I could not stop thinking about Ryan. I thought about him all night and even when I woke up from sleep, he was the first person that came to my mind.
The previous night sex was the best sex we had ever had. The passion I had for him, and the guilt I felt about getting married to Alexander made it even better.
"Babe, I love you. god, I love you so much, you feel so good".
Ryan's words echoed in my mind. He had repeatedly said them breathlessly while I moaned out loud.
Ryan was good at what he did. He knew the right places to touch me, he knew the right words to say, he knew the best way to stroke into me.
I did not want the night to end, I wanted him up close to me. I wanted to be under his skin. I did not want him to get tired even after I made him get to his highest level of ecstasy multiple times until he fell asleep.
I wondered why he slept so fast after our heated sessions, while I took a few more minutes before joining in to sleep. For some reason being with him made me get energetic. He brought out the best in me even after our make out and heated sessions.
Did Alexander have what Ryan had? Could he do better than Ryan? Could he touch me, and use his adulthood better than Ryan did?
I was ashamed that Alexander had somehow managed to cross my mind when I thought about all I did with Ryan the previous night. But my thoughts of him were brief. My thoughts were shifted back to Ryan in a few minutes.
He had successfully made me forget about all my life problems for the whole night, making me moan and scream his name. But, I had come back home. The day had begun and I had so much work to do. I had so much to think about, and I wished I could be with him so that he would make me forget about everything again.
"I wish we could hangout today and have so much fun Ryan", I said out loud to nobody in particular.
I missed him already. I was tempted to give him a call, but I knew better than to do that. He needed to rest and work, so did I.
I was happy that he did not stay angry at me even though he knew that I was going to get married to another man. He was still willing to try to make us work no matter what. I loved Ryan. He never gave up on us.
Although I had wanted to ask him what his plan was to fully make me his, he had successfully made me forget all about my question. I trusted that he was not going to do anything that we would both regret. Was he going to do something irrational even though I trusted him?
I worked all morning, sitting on my ergonomic chair, holding my coffee mug in one hand. As the CEO of a remote consulting business, I had grown accustomed to the flexibility and freedom that comes with working from anywhere. I had enjoyed years even while I was at school, because I was also working from the comfort of my apartment or anywhere I chose to work. But it also meant that I had to be intentional about creating a productive environment.
I responded to a client's urgent email about their Google Ads campaign. I was offering high-ticket digital marketing services to a select group of clients, and I took pride in delivering personalized, high-level expertise that drives real results. My laptop screen glows with spreadsheets, analytics reports, and social media dashboards – the tools of my trade.
I spent the entire money switching between typing proposals, conducting video calls with potential clients, and digging into data to identify trends and opportunities for optimization. I was determined to succeed. I wanted to succeed so much that I could rebel from getting married and when I successfully get a divorce, my parents abandoning me will not sound like a threat.
My mind was fully engaged, and I felt a sense of satisfaction as I tackled each challenge and crafted out solutions that will help my clients achieve their goals. The more I helped them achieve their goals, the more customers that I would get, and the more I would make money. I did not need to be an heiress, just so my parents could maltreat me. I was successful and capable of being independent, but I needed to do more just to prove to my parents and to Alexander that I could.
As the hours passed, my laptop battery went low and I plugged it in, taking a moment to stretch and refocus. I ruffled my hair, shutting my eyes. It had been a long day, and aside from occasionally thinking about Ryan and the way he made me feel immensely good, the rest of the morning was hectic.
The quiet hum of my air conditioner and the occasional chirp of a bird outside provided a soothing background noise. I was about to open the window to check out the bird when my mother came in.
"Hello dear", she said to me smiling.
I rolled my eyes. I was good at keeping a grudge when I wanted to. I had not had a great conversation with my parents since they had forced me to get married to Alexander.
Plus, my mum barely got excited. When she did, I usually did not like the reason behind her excitement. I was not sure that today was going to be different.
"Mum, I'm working", I said.
"You can't stay angry at your mother forever Olivia", she cooed.
Oh, I can!
"Mum, please what do you want?", I asked.
I would rather be drained and still work all day on my laptop than try to have a conversation with my mother.
"Alexander is coming over for dinner tonight", my mum answered, with a bright smile.
I knew it was not going to be good news!
Alexander had not informed me that he was back from his business trip. He had not told me that he was going to come over for dinner. The last text he had sent to me was to tell me to stop disturbing him, and pick whatever wedding dress I wanted to pick. He had not called too. This uncaring and narcissistic human was the person my mum thought had similarities with me. I had no similarity with him. I was caring.
I cared about everyone I loved, and sometimes even extended the care to people I did not really like. But I could not say the same for Alexander. He was a nonchalant rock who did not care about anyone other than himself. I was not sure that he even loved his family. He did not seem to care about them.
"Oh wow, that's nice", I replied dryly, walking over to my chair to keep working.
There was no point in rebelling against Alexander coming over for dinner. He usually came with his parents. It was normal for him to be seen a few times at dinner. Plus, I was betrothed to him now, there was nowhere that my parents were not going to welcome him with an open arm whenever he wanted to come over.
"I think you should get ready", my mum said happily, not minding the fact that I was clearly unhappy about Alexander coming for dinner and anything that had to do with him.
"Mum, it's just dinner. This is one thirty am. There is no need to start preparing for anything now", I said.
"Oh there's a need. This isn't just a regular dinner with the Brewers. This is dinner with your future fiancé, Alexander. He is coming alone by the way. You need to look your best", my mum said.
She must have thought that saying it was only Alexander coming over would have made me feel better. But that just made me feel even more uncomfortable.
I would have preferred it if the Brewers had come without their narcissistic son. They barely spoke to me, and most times, I acted as if they did not exist. Despite appearing to be a content family, they seemed more civil than genuinely happy. It would not take much observation to notice their unhappiness, but I did not know the exact reason why they were unhappy, and did not bother asking my parents - they would not have told me anyway. However, at least the Brewers themselves were not the ones being forced to marry me; it was their son.
"Uhm, mum, I'm working. I'll prepare for dinner later", I said, fighting the urge to roll my eyes again.
"No, my dear. I have already ordered a new dress just so you would look your best tonight. Also, I have called the best makeup artist in the city to get you to look incredible", my mum said.
"Mum! Can I at least be asked if I want to do some things sometimes? You can't just go ahead to prepare something that involves me without telling me. I am twenty-three", I said sternly, but remained calm.
"Oh I can. Matter of fact, I already did. I don't care if you're twenty-three. I am your mother and you're my baby girl. I want this marriage to work out for you, and trust me, by the time I'm done with you this evening, Alexander is going to be in love with you. I know he already has an interest in you, I just need to help ignite it", she said with a wink.
I heaved a frustrated smile, rolling my eyes once again. I did not say anything to my mother. She was team Alexander, and somehow thought that he and I were meant for each other. There was no point in trying to argue with her.
"Get up my dear child. Go and take a shower. The makeup artist and fashionista will be arriving in about an hour from now", she said, her eyes glinting with so much excitement.
I did not expect the result of my mum's plan to turn out perfectly. The makeup artist who had done my makeup, and the fashionista who had brought my dress and helped me style it with shoes, jewelry, a bag, and had even styled my hair, did a perfect job.
I could not stop staring at myself in the mirror. I looked flawless in my golden dress.
"You look beautiful my dear child", my mum said, equally admiring me as she stared at the mirror.
"Thanks mum", I said.
She did make me look awesome, and even if though it was for a reason which I disliked, I did love the way I looked.
"You'll be thanking me more soon. But for now, Alexander has arrived", she announced.