Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My feet pounded against the floor rhythmically, and my heart raced. I had finally done it—I’d finally gotten a promotion at work, and Andrew, my fiancé, was the first person who needed to know. Walking down the hallway, I clutched my briefcase tightly, grateful that no one else was around. They’d think I was crazy, especially since I was unable to control the huge smile on my face. But who could blame me? My life was finally transforming into what it was always meant to be—a happy, blissful life. In a few months, I would marry the love of my life, and I’d finally stop being relegated to serving coffee at the company. The tears, humiliation, and loneliness would end. I, Marianne Fairmount, would no longer be my family’s punching bag. I would be the wife of a promising entrepreneur and finally, finally, everyone would respect and accept me. “Andrew? I have great news…” I called out, opening the door to my future husband’s apartment. The living room lights were off, and a soft jazz melody filled the luxurious penthouse. I glanced at the large glass wall offering a privileged view of the city, then up at the high ceiling with modern chandeliers cascading down like waterfalls in the dark. Finally, my eyes rested on the fireplace, the main source of light. I felt uneasy. For some reason, a sense of foreboding welled up in me. “Andrew? Are you home?” I asked fearfully. There was no response. Even so, my gaze was drawn to the two dirty glasses by the bar near the fire. I approached and picked up one of them. It was half empty, its rim stained with a woman’s red lipstick. Then I looked down at the floor. A few feet ahead of me past the rug, lay a woman’s shoe. It was a stiletto, with a very high, thin heel. Its sole was red, and the rest of the shoe was black. I followed the trail it left and found the other shoe a bit further away, near a man’s crumpled jacket on the floor. My lips trembled, and I turned my eyes to the stairs. The trail led there. I climbed them, feeling weak and confused. Each step felt slower than the last. Until I heard it—the feminine moans coming from our bedroom as I reached the second floor. A part of me wanted to run out of this apartment, to pretend this wasn’t happening, to think that I was imagining it. However, the other part forced me to continue onwards. I walked to the open door from which light shone. I had to see it with my own eyes. Or maybe not. I didn’t need to, because what I saw on the bed was worse than the most disgusting nightmare I’d ever had. On the bed I shared with my would-be husband, I saw Andrew between my sister’s legs. He was rhythmically thrusting his hips into hers. He was half-dressed, shirtless with his pants open for his misdeed. There was no need to describe Amanda—her dress was hiked up to her stomach, and she was moaning in pleasure. “What are you doing?” I said weakly, feeling like I was in a dream, as if it wasn’t obvious what they were doing. Andrew and Amanda looked at me, paralyzed with fear. My fiancé jumped off the bed to pull up his pants desperately, while my sister covered herself with the sheets. My sheets. “It’s not what you think, Marianne,” Andrew assured. “What do you think I’m thinking?” I asked, rubbing my temple to alleviate the deep headache I had. My chest also hurt like hell. He couldn’t speak, nor could he look at me. He focused on getting dressed with trembling hands. Tears streamed down my face like a bitter, uncontrollable torrent. There was no explanation for this. No misunderstanding. I saw what I saw—the man I love having sex with another woman. Not just any woman—her. “Sis, these things happen. That’s just the way the heart is; you can’t tame it…” Amanda said timidly. My blurry vision focused on her. Like struck by a bolt of lightning, I focused all my attention on her. The agony I felt was replaced by hatred. She was a thief. She had taken everything from me. She always did. “You had sex with my boyfriend in my bed! How can you not control yourself from screwing someone else’s man, Amanda?” I growled furiously. “You don’t have to speak to me in that tone…” Amanda pouted, her eyes filling with tears. “We can resolve this unforeseen issue like the adults we are,” Andrew tried to mediate the situation, as if this were just another corporate negotiation. He had put on his favorite suit, the one woven from coldness and stoicism. “Unforeseen issue?” I spat out, astonished by the audacity. “You slept with my sister!”“Andrew loves me, and you can’t satisfy him! Now accept it and get out of our lives! No one wants you in our family!” Amanda screamed at me. Something inside me broke with Amanda’s words. My hopes and illusions of being someone in our family. The truth was, I never had a chance to begin with. Everyone hated me, as Amanda said. They hated me because I was the eldest daughter of Serge Fairmount, the one he had with his first wife, whom he divorced and promptly threw out on the streets along with me. Then he formed a new shining family with his second wife and his spoiled Amanda. His favorite, his princess, the one who could do no wrong and whom he proudly presented. Not me, the dramatic teenager who lost her mother too early and always begged for a bit of attention. “You’re a shameless hussy!” I shouted. “And you don’t know your place! You’re just as stupid as your mother!” she shouted back. Instead of seeing things blurred by tears, I saw a deep, intense red. “Don’t you dare insult my mother!” I roared, charging at Amanda. I grabbed her by the hair with a wave of anger that transcended me, pulling her brown hair from side to side amidst her screams of pain and pleas for me to let go. “Let go! You’re such a hooligan!” she exclaimed, flailing her arms, hitting me. “Act your age! Calm down!” Andrew exclaimed, getting between us. He pulled me away by my arm, and I responded by shoving him hard to make him let go. Andrew looked at me bitterly. “Couldn’t you cheat on me with one of the hundreds of women you know? Couldn’t you sleep with her somewhere else?” I questioned hysterically. “Don’t make this bigger than it is. Leave before I call security. I’ll send your things over tomorrow,” my ex-fiancé informed me. This apartment wasn’t mine. It was his, obviously. He had invited me to live here a few months ago, right when he asked me to be his wife. And now, he was inviting me to leave, throwing me out on the street at 9 PM, without a home to go to. The first thing I did was laugh. Both Andrew and Amanda looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. I looked at the diamond engagement ring on my finger and then at Andrew, then laughed some more. I was left without a home, without a partner, and without a sister. Probably without a family, too. “Are you breaking up with me?” I asked, my voice sounding strange from laughter. “You’re throwing me out after I caught you having sex with my sister?”