Marry me now!

“I don’t have time for jokes. Leave!” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. I turned my eyes away from him and focused them back on the giant wooden cross at the altar.

“Here is the check. Just marry me and you can become a billionaire if you so wish,” the man presented a check to me, his voice disturbingly calm.

My face contorted with anger. “Who do you think you are? Can you please just let me be?” I spat, my voice rising.

“I am Joshua Hensaw, CEO of Hensaw’s group of companies,” the man’s voice echoed in my ears, dripping with unshakeable confidence.

Immediately, my eyes narrowed.

“Hensaw,” I muttered to myself. The name rang a distant bell. I squinted, trying to dredge up the memory. “Voila!” My eyes widened in sudden realization. This surely was a dream.

“You are The Joshua Hensaw? Son of Hensaw McDonald?” I asked, astonished.

Joshua nodded. “Yes.”

Immediately, I knew who I was talking to. I had come across the name, Hensaw Group of Companies, even when I was in prison. They were one of the biggest businesses in the state, if not the biggest. Marcus’s one and only biggest fear and competition.

“Why do you want me to marry you?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Joshua smirked and sat right beside me, his expensive cologne enveloping my senses. Up close, he looked younger than I had imagined, but he exuded the most confident and compelling aura I had ever encountered.

“That should not be your problem right now. All you have to do is marry me for two years, and I’ll make you the richest woman in the city. That is what should matter to you.” His eyes were locked onto mine, his voice calm and assured.

I must say, I loved the way he spoke. It was a mix of arrogance, sweetness, and a soothing quality all in one.

“How old are you?” I quizzed, peering through his heavy beard and firm eyes. He surely was younger than I was.

Joshua hesitated a bit before he finally spoke. “Twenty-five,” he said.

I was correct; he was younger. “I’m thirty-four,” I said with a little smile. “Do you still want to marry me? You want to marry a woman who is nine years older than you?”

He was mute, his expression tinged with disappointment. Then, all of a sudden, his frown transformed into a smile. “Just perfect. Just how I want it,” he nodded, leaving me frowning in confusion. What was happening here? It wasn’t making sense to me.

“You still want to marry me?” I asked again, bewildered.

“Yes, I want to do you the honor…” he trailed off, clearly waiting for me to tell him my name.

“Claire… Claire Jobs,” I lied instantly. I didn’t know why I did it, but I liked it. On second thought, I didn’t want anyone, especially Joshua, to find out that I was once married to that monster, Marcus.

“So?” He shrugged, seemingly unfazed.

“Okay,” I nodded.

I guess God listened to my prayers. This was my perfect opportunity to ruin that bastard, my chance to make him pay for making my life miserable and for taking my baby away from me. I didn’t even know the gender of my baby.

I got married to Joshua Hensaw. I couldn’t believe it until he said “I do” at the altar and we exchanged rings.

Afterwards, we rode to the courthouse in Joshua’s Rolls Royce. He truly reeked of wealth. We got to the court and made our union legal. Everything was so fast and surreal, as though he had been waiting for this moment.

Who even just sees someone in church and marries them? It didn’t make sense to me, but did I care? No. All I wanted was revenge, and I would do anything for that. We had signed both the marriage contract, which stated we would go our separate ways two years from now. No sex, no intimacy, just officiality!

“You have not signed your check,” Joshua said as we drove to his house.

I looked up at him, then back at the check. I didn’t even know what to sign on it. I took the check and looked at it intently.

“Let’s leave it for later,” I smiled and leaned back in my seat.

We drove into a palatial mansion filled with the most expensive cars I had ever seen. A beautiful garden and water fountain adorned the front. My eyes lingered on the splendor until we left the car.

“Let’s go in and meet the family,” Joshua said, holding my hand.

My eyes widened in shock. “The fam…?” I wasn’t even allowed to finish my question when Joshua led me into the house.

The interior was even more stunning, like another heaven. My eyes darted around, but my awe was abruptly interrupted by shouts.

“Dad!” Two kids ran from a woman who was holding them and hugged Joshua.

My eyes widened. “You are married with kids?” I stuttered, looking up at Joshua in disbelief.