~Megan
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I was wearing a beautiful white dress, but I felt anything but beautiful.
I thought of my friend Jenny, who had died a few days ago. I couldn't even attend her funeral, because I was planning my stupid wedding with a man I have never met.
I remembered her smile, her laugh, and how much I would miss her. Tears streamed down my face, I felt my heart breaking into pieces, I slumped to the floor weeping.
But I knew that I had to do this, for my family.
I took a deep breath, and wiped away my tears. I tried to steel for what was to come. I knew I had to be strong.
The door opened, and my mother stepped into the room.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.
I forced a smile. "I'm fine," I lied.
"Just a little nervous."
My mother placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay to be nervous. This is a big day. But remember, you don't have to do this alone. We're all here for you."
I knew she was right, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was settling over me.
I looked at my mother, and she gave me a reassuring smile. "You're going to be okay," she said. "Just take it one step at a time."
I nodded, even though I didn't believe her. I knew that I was in over my head. But there was no turning back now. I had to go through with this wedding, no matter what.
I heard a knock on the door, and my mother went to answer it. A moment later, she returned, followed by my father. "We're all ready for you," he said smiling.
My father took my arm and led me out of the room.
We walked down the hall, my heart racing. I could hear the sound of music and voices coming from the ballroom. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.
As we neared the ballroom, the music grew louder. And then, we stepped through the door.
I looked around, my eyes wide. There were so many people, all dressed in their finest clothes. I saw my family and friends, all smiling and cheering.
And then, I saw him.
My father and I continued down the aisle, slowly making our way towards the altar.
As we got closer, the groom's face came into view. And to my horror, it was Charles.
Charles, the man I had humiliated at the hotel. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt like I might faint.
I couldn't believe that he was the groom.
And then, I saw the best man. It was Steve, my ex-boyfriend.
I couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. What was going on?
As my father and I reached the altar, I could feel my legs trembling. I felt like I was going to collapse.
I heard people whispering, wondering what was wrong with me. I could feel the eyes of Charles and Steve on me, but I couldn't look at them. I felt like I was going to pass out.
And then, the moment of truth came.
Charles took the veil off of my face, and he gasped.
His eyes widened, and he took a step back. I saw his mouth open, but no words came out.
I stood there, frozen, staring into Charles' eyes.
Then, I turned and ran.
I ran out of the ballroom, not caring who saw me. I heard my family yelling after me, but I didn't stop.
I ran out of the hotel and into the street. I didn't know where I was going, but I just kept running. I felt like I was in a nightmare.
I ran for what felt like hours, until I finally collapsed on a park bench, sobbing.
I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around. It was Charles. He handed me a bottle of water.
Charles was about to say something when a black car pulled up next to us.
Two men in black suits got out of the car and grabbed us.
They threw us into the back of the car and sped off.
I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening or where we were going.
Charles was struggling, trying to get free, but the men were too strong. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I knew that we were in serious trouble.
Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, the car stopped. The doors opened, and we were dragged out.
I looked around, trying to get my bearings. We were in an abandoned warehouse, and there were a group of men standing in front of us, all wearing masks.
One of them stepped forward and said to us, "Welcome to your worst nightmare."
The masked man's words sent a chill down my spine. I had no idea what they were planning, but I knew it couldn't be good.
Charles was looking at me, his face pale. I could see the fear in his eyes.
One of the other men stepped forward and spoke. "We have a simple proposition for you," he said. "If you want to live, you'll do what we say. If you don't, well, let's just say the consequences won't be pretty."
As the man was explaining their "proposition", Charles's phone started ringing in his pocket. He wriggled and struggled, trying to get to his phone.
As he did, one of the men lost his grip on Charles's arm. Charles took the opportunity to bolt, but before he could make it out of the room, a gunshot rang out.
We heard a thud as Charles hit the ground. The room was silent. My heart was pounding, and my stomach was in knots. I had no idea what had happened.
As I tried to run to Charles, one of the kidnappers grabbed me and held me back. I struggled against him, but he was too strong. I watched helplessly with tears streaming down my face.
Immediately, a man stepped into the room. My eyes widened in shock as I realized who it was.
It was my father.
