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THREE
Melanie
S
hane insisted on driving me home, and at some point, I gave up. Apparently, he was a very stubborn man that had to have things his way.
Walking up the stairs of our lavish mansion that’d never felt like home, I realized we hadn’t exchanged phone numbers, so I most likely would never meet him again. And, for some strange reason, that thought sucked.Somethingabout Shane pulled me toward him as if he was a magnet.SomethingI craved to explore.
I FELL ONTO my bed and closed my eyes to dive into images of him floating in my head. His dark hair contrasting his pale complexion, perfectly matched his strong jawline, and relatively narrow lips smirking to the side alluringly wouldn’t leave my mind. He was so fucking handsome. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip as the memory of his firm, broad arms tightly hugged by his shirt with tattoos underneath his slightly folded sleeves as he casually shifted gears popped into my head. I wasn’t sure if it was his to-die-for azure gaze or a hint of darkness emanating from him that attracted me immensely.
I let out a deep breath.
Shane.
I liked the sound of that name, and I found it fit his irresistible, luring-me-in personality.
Fascinating how the black-haired, mysterious stranger made me forget about my cheating boyfriend. I tucked myself into bed and fell asleep thinking of my newly met prince, hoping I’d see him again.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I woke up earlier than usual. The night was pretty restless as the images of Theo and Audrey haunted me in my dreams. Or rather nightmares. I reluctantly crawled out of my king-size—way too big for one person—bed and slid into my white, silky robe. I hated weekends because they meant more time spent in this prison. And no, unfortunately, moving out wasn’t an option. My father wanted to detain me here until I graduated or got married. Whatever would come first. I knew he was counting on me marrying Theo and being useful to our family, as he used to say, but I didn’t mind before. In a way, I loved Theo, and I was looking forward to marrying him. Or maybe it wasn’t love but a coping mechanism helping me survive in this hell and a way to free myself from the devil’s claws?
“Melanie! Let me in.” A few loud knocks rumbled through my room.Speaking of the devil.“Melanie!” My father shouted, still banging at the door.
“What did I do now?” I asked sarcastically, through a slightly ajar door. But he didn’t reply. Instead, he looked at me with a gaze that could kill before grabbing me by my elbow, squeezing so hard it hurt, and dragging me after him.
“Let me go!” I yelled, trying to yank out of his grip, but in vain.
As we were approaching the living room, I could hear the TV. My father pushed me inside the bright and spacious room and stood behind me with a deadly gaze. He was clenching his jaw, seething. Not that this kind of behavior was something new to me, but I didn’t understand what enraged him this morning. That was until I heard the lady on the news.
“Melanie Atwood, the daughter of this year’s candidate running for the governor of California, Dedrick Atwood, was spotted entering a hotel room with a mysterious, handsome man. The man’s face hasn’t been caught in the pictures one of the paparazzi has taken, but we’ve confirmed it wasn’t her long-term boyfriend, Theo Ledford.”
My blood ran cold. I looked at the 100-inch TV showing pictures of Shane and me entering his suite with shock on my face. My heart was pumping so heavily that it felt like it would jump out of my rib cage. Icy shivers continued to sweep up and down my spine. I turned to face my father, who was staring at me spitefully. He had never loved me. He only cared about his reputation—especially a few weeks before the elections. And my relationship with Theo suited him. Robert Ledford, Theo’s father, was the current governor, and because of his son and partially because of me, he was endorsing my father in his campaign. Now, I understood my father’s outrage after he saw the news. And I knew the fact that my boyfriend had cheated on me with my fucking friend wouldn’t have any meaning to him.
“Robert called me a few minutes ago, disgusted with the whole situation,” my father hissed through clenched teeth. “He hopes it’s just a fatal misunderstanding, and you have a fair reason why you entered a stranger’s room in the middle of the night.”
“Maybe he should ask his son.” I scoffed, boiling inside at the thought of Theo getting into Audrey’s pants just a few hours ago.
“Listen, Melanie.” He took a few steps toward me. “I don’t care what happened yesterday.”
I cut him off, “Of course, who would care about their offspring?”
“I’m not done speaking!” He clenched his fists and hit on the marble countertop of a square table standing in the middle of the living room. “You are all over the news, young lady! Not Theo! And I haven’t put so much effort into raising you in vain! You won’t ruin my life because of some teenage drama!”
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t help but mock him. “Effort into raising me? You haven’t done shit for me except for providing me with money for my education! But at what price?”
“Shut up, Melanie!” he shouted aggressively, barely holding back from hitting me. A rash caused his pale rosy cheeks to turn a deep shade of red. “Listen carefully because I’ll say this only once. You’re going to marry Theo, and your engagement party will be held in a week.”
WHAT?!
I stood there, speechless. My eyes wandered all over my father’s flushed face, hoping I’d find even the slightest trace of something that would imply he was joking. He couldn’t be serious. He had no right to make such significant decisions for me. I glanced over at the TV screen that no longer showed the pictures of my pictures with Shane, and I swallowed a huge lump in my throat. Just a few days ago, I would react a hundred and eighty degrees differently. I would be counting the days to marry him, elated that I’d escape this Hades. But that was before I caught Theo with Audrey—andbefore I met Shane.So moving out from the tyrant my father was to a cheater myex-boyfriend was, wasn’t an appealing option anymore.
“Over my dead body!” I stomped my feet for the first time in my life, so determined to finally stand up for myself.
“Don’t tempt me,” my father scoffed.
I took a step back, and my jaw fell wide open. I couldn’t believe how effortlessly my own father would trade my happiness for his own benefits. I’d always wondered what I did that he was refusing me his love. I’d heard bits of my parents’ quarrels about something that had happened in the past, but suddenly, their mouths would seal up whenever I’d bring the topic up. I found it odd, but I’d never dug too deep because I knew it was pointless. I knew they would tell me nothing. Or maybe, I was too tired of this life to care?
“You don’t have much of a choice, you know?” He continued, mockingly, as if my misery was entertaining to him. “Everything is already arranged. As we talk, guests are invited, and the official announcement will go viral at noon.” He took a few steps toward me, locking his dark eyes with mine. Then he hissed in a low tone that caused goose bumps on my skin. “And don’t try any tricks with me, Melanie. I’m warning you. I had to bribe the head of the TV stations to stop airing the news about you. You cost me way more than you’re worth.”No matter how many times I’d heard that it always hurt just the same.
