Let’s get married

Audrey was lounging in her apartment, a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other, scrolling through social media as a thousand thoughts bounced around in her head. Her nerves were frayed, her patience thinning. The forged pregnancy test report lay in a crisp envelope on the table, staring back at her like a loaded gun.

She was banking everything on this—her relationship with Larry, her future security, her place in the spotlight. And now, she was seconds away from dialing one of the gossip bloggers, just in case Larry dared to back out.

But her phone rang before she could.

Larry.

A victorious smile crossed her lips as she quickly answered. “Larry,” she purred, sitting up straighter. “Miss me already?”

His voice was cold. Abrupt. “You said you want to get married, right?”

Audrey blinked, caught off guard. “Of course I do. That’s what responsible men do when they have a baby on the way—”

“Then get dressed,” he cut her off. “Meet me at the registry in two hours.”

Her smile vanished. “Wait… what?”

“You heard me,” Larry said sharply. “We’re getting married today. No guests. No cameras. No drama. Just you and me and a signature. Get there or don’t. That’s your choice.”

“Larry,” Audrey said with disbelief, standing up from the couch, pacing. “This is a joke, right? I mean, come on—I deserve more than that! I want a real wedding. A proper dress. Guests. A reception. The works. Not some secret civil ceremony like we’re eloping after a scandal!”

Larry let out a cruel chuckle. “Oh, Audrey. You really still think this is about love?”

“Excuse me?” she snapped, her voice rising.

“You lied. Manipulated. You dragged me into your mess. You blackmailed me with a child that may or may not even exist—and now you expect a fairytale wedding?” he scoffed. “Let me be crystal clear: this is what I’m offering. A quick, silent marriage at the registry. You get my name. I get silence. We both walk away with something.”

Audrey’s throat tightened. “Larry, this isn’t fair.”

“No,” he said, his voice darkening, “what’s not fair is you thinking you could trap me like this and walk away a queen. If you’re carrying my child—which I still doubt—then you’ll get what’s legally yours. But if you want more than that, Audrey, you can go to hell. Go to the press, cry, scream, do whatever makes you feel powerful. I do not care. But understand this—there will be consequences. And not just for you.”

Audrey went silent. Her mind raced through all the potential fallout, the threats Larry could unleash if she pushed too far.

He wasn’t bluffing.

He was cold, calculated—and ruthless when cornered.

“I give you two hours,” Larry said, his voice flat. “Take it or leave it.”

The line went dead.

Audrey stood there frozen, the phone still pressed to her ear.

Her heart pounded.

Her pride screamed at her to stay home, to show him she wasn’t some desperate woman begging for scraps. But her instincts—the same ones that helped her survive in a world full of deception and sharks—told her this was the best deal she’d get. If she lost Larry now, she lost everything: money, status, power… and the protection she so desperately needed.

She looked at the envelope with the forged pregnancy report.

Then she marched toward her closet.

She wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Fine. If Larry wanted a quiet registry wedding, then that’s what he’d get.

But deep down, she made herself a vow:

This might be his game now, but it wouldn’t be for long.

The government registry building was a far cry from the fantasy Audrey had envisioned.

There were no white roses. No shimmering aisle. No gasps from admirers as she glided past in an expensive gown. No elegant ballroom filled with chandeliers and champagne. Just a tiled floor, sterile white walls, and a tired registrar flipping through a stack of paperwork.

Audrey sat on a metal bench outside the clerk’s office, wearing a cream-colored sheath dress and a pair of oversized sunglasses that concealed the storm in her eyes. She had thrown on a designer coat to maintain some semblance of dignity, but everything else—the rush, the silence, the emptiness—felt like a slap across the face.

And Larry… he hadn’t even shown up with flowers.

He arrived ten minutes late, wearing a charcoal suit with no tie and a deep scowl etched across his face. He looked more like a man walking into a funeral than his own wedding.

“You’re late,” she snapped as he approached.

“You’re lucky I showed up at all,” he replied flatly.

Audrey rolled her eyes, standing as she adjusted her coat. “You could at least pretend this means something.”

“It doesn’t,” Larry said without hesitation. “Let’s get this over with.”

They walked into the registrar’s office in silence.

The clerk—a middle-aged woman with reading glasses and a clipboard—barely looked up from her paperwork. “Names?” she asked.