“I told you she’s crazy, Andrew. My mom and I are scared of her,” Amanda said. “Crazy? I’m ‘the crazy one’?” I exhaled with a broad smile and made air quotes with my fingers. “You know what? Maybe…I am crazy.” My hands reacted on their own. I grabbed the nearest expensive decorative vase and threw it at Andrew. He dodged it, and it shattered on the floor. That wasn’t the only thing I decided to throw—I grabbed a metal statue and attempted to hit him with it. I missed, only managing to scare Andrew and make Amanda scream more. “Come up immediately! Marianne wants to kill Andrew! Call the police!” my half-sister shouted into her phone, terrified. I had about five minutes before security arrived at the penthouse, so I decided to make the most of that time. I grabbed another ceramic decoration and faced Andrew with a manic smile, pretending to throw it several times. “Put that piece down, Marianne. It’s a limited edition. It’s worth more than a year of your salary,” he tried to dissuade me, backing away. “Oh, don’t worry. Any of your art pieces are worth more than the miserable pay at work,” I informed him. Andrew understood that I wouldn’t stop until someone forced me. He cursed under his breath and ran out of the room. I chased after him, knocking over sculptures and pulling down paintings as I did. Every collectible piece I grabbed, I threw at his head, never hitting my target. I even followed him down the stairs. I wanted him to suffer as much as I was. But my revenge was unfortunately interrupted when two security guards grabbed my arms from behind. “Miss Fairmount, calm down!” one of the men demanded, his grip hurting my skin. “If you don’t calm down, we’ll call the authorities!”“Call whoever you want! What can they do to me? Nothing is worse than being in love with a coward like Andrew!” I shouted at them and Andrew, who watched from a distance. He looked exhausted, and there was a fine cut on his forehead. It seemed I did hit him at some point. “What did that savage do to you, my baby?” Amanda asked, joining us. “Get her out of my sight,” Andrew demanded coldly, touching his wound. “Don’t let her enter the building again.”"You bastards! I’ll...!" The threats were caught in my throat. My father, the great Serge Fairmount, walked into the apartment, his face a mask of irritation. His presence was imposing, and even the guards holding me seemed intimidated. I was shocked to see him there. I couldn't understand why he was here. But when Amanda shot me a malicious look, it all became clear. She had called him in the middle of the night, and he had rushed over for his favorite daughter. He must have come running, given how quickly he’d arrived. “Thank God you’re here, Daddy. Marianne hit me and Andrew. I was so scared!” My half-sister wiped tears from her face. “I didn’t raise you to behave like an animal. Stop disgracing yourself and our family,” he demanded, looking at me with disapproval. I managed to break free from the guards and defend myself with the truth. “I caught them having sex!” I shouted furiously. “The only one disgracing our family is Amanda! You've raised a slut!” I didn’t feel the slap at first, but then the sharp pain hit me. The room fell into a heavy silence, the sound of the slap echoing off the walls. “Respect your sister. I will not allow you to treat her like that!” Serge roared. I pressed my hand to my cheek, trying to soothe the pain and humiliation. Amanda looked pleased with herself, though her expression turned innocent when our father turned to her. “Is this true?” he demanded. “Yes. We love each other, and we’re getting married,” Amanda announced, clinging to Andrew’s arm. “Stop saying nonsense. You will not marry your sister’s fiancé. You’ll make us a laughingstock,” my father nearly spat. Amanda clung tighter to Andrew and dropped a bombshell. “We’re getting married! We’re expecting a child together!” she proclaimed loudly. I heard the men behind me gasp, mirroring my father’s shocked expression. I nearly collapsed at the news, and one of the guards had to steady me. I still wore the engagement ring on my finger. Just this morning, we had been selecting the flowers for our wedding centerpieces. This had to be a joke.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Yesterday morning, I’d woken up with the man I loved, chatting about how excited we were for the wedding of our dreams. This morning, I woke up in a cheap hotel room with my eyes swollen from crying so much. There would be no wedding, no happy ending for me, no family I had dreamed of. I was left with practically nothing. No roof over my head, and who knew whether Andrew would have the decency to return my clothes. The only thing I had left was my job. One to which I have returned, locking myself in my cubicle to immerse myself in my work and crunch out numbers. I worked for Fairmount Corporation, a fairly large real estate company dedicated to what all real estate companies do: buying and selling properties. And I, who had been a business administration graduate for almost three years, had been working there since then. The fact that I shared the same last name as the company was no coincidence. Its owner was my father. Fairmount Corporation was a family business, one in which I earned my position, despite what my colleagues might say. It was obvious at this point that my dad hated me and wouldn't give me a single cent. He didn’t give me this job because I was his daughter. He didn't care about me. Ever since I turned eighteen, he stopped giving me the mandatory child support money and even stopped speaking to me except for special circumstances. He wouldn’t let me into his house, nor would he respond to my Christmas greetings. The most exceptional first and last gift my dad had ever given me in his life was an internship at this company. I started as an intern during my university years, then was promoted to temporary worker, and yesterday, I was finally promoted to permanent worker. I knew these years of struggle had paid off due to my efforts, even if others didn't think so and didn’t understand a value called empathy. "Is it true she was dumped for her younger sister?" I heard from the other side of my cubicle. "They say they're getting married on the same date," I heard another voice say. "Poor thing. How did she manage to come to work today?" a third voice said with pity. I bit the inside of my cheek, grabbed several folders from my desk, and got up from my chair. I had to get away from there, and that’s what I did. As I walked through the office, I felt the other workers' eyes following me. It was torturous, but I moved forward with my head held high and without shame. I had done no wrong. I still had my job, to my great pride. This day would be better, and everything would fall into place. "Marianne," Andrew's voice stopped me from behind, "I need you in the meeting room." I turned to see that cheater giving me orders. In his immaculate, well-pressed suit, and with his clean-shaven face. I sensed how we were the center of attention and how I couldn’t refuse the man who would potentially become the majority shareholder of this company in a few weeks. I entered the meeting room as he asked, after which he closed the door and lowered the