Married For 30 Days

Ben“What's taking so long?” The priest came up behind me and whispered in my ear. He was getting impatient.“She'll be here soon, Father. I answered. She's probably stuck in traffic.”But the congregation was beginning to get fussy. People were muttering and grumbling, but quietly, careful not to make too much noise in the house of God.I stood there at the altar, heart thumping beneath my new suit, as I waited for Shirley, my lovely bride, to show up.I turned to my twin brother, Benjamin.“Try her number one more time.”“I have, she's not picking up. And just now it's switched off,” he answered.I nodded, but the anxiety was beginning to gnaw at me.“What if I go and look for her?” He suggested.“No, Ben. I need you here with me. You know I can't handle this big crowd alone.” I said as I removed my glasses, and cleaned it for the hundredth time.It was a great suggestion but I needed him. My introverted nature can only handle so much at once.As we stood whispering to each other, m

Ana I closed for work and left the shop, eager to get back to my son Liam, and also relieve my sister so she could go for her music practice. As I stepped out the door, I noticed a black car that looked a lot like the one from earlier, parked a few blocks away from the entrance. A lot of people own black cars so I didn't worry about it. I didn't have a car of my own and I had to walk some distance to catch the bus. I hurried along but soon noticed the black car idling alongside me on the sidewalk. I swallowed hard and clutched my bag tighter. I increased my pace, looking back intermittently to see if I was still being followed. The car increased speed as it tried to keep up with me. Why would the man who tried to save me a few hours ago be following me? I've had enough of stalkers and wasn't interested in adding another to my list. I picked up speed and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The car revved up too and sped along, nearly knocking down an elderly couple who w

BenI glanced at my watch for the umpteenth time, the same old dreaded anxiety creeping up on me. Where was she?I hated having to wait on people. It was one of my pet peeves. Shirley had made sure of that.“Damn it.” I swore under my breath. If she doesn't show in the next five minutes, I would cancel the deal. To hell with the business.The door to the lounge opened and my business partners walked in. There were three of them; two men and a woman. I wasn't exactly comfortable meeting with them again, given that they'd witnessed my humiliation five years ago. But I had to do this for my father. He needed this deal to go through.I stood and came forward to meet them. We shook hands and I took them back to the seat where I sat with the woman not quite long ago.Dressed in suits, they looked like they didn't have time to waste, and I wasn't one to dally when it comes to business either. But my new wife - I didn't even know her name - was nowhere to be found.“We thought you'd be her

Ben “I'm sorry, wha–” I hung up on her, reclined in my chair and released a deep sigh of victory. What I wouldn't give to see the look of anger on her face right now. The woman was a complete piece of work, and she was stubborn. It was high time she got a taste of her own medicine. She was still trying to process the news and definitely start something when I ended the call; I wasn't going to give her the chance to protest. I didn't like the obvious mess I'd gotten myself into with this arrangement. I have no interest in being in anyone's space, especially not a woman's. But I'd do anything for my father, and for the company. So, unfortunately for me, I needed her. But I would never let it show that I really needed her that bad, or she would smell my desperation and use it against me. I didn't doubt that because she already showed me what she was capable of. This was a game and I know all about that too well. And I'd never be caught hands down. Never again. It was l

Ana I entered the office to find two men seated and discussing. One was Ben, and the other was a man I'd never seen before. Ben gave me a strangely comforting smile and asked, “How was the ride over?” “You basically forced me to come here but sure, it was fine.” I glared at him. He ignored my retort and continued. “Ana, this is my lawyer, Remi Laurent. Remi, this is my wife, Ana.” Remi chuckled mischievously at the mention of ‘wife’ and Ben gave him a warning stare. I could tell that their relationship was more than that of lawyer and client. They were friends. Remi rose and came over to where I stood. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Please, call me Remi.” We shook hands. He was friendly, warm and courteous. He was so different from Ben's brooding personality and that was a welcome change. I liked him right away. Ben poured himself a drink from the bottle of whiskey standing on his desk. He got up, picked up the glass, and went over to stand at the window, his hands in