The Bride Transaction

Todd Vandenberg stepped into the elevator and pressed a button, the number fifty lighting up under his finger. The doors closed quietly, leaving him to stare at his reflection in the pristinely polished metal. He looked a mess, his ashy blond hair disheveled and his lips tinted red from the girl’s lipstick he had been making out with at the club before coming here. He tried to tidy up his appearance a bit, frustration building up inside of him as he thought about how he had just been about to take her home when his Grandfather called him, demanding he come into the office. Todd would rather avoid going into Vandenberg Pharmaceuticals, but at least it was late at night, so only security and a few overachieving employees would be left in the building. His Grandfather, Jan Vandenberg, always worked late, as if this were his second home. In fact, Todd was unsure if his Grandfather ever went home anymore. They lived in different wings of the house and never seemed to cross each other’s paths.

When Todd was younger, they would at least sit at the table together every morning and evening, but even then, they hardly spoke to one another. He was either engrossed in a newspaper or on the phone with the office. The few times they did speak, it was just for him to ask him how his grades were, never about if he had made new friends or even just how his day was. The only thing his Grandfather worried about was his achieving excellence in his studies. But then, after elementary school, he shipped Todd off to boarding school, and they never really saw each other again except for brief intervals during the holidays. Eventually, he stopped coming home altogether and spent holidays with his friends instead.

The elevator door pinged, opening onto the top floor. Tall windows looking out over the city were on either side of the spacious entry hall. The building towered over all of the skyscrapers in San Jose and was nicknamed The Pinnacle for its spire-like structure. There were other offices on the fiftieth floor for the CFO and COO, along with a huge Board of Directors meeting room, but his Grandfather’s office was at the end of a long corridor. Todd walked down the long hallway, whose walls were lined with high-quality photographs of the city. Todd stopped at his Grandfather's assistant's desk, but it was empty.

"Come in," his Grandfather called through the slightly ajar doorway.

Todd wondered how the old man had even known he was standing there as he reached for the door handle and pushed it open far enough for him to step inside. He peered around and saw his Grandfather deep in paperwork, not even lifting his head in order to acknowledge him. This was normal; he simply closed the door behind him and walked towards the desk, taking a seat in one of the large, comfy chairs in front of it. 

Jan Vandenberg’s office was a mix of modern and traditional. One wall was lined with bookshelves and even had a small fireplace, making it look like a European study, but the other half had modern Scandinavian furniture. The color tones consisting of white, gray, and black, with a few pops of color here and there. Two of the walls were just large windows overlooking the city, the city's lights making it impossible to see any stars in the night sky. His Grandfather's aftershave hung heavy in the air, sandalwood with a hint of mint.

From where Todd was sitting, he had a great view of the sprawling city below, but it did not attract his attention. Instead, he idly scanned the long table behind his Grandfather's desk, covered with pictures. One featured Jan Vandenberg with the President, along with a few others, with other major business people. Off to the side, there was a large framed photo of his deceased wife. Todd's Grandmother had died before he was born, but he had seen the photo many times, the same one mounted over the mantle at home. Beside her portrait was a picture of him at a very young age with his parents, his mother and father smiling down at him as he dug his chubby hands into a chocolate cake, most of it smeared all over his face. His parents died a few months after the photo had been taken, leaving only him and his Grandfather now.

"So, I am sure you are wondering why I called you here," Jan said, still not looking in his direction.

"It seemed urgent," Todd replied, trying his best to conceal the irritation in his voice.

Jan finally lifted his head from his work, a knowing look in his crystal blue eyes. He knew his grandson would rather be anywhere else than here, and Todd did not miss the disapproval written on his face. His Grandfather glanced back at his desk and picked up a manila folder before handing it to Todd.

"What is this?" he asked, opening it.

"I know you do not want to take over the business. You have made that very clear from the moment you graduated from college. I thought you would come work alongside me, but instead, you seem more interested in partying every night and squandering away your inheritance. So, I decided to release you and set you free. You are no longer the heir of Vandenberg Pharmaceuticals and can go out on your own and make your own name for yourself," he explained in a slightly patronizing tone.

Todd frowned, confused by this announcement, and glanced down at what was inside the folder. He only read the first few lines of the contract before getting to his feet and slamming the folder down on the desk.

"You're cutting me off?!" he shouted, furious.

"What did you expect? You are wasting money every night on booze and loose women instead of using the education I paid for. I have been waiting for you to come around, but instead, you are throwing away your life." His Grandfather said, seeming too calm and collected for such an upsetting topic.

Todd was so outraged he could hardly contain it, but he was used to bottling up his emotions. When he had graduated from Stanford, his Grandfather had not even shown up. He had thought Jan Vandenberg had not approved of his choice of school. He had wanted Todd to go to Oxford or any of the Ivy League schools, but Todd had no interest in them. Instead, he opted for Stanford. It was still a prestigious school and much closer to home.