blinds for more privacy. We were the morning show for the rest of the employees. I would swear one of them had to be peeking inside to see more of our reactions, how their reactions would range from stoicism to disgust. "What do you want? Be quick," I cut him off sharply. He was surprised by my reaction, but put his hands in his pants pockets, and stood up straight. "Where did you spend the night? Where did you get that dress if I have all your clothes at my apartment?" I had spent the night in a budget hotel with breakfast included. I got the dress from my seamstress; I’d explained my situation to her in the early morning and how I couldn’t go to work in the same clothes twice or I’d lose my dignity. She felt sorry for me. "That has nothing to do with you. Next question." I cut him off again. This irritated him, but he pursed his lips and continued. "Where should I send your belongings?" Here was where my demeanor wavered. I had no place to store my things. I was homeless. That certainty terrified me and made me want to cry. "I can... have them sent to my other bachelor apartment. You could stay there until you find a place to rent," he offered. His proposal doesn’t surprise me in a good way. This had to be a big joke to me. "Now you care what happens to me? Wouldn’t you have cared more when you were getting into my half-sister’s pants? Or when you got her pregnant? Wouldn’t it be better to care at those times?" I reminded him. "This is also your fault, Marianne," he said, exhausted. "Excuse me?" I said, offended. "You’ve refused to have sex with me since we started dating a year ago. I’m a man, I have needs," he argued. My chest ached at his accusation. He wasn't lying about that; we hadn't had sex because of my request. I was a virgin by conviction, maybe due to traumas I did not want to admit, by my mother's advice, and by fear of being abandoned after giving my body away. "It was a condition you accepted. I wanted to wait until our marriage. If you didn’t believe in the same as me, you should have told me like a real man," I defended myself, to which he smiled at me and shook his head as if I were a fool. "What about your inability to get your father on my side? You know how important it is for me to buy this company’s shares. You didn’t intercede in my favor even once. You’re incompetent." I thought my chest couldn’t feel more pain than yesterday, but I was experiencing an even more powerful wave of pain right now. He was admitting the reason behind this relationship. "Did you start courting me because you thought I would have some level of influence over Serge as his eldest daughter? I didn’t intend for my voice to come out sounding as hurt as it did. "At first, yes," he confessed without being particularly proud of it. My mouth twisted, and my eyes struggled not to cry. He noticed this and got angry at my expression. "Oh, please, don't cry again. That's how marriages are in our social circles. They are business deals. I didn’t know you were the disowned daughter from how they talked about you in this company," he explains. "On the other hand, with Amanda, it was so easy; right now, I’m a few signatures away from them selling me the shares. Do you see what I’m talking about?" My whole relationship had been a farce. Of course it had been—who in their right mind would think a businessman from a wealthy family like Andrew would be interested in the real me? After all, I was just another employee struggling to make ends meet and happened to be lucky enough to have the surname “Fairmount.” I swallowed my tears and looked at him like the scum he was. "Are you done?" I asked harshly. He looked at me just as harshly. "I have pending work. Stop wasting my time. You’re not my boss yet as far as I know." Outwardly, I sounded whole and dignified. Inside, I was trembling. If Andrew managed to buy those shares, he would be the majority owner of this company. He would also become my boss, and I knew he would end up firing me. I would be left without a job. It would be my end. "Your father wants to have lunch with you and Amanda," he informed me from behind. I froze at that information. He walked past me, satisfied. "You won’t be able to refuse this time. That is your current boss," he mocked as he walked past me and left the room. - I didn’t know how my life went from a dream to a nightmare in less than 24 hours, but this was my life, my nightmare. One in which I had to keep my job at any cost, or at least until I could find another one and Andrew took over the presidency. That was why I was being greeted by one of my father’s house employees. I had been invited to his main house for lunch, the one where he lived with his second wife and Amanda like a happy family. The lady who worked here led me to the large garden with a pool, specifically to the table on the charming terrace with my father, my stepmother, and my half-sister. I sat down on an open seat and didn’t speak. As soon as I sat, the laughter and pleasant conversation stopped. I was an intruder in their happiness. I always had been. "Marianne, we’re glad you could make time to eat with us. We certainly have a lot to talk about," my stepmother greeted. She was a very elegant, diplomatic, and beautiful woman. All those characteristics attracted my father. Ah, and her money, of course. That was the main characteristic that made Serge go for her and be unfaithful to my mother. "I don't know what the four of us can talk about. What has to be said has already been said. Amanda is pregnant with the child of the man who was my fiancé until yesterday. They will get married. The rest is history," I said with a fake smile on my face. This seemed to embarrass the two women, while Serge looked at me angrily, as if I were the problem. "Will you stop with your immature attitude? You are the eldest; it’s your responsibility to set an example," Serge imposed. I had to bite my tongue. How could I be an example to a sister who hated me and was never allowed to be my real sister? His obvious preference for Amanda had turned her into this—a monster. "Father, I understand your need to keep up appearances and peace in this family. But why do you need me in this equation? I’d rather our dynamic remain the same as always. Ignore my existence, I’ll ignore yours, and I’ll keep my mouth shut with dignity," I explained. "That said, can I leave?" "No, you cannot leave," Serge said without thinking. "Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, disappointed. "Because it’s time for you to show your place in our family." "What?" I was confused. "You will help your sister organize her wedding with Andrew," he ordered. I already knew that my family and my ex-fiancé hated me, but now I could confirm that fate did too.