Contract marriage with the Adonis

Hayden’s POV

“Are you nervous?” Alicia, my closest friend asks.

“No.” I say, turning in the mirror to admire the dress. “What do you think?”

“The dress is good. But don’t you think he called all of you, every single one of you because he wants to announce?”

My heart skips a beat, but it is quickly followed by calm and I smile.

“I do. He is finally going to announce his successor.”

“Then why am I more nervous than you are?!” She asks, falling back onto the bed with a loud groan.

“Why would I be nervous? I am the only person that can succeed the family business. I know that. You know that. Everyone knows that.” I take the silver earrings from my personal maid and put them on.

“Yes, the choice is obvious. All your brothers are stupid but how the fuck are you so ‘calm’? I’m nearly having a heart attack thinking of a thousand ways it could go wrong. What if he chooses one of your brothers?”

“Which one?” I smirk. “The idiot, the whore or the criminal?”

Alicia holds my eyes in a deadpan look. “The other one.”

My stomach spins terribly and I frown. I hate that feeling. “Evan.” I say, walking to the last piece of my attire. I turn back to my friend and pin her with an intense stare.

“Why would I ever need to worry about Evan? He is smart, but not half as smart as I am. He is competent, but only a bumbling fool in comparison to me. He is my shadow, and cannot hold a candle to my light. Why should I be worried? I shine bright, I blind people with my light. Nobody can deny that.”

Alicia’s lips slowly spread into a smile.

“Damn girl! With that intensity, I pity whoever dares to stand in your way. Go get them awards.”

I smile back and I’m grateful at least one of us is no longer worried. Evan. He is actually my biggest worry. He is the only person other than me that stands a chance of succeeding the family business. From now till eternity, he will be a thorn in my flesh I wish I could crush in my fist. But I did not lie. He is nothing compared to me. Nothing at all, except that he is a ‘man’.

When I walk into the room it takes everything in me not to do a double take. Fade, Eric and Mallory are already in the room waiting. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever seen them show up anywhere early. The power of Father’s will. Their lips twist into identical smirks when they see me.

“Guess who’s late.” Eric, my clown brother jeers as I cross the room to take a seat on the round table.

“What do you expect? Women are always late.” Mallory joins, pinning me with an intense gaze that dares me to engage.

“Y’all don’t loud it. Our kid sister was obviously busy patting some powder into her face. Or carving her brows to perfection.” Fade adds.

They all laugh, mocking me as always.

I sniff at the glass of water in front of me and put it back down pointedly. I don’t trust any of them in a room with anything I’ll consume.

“If the three of you could combine your brain cells to make at least one functional one, you would be able to tell that I’m far from late. You are the ones that are early.”

Eric’s smile turns brittle. He is the most stupid one of all of us, and he is acutely aware of it.

“A shame.” Mallory says. “Half our brain cells are still able to do the one thing you can never do.” He climbs onto the chair and grips his dick in my direction.

“Grow a dick.”

The other two burst into laughter.

“Once a pussy, always a pussy.” Eric sings.

My smile also turns brittle. This dick supremacy is what I’ve lived with all my life. No matter how hard I worked, it was never enough to grow a dick. But that was before I proved that I didn’t need one to excel. My voice reflects my amusement when I speak.

“Get down from the chair and let that little worm you call a dick breathe.” I drawl. “If you struggle any harder to grab it I’ll have to raise alarm to find the missing dick.”

Mallory’s face goes red and he glares at me with so much hatred anyone else would blank.

“Somebody needs to teach you your place, you sassy bitch.” He says, getting down from the chair threateningly.

I don’t move a muscle. He is out of prison on probation for attempted manslaughter and even if everyone else is scared of him I’m not. We are all under the control of the one person bigger and badder than him, Father. He cannot touch me, not without losing his hand instantly.

“Oohhh I’m trembling in my lady pants.” I say with a laugh. “You go around dangling that junk between your legs like it makes you important. But I am superior to you, to all of you in every sense of the word and I achieved this with a pussy between my legs. What does that say about you?”

“You bitch! I’ll teach you the respect you lack so dearly.” He lunges at me and Fade lunges up to hold him back. I laugh.

“Hit me I dare you.” I say.

The door opens and Evan walks in. He takes in the drama going on without batting an eyelash. Such a scene is a usual occurrence over here. My smile grows wider.

“Eric, riddle me this.” I say. “If my coming in late because I was ‘doing my make-up’ is because I have a pussy, what does that make Evan? A double pussy owner?”

“Shut your trap before I shut it for you.” Eric warns and my shoulders shake with my amusement.

Evan takes his seat and gestures Mallory to sit which he does grudgingly. My smile grows tight as I watch him. I envy the way he can easily control the unruly lot of them without trying.

“What are the lot of you doing here? Fade, since when did you even come back to town?”

“Can’t miss the inheritance for nothing.” Fade says with a grin, lounging back. He is the man-whore that has dragged our family name through the dirt multiple times, going after anything that wears a skirt.