~Megan The air crackled as my father’s voice sliced through the chaos, ordering the henchmen to stand down. “Let her go this instant,” he said, causing everyone to cease their actions.. My eyes, wide with disbelief, remained glued to him as he barked orders, revealing himself as the architect of our ordeal. Was the family’s financial despair so dire that he’d turned to crime? My mind buzzed with unanswered questions. He dragged me aside, his eyes filled with urgency. “Look, Megan, I know you have questions, and I’ll answer them soon. But right now, you need to pull yourself together and get Charles to the hospital.” His plea fell on deaf ears. I couldn’t tear my gaze from Charles’s unconscious form, a chilling horror gripping me. Not answering him, my father shook me. “Megan, snap out of it; this is not the time!” Jerking back to reality, I was led out of the stuffy, dirty warehouse, freed and placed in the back of the van that brought us here with the knocked-out Charles. I could
~Charles A hard month went by slowly; filled medications and physical therapies before my leg began to function properly. Regardless of the pain and long process, I preferred it to the days ahead. Days that I would be a married man.. The day dreaded most inevitably came. This won’t stop anything, I reminded myself as I stood there in front of a crowd of unfamiliar faces, about to marry a girl my father had chosen for me—a girl from a lower social class. Yes, I had a one-night stand with her, but that’s where I wanted it to end. Fate, however, played a cruel trick on me after the girl had embarrassed me. As if that weren’t punishment enough, we were kidnapped. A sigh escaped my lips as I waited. I wasn’t nervous; I just wanted it all to be over as soon as possible. The only time I was pulled out of my train of thoughts was when the orchestra began playing the ‘Here Comes the Bride’ song—cliché and infuriating. I felt nothing as the bride marched in, her father by her side. It
~ CharlesSince Megan wanted to act like a child, I decided to join her. In the morning, we went down for breakfast. She still had her morning hair tied in a messy bun and still looked exhausted. She stifled a yawn, stretching like a cat and ignoring my presence. I smirked secretly and continued sipping on my morning coffee.I watched Megan put her phone on the table, and my smirk widened. The first phase of my plan involved her phone. I didn’t want her to be able to call for help when I was done with her. I lifted my head and gave the maid standing behind her a nod. The teenager hesitated, biting her lower lip, but when I frowned, she moved.“What are you doing?!” Megan screeched.“I am so sorry, ma,” the girl cried, wiping Megan’s phone on her apron.Megan snatched it from her to inspect it. Her eyes turned sad, then desperate. “It is ruined…” she mused. I had to restrain myself from laughing. Of course, the phone was ruined, or whatever she said. I instructed the maid to pour fresh
~ MeganMy brows tightened. “What show?” I asked Charles, who was dressed like he was about to go for a stroll. It was at that moment that a table was set; I watched in awe as the maids hurriedly did it. I could feel a storm coming, but I chose to ignore the feeling.Charles came to my side and led me to sit, raising the stakes of Mu skepticism. “Charles, what is going on?”“A date,” he answered sweetly. The maids came to pour him a glass of red wine, but none for me. I found it odd as my stomach began to twist. Charles lifted the glass to me. “A toast to the woman I married after a one-night stand.”My heart skipped. The maids and guards around began to clap and whistle cheers, causing my skin to crawl. “Charles…” my voice came in barely a whisper. “What are you doing?”“I just want the world to know how we met; is that so wrong?” He laughed maliciously, then he looked around. “Do you all want to hear how easy it was to get her in my bed?”Dread filled my guts as the guards and maid
~ Megan Mr. McCall arrived early the next morning, calling for a meeting that required both Charles and me to attend. We maintained our distance, seated across from each other, both wearing a frown. Mr. McCall glanced between me and his son, sighing helplessly. “Is this how you two want to continue? You’re both adults, for crying out loud. Yes, this union is sudden, but can’t you work things out?” “Dad, she’s the problem—” “Hush, boy,” Mr. McCall cut Charles off, much to my satisfaction. “You’re going to let me speak because all you two have been doing is throwing childish tantrums. I want that to stop.” “Tell that to Charles, the immature brat,” I chimed in with a scoff. Softening his gaze, Mr. McCall smiled at me. “My dear, I know you’re upset, and I understand. I am more on your side than on Charles’ side, so I can assure you that the solution I offer will favor you.” “But, Dad—” Charles tried to protest but received an upraised finger from his father. “Enough. I am going to
~CharlesI watched Megan’s every expression with amusement. I could tell that she was upset and didn’t want to be here, but she was as stubborn as a mule.I spoon-fed Hannah, the girl I brought home, earning another reaction from Megan. My father’s rules annoyed me, but I also found a loophole to bend some of the rules. He said no going out with strange women but said nothing about bringing them home.Hannah was a last-minute decision because I was sexually frustrated. The last time I was with a woman was over a month ago, and that godforsaken woman was Megan. I brought her in today for two reasons: one to satisfy me, and the other was to annoy Megan. Believe me when I say I didn’t even need to tell her before she’d singlehandedly carry out my wishes.She had been my go-to girl for years, and although I got bored of her, she never stopped coming, even when she knew I would never commit.I had cut her off once upon a time because she kept getting into fights with my new lovers, claimi
~ MeganI raised a curious brow at Charles. Why was he being dramatic? Ignoring him, I opened the fridge and took out a bottle water which I consumed directly with Charles’ eyes uncomfortably fixed on me.I couldn’t take it anymore so I asked, “ Why are you staring at me like that? Mesmerized by my beauty?”He finally snapped out of It with a disgusted look. “Mesmerized by what?” He turned his back and bent to pick up the glass, much to my surprise. “Your sight doesn’t appeal to me.”I sneered. “Finally, something we can agree on.” Ignoring the billionaire daddy’s boy who was shockingly cleaning his mess, I finished the contents of the bottle and dropped it in the recycling bin. However, when I was at the door, I felt Charles’ eyes on me again. The corners of my mouth lifted as I shook my head. Even though Charles would rather die than admit it, I knew he was affected by my appearance.But before I could climb up the stairs, he stopped me. With a frown and crossed arms, I looked at him
~ MeganI was at a loss for words; no matter how rude Mr. Walter was, he never called me names, much less in the presence of my colleagues. I clenched my teeth, swallowing the shame that was swarming within me.“Mr. Walter, I—”“You what?” He cut me off. “You manipulated those girls into confessing something that was not true, and now I have to pay for the consequences of your unprofessionalism? I knew I made a mistake hiring a person like you; you would do anything for a story.”Unprofessionalism? Did the man who had been making my life a living hell because I refused to be his mistress just call me unprofessional? No, that was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.“Excuse me, Mr. Walter, I won’t let you stand there and call me names for something that wasn’t my fault,” I said, stepping forward to look the man in his wrinkled eyes. “I have all the evidence that proves my story true. I don’t know why you were sued, but it has nothing to do with me.”Mr. Walter laughed mockingly,