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I could bring up an endless list of humiliating incidents involving my family, such as the time I came to this house to kneel before my father for money for my mother's treatment, and the time Amanda and her mother gave me a box of used and torn clothes because I "needed to dress better." But asking me to help organize the wedding of my ex-fiance with his pregnant lover, who was my half-sister? That had to be one of the most sadistic items on the list. "I will not help Amanda organize her wedding with Andrew. Why would I do such a thing?" I said slowly, giving my father time to admit that this was a bad joke. Serge looked at me with disapproval, while Amanda watched with a smile she tried to hide while eating her fruit salad. "It’s disappointing that you aren’t deciding to be a better person about this matter. If you don't help, I will be forced to reconsider your contract with our company. I heard you just managed to sign as a permanent employee," he threatened. I would have screamed and thrown out insults if I could. However, I couldn't do any of those things; I was a marionette, free for them to puppet at their convenience again. "I thought they couldn't fire me whenever they wanted," I smiled to hide my rage. I didn't think I was doing it well. Amanda and her mother were struggling not to laugh at the situation. "We will pay the contract indemnity. And that also means that you will cut contact with your family. Is that what you want? To destroy your relationship with the only sister you have for a man? Put aside childish jealousy and focus on what matters. Our family image, our family legacy... and your career." My hands were invisibly handcuffed. My job was all I had left; I couldn't lose it at that moment. I needed more time to find something better and figure out where on earth to live. "In what way am I supposed to help with the wedding?" I said, grinding my teeth together. The three felt calmer with my yielding to this absurd plot. "You could start by returning the engagement ring to Andrew. It's a family jewel valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars," my stepmother noted, "It should belong to his future wife.""Of course, I will return it," I spoke with another manic smile. "You could also help me choose my wedding dress. Now that you've come to your senses, it would be very important for me to have you with me," added the hypocrite Amanda. Here my smile faded; I swore I wanted to throw the vase with the tulips on the table at her head. Such malice was unnecessary, and they knew it. "How else can Marianne help us, dear?" my stepmother questioned Serge. He wiped his mouth with the napkin and left it on the table, then stood. "I have an important meeting. You three take care of it. Peacefully, might I add," he requested and left. I refused such a deal and followed him inside the house. I needed to confront him alone. I decided to speak before he climbed the main stairs of the house. "You can't do this to me, father. What need is there to punish me this way?" I asked. He stopped and faced me. He sighed and rubbed his forehead because I must have been the problem in his twisted mind. "You are just like your mother. You don't know when to stop," he lamented, "If you can't keep Andrew happy, it's better for Amanda to take care of him for you, for us.""He was my boyfriend, Dad! I loved him!""And do you think he loved you?" he mocked. My heart broke for the third time. "Your feelings are not valued more than the child growing inside your sister, nor are they valued more than the bond that unites us with the Wells. Our roof is collapsing on us, and all you care about is yourself. This is your opportunity to show me that you have your head on your shoulders. Don't be weak, be strong like a Fairmount should be.""Sir? He's in his office. He's waiting for you," an employee mentioned from the top of the stairs. "I have nothing more to talk to you about, Marianne. Go back to your mother and sister," he said, wanting to climb the stairs. "That is not my mother, nor my sister, and you are not my father. Save your false motivational speeches," I said. My words enraged Serge and he started yelling at me. I didn’t really hear what he yelled at me because I was already leaving that house that was never mine to begin with. I left the family that never was, nor would be mine. At the same time, I swore to myself that I would get revenge. Somehow, in some way, everyone would pay for this. - However, swearing revenge was one thing, and carrying it out was another. So, I took refuge in the free margaritas the company provided us for this mid-year goal celebration at the bar. I was sitting alone, drinking my third margarita of the night. Behind me, my colleagues were chatting and drinking. This was my favorite day of the year, mainly because of the free food and drink from this restaurant that had a deal with the company. But even the taste of free alcohol had been ruined by Andrew, Amanda, and my father. "Are you okay?" Jenna asked, sitting next to me at the bar. "Do I look okay?" I said to my colleague. Jenna was a work colleague who had become my friend over the years. However, we worked in different departments—she was in marketing while I was in sales—and we had both been very busy fighting for our respective promotions. "How could they do that to you? Is it real? Did he really break up with you, and is he planning to marry Amanda?" she asked sadly. "The rumors travel fast. Did they already reach the upper floor where your office is?" I asked, bitter. "Actually, the gossip reached me at lunchtime. I looked for you earlier in the cafeteria. Where were you?""Dad invited me to lunch. He wanted me to help organize the wedding. Oh, and they wanted me to return the engagement ring so she could wear it." Jenna was shocked by what I had done. Her mouth couldn't be more open with indignation. "What’s next? That she's pregnant with Andrew’s child?" she asked angrily. When I nodded, she got angrier. "Throw her down the stairs, make her lose it.""It’s not that I haven’t thought about doing that..." I laughed, then a tear slipped out that I wiped away. Jenna rubbed my back. "The truth is I would never do that to Amanda. The truth is I hoped that by marrying Andrew, Dad would respect me and let me be part of the family. I dreamed that everyone would finally accept me and admit that they treated me badly. But I’ve accepted that it was a fantasy of mine. Who would fall in love with me? I’m pathetic.""Hey, no, that’s not true. I don't want you to say those things about yourself. Who hasn't been cheated on? It's not your fault they cheated on you. You are a great person. You’re beautiful and talented at what you do. He’s the one missing out. Let him stay with the spoiled Amanda. A nice surprise awaits him. Karma will get him.""But not quickly enough for me to avoid helping her choose her wedding dress," I complained and threw back more of my drink. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," Jenna commented with a wicked smile. "There are some rumors going around.""What kind of rumors?""We know that Andrew has insisted on buying most of the shares in the company for years, right?" Of course, I knew. Andrew had confirmed that he had gotten involved with me for that purpose just this morning. Fairmount Corporation was founded by my father, so naturally, he had most of the shares. But recently, other shareholders were pushing for a change of direction, globalization, and expansion. They wanted more branches and more countries to operate in, but Dad was against such a move. He wanted to play it safe. He hated change. This was why Andrew was so interested in buying his shares. He wanted to be the one to make that change a reality. He was close to achieving it, all thanks to Amanda. "Yes. What's new about that?" I asked, puzzled. "I heard there’s a new foreign investor who’s offering double Andrew’s offer. Double!""It can't be possible," I whispered, shocked by such an event. Jenna pulled away from the intimacy of our conversation and turned over her shoulder to our colleagues. Disapproval filled her features. "Just as such audacity couldn't be possible, either." I turned my head in the same direction, and immediately felt the urge to finish my margarita in one gulp. My friend was looking at Amanda and Andrew. Our colleagues were greeting them, and from here, I could hear compliments on how good Amanda looked. "Hypocrites," Jenna muttered angrily. "Excuse the interruption, but we wanted to make sure you were all having a good time and congratulate you on your mid-year goals," Amanda announced. I couldn't help but notice that Andrew was holding her by the hip. He spotted me like a hawk and pulled Amanda closer to him. I knew the women in the corner were whispering about me. I knew everyone was dying to see how I would react. "We also came by to extend an invitation. As you know, Andrew will soon be part of the Fairmount Corporation family, not just on the work side but also personally," she looked at him with love, and he did the same. "We are getting married in November at Willowdale Estate. You are all invited." I stopped listening when the applause started. We were also supposed to get married in November, at the same place. Next week, we would have sent out the official invitations. I couldn't bear it. As certain people with no self-control looked in my direction mockingly or with pity, I rushed out of that place. I walked quickly towards the bathroom hallway to either burst into tears or have the biggest panic attack I might have ever had. Maybe both. But instead of reaching my destination, I crashed into a tall man with a drink in his hand. The force of our collision made me take several steps back as the liquor spilled on the floor. As I looked up to get a good look at him, I was left breathless. He was incredibly attractive, with broad shoulders in a black suit, blue eyes, and a divine masculine scent emanating from him. "You should watch where you're going. Now you owe me one," he said suggestively. Perhaps a sober and level-headed Marianne would have told him no. However, the current me, who had downed three margaritas, had been freshly publicly humiliated yet again, and who was on the verge of being fired, did the opposite. "Yes, you’re right."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I was in a fog of pleasure that I didn't want to emerge from. Kisses were traded back and forth, and the caresses on my bare legs moved up and down. I writhed among the white sheets, enjoying the warmth of the man on top of me. I didn't want this to ever end. "You're beautiful, Marianne," he whispered in my ear. "You're beautiful too," I whispered, sounding as daring as I had never been. I bit his lip with delight, which encouraged him to go faster. The way he was moving in and out of my body made me let out so many pitiful moans I hadn't even known I could make. "If it's too much for you, tell me..." he said, sounding restrained. Too much for me? What was he talking about? The slight discomfort or the pinch of pain I had felt at the beginning? That was nothing compared to the pleasure that dominated me. Sex was the best thing in the world; I didn't even know why I had been so apprehensive about it. "What if I told you it’s not enough?" I said, caressing his face. "Go faster." And faster he went. - I woke up laughing and with a terrible headache, which was easily the worst one I’d ever had in my 24 years of life. My body felt heavy, and my eyelids were so tired that I didn't dare to open them. Not that I needed to, though. I shifted in bed, trying to prolong that wonderful wet dream I had just had. "I wish it had been real," I laughed more, raising my arm above my head. "Giving my virginity to a stranger instead of Andrew. If he found out, he'd cry like a baby." I had to stop laughing because it surprised me to be in such a good mood outside of my dream. So, I made the effort to open my eyes to see the ceiling above my bed. "Was the ceiling of my hotel always this high? Where did that giant chandelier come from?" I asked, noticing the abnormalities. As far as I could remember, the room I stayed in might as well be the size of a shoebox. I looked to the right and saw a luxurious-looking double French door. I looked to the left; there was a beautiful balcony overlooking a city park. Then I looked down. I was covered by a sheet, which I lifted to see the state of my body. Naked. I was naked. I screamed so loud that I felt my throat burn. Then, I got out of bed wrapped in the sheet, turning my head in all directions. "It can't be real. It couldn't be real. I didn't sleep with a stranger," I said, looking at my full-body reflection in a mirror. "You didn't sleep with a stranger. It was a dream. It had to be a dream. We agreed it was a dream, right?" If I wanted my reflection to support me, it practically screamed the opposite. The reflective surface helped me realize that I had a hickey on my neck, and not only that, my lips were red and swollen. They got that way from kisses—many kisses at that. What's worse were the reddish stains on the bed. I had to look closer and touch them to check what they were. It was blood. My period wasn't due to come soon, and I also couldn't ignore the discomfort between my legs. It felt weird. I threw myself on the bed, stunned by the consequences of my three margaritas. "I did it. I lost my virginity to a stranger," I said in disbelief. To complete my torment, I looked at the nightstand, where there was an envelope with "For Marianne" written in beautiful handwriting. I grabbed the envelope and took out a small card with a handwritten message on it. "That was delightful. I hope we meet again." Further down on the card, there was a cell phone number and a postscript. "Don't be offended by the other contents inside the envelope. It's compensation for my terrible manners." I explored the envelope more to see what was inside and found some money there. He had left me $1,000, as if I were a prostitute, as if I had asked for it. In my anger, I threw the money on the bed and bit my nails, agonizing over what I had done. - I frantically pressed the buzzer at Jenna's apartment. Once was not enough. Nor two, nor three times. I pressed it five times in a row. "Whoever is ringing my door at this hour better have a good excuse..." Jenna's sleepy tone matched her appearance as she opened the door for me. She was wearing loose pajamas, and her hair