He had not spoken to Todd for months afterward, so he had assumed his Grandfather did not want him to join the family business. He had instead fallen into a pattern of going to the club where his friend Vincent was a DJ, partying, and taking a new girl home every night. Had his Grandfather truly believed that he would just show up the day after graduation, asking for a job? Had Todd once again completely misread Jan Vandenberg’s indifference?

Todd was too angry and too prideful to ask. He stood there, saying nothing as he stared down at the ornery old man. He lowered himself slowly back onto his seat, never looking away as Jan looked on with a triumphant grin twisting his lips.

"So, it would seem you do not want to be cut off?  he asked.

“Of course not,” Todd said through gritted teeth.

“And you’d be willing to cooperate?”

“Yes…” murmured Todd. Wait a second? Cooperate? What did his Grandfather have on his mind? This didn’t bode well.

"Well, then let us discuss the few conditions I have," he stated in a bland, businesslike fashion.

"Conditions?" Todd repeated stupidly.

"Yes, you need to prove to me that this is what you really want. I need to know that my business will be left in good hands once I retire," he replied.

That made Todd start a little. He sat up a bit straighter in his chair, unsure if he had heard him correctly.

"You are going to retire?"

"Yes, that is the plan. I want to start training you to take over so that in a few years, I can hand over the company. I will still retain my Chairman position for the Board of Directors, but I will be handing the CEO title over to you."

Todd struggled not to show how shocked he was. He never believed Jan Vandenberg would put that much trust in him. He looked down at the folder he had tossed back on the desk, knowing there had to be a catch.

"What is it I have to do?" he questioned hesitantly.

"I'm glad you asked. It shows initiative!" the old man praised, reaching for the discarded folder. "First, in order to prove to not only me but the Board of Directors that you can be a responsible and an upstanding young man, you must marry."

"Are you serious? You want me to get married?" Todd asked, already beginning to feel queasy at the idea of tying himself down to one woman for the rest of his life.

"Of course! What better way to prove that you are prepared to take over this company?" Jan reasoned.

"What does marriage have to do with running a business?" He argued, getting annoyed with this idea.

"Everything! Right now, everyone here believes you are my spoiled grandson, and it would be a disaster to hand over the business to you. In fact, they would all laugh in my face for even suggesting it. However, if you show everyone you have settled down and have taken on the huge responsibility of starting a family, it would be a step in the right direction," he clarified.

"Fine.." Todd grumbled.

Usually, he would not care what other people thought of him, but he had been preparing to take over the company his entire life. Regardless of what his Grandfather thought, Todd had been waiting for the moment he would acknowledge him as being a worthy successor. He had always thought the great Jan Vandenberg was ashamed of him, but it seemed it was all just a huge misunderstanding. Now, it appeared Todd had a chance to gain the old man’s favor for the first time. Even if his idea of showing he was worthy and responsible was rather ridiculous. Was marriage really going to prove he could run a business? Wouldn’t hard work and achievement be more beneficial for the board members to see?

"Who is it you want me to marry?" he asked, knowing he probably had someone in mind.

Someone who might help grow their business, though he was pretty sure their competitor only had a Grandson. Maybe one of the many Hospital Conglomerates? They might have a daughter, which would help Vandenberg’s business dealings.

"I want you to choose," he stated simply.

Todd's eyes widened. Was the man not going to force a marriage of convenience on him? Would he be able to choose freely? Regardless, Todd already knew he only wanted a contracted marriage. He had no time for things like commitment or love. No, his wife would have to understand that this marriage would be in name only.

"However..." Jan began, "I want her to be a virginal bride."

"What?!" Todd croaked.

"Yes, a virgin bride. I am a very religious man, you know, and even though I have never pushed you to attend church with me, it's very important to me that you find a virtuous young lady. Also, I ask that there be no sex before marriage," he specified.

What was this? The damn Victorian era? It was the twenty-first century, for God’s sake! Yet, here was his Grandfather, acting like he was some Grand Duke ready to hand over the dukedom only if his Grandson married a pure and virginal bride! The worst of it all was that finding a woman to marry him in name only would be easy - but finding a virgin? How would his Grandfather even know if she was a virgin? True, the man could be terrifying and would probably do a deep background check on whoever he chose; he would be psychotic enough to do so.

He reached for the contract as his Grandfather handed it to him, flipping it to the next page and seeing the terms of the marriage. He only had six months to find a bride and marry her! Also, she would be given a polygraph test along with a pelvic exam from an OBGYN of his choosing in order to qualify! Was his Grandfather insane? There was more to the contract, but all the words started to blur together. Todd was either having a panic attack or he was about to lose it and punch his Grandfather in the face. Either way, he had to get out of there. He stood up, grabbed a pen from his Grandfather's desk, and scrolled his name across the line indicated for the signatory before closing the folder and handing it back.

His Grandfather seemed to be about to say something, but Todd just turned and left, doing his best not to slam the door on his way out. Johannes Vandenburg looked down at the folder now in his hands, opened it, and saw the signature, wondering if Todd had even seen the three other clauses in the contract. Oh well, he would find out eventually.