THE GUARDIAN'S BRIDE

CHAPTER 1: Married just Divorced 

“You were too conservative and uptight. This was the only way I could get you to sleep with me.”

The force of the slap turned his face to the side. Still it did nothing to quell the storm of pain and anger inside me.

Vance turned to me, rubbing his jaw, eyes shining with rage. 

“How dare you raise your filthy hands on my son?” Patricia screeched behind me.

I didn't even spare her a glance. My burning eyes were trained on the angry face of the man I married a few minutes ago—Vance Bomer. 

“I'll understand that you're angry, and I probably deserved that. But don't ever do that again,” he warned darkly.

“How dare you do this to me? You animal!” I cried as hot tears stung my eyes.

I attacked him, managing to land a few hits to his chest before he grabbed my hands and held them together tightly.

“Will you just stop and listen to me, Maddie?”

“Don't touch me. Let go of me!” I glowered, freeing myself from his touch. “Don't you ever lay your filthy hands on me again.”

I was aware that we were beginning to attract attention from the people in the courthouse. But I didn’t care. 

“I hate you. I’ll never forgive you for this, you bastard.”

There was no reaction from him. He stood still, his hands thrust deep in his pockets. Patricia came to stand beside her son, her lips curled in a sneer.

All I wanted to do was cry, but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. 

Patricia chuckled. “I did tell you that I would never allow you to become a part of my family.”

I smirked. “But, guess what? I am. I actually did marry your son a few minutes ago.”

Patricia laughed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. I expected another hysterical outburst not mirth. She read the confusion on my face, and answered my unasked question. 

“You really thought that I would let this sham marriage of yours be registered?”

I barely had time to try and register what she meant when I heard the clacking of heels behind me. The smile that appeared on Patricia's face, and the brief flash of surprise in Vance's eyes had me turning around, and I came face to face with Nicole. 

Nicole was Vance's ex girlfriend who still tried everything possible to latch on to him. She hated me as much as Patricia did. And she did everything possible to make my life uncomfortable in college. I wasn't surprised that Patricia was fond of her. They were cut from the same cloth.

“Oh, there you are darling!. It's right about time,” Patricia said.

Nicole stepped closer. “Congratulations on the divorce, you lowlife,” she said, throwing a paper in my face.

 I picked it up, and discovered it was divorce papers with our signatures on it. I didn't mind, because there was no way that I was even going to stay married to Vance. But still I had to ask. 

“How did you—”

“How did I get both your signatures on the divorce papers? Did you really think that that dumb explanation of the authorization form that you were asked to sign after the marriage license?” 

 After we had signed the marriage license, the officiant had left to answer a call. And when he returned, he had another document which he made us sign, saying it was an authorization paper.

“Did you plan this too, you lying bastard?” I flung the paper at Vance. 

It landed at his feet, and he picked it up. His jaw tightened as he skimmed through it. 

“Do you really have to do things like this without informing me?” he asked his mother.

Nicole went up to him, and grabbed his arm. “Come on, babe. I'm sure your mother was only looking out for you,” she purred, rubbing his arm.

Vance ignored her, still glaring at his Patricia. 

“You should be thanking me for cleaning up your mess.”

“I had it under control!” he snapped.

“Babe, I know that it was a bet. But it's all over now, baby. You don't have to prove anything, or go all the way—”

“Will you shut the fuck up, Nicole!” Vance snapped, pulling his arm out of her grip.

It then dawned on me. They never really broke up. He just told me that to make me give him a chance. 

“All of you are horrible people. You're so disgusting. How could you play with a person's emotions this way?”

“And do you think that you're a person? Do you think that you matter?” Patricia asked. “You're nobody, and you will never be somebody. You should count yourself lucky that my son even gave you the time of day.”

Nicole laughed, twirling her hair. “It's all over, you rat. Get lost.”

Tears slid down my face. “Karma's a bitch, Nicole. I promise you that you will not get away with this. I will make you pay. I will make sure that you will kneel before me in the dirt one day.”

“Dream on, Madelyn. That will never happen. Now, I have a wedding gift for you,” Patricia said.

Vance's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

 “What are you talking about? What are you up to?”

“Well, since Madelyn here likes attention. I decided to make her the most famous goldigging slut in the country.”

“What have you done, mom?”

“Right about now, there are over sixty reporters and journalists from various leading media houses in the country, outside. They are waiting to see the gold digger who tried to trap my son into an unwanted marriage, just to get her hands on the Bomer fortune.”

Nicole giggled. “Part of it was my idea, Maddie. So you have to thank me too for making you famous.”

Something inside me snapped, and I lunged at her. The cracking sound of the slap echoed across the room, followed by Patricia's gasp of shock. Nicole was shrieking in pain but I gripped tightly onto her curls. Tears were running down my face, but the anger and indignation coursing through me burned hotter than my tears.

By the time that Vance was able to pry me away from her, there were strands of blonde hair in my palm.

“Calm down, Maddie. Get a grip!” he gritted, holding both of my arms. 

“How dare you, you bitch!” Nicole screeched, about to lunge at me.

“Enough, Nicole!” Vance thundered at her from over his shoulder.

Nicole's eyes widened, flashing with more anger. “She attacked me!”

I chuckled bitterly. “You know, since we're giving wedding gifts, I might as well give you mine now.”

Vance's brow furrowed. But he had no time to understand what I was getting at, before I bent my knee and jabbed it between his legs. His grip on me immediately loosened. He doubled over groaning, his face contorted in pain. Nicole and Patricia immediately ran over to him. 

The pain on his face was not enough to dull the anguish in my heart, but it gave me a little satisfaction.

“How dare you?” Patricia was angry.

“I hope he loses his dick. I hope it shrinks and falls off, so he wouldn't deceive another girl with the intention of sticking it in her.”

Patricia's eyes were twin balls of flame. Her hand clenched tightly at her sides. 

“I will make you pay, little girl,” she said in a calm, chilling tone.

She pulled out her phone, and punched in a few keys, then in a split second, the door opened, and a throng of reporters spilled in.

 I thought I was strong enough to stand whatever they would throw at me. But now, standing before the sea of flashing lights, I wanted to vanish.

The doors opened again, and the noise immediately ceased. The room went eerily silent. 

“What's going on?” Vance asked amidst his groaning on the ground, still clutching his family jewels.

Who had just entered?

The reporters parted and he walked through like a devastating black Knight. 

Zachary Blackwood.

Tall. Imposing. Raven black suit, his coat cutting the wind like a blade. His presence had sliced through the noise. It felt like I was imagining it, but I was staring into the face of Zachary. 

My guardian.

 My breath hitched. My stomach dropped. A sliver of fear shot through me.

It had been four years since I had last seen him. Four years since he vanished on my 18th birthday after that dark night.

Four years since I saw him do the unthinkable.