was messy. When she saw me, she looked surprised and grabbed my arms, scared. "What happened to you last night? Are you okay? Why are you wearing the same dress as yesterday?""I'm fine, I think. Are you alone? Can I come in?" I asked, exhausted. "Of course, you can come in. This is your home, and even if I had brought someone last night, it still would be. Come in," she invited me. I entered her studio apartment. It was small but very cozy. It reminded me of the one I had to rent when I turned eighteen and ran away from Serge's house. Mom died when I was 15, and I had to live with Serge for three years, a horrible experience. After that, I lived alone until Andrew proposed to me a few months ago. Now, I was living in a hotel. "Do you want coffee? A pill? Or do you want to call someone?" Jenna sounded very worried. "Do I look that bad?""No, it's just that last night you left without telling me where you were going. You didn't answer my messages or my calls. I was somewhat worried. Was my worry for naught?" Explaining my whereabouts last night was a complicated task, and it was also embarrassing—very embarrassing. But I needed to do it. I took Jenna by the hand to sit with me on her sofa. "I slept with a guy I don't know," I confessed, terrified. Jenna's eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. She got angry immediately. "Did he force himself on you?" In the hour I had been awake, the rest of the night slowly resurfaced in my memory, bit by bit. I went with my attractive stranger willingly, and because of that, I ended up with him in a nearby club and ended up drinking a couple more margaritas. On the dance floor, he pressed me against his body, kissed me like an animal, and suggested we go get a room together. With the five margaritas in me, I decided it was a good idea to go with a stranger to a place I also didn’t know. We ended up at the hotel and had sex. I knew it felt good, and I knew it gave me a lot of pleasure. But... it wasn't right for one big detail. "He didn't force me. I did it because I wanted to," I said, embarrassed. "If you did it because you wanted to, why are you like this? Did he not say goodbye or ask you to pay for the hotel room?""Neither one nor the other, I guess. He left me a number and the room was already paid for..." Jenna didn't understand why I was suffering. "Did he last 20 seconds? Or did he have bad breath?" she questioned. My stranger didn't last 20 seconds; he’d lasted longer, much longer. He didn't have bad breath either. He just smelled like alcohol since he had also been drinking like me. I shook my head. "Then what happened?" she suddenly seemed to realize what my fear was. "Do you feel guilty for having sex so soon after your breakup with Andrew? You don't have to feel guilty. Remember what he did to you." I shook my head harder, on the verge of tears. "I was a virgin.""What?" Jenna didn't understand what I was saying. "It was my first time having sex with a man," I confessed. My friend didn't believe me at first. On the second, she thought it over. And on the third, seeing my face wet with tears, she believed me. "Weren't you dating Andrew for a year? How could you still be a virgin?""He promised he would wait for me until marriage. What's waiting a year and a few months when you truly love someone? He was the only man I had fallen ever in love with, and we were going to have a family. I didn't want him to leave me for being too easy. But I went and slept with another man the night I met him. I'm easy." This time I burst into tears. My luck couldn't be worse at this point. Jenna hugged me tightly and stroked my back affectionately. Her hug made me feel better. It was good to have someone to cry with. "My dear, you are not easy for having sex with a handsome guy. That's what sex is for. It was a mistake you'll learn from," she comforted me. "Did you use protection? Tell me yes, or we'll have to go to the pharmacy." I separated from her, drying my tears. I tried to remember if there was protection, and the image of him taking off the condom to throw it away before falling asleep came to mind. "Yes, he used a condom.""Well... he didn't last a few seconds, he didn't have bad breath, he paid for the hotel, he used a condom, and... was it good?" Recalling the scenes from last night, a strange sensation ran through my legs. The way he kissed me, touched me, and looked at me lustfully made me blush. Jenna held back her smile because my face said it all. "Yes... it was good...""What’s with that face? Do you want to do it again? What was his name?" I tried again to remember his name. It was on the tip of my tongue…I know he told me amid the club's music. I managed to recall it. "Lucius... that was the name he told me. But I don't think I'll contact him again; it was too embarrassing.""Lucius? Doesn't ring a bell. And if you don’t want to call him, that’s fine. You'll be okay. I promise." Jenna was right. I would be okay. I had more important things to worry about in my daily life than a stranger I would never see again. Right?

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

It was nice to have a friend who cared about me. Jenna confirmed that by letting me sleep on her sofa until I found a place to rent. I would have to stretch my budget and wait for my new salary at the end of the month to have a decent sum. It wasn’t that I was terrible with finances, but rather that I had been paying off some of my mother’s debts, and my salary wasn’t very high. At the very least, I had a place to stay for the next few nights that wasn’t a hotel. That was reassuring. I was very, very calm about my life and my place in the universe. I convinced myself of that in the elevator at work. I took a deep breath and held my briefcase tightly, as if it would be stolen at any moment. "Are you thinking about that stranger from last night again?" Jenna asked, amused. "No. I’m thinking that today will be a good day," I said with optimism. The kind I felt deep down inside. "I don’t want to ruin your positivity, but didn’t the lobby feel a bit off?" Jenna said, worried. "What was strange about the lobby? Are you saying it was because it was empty?" I asked. "This elevator as well. It’s time to clock in, so we should be packed in here like cattle with our colleagues," Jenna continued. I checked the time on my wristwatch; it was 8:58 AM, and our clock-in time was 9:00 AM. We were on time, so I dismissed Jenna’s concerns. "You’re being paranoid. This will be a calm and peaceful day. It’ll be especially peaceful, I can feel it. And I have good intuition, you know." I knew my friend didn’t trust my intuition by the way she furrowed her brow, though she didn’t reply. Still, when we reached my floor, I was more than ready to say goodbye to her with a big, optimistic smile, but as the doors opened, my smile fell. There was absolutely no peace on my floor. There was chaos instead—absolute chaos. The phones on the desks kept ringing. Half my colleagues were on their cell phones negotiating with tense looks, and the other half were running around agitated. "What’s going