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Benjamin stared at the paper in his hand, the very source of anger.
“Marriage to Ava Burns, the gardener’s daughter,” he mumbled as the memory of her hanging over the gate, leaves sticking out of her hair, creeped back into his mind. Unbelievably enough, no matter how severe his current situation, couldn’t help but laugh.
“I am glad you find this amusing,” his mother said walking in before she knocked.
“People usually knock and then enter, if the voice on the other end tells them to.”
“I’m your mother.”
“And I’m a grown man. It’s strange enough that we billionaire families live together in mansions like some tribal families in bamboo huts. Let’s not remove the doors of the hinges too, now.”
His mother rolled her eyes. “Well I am glad to see you worry about a knock on the door but laugh about a marriage to a peasant girl.”
“Peasant girl? What is this, 16th century Europe? Besides… it’s not like there is anything we can do about it.”
That was the truth. His grandfather might have been a bit crazy when he made this will, but he was no fool. This testament would be virtually impossibleto fight in court, Benjamin had no doubt about it.
Lucy nodded. “Unfortunately, you might be right. Soooo…” Lucy stopped mid-sentence.
“Soooo what?”
“Are you going to do it? Marry her? Have her move into our home? Use our money? For six months?”
Benjamin let out a loud sigh. “What choice do I have?”
His mother threw her hand up high into the air as if she was addressing the Almighty in person. “Why is this happening to us? Why! Out of all the women… Why the gardener’s daughter!”
Benjamin grabbed his car key and walked out. The last thing he wanted to do right now was witness his mother perform on her personal stage.
“Where are you going?”
Far away from this house. Far away from the mansion and the estate. Far away from you.
“I’m going for a drive.”
Why her? He wondered as he ignored his mother and strode down the hallway. Why tie me down with marriage? Why Ava? Was this revenge for his wild lifestyle? Punishment? He didn’t even want to think about the gossip this would cause throughout the city. Everyone with a name and bank account worth mentioning would be talking about nothing else. He would become the joke of New York. And what for?
“A billion dollars, you idiot. That’s what for,” he scolded himself as he walked out of the mansion. If that is what he had to do to stay Benjamin Radcliff, billionaire and real estate empire heir, then that is what he would do. Besides, Ava was at least easy on the eyes. Her fashion sense was awful, and she wore an aura of righteousness that always made him feel guilty, but it could be worse.
Or at least that is what he thought until he pulled out of the driveway and passed Ava’s empty car, which screamed an endless, earsplittingBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPinto the world as if announcing the apocalypse.
His phone vibrated as a text came in. He glanced at his cell’s screen. Amanda. He didn’t even have to read the supermodel’s message to know what she wanted. Ben let out a long, painful sigh. He hadn’t even thought about the implications, but his days of casual romance would be over with as well. He would be a married man soon; even without his grandfather’s demands that outside relationships were off the table, Ben would not sink as low as cheating on his wife, even if the marriage was a sham.
Second by second, the real extent of his situation hit Ben more and more—like a tsunami. He shook his head wildly. “Six months? Six months of this!”
He kept his hands steady and tried to focus on the road. The wind picked up and blew against his face as he drove faster.
Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff… Life was a joke…
