Chapter 2
Chapter 2
ROSALIE
The morning after my father’s announcement, I woke up with a lead weight in my chew. The mandinet’s think wat sand to press in around me, suffocating any semblance of freedom I once had. I wared thanky at the long, irfing in of what my life was turning into.
Damien Hale. His name echoed in my mind, tugging at an old memory buried dery, but I couldn’t go & four Way Gla sound so familiar? I thought about asking my father, but I knew it would only end with his lectures “hared my hey for the family.”
I finally forced myself out of bed, getting ready for the day on autopilot. By the time I made it does for son, my mother and Charlotte were already seated, sipping coffee and eating delicately as if we weren’t on the verge of Social collapse. My father wasn’t there, probably already working on securing more details for my imgenting martage
As I took my seat, Charlotte gave me a sly, triumphant look over her coffee cup.
“Oh, Rosalie,” she sighed, in that syrupy voice she used when she wanted to pretend the cared. “You really dood be grateful. Not every girl gets the chance to marry a billionaire, you know?
I gritted my teeth. “It’s not about the money, Charlotte. I don’t even know him.”
Charlotte smirked, glancing at my mother as if they shared a secret joke. “That’s the beauty of it, Rosale. You don’t need to know him. Father has taken care of everything”
*But-*
“Enough now Rosalie. Everybody has been pitching in one way or the other to help this family out of our unfortunate predicament. You have to accept this and stop making a fuss” My mother snapped
Tears brewed up to my eyes and I stared at her, “so you are ok with all of these mother?” I stared at her pleadingly
My mother gave a small, resigned smile. She always had a way of aiding my dad, never interfering with my father’s decisions, no matter how harsh they were. As if staying out of it made her blameless. Her nonchalance stang, even more than Charlotte’s passive–aggressive taunts.
I pushed my plate away, feeling sick. “I’m not hungry,” I muttered, standing up from the table and walking toward the garden. I needed fresh air, space to clear my head.
The crisp morning breeze brushed against my skin, and for a moment, I felt a sense of calm. I knew I had to face this marriage, but how could I when every instinct was telling me to run? My mind kept circling back to Damien Hale. The nagging familiarity wouldn’t leave me alone. A vague image–dark eyes, a cruel smile–flashed in my mind, but it was still so fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quite fit.
Then it hit me. High school. The name, the memory, all of it came flooding back with a force that left me breathless Damien Hale, my high school nightmare. The boy who had tormented me, made me feel insignificant with his sneers and mockery. I hadn’t seen him in years, hadn’t even thought of him, but now, the old wounds felt raw, fresh as ever
My stomach twisted. My father had sold me off to my childhood bully. And Damien–what could he possibly want with me now? All I knew was that he’d made my life miserable once, and now, with the power he wielded, there was no telling what
he could do.
I sank onto the stone bench in the garden, clutching my arms to stop them from trembling. Memories of high school flooded my mind–his smirk as he whispered insults in my ear, the way he’d look at me like I was nothing. I had wanted to
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Chapter 2
escape him back then, and now I was supposed to spend the rest of my life bound to him.
༥ ཛཱ,34%.
Just as my mind was reeling with the horrifying realization, my father’s footsteps sounded from behind. I turned, finding him with his arms crossed, studying me with an unreadable expression.
“You seem troubled, Rosalie. Is there something you want to say?”
+13
I swallowed hard, knowing how little he cared for my objections, but I couldn’t keep silent. “Do you know what he did to me in high school?” My voice trembled, each word a struggle to get out. “Damien Hale… he tormented me. He–was the reason my high school year was difficult. He was my bully and he made me miserable, and now you want me to marry him? Do you realise the extent to which you are putting my life in danger?!”
My father’s expression didn’t change; he barely blinked. “That was a long time ago, Rosalie. People change. And Damien has proven himself to be a valuable ally to this family. He saved us when no one else could.”
“He didn’t save us, he bought us,” I shot back, my voice rising. “You’re selling me off to him like some business deal.”
He let out a cold sigh, looking at me with that familiar glint of impatience. “Stop being so dramatic, Rosalie. This is an arrangement that benefits both families. You’ll adapt, as any sensible person would. And if he was cruel to you in high school, then consider this your chance to rise above it.”
I clenched my fists, feeling the sting of betrayal run deep. My own father saw me as nothing more than a bargaining chip, a tool to be used for his gain. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“I’m not a pawn, Dad,” I whispered, my voice thick with anger and sadness. But he had already turned his back on me, leaving me alone in the garden with my thoughts and my fears.
As I sat there, trying to make sense of it all, my mind kept returning to Damien. Why had he agreed to this? Why had he wanted to marry me, the girl he had tormented all those years ago?
The idea that he had some twisted plan, some dark obsession, began to form in my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking into something far more dangerous than a mere marriage of convenience.
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Chapter 3
Chapter 3