on here?" I asked. "How can you not know what’s going on? What planet are you on, for God’s sake?" Amy scolded me, carrying a bunch of folders in her arms. I wasn’t liked by Amy. She was one of the many people who didn’t like me at this company. It was ironic, as I actually liked her and thought she was fun until I overheard her badmouthing me behind my back. "She’s on the same planet as me because I don’t know what’s happening either," Jenna revealed, joining me and taking in the morning uproar. "I could have sympathy for you, Jenna, because the marketing team is jumping out of windows, but I have more sympathy for you, Marianne," Amy handed me the stack of folders, almost dropping them because of their weight. "You’ll be part of the meeting with the executives.""Why do they want me in an executive meeting? To sort the folders and serve coffee?" I questioned, confused. I had never been allowed to attend one of those meetings before. At most, I would only be present by arranging chairs and serving the bosses coffee or handing out bottles of water. "You’re the agent who sold the Ortega building, the one in ruins that no one could find a buyer for. Remember, dear? The one that got you promoted a couple of days ago?" Amy informed me disdainfully. I remembered it as she said it. I had indeed accomplished a feat at this company. Selling the unsellable was a task that took many many months of market research. But I did it. My chest swelled with pride, and I straightened my back. Now they were calling me to an executive meeting. "Yes, that was me," I said, excited. "It was you," Jenna patted my shoulder with a sweet smile that I returned. "Yes, yes, kiss each other later. We have work to do, so move it," Amy scolded us before leaving. "What’s her problem?" I complained, watching her walk away. "She’s a bitter person. Don’t let her bother you," Jenna stepped back into the elevator. "Wish me luck. I’ll try not to jump out of the window like our BFF just warned me." We both laughed and went our separate ways. I headed to the boardroom with the black folders. As I entered, the atmosphere was as tense as it was outside. Here, people were gathered in pairs or trios, whispering. Only about three shareholders were sitting, chatting on their cell phones. I said good morning and started arranging the folders, one per seat, aligning them perfectly. During my task, I noticed that my father had not yet arrived. This was unusual; he usually arrived early for almost everything. Except for my birthdays, when he didn’t even show up. "Thank you, Mary, you’re as kind as ever," Dominic thanked me. Dominic Moore was one of the company’s oldest shareholders and also a friend of my father’s. He was one of the seated shareholders, and I feared he looked worried and nervous. He was a gentle and well-mannered grandfather figure to me. "Are you alright? Would you like me to bring you something to drink? Any pills?" I asked, leaning toward him. "No tea or pill will prepare me for what’s coming," he joked, though I could sense his anxiety. "What’s coming?" I asked again. No one had told me anything about this yet. "Didn’t you hear yet?" he said, surprised. "Your father probably kept it from you to avoid alarming you. He worries a lot about you; he still thinks you’re a little girl." I had to pretend that what this man was saying was true when it wasn’t. Serge didn’t worry about me. I’d swear that if I died tomorrow, he wouldn’t care. However, appearances had to be maintained. Dominic let go of the faint smile he had, revealing the truth. "Your father has decided to sell the majority of his shares to an external investor, not to Andrew." The news slammed into me like a car at full speed. I couldn’t fathom such a revelation. So the hallway gossip was true. I struggled to process it, even as I saw Andrew himself entering the room with a foul look on his face. His furious gaze turned to me, which I ignored, and I decided to sit next to Dominic. Still, to make me even more nervous, Andrew sat on my other side. He didn’t greet me, and I didn’t greet him. I opened the folder in front of me to read its contents, but my nerves prevented me from actually reading anything. If Dad hadn’t sold the shares to Andrew, who on earth had he sold them to? The question echoed in my head, and I was unable to think of anything else. "I hope you’re happy. Your father has gone back on his word and discarded me," Andrew commented quietly. "Your words are a bit misplaced, Mr. Wells. If we’re talking about discarding, you’re an expert in that field. I don’t know why you’re surprised," I recited in my professional tone. "Now you’re going to speak to me formally?" he mocked. "I don’t see the need to be informal either; after all, you’ll be my future brother-in-law, and I’d like to keep minimal contact with you." Andrew looked quite annoyed with my attitude, though he held back because of where we were. "Your underwear is still stored next to mine in the closet. Stop talking to me like that and tell me where you went last night," he demanded to know. In an absurd twist of events, I had to look at him to mock him. I had the urge to tell him I had given myself to another man and enjoyed being in his arms. That I had let him into my body and he made me experience a pleasure he’d never be able to provide. Andrew’s waiting, gifts, and efforts to win me over didn’t help him. "His reward" had gone to someone else. I just smiled sweetly and went back to looking at the folder I wasn’t reading. "What’s with that smile? What’s so funny?" he asked impatiently. "This morning, I informed Sofia of my new address so she could pack and send my belongings as soon as possible," I mentioned the call I had with his cleaning lady. "Oh, really? I’ve changed my mind. I won’t be sending you anything," he responded like the most butthurt person in history. "If anything happens to your things, it will be due to your bad luck.""Damage my belongings, and you can be sure I’ll flush your family’s engagement ring down the toilet," I threatened him in one go. He was startled but remained angry. We began a duel of resentful looks that had to end when my father entered the boardroom. With that, everyone else sat down. He took the head of the table, and the only remaining free seat was one to his right. "Fairmount Corporation is, and continues to be, the main project of my life. My greatest dream, the culmination of endless sleepless nights and efforts beyond comprehension for those who do not share my mission," my father said. "I recognize that change brought confusion and fear; I was an example of that. But I believe it is necessary to move forward into the future in the right hands." The "right hands" part particularly bothered Andrew. I might have been exaggerating, but I felt like his body temperature had risen significantly. He was burning with contained rage. He had lost the great treasure he fought so hard for, for which he had courted both of the owner’s daughters. He had failed miserably. Knowing that Andrew would no longer be the majority shareholder of this company ignited a new hope within me. If Andrew wasn’t going to be the boss, it meant I wouldn’t have to look for another job. I could stay here continuing down my path. Even if the buyer was an external investor who wasn’t prejudiced against me, I could earn my place in their eyes by working hard. "Therefore, I decided to leave the majority of my shares in the hands of our passage to the future. Lucius, please come here," my father invited, signaling with his hand to the man who had entered the office unnoticed. The man stood next to my father. His smile, demeanor, and that name echoed in my mind. My pulse slowed, and my body temperature must have dropped to rock bottom. The new head of this company was the man I had slept with last night.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

