Chapter 3
~ Octavia ~
Before Franklin could even open his mouth to address them, his grandfather spoke up firmly. "They'll get married in three months."
"Huh?" I snapped, then my mother tugged me, gesturing me to keep quiet. What does he mean by three months?
Mr. Harrington shook his head immediately. "Three months is too far away. The media will drag this scandal out for that long, and it will affect the company's reputation severely. They need to get married quickly before this false news spreads any further. Franklin is about to become CEO. We can't have this hanging over his head."
"I agree," another man chimed in, adjusting his glasses. "The wedding should be in a week."
I burst into laughter, and the glare in my parents face made the laughter cease immediately
"A week?" Franklin's voice cracked with disbelief. "No way. That's impossible…"
But he stopped mid-sentence when all eyes turned to him. The weight of their stares, the expectation, the pressure, I could see it crushing him in real time.
He cleared his throat and changed tactics, his voice suddenly smoother. "As a couple, my fiancée and I would prefer to take things slowly. We are still enjoying our engagement, we don't plan to hasten up the marriage in any way. You understand, surely..."
The three men exchanged glances, clearly unimpressed.
"We can't afford to wait that long," Mr. Harrington said coldly. "The company is in chaos. The stock prices are already dropping. Social media is exploding with speculation." He leaned forward, his eyes boring into Franklin. "You have two choices: agree to get married within a week, or the inauguration doesn't happen. Simple as that."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Frederick cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, please. I need time to discuss this with Franklin and Octavia privately. This is a major decision that affects their lives."
The men didn't look happy, but they nodded curtly.
"You have one hour," Mr. Harrington said. "Then we need an answer."
They filed out of the room, leaving behind a tension so thick I could barely breathe.
Frederick immediately ushered us into a smaller conference room down the hall. My parents were summoned as well, and soon all five of us were crammed into the space, Franklin and his grandfather on one side, me and my parents on the other.
Like opposing armies preparing for battle.
"This is absolutely insane!" Franklin exploded the moment the door closed. He paced like a caged animal, running his hands through his perfectly styled hair. "Marriage? In a week? To her?" He shot me a look that made me feel two inches tall. "I don't even know her name!"
"Her name is Octavia," my mother said stiffly, offended on my behalf despite being part of the problem.
"I don't care what her name is!" Franklin shot back. "I'm not marrying a complete stranger! Especially not one who…" He stopped himself, but I knew what he was going to say.
Especially not one who he thought was a whore.
My cheeks burned with humiliation and anger.
"Franklin, listen to reason," Frederick said, his voice calmer now but no less urgent. "If you don't do this, you'll lose everything. The CEO position, your inheritance. Everything."
"So I should just throw away my life instead?" Franklin countered. "Marry someone I don't love, don't trust, don't even know? For what? A title?"
"For your family legacy!" Frederick's voice rose. "For everything your father died protecting!"
The room fell silent at that.
My father cleared his throat nervously. "If I may... this arrangement could benefit everyone involved." He glanced at my mother, who nodded encouragingly. "Our company gets the investment it desperately needs to survive. Flemington Group's reputation is protected. And Franklin secures his position as CEO. It's a win-win situation."
"A win-win?" I finally found my voice, and it came out sharper than I intended. "How is forcing two people into marriage a win for anyone?"
My mother shot me a warning look. "Octavia, don't be difficult."
"Difficult?" I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Mom, they're asking me to marry a complete stranger! In a week!"
"It's not a real marriage, dear," Patricia said, as if that made it better. "It's just... temporary. A contract. Until things settle down."
"A contract marriage?" The words tasted bitter in my mouth.
"Exactly!" My father looked relieved that I was catching on. "You'd just need to pretend for a few months. Then you can quietly divorce, and everyone moves on with their lives."
"While you save your company with Flemington money," Franklin said darkly, finally seeing the full picture.
My father had the grace to look embarrassed, but he didn't deny it.
Frederick sighed heavily. "Franklin, I know this isn't ideal…"
"Ideal?" Franklin laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Grandfather, this is insane. You're asking me to lie to everyone. To fake a marriage. To…" He looked at me again, and I saw something flicker in his eyes. Disgust? Resentment? "To pretend I want to be with someone who probably set this whole thing up in the first place."
"You have got to be kidding me!" I snapped, my patience finally breaking. "I had nothing to do with that video! I'm just as trapped in this mess as you are!"
"Convenient," he muttered.
"You think I wanted this?" My voice rose. "You think I wanted to wake up in a stranger's bed with no memory of how I got there? You think I wanted my mother to almost faint from shock in front of hundreds of people? You think I want to marry someone who looks at me like I'm dirt on his shoe?"
Franklin opened his mouth, then closed it. For once, he had nothing to say.
"Both of you, calm down," Frederick commanded. He looked older suddenly, tired. "I understand this is difficult. But Franklin, think about what's at stake. Those men out there? They don't just want to stop your inauguration. They want to dismantle everything I and your father built. Everything I've spent my life creating. They'll tear it apart piece by piece and sell it off to the highest bidder."
Franklin's jaw clenched. "And you think a fake marriage will stop them?"
"I think it will buy us time," Frederick said carefully. "Time to strengthen your position. Time to gather support from the other board members. Time to..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear.
Time to fight back.
Franklin stood there, silent, his hands balled into fists at his sides. I could see the war raging inside him, pride versus duty, anger versus responsibility.
Finally, he spoke, his voice hollow. "Fine."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
"Fine?" his grandfather repeated cautiously.
"For the sake of the company," Franklin said, each word sounding like it cost him something. "For my father's legacy. I'll do it. I'll marry her." He didn't even look at me when he said it. "But only for a few months, two at most. After that, we divorce. Quietly."
Frederick looked like he wanted to hug him but settled for a firm nod. "Thank you, Franklin. You won't regret…"
"I already regret it," Franklin cut him off.
All eyes turned to me then. My parents. Frederick. Franklin, finally meeting my gaze with those cold, resentful eyes.
"Well?" my mother prompted. "Octavia?"
I stood there, speechless. How could this be happening? How could I be expected to marry a stranger, a man who obviously hated me, who thought I was a whore, who'd left money on my bed like I was something he could buy?
A contract marriage? Was this my life now?
"Octavia, please," my father said softly. "The company... if we don't get this investment, we'll lose everything. Your mother and I will lose everything we've worked for. All our employees will lose their jobs. Please."
The guilt crashed over me like a wave. My parents had worked their entire lives to build their business. Was I really going to let it crumble because I didn't want to play pretend for a few months?
But this wasn't just playing pretend. This was marriage. Even if it was fake, even if it was temporary, it was still my life.
I looked at Franklin. He stared back at me with barely concealed contempt.
This was the man I was supposed to marry? This cold, arrogant stranger who'd used me to get over a bad relationship and discarded me like trash?
"I..." I started, but the words wouldn't come.
The door suddenly opened, and one of the sinister men poked his head in. "Time's up. We need an answer. Now."
Franklin's eyes bore into mine, challenging me. Daring me to refuse so he could blame me for everything that would fall apart.
The weight of all their expectations crushed down on me until I could barely stand.
"Well?" Mr. Harrington at the door pressed. "Do we have a wedding in a week, or do we cancel the inauguration?"