the way she moaned his name… the way she came undone beneath him like he was the only man in the world who could make her feel that way…“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.He wasn’t just drained—he was gone for her. Emoti
~~~~Or so I thought.When I woke up the next morning, my entire body was sore—like every muscle was personally protesting the wild passion of the night before.“Ouch,” I winced, slowly turning my head to the side.There he was, Eric—sleeping peacefully beside me. He looked like an angel. Honestly, since we got married, this was the first time I had the chance to really just look at him while he slept. No business calls, no press, no drama—just him, wrapped in soft sheets and peace.I blushed, memories of last night flooding back in a rush of heat.Gently, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom like a mischievous teenager sneaking off after curfew.After a long, hot bath, I stood in front of the mirror and blinked. “Wow… that’s a lot of bite marks,” I muttered, lightly touching one on my collarbone. My skin looked flushed and... well-loved.Then I reali
~~~~Once she lowered herself onto him, Eric felt an overwhelming wave of heat and pleasure flood his senses. Mary began to move in a slow, deliberate rhythm, her hips rotating in a sensual dance that drove him to the edge of control.The soft strands of her golden hair brushed against his bare skin—gliding over his stomach and thighs like silk. Her presence above him was ethereal, radiant.At that moment, she looked like a golden rose blooming under a quiet spring night—delicate, powerful, and breathtakingly beautiful.“This… this is mine,” Eric thought, a foolish grin tugging at his lips before he could stop it. She noticed—of course she did—and smiled at him, as if savoring the power she held over him. She kept moving slowly, almost torturously so, and even though it frustrated him, he couldn't help but love every second of it.The hotness of her, the way her body held him so completely—it was almost too much. His desire only intensified, growing stronger with every subtle movemen
~~~~Eric carried me into the room, laying me gently on the bed. He kissed my forehead, as if trying to kiss away all my worries.“God! I miss you,” he whispered against my skin, his voice filled with emotion. I smiled softly, feeling everything between us begin to melt away.Even though I wasn’t saying anything aloud, my eyes spoke volumes. I pushed him gently onto the bed, feeling the heat between us burn.“Mary—” he started, his voice filled with desire."Shush," I whispered softly, calming him. "Let me take care of you," I said as I gently straddled him, planting soft kisses along his neck.I took off his shirt, savoring the closeness, as he let out a quiet sigh. My hands moved lower, but I paused, making sure he was comfortable. I continued with a gentle, affectionate stroke, and he moaned softly in response. But when I began to move further to unzip his pants, he halted me, gently grabbing my hand.
~~~~“Jeez,” I sighed loudly as I opened the bedroom door. I stood at the threshold, just observing the dark, empty space. No wonder Eric didn’t want to stay here. Honestly, I didn’t want to be here for even a moment.I couldn’t even remember the last time I slept here, not since the whole Diana mess. I walked in and went straight to the window. “This room needs light,” I whispered to myself, pushing the curtains open. “Ah! Fresh air,” I muttered as the cold wind greeted my face. I sighed again and stepped out onto the balcony.As I walked out, my mind started to drift. What’s going to happen to us now? I questioned. Denying the pregnancy doesn’t mean she isn’t pregnant. And then there’s this whole thing about our marriage—no matter what I tell myself, the marriage is still as fake as it could be.I turned to the room, resting my back on the metal. “I didn’t co
~~~~~Nora followed my gesture and then looked back at me with a half-smile. “You’re right,” she said before her expression darkened, and she glared at Eric. “I’ll leave the stubborn one to you,” she muttered under her breath and turned to head to the kitchen.I sighed and turned back to Eric. “You want to tell me what the problem is?” I asked, the words tasting bitter as they left my mouth.“Don’t know what you mean,” he replied, eyes still closed, like he was avoiding the question altogether.“Don’t play that game with me,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “I’m seriously not in the mood for it,” I said, my face cold. “What you did was dangerous, Eric. Putting your life at stake like that… How could you do something so stupid without even telling me about it? If your mother hadn’t told me what Diana did, I wouldn’t have even
~~~~When we finally got to the mansion, I felt his hesitation again. Like his body was here, but his mind was somewhere else. Still, I took his hand and didn’t give him the choice to pull back. We got out of the car together.Just as I was reaching for the front door, it swung open from the inside. Nora came rushing out, out of breath, panic written all over her face.“Oh my God,” she gasped the moment she saw Eric. “You look thin. Eric, why are you so stubborn?”Her voice cracked slightly—she wasn’t trying to scold him; she was just scared. And honestly, who could blame her?I let out a long breath. “Not here, Nora,” I said, calmly. “Let’s go inside first.”Because the last thing I needed was to be on someone’s Instagram feed by morning.“Okay,” she nodded and stepped aside.We followed her in.But once the door shut behind us, it
~~~~I turned to Carol, eyes narrowed like blades.“You want to tell me what the hell is going on right now?”She flinched, visibly rattled. “Ma’am... I-I don’t understand—”I didn’t wait for her to finish. My gaze snapped back to the glass.Inside, Eric sat on the sofa, flipping through a stack of documents with visible tension in his jaw. Beside him, the client—some woman with more chest than shame—leaned in so close she was practically sitting on his lap. Her breasts brushed his arm, again and again, while she smiled like she owned him.Eric didn’t look at her. Not once. But the way his shoulders stiffened, the way he clenched the papers—he hated it.She didn’t care.She leaned even closer.Pressed harder.Smiled wider.Behind me, Carol whispered a stunned, “Oh my...”I didn’t move. “That’s