Lahat ng Kabanata ng A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE: MARRIED TO MY ENEMY : Kabanata 51 - Kabanata 60

~CharlesMy words hit Megan like a punch to the gut. I had always been quick with my comebacks, but this time, the bitterness in my tone was deeper and palpable.The man who showed her compassion and care during the false pregnancy was gone, and now the stranger was back, callous and indifferent.“Charles, how can you say that?” Megan whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of hurt and anger. “How dare you blame me for something that wasn’t my fault? How heartless can you be, Charles McCall? How can you be so wicked?”I sneered. “Don’t blame me for your lack of feminine sensitivity—”The rest of my words got drowned by the resounding slap Megan sent to my face. I held the burning cheek, looking at her with fury. “You are the only woman who has ever hit me twice and gotten away with it, but if you ever do this again, I will—”Megan interrupted me, “you will what, Charles? Hit me back?” She crossed her arms with a determined frown. “Well, go ahead, Charles. I dare you.”I scowled, vis

~ CharlesThere was a particular attitude that came with the way Megan carried herself these days. It was as if the humble, naïve, but stubborn woman I met that fateful night was slowly slipping away.She still had the same poise, like the grace of a lioness, as we faced a number of questions from the reporters.“… What happens in our marriage is nobody’s business unless we choose to share; no one has the right to share such private details about us,” she said, her fingers intertwined with mine.I also forgot to mention that she was getting better at acting in front of the public. She wore the mask perfectly and only removed it when we were no longer under a spotlight.“We’ll take adequate measures to ensure that the people that share that information will be brought to book,” I added, firmly interlocking my fingers with Megan’s.However, we were not prepared for the next question the reporter was going to throw at us.“Rumors have it that your marriage is nothing but a contractual ag

~ MeganCharles came knocking on my door, but I ignored him until he got the message and stopped. I was very exhausted from everything that happened yesterday, and to top it off, I had to deal with Charles. I did my nightly routine and went straight to bed, driven by exhaustion.In the morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Prying my eyes open, I groaned as I reached over, fumbling to answer the call. A familiar name was on display on the screen.“Hello?” I answered, my voice still thick with sleep.“Happy birthday, Megan,” a familiar voice greeted me. It took a moment for my foggy brain to register that it was Jake. My brows furrowed slightly, but I didn’t want to sound rude with the question I had in mind.“Thank you, Jake,” I replied, sitting up and rubbing my eyes, “but why are you calling so early?”“I wanted to be the first to wish you. By the way, did you like my gift?” I could feel Jake smiling at the other end of the line, and it made my skin t

~ Megan“No.” I held up a finger, stopping Janette from speaking. “Not today.”With that, I walked away, leaving behind my burden. When I came to this restaurant, I was starving, but now I have lost my appetite. The only place I could think of escaping to was my news agency.“Surprise!” The employees chimed as I entered, as if they were expecting me.I forced smiles as we cut the cake and popped the bottle of champagne. I couldn’t maintain my face for much longer, so I quietly slipped away into the confines of my office.I sat there for almost two hours, pondering whether or not to terminate the contract between Jake and me. I decided not to do it for obvious reasons. The only reason I would be forced to terminate was if the contract was flagged by default, and as of now, Jake had performed part of his obligations to the contract. I was the one left to complete my own end of the agreement.I groaned, running my fingers through my hair, scattering the ponytail I had made. I felt so bet

~ Megan I didn’t return my father’s smile. I just wanted him to be done and out of my face. “If you want money, I will send you the little I have—” “The little you have would mean nothing compared to the problem it is supposed to fix,” my father cut me off. “You were right about something.” He stared at me from a much more comfortable position. “There was no fire at any of our shops, but there was a fire at a warehouse where I had workers sewing fake designer branded clothes. And some people got hurt. They are poor, so a little money wouldn’t be too much to compensate them unless they’d open their mouths.” “I don’t see how that’s my business, Dad,” I said between my teeth, emphasizing on the ‘Dad.’ The man that raised me wasn’t the one sitting before me now. He was a complete stranger. A stranger who dealt illegally to make ends meet. What happened to the man that was once my role model? “You are disappointed in me right?” My father asked with a half-baked smile, and for a brief mo