Chapter thirty two: A very complicated woman.I had two people I trusted in the entire world, Rachel and my mother. If my world ever came crashing down, I knew they would stick with me through the storm and the rain. Rachel had been my best friend for two years but it already felt like we had known each other our entire lives. I valued their opinions a lot. Even without asking, I knew my mom would be completely against an arranged marriage. She loved my father; she still does. She always wanted me to marry for love too – a marriage founded on love, not convenience or obligation.And Rachel? Oh, she absolutely hated Scott too. "I don't know what to do, Rach," I confessed.Rachel shook her head, her expression mirroring my own uncertainty. "This is a mess, Jess. Marrying Scott Sanders is not exactly a dream scenario.""I know, right? But it seems like the only way to salvage my reputation and save BrainBoost from sinking.""I get it, but are you really willing to tie yourself to that g

Chapter thirty four: Mama BearA week later, preparation for the wedding was in full swing. Nobody warned me about how hard it was to plan a wedding, especially when it was a fake one. I found myself buried under a mountain of wedding magazines and endless to-do lists, all while trying to maintain the facade of a happily engaged bride-to-be.As I juggled appointments with vendors and tried to keep track of seating arrangements, I couldn't help but wonder if it was all worth it. In spite of everything, it wasn't a real wedding, but the effort and stress were all too real. Yet, amidst the chaos, there was a small part of me that couldn't deny the excitement of it all, even if it was just for show."This is the formal contract for our marital agreement," I said to Scott handing him a 30 pages document. We found ourselves at my favorite tea shop for another one of our "meetings." At least, it wasn't a scary tattoo studio this time. Scott lounged across the table from me, legs crossed and

Chapter thirty six: No pictures, please!Moments later, the manager hurriedly rushed over, sensing that a blushing bride to be was about to lose her temper. "What's going on here?" The manager's question was directed at the rude sales rep, who stood with a defiant posture."I was just about to call security to deal with another window shopper," she retorted as she glanced in my direction."A what? Are you out of your mind? This is tech CEO, Jessica Raye," exclaimed the manager. "Sir, I... I... tho... thought.." the sales rep stammered. It was satisfying to see the sales rep's arrogance deflate like a popped balloon"You thought what?! Did you think it was right to judge a person you don't know based on their appearance? Or did you think you could embarrass people and treat them with disrespect just because of their status in the society?"The words tumbled out of me. I couldn't believe someone could be so freaking annoying, and I wasn't about to let her off the hook without a piece

Chapter thirty eight: Pure, unadulterated hate!People always said I and Scott had a love-hate relationship. But that isn't true. I just hated him- as simple as that!I hated his smug grin, his arrogant attitude, and the way he always seemed to think he was right about everything. I hated how he could charm the pants off anyone with his smooth words and charming demeanor, even when I knew he was full of it. And most of all, I hated having to pretend to be in love with him.Every time I was on a talk show, all the host wanted to do was ask me about me and Scott. It's like they thought we were starring in some twisted romantic comedy, and I was just playing along to keep the ratings up. Well, newsflash: real life isn't scripted, and my feelings for Scott are about as genuine as a reality TV show!"So, Jessica, what's the deal with you two? How did you meet and when did you know he was the one?" they would ask.And every time, I would plaster on a fake smile and spout some rehearsed line

Chapter forty: Why and what ifs...There are certain random thoughts that occupy my mind for no apparent reason. Like, seriously, why is the sky blue? Did someone spill a giant bottle of blue paint up there, and now it's just stuck like that? Or maybe it's just Mother Nature's way of saying, "Hey, I like blue, let's make the sky match my favorite color!" And what if the sky decided to change colors one day? Would we all freak out and think the world was ending?The same way, my mind sometimes veers towards darker thoughts. Like why did my sister, Laura, pack her bags and leave us in the dust just for a silly little boyfriend? Was he really worth abandoning her family for? Would she ever come back? Was she even alive or dead? How was she doing?The last time I heard from her was when she sent me a postcard from Greece. People said that she had turned to the life of crime but I refused to believe. She was my sister, my own blood after all. But I saw her face on the FBI's most wanted per