“Lawrence Peterson,” Larry replied coldly.

“Audrey Cole.”

“Do you both understand this union is legally binding and may only be dissolved through formal proceedings in accordance with civil law?” the clerk droned, monotone.

“Yes,” they both replied, neither looking at each other.

The woman read out the vows required by law. No one asked if they loved one another. No one asked why they were there. It was signatures, ID cards, a witness pulled from the hallway, and a plain metal band Larry slid onto Audrey’s finger without even meeting her gaze.

And then it was done.

They were married.

Audrey looked at her hand. She expected to feel triumphant, powerful, secure. But instead, she felt… hollow.

As they stepped outside into the open air, Audrey reached for Larry’s arm.

“Now that we’re married—”

Larry jerked his arm away. “Don’t touch me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m your wife now, Larry.”

“You’re a liability I’ve legally managed. Nothing more.”

Audrey laughed bitterly. “You know, for someone who just married the mother of his supposed child, you really know how to ruin a moment.”

Larry stopped walking and turned to face her, his expression deadly serious.

“Let’s make something clear, Audrey. This marriage? It’s a contract. A buffer. A public shield. You do your part stay quiet, stay useful, and keep up appearances. But don’t you ever think you’ve won. This is survival, not love.”

He stepped closer, his tone a growl.

“And if I ever find out you lied about that pregnancy? God help you.”

Audrey’s jaw clenched, but she said nothing.

He walked off without another word, disappearing into his car, leaving her alone on the courthouse steps.

The ring on her finger felt heavier than iron.

And still, she whispered to herself, “At least I’m in the game now.”

She pulled out her phone and texted her lawyer.

“Change of marital status. Effective today. Start drafting the prenup.”

Larry had barely closed the door of his car when he heard the tap-tap of Audrey’s heels echoing across the registry steps. Her voice followed like a venomous wind.

“Less I forget, Larry,” she called, forcing him to stop mid-step. “If you think this quickie wedding is going to make me relax and stop my plans then you’re more foolish than I thought.”

He turned slowly, jaw tightening. Audrey stood tall and smug, her cream dress hugging her figure like a snake's skin, one hand resting on her hip while the other twirled her sunglasses.

“You can’t possibly believe I did all this just to be your wife and sit pretty in some townhouse while you pine over June like some pathetic schoolboy,” she continued. “Please. Don’t insult my intelligence.”

Larry’s fists curled. “Audrey don’t push me.”

“No, you listen.” Her tone turned cold, razor-sharp. “I will do everything in my power to make sure you never end up with June. You hear me? Never. You made your choice when you married me, and now you’ll live with it. You may not love me, but you’re bound to me now. Legally. Publicly. Strategically.”

She stepped closer, her perfume overpowering. “So if you do love June if that tortured, conflicted heart of yours still thinks she’s your salvation I strongly advise you to stay away from her. Because if you go near her, if you try to reconcile, to sneak around behind my back like some guilty teenager… I’ll bury her, Larry.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” she whispered, tilting her head, eyes gleaming with a sick pleasure. “You clearly still don’t understand what I’m capable of. I have dirt. Receipts. Pictures. Lies I can turn into truth. I’ve bought off bloggers, influencers, editors hell, I’ve practically got the press in my pocket. I will drown June’s name in so much scandal that she’ll wish she’d never left your shadow.”

Larry looked at her as though seeing her for the first time like a mask had finally cracked and revealed the predator beneath the smile.

“And what about the child?” he asked. “Are you willing to use that baby as a pawn in your twisted war?”

Audrey’s smile was slow and cruel. “The baby is my trump card, Larry. And if I must, I’ll play it against you too.”

“You’re bluffing.”

She leaned in, her voice almost affectionate. “Then call it.”

A heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the distant hum of traffic and the sudden realization hanging in the air: this wasn’t a marriage it was a battlefield.

Larry didn’t respond. He turned, walked to his car, and slammed the door behind him.

As he drove off, Audrey pulled out her phone and made a call.

“Get me the editor at The Daily Flame. Tell him I want to run that piece about June and Xander. Yes—the one about the ‘secret affair.’ It’s time we turn up the heat.”

She hung up, her smile wide.

Let June feel what it means to lose everything.

Let Larry learn what it costs to make a deal with the devil.

Because Audrey Cole wasn’t done—not by a long shot.