5/ MARRIED TO YOU

I sighed and plopped back in my chair when they finally exited the room. Irene, my secretary walked in almost immediately and gave me a file.

“This came in for you ma’am.” She announced and left. I ran my hands through my hair and licked my lips.

It better be good news because so many strange things had already happened in less than twenty-four hours. I grabbed the file that was wrapped up in a package and briskly tore it open.

My breath caught in my throat when the first image fell out. It seemed to be one of many. One of the many photos James had taken with Alicia as his bride. My eyes widened and the pictures fell from my grip.

I knew I was unwilling to get married. I knew that I was furious and felt betrayed. I was flat devastated. But if there was anyone I had truly loved and saw myself spending the rest of my life with; It was James.

How was this even possible? How could someone willing to do the rest of his life forget me in less than two weeks? Here I was, battling and struggling with guilt while he was rolling in sheets with my sister.

I felt my eyes stung with fresh tears and I held the photo up in my face. In the image, they were still in their wedding dress and were sharing a passionate kiss.

I tore the image into multiple pieces and I felt a sob travel up my throat. I slammed my head on the wall multiple times before I remained in the same spot.

My shoulders shook slightly. This was the last news I expected to receive. It was one thing to refuse to marry him and another thing entirely for him to go ahead and Marry my sister.

After a few moments of internal screaming, I raised my head and let out a breath. I grabbed the document that remained in the file and glanced through it. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and agitation.

Those were consent papers.

Those papers indicated that I was giving my inheritance and legal rights to Alicia and that I had broken all ties with the family. Above all, they were suing me for medical misconduct on My father’s files and endangering the company’s affairs.

Had it gotten to this point? It suddenly felt like I was no longer dealing with my family, but rather a bunch of traitors who were desperate to ruin my life. I slumped back in the chair and shut my eyes for a few seconds before I reopened them.

I knew it. I knew that one day; Mother would try and blame me for Stephan’s death, but I never knew that she would go as far as creating a circus like this one. She wanted to ruin the only thing I had left; My career.

But this time; I was going to fight back and they would all pay for all the pain they have inflicted so far.

Without thinking too much, I tossed the lawsuit and images off my desk and grabbed the document that was in front of me. I had nothing to lose at this point.

The girl had mentioned that this alliance would help me take revenge on my family, there was no harm in figuring out what their offer was. I opened the file and froze. The name Moore was written boldly across the pages and reality hit me.

“Irene? Irene!” I called out and the petite woman scrambled into the room.

“The man and woman who were in here, are they the owners of Moore Hospital?” I asked sharply and she nodded with an apologetic smile.

“You can leave,” I informed her and she left the room. My grip on the document tightened.

I wasn’t sure why the Moores wanted such an alliance or a contract marriage of twenty-five days. Who does that?

Well, at least they were not asking for a kidney, right?

I did not want to get married though, that was not a part of the plans I had set out for when I returned to Los Angeles. But things were different now. Right now, my career, rights, and freedom were being brutally attacked by my family.

They had betrayed me and to match that kind of betrayal, I had to match their status, power, and influence. That was something I could attain as Moore’s wife, but at what cost?

“So, did you finally change your mind?” I looked up and locked eyes with Moore. I couldn’t even think about him with his first name at this point. The man looked more collected than the last time he was in the office. He was wearing a different suit Jacket and his sister was nowhere to be found.

“How did you —“

“I own this company and word travels fast.” He confirmed sharply, his dominant tone hitting a nerve. I sucked in a sharp breath.

“Alright, what does this entail?” I asked and matched his gaze.

“Carmen, come in,” Moore called out and I raised an eyebrow as a woman stepped into the office. “She’s the judge that will be joining the union.” The brunette offered me a weary smile and sat down in front of me. I did not have it in me to reciprocate her kind gesture. The circumstances did not allow it.

It was ridiculous how I was about to do the one thing I ran away from Miami to avoid. Life had its way of catching up to people and I think it had me in its grip at this point

I grabbed a pen from my desk. My hands trembled slightly and read the papers over and over again to ensure I wasn’t selling my life away, even though that was exactly how it felt.

Moore’s signature sat pretty at the bottom left of the document. I swallowed and signed away my fate.

“It’s official, “ I announced. “I am married to you, Alexander Moore.”