As I had been a virgin up until recently, the embarrassment I felt from having a drinking and bed partner was still new to me. It was worth noting that I hadn't exactly planned to sleep with my new boss, and it was also worth noting that my immediate reaction was to lower my gaze to the ground and shrink into my chair. If I hid, then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't see me. "As I was saying, Lucius is in charge of operations in the real estate sector of Brown Enterprise in our country. With his experience as well as his connections around the world, we hope to spread our wings as a large majority of you have requested," my father spoke with a noticeable touch of resentment. He hadn't wanted to do this of his own free will. Now that I was reading the documents on the table, I saw that out of the 60% of net investments he owned, he had sold 50% to Lucius, 4% to Andrew, and kept the remaining 6% for himself. Somehow, Lucius Brown had given a better offer to my father and thus became our new owner. Not only that, I’d heard that surname before in the news—Brown Enterprise was a Camerian company that had bought over one of the most important gas refineries in this country. Whoever the Browns were, they were coming in hard here. In short, I had given my virginity to a stranger, slept with my new boss, and my new boss had more money than I could imagine. I was sweating in places I didn't even know I could sweat in. My hands were trembling, and I felt like I needed to go to the bathroom. "Why is that guy staring at you so much?" Andrew complained angrily in my ear. I made the mistake of looking in Lucius's direction, and my heart skipped a beat. He was watching me silently. Only me. His face was the picture of professionalism, but it was as if his eyes were smiling at me. He had seen and recognized me. I stopped looking at him, turning my head away sharply. "He’s not. Stop interrupting my document reading, sir." I acted as if I wasn't nervous. I was a terrible actress. "Pfff," my ex-fiance snorted bitterly. "It's a pleasure to have you as part of the Fairmount family. We'll make these meetings as entertaining as possible whenever you have to stop by," Owen, another old shareholder, joked. "We wouldn’t want to interfere with your other business ventures. And start full-on with the internationalization strategy we’ve planned. You should find a brief summary on this in Appendix B," George, another company director, informed. I saw Lucius smirking slightly. It seemed mocking, but I didn’t look at him much out of caution. The conflicted look on my father’s face was even stranger. I had never seen him like this. But the most shocking thing was that instead of sitting in his usual spot at the head of the table, he was sitting in the seat to the right. It was a subtle act that confused everyone. I knew most people here wanted to gossip, though they held back. Lucius rested his hands on the boardroom table. "I think there's a misunderstanding here that you still can’t see," he spoke slowly, looking at each of us, "I won’t be a distant investor in this company’s operations. I will participate actively in its operations.""How actively?" Dominic asked cautiously. "Very actively. I will assume the role of President of Fairmount Corporation," he announced, straightening up. His news sparked worried comments and confusion among the shareholders, but Lucius clearly didn’t care about being the center of controversy. As if it were a picnic, he sat in the chair that had been my father’s for years and started reading the contents of the black folder. I had wanted to run away before, but now I wanted to jump off the roof at lunchtime. Lucius’s involvement went beyond ownership. It was one thing to be the company owner, but another thing to actively take on the highest position in the company. That was the position my father formerly held. It was the position that Andrew had fought so hard for. When I looked at Andrew, he seemed to be on the verge of a heart attack at the young age of 27 years old. My father didn’t look much better either; he seemed rather worn out and tired. Not that I cared about his health or feelings—I didn’t, not at all. My father spoke to quiet the noise, "I ask for your understanding and cooperation. We all know that the company doesn’t have enough capital to expand as you wish. Our numbers haven't been great lately, and we are being devoured by our competition.""I understand it might be problematic to have a stranger like me in charge. But you must also understand that I needed to personally oversee an acquisition like this. It is a measure that might change in the future," Lucius explained. "And how will it change?" Andrew asked, not hiding his annoyance. "If I can confirm that Fairmount Corporation can sustain itself and give me the numbers I expect, I can delegate my position to whoever impresses me with their abilities," Lucius argued. "At that point, I’d move on to a new investment." Such a proposal calmed the waters in an incredible way. I saw ambition in most of them, and Andrew was no different. That boardroom had turned into a pack of lions eager to dominate the others. I continued to smell the ambition of those men for the rest of the meeting. I also kept avoiding Lucius’s gaze. It was powerful and intimidating in the daylight. I didn’t even know how the hell I had managed to go to a hotel room with him. The long three-hour meeting had finally ended. The attendees were leaving, and I was one of the first planning to leave. The good news was that Lucius didn’t address me at any point during the meeting. No one did, actually. I stood up and started picking up the documents we had discussed when— "Marianne. I want to talk to you." Hearing my name being spoken by Lucius’s voice made my poor heart falter. Also, those who remained were surprised by this interaction. No look was more curious than Andrew’s, though he followed my father out as he left. I was forced to face Lucius. I slowly turned on my heels. The sound of the door closing with the last man leaving the room resonated in me. "Tell me, Mr. Brown. Or rather, Attorney Brown. How would you like me to address you?" I said, wetting my lips nervously and standing at such a distance that it was laughable. I feared him, feared for my life.