AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He took a deep breath and turned the key in the ignition. Then he turned to me.
“Natalia, please,” he started, but I put up my hand to silence him.
“Don’t even. You had your chance to explain everything to me. You had your chance to discuss this with me, and you decided to keep me in the dark until the last fucking second. I’m done listening to what you have to say. I love you, Daddy, but…” I took a deep breath and turned away from his pain-filled face. “I am so mad at you right now. One day I won’t be as mad, but that is not today.”
I watched a little boy play with his dog and a stick in the yard across the street. I wondered if anyone was watching him or if he was even old enough to be outside by himself. The dog jumped, trying to take the stick out of the boy’s hand, but the little chihuahua was too small to reach it.
The dog tried jumping for the stick a second time right before the car started moving. At least Daddy had listened this time. I was so close to tears, but I couldn’t let them fall. Not yet. I wanted to be alone before I thought about what I had just done, or rather, been forced to do.
The city raced by as my father drove, and I rested my head against the window. The moment the car stopped in the driveway, I got out and marched myself into my room, kicking off the heels in the doorway. I heard my father enter the house, but he didn’t follow me. Good. I was very much on the verge of falling apart. I just kept thinking about my new name over and over again.
Natalia Morelli
It didn’t feel like me, especially when I knew nothing of the man I had married. I had thought that when I took someone's last name, it would bring a smile to my face just by saying it. But Morelli was just a name.
I had wanted a big wedding, complete with a princess dress and a castle if I could afford it. They would release white doves into the sky when I kissed my husband, and a string quartet would play a beautiful song that I hadn’t even picked out yet. That had been my dream since I was a little girl. I had even started a wedding book at some point—not that I knew where it was now.
None of that was going to happen, though. I was already married to a man I had never even kissed.
What was he like? Did he even want me? Was he happy he was married to me? Did he care? He let me run out of there without saying anything to me. Was it because he didn’t want to talk to me, or was he giving me space? Was it just as shocking to him? Probably not, because I was the one with the changed name. But still.
What would he expect of me? Did he want me to live with him? Would I have to cook and clean all the time? I actually liked doing those things. But doing them because I wanted to and doing them because I was expected to were two different things. I didn’t want to be his slave. And I didn’t want to be forced to be with him.
What if he expected us to consummate the marriage? I couldn’t have sex with someone I didn’t even know. Sure, he was good-looking, and I would bet he had an amazing body hidden under that black suit, but I wasn’t like that. I wanted to have a relationship with the person I was sleeping with. What if he didn’t want to get to know me and just wanted sex? I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
So many thoughts flew through my mind as I attempted to get out of the dress. And I refused to ask my father for help, even though I probably should have. I started at the bottom, unbuttoning what I could reach. Luckily, I was able to get it open far enough for me to slide it over my head. The dress was gorgeous and, even though I had to practically dislocate my shoulder to get out of it, it was so worth it. If I had worn it to my princess wedding, I would have been happy.
I lay the dress out on my bed and sat in the chair in the corner of my room. I didn’t care that I was in just my underwear. I put my heels up on the edge of the seat, folding my legs so I could hug my knees to my chest. That was when I let go. I cried until the afternoon light faded, and I was sitting in darkness. My cellphone rang a few times, but I ignored it. I was sure I would have many messages when I finally looked at it, but I didn’t care. I felt broken.
This was not how my life was meant to go. Now, I would either have to learn to love my husband or do what I didn’t believe in and get divorced.
My husband.
The thought was so wrong in my head. How did I even process that? I was married. The thought should have made me feel giddy, but instead, I just felt sick.
I didn’t know how long I would stay in my room, but I didn’t have plans on getting out of it any time soon.
Chapter 5
Jimmy
“Hesaidhecouldgo as high as three million,” reported Aaron, one of my lead project managers. Usually I could count on Aaron to close a good deal, but apparently this was not the case today. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb, warding off the headache that was sure to come from this.
“No. I will not settle for that,” I growled into the phone. “The company makes over a million in profit alone each year. We could sit on it and make more than what he’s offering. Tell him if he lowballs us again that badly, I will refuse to speak with him, and we are done because that’s insulting. I am insulted.”
“Will do, Jimmy. Do you also want me to tell him the part about you being insulted?” he asked.
I looked up as my door opened. There were only two people who would dare open my door when I was on the phone—Caroline, and that was only in an emergency, and my father. It was the latter who waltzed in, waving at me to continue my conversation. As if I would stop on account of him showing up.
“Yes, please do that,” I said and hung up the phone.
“Did I come at a bad time?” my father asked as he sat down on one of my couches. I closed the files I was looking at on the computer and went to sit across from him. He usually only visited me when he needed something, so I assumed there was business to attend to. And chances were that it was more pressing than the deal I was trying to make.
“Not at all, Dad, just dealing with a few pests. So what’s going on?”
“Can’t a father just come in and talk to his son?” I raised an eyebrow at him and said nothing. He laughed. “Ah, you know me too well. If you weren't so against joining me in the family business, I would be concerned you would use the information against me.”
“I’m not against joining the family business. I’m actuallyrunningthe family business. If you are referring to your “hobby” then, no, I don’t have any intention of joining, so you are perfectly safe. Besides, I wouldn’t off you even if I were interested in taking your place. You’re more useful to me alive,” I admitted. Dad smirked and gave me a thumbs-up.
