BUSINESS MARRIAGE (COMPLETED)

002

HER

I kept replaying what dad said in my mind, he had to be kidding right? There was no way in hell I was going to marry someone I had never met or had a relationship with. I went through the week avoiding my father at work, intentionally missing his calls and staying in a hotel since I was still living in the family house. It was hard being away from him but I wasn't changing my mind no matter what.

I was in my hotel room FaceTiming with one of my best friends - Tristan. I related what had happened and he just laughed at my predicament. Frankly, I was getting annoyed. I knew he was trying to take my mind off it but I wasn't in the mood for laughs.

He stopped when he caught me glaring at him but then he started laughing again. I ended the call there. When he was ready to listen he'd call back. I stared at the ceiling in deep thinking and then slowly drifted off to sleep. I was woken up by the sound of a fist harassing the door.

I groaned in frustration, rolling off the bed. I can't just be left alone, can I? God help me if it's my dad. I made my way to the hotel door and opened it. My immediate younger brother - Ryder stood there, defiantly as well, like he thought I was gonna throw him out. He pushed past me to let himself in and I exhaled and closed the door going inside to find him on my bed.

"If someone isn't dying, I'm gonna kill you for interrupting my nap," I said. I padded back to the bed, the cold floor soothing my aching feet.

  

Ryder chuckled lightly before turning to face me. His face was covered with an obvious stubble which was strange considering he hates beards and always shaves before it could really show.

The smile on my face fell and it was clouded over with worry.

"What happened?" Flew out of my mouth before anything else.

He sighed. "It's dad. He thinks you ran away and he was too shaken to use his common sense to ask anyone if they had seen you in the office or check the security cameras." he said with a roll of his eyes at the end of the sentence then continued, "So for the sake of my sanity, I would like you to come back home before he turns the whole house upside down."

I sighed and laughed a bit, "And here I was thinking you actually cared about me."

Ryder scoffed but I didn't miss the tiny blush covering his cheeks.

"But before I come home, dad has to see there is no way that I am going to be forced to marry anyone".

He grinned and asked, "Even Justin Timberlake?"

I grinned and replied, "There is always an exception".

*7 DAYS LATER*

The past week had gone past smoothly. My father was yet to mentioned anything about the 'contract that must not be named'.

Work had been going smoothly and everything went pretty much back to normal. I was in my office going over some files when I received an email. I checked it, saw the heading and sighed. I thought it was 'speak of the devil', not 'think of the devil'. I double-clicked it and it read:

"On the 25th of April, 1987

I, Steven Donovan and I, Felix Pierre agree, and with our free will, that if our first children are of the opposite sex they will get married once they come of age so as to merge our two companies. If any party refuses to comply the company is to be handed over to the second party, and if the two parties fail to comply half of the shares of the two companies will become government property. If the first children are not of the opposite sex, then when two children of the opposite sex are produced the contract MUST be fulfilled. Under these circumstances, when the marriage takes place, the two parties are not allowed to divorce unless there is a case of sexual harassment, assault or any form of physical, mental or emotional abuse and in that case, the offending party loses their company to the second party.