“We all know who Father is going to make his successor.” Eric says with a smirk in my direction. “But you bet we’ll be here to watch history go down anyway.”

Mallory stiffens. “What do you mean by that?”

Eric’s brow goes up. “It’s not news that Evan will be Father’s successor.” He says and the flesh-eating butterflies attack my tummy again.

“And who the fuck are you to assume Father’s successor is already predetermined?” Mallory asks.

My brows rise into the sky, my shocked expression mirrored by everyone else. That’s news. Of course each and everyone of us has an equal chance of inheriting the family business in theory, but it is hilarious that even Mallory thinks he stands a chance. He killed someone. Father gave him the benefit of doubt and bailed him out but I know my brother. He murdered the poor woman in cold blood. There is no way in hell he is succeeding Father.

“Brother. What are you talking about?” Evan asks in a tight voice covered with a fake smile.

“I am his first son.” Mallory continues. “I will succeed the family business.”

I try, oh how much I try but I can’t hold it in a second longer. I burst into laughter and the entire table stiffens. I laugh so hard tears squeeze out of my eyes.

“What the fuck is funny?” Evan asks.

“This.” I gesture to all of them. “You delusional bunch of clowns. You really do think any of you stand a chance compared to me.” I say.

Evan’s hand slams on the table. “Watch your mouth before I watch it for you.”

“Does the truth hurt?” I sneer at him. “Not even you Evan, stand a chance. I am the best candidate. Even a blind, deaf and dumb person can see that.”

“Your arrogance will be the death of you.” Evan fumes.

“Who’s going to tell her?” Eric says. “Even if you try hard and you move mountains, no matter how hard you try to be picked you will never get picked. Why? Because you are a fucking woman.”

“You will never succeed Father.” Mallory vows. “Anybody but you can inherit the business. I’ll give it to a dog before it ever gets to you.”

“You can all go fuck yourselves royally. I will bathe in your tears when I accept the position.” I say.

There it is, the baseline. They hate each other but when I come into the mix, they are united in their hatred for me. For so long it has fuelled my passion. Now, I vow to myself. It will be me. No matter what. They will eat their words, and choke on their tears.

The door opens and silence descends on the room. Father walks in and we all stand, and he crosses the room to take his seat at the head of the table, looking each and everyone of us over. My breath seizes in my throat in anticipation as he gestures for us to sit.

“I’m glad you could all make it.” He says. “I have a very important announcement to make which is why I have called you all.” Father never wastes time, it’s straight to business as always.

Under the table my hand shakes and my head grows light. It is time. All of my life has been working towards this moment, this announcement. Around the table, each and everyone of my brothers is tense. This announcement will either make or break us. It’s me or Evan. Me or Evan. Me or Evan.

From across the table, Father’s eyes find me and my heart attempts lunging out of my chest in a dive. I wince and bear the pain. His next announcement will either make or break me.

“Hayden.” He says and my heart hits my chest painfully again.

“Yes Father.” I can hear my heart pounding in my ears. I hope it will not drown out Father’s next words. Evan looks at me and the expression on his face is so dark I shiver.

“You are getting married.”

My ear twitches, and silence rushes through my veins, and there is deadly cold in my hands. No. I didn’t hear him right.

“Pardon?”

Father’s jaw sets. “You are getting married.” He repeats.

I heard him right. The room tilts and I catch myself. From somewhere on the table, a snicker follows. No, this cannot be happening to me.

“You will be getting married in three days.”

“Father!” I stand suddenly, my chair flying backwards. Another snicker. My brothers are covering their mouths with their hands and disguising their laughter as coughs. They grow silent when Father throws them a glower.

“I will not.” I say.

“Sit.” He orders.

Shaking, I bring my seat back. I must be dreaming.

“I’m not getting married.” I say, my voice strained to breaking point. “You can’t make me.”

“You will do as I command.”

“I would rather die.” I say, my voice finally breaking. From beside Father, Evan‘s shoulders shake with his silent mirth. I would rather kill myself than go out with such humiliation.

“Do you think to disobey my command then?” Father asks, his voice pitched low and dangerous. It’s my cue to tread with caution. I would never say a word again on a normal day but not now. My world is crashing down around my ears.

“What was all this for then?!” I ask, hating myself. Hating him. My shaking hands are hidden between my thighs. “Did you train me since I was born in the family business just to get me married in the end?”

“You have been betrothed to him since you were born.”

“Father!” It gets worse and worse. A breed mare. My fate was decided long ago. Tears prick my eyes and I thank the heavens they cannot see it.

My heart hurts. There is no betrayal I can suffer greater than what my father just dealt me. Just looking at him is unbearable. I stand and shake my head.

“No. My answer is no. I’m not getting married, not now, not ever.”

I spin around and march for the door, unable to stop the furious tears now. He doesn’t say anything to stop me and my brothers’ laughters is the last thing I hear before I slam the door behind me.

I can barely see through the unstoppable tide of tears and I hate the stupid gown hampering my movement. I bend down and grab the edges, ripping up. I rip until my beautiful gown hits my thigh and I run, as far away from the men as I can get.