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Last Updated:
2024-01-27 09:20:10
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A Marriage of Convenience Old friend
“It’s been a long time,” Shawn’s lips pulled into a warm smile before his brows knitted in confusion, “Are you okay? I saw the woman they wheeled to the ambulance. She seemed dazed, but fine.” Shawn was my brother’s best friend and the man I swore I was going to marry up until I met James. He’s been a part of my life since we were both in the first grade. My childhood crush turned into a full-on obsession when we were teenagers. He was the center of every dream I had ever created. But no matter how much I planned for him to be a part of my future, to him, I was simply his best friend's little sister. My lips quivered as the last few hours replayed in my mind. “Rosie,” Shawn placed his hands against the bare skin on my upper arms, “What’s going on?” I haven’t seen Shawn in years, but somehow, he still knows me. The way my nickname rolls off his lips takes me back to a time when things were so much simpler. Shaking my head, I forced a smile, “It’s just been a rough day,”
Last Updated : 2024-02-03A Marriage of Convenience Nothing to celebrate
“Can we not tell my mother and father about this? Not yet at least,” I held the papers in my shaky hands. My father would never approve of what I was doing. When James and I announced that we would be getting married, my father was elated. My mother even more so. Their status in the world was always a top priority. They wanted Chris and I to be in the spotlight. We were the product of American royalty and old money. Red Pharmaceutical was passed down from my grandfather to my father, and his father before him. My mother was your typical housewife. Status and appearance were everything. She wanted me to follow in her footsteps, being a housewife to James before having a couple of his children. The future heirs to a fortune. A Red and a Wood creating a family would be the talk of the century. But much to her dismay, James didn’t want children. At least not with me. “Of course. It’s not my place to tell, Rosie,” Shawn distracted me from my thoughts, “Are you sure about this
Last Updated : 2024-02-04A Marriage of Convenience Inferno(James POV)
The hospital had cleared Marina to come home, but I was torn. Rosa had heard me say that I would divorce her. The look in her eyes will haunt me forever. Once she’d stitched up her wound and it had stopped bleeding, I’d slowly been able to pull myself from whatever trance she’d had me wrapped in. Marina was my mate. Not only that, but she was the last remaining link to my past life. And the key to my future. I couldn’t explain why Onyx had awoken at the scent of Rosa’s blood. I couldn’t make sense of any of it. “Fuck,” I growled, slamming my fist against my desk. I don’t beg for anything. I’m James fucking Wood. I don’t need to beg. But today, I was reduced to a blubbering mess trying to hold onto a marriage that I never even wanted. Marina hasn’t spoken to me since we’ve been home. She heard me beg Rosa to stay. She heard the desperation in my voice, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t explain to her something that I didn’t even understand myself. Surely Ros
Last Updated : 2024-02-06A Marriage of Convenience Lawyer
My eyelashes tickled the tops of my cheekbones as I tried to open my eyes, but the sunlight streaming in from the windows had me snapping them shut instantly. Reaching up, I massaged my temples, feeling a steady throbbing behind my eyes. Rolling to my right, I rolled right off the bed, groaning as I hit plush carpet. Carpet? My eyes shot open as I glanced around the room. This isn’t my room. Or even in my house. The door swung open, and Shawn sleepily stumbled inside, “Did you fall?” Oh, God... No. No. Nooooo. I drank too much last night and the last thing I remember was getting into Shawn’s car. He must have seen the panic in my eyes because he shook his head, “This is my hotel room. I slept out on the couch,” he massaged the back of his neck, offering me a smile. I breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m so sorry,” I started, but he cut me off, “Don’t be sorry. You can use my bed any time you need it,” he winked, “Want some coffee?” “Please,” I pushed myself up from the flo
Last Updated : 2024-02-07A Marriage of Convenience Goodbye
I calmly walked around the side of the table, taking a seat and waiting for James to do the same, but he remained standing. His posture was rigid, and each breath came out as if he was forcing himself to remember to breathe. “Why are you wearing his clothes, Rosa?” James finally turned around, glancing down at my attire. “Are we really going to discuss the clothing that I am wearing?” “You are wearing another man’s clothing,” he spat, “That’s where we are going to start.” “It’s been three years and you’ve not bothered to pay me attention until I’m wearing another man’s clothing. Do you realize how awful that is?” “You are my wife!” James growled, throwing his arms in the air. “And you are in love with another woman,” I whispered, feeling the tears that I’d been successfully keeping at bay sting my eyes. “You don’t understand,” he whispered, running his fingers through his hair. “Then tell me, James. Explain it to me so that I can understand.” He walked over to the edge of
Last Updated : 2024-02-08A Marriage of Convenience A favor
“Dr. Wood, there is another delivery in your office,” Sandra, one of my nurses wagged her brows. It’s been three days since I’d given James back his ring. I’ve not dared go back to the house. I can’t fathom the thought of seeing James or Marina. Not yet at least. After the meeting, Shawn drove me to my condo in the city. My mother and father protested when I’d put my foot down about keeping it after James and I got married, but I’m thankful I refused now. It was my home before I shared one with James. Everything was a bit dusty, but otherwise, it felt peaceful. The entire first night I spent crying and shoveling ice cream into my face. I’d held my tears so much over the last three years, that I cried for hours. I feel as if I’m mourning a loss. It’s tragic knowing that no matter how hard you tried, it was never going to be good enough. When I entered my marriage with James, I had hope. So much of it. I studied him from the shadows. Learned everything that I could learn. I
Last Updated : 2024-02-09A Marriage of Convenience "Home"
Falling backwards onto my bed, I groan. My closet at my condo was still stocked full of clothing, but nothing that would fit my mother’s idea of ‘prestigious’. Everything that I owned that would still fit my body was in the closet back at James and I’s home. That was if Marina hadn’t gone in there and shredded everything I own already. There wasn’t a proper amount of time to go shopping to find something, which meant I had to go home. The last thing that I wanted to do was face Marina before I whisked James away for another evening of pretending, though I was shocked to my core when he’d readily agreed to join me at this dinner party. I don’t understand him or his new desire to remain married to me. He still won’t tell me anything. I feel like I’m a stranger in my own marriage. Everything I’ve learned about James has been from watching, not because he’s willingly given me an ‘in’ to his life. After getting ready, I ordered an Uber from my phone, missing my access to Mr. Gre
Last Updated : 2024-02-12A Marriage of Convenience Act like a Red
“What is this dinner party for again?” James leaned down, whispering in my ear as photos were snapped of us climbing out of the car. Mr. Green stood tall, shielding us with his body, despite James being almost a head taller. “Shawn is stepping in for my father as CEO while he and my mother travel the world,” I faked a smile, pretending we were a couple in love. James’ mood shifted and his grip on my arm tightened, “What does a football player have to offer a pharmaceutical company?” The words left his lips with a snarl. James and Shawn didn’t know each other, which meant after our meeting with the lawyer, he researched who Shawn was. “He’s also a business major,” I smiled. Shawn deserved this as much as anyone, “He’s been a part of our family for as long as I can remember. My father couldn’t have picked someone better.” James made a sour face as we walked through the doors of my parents' mansion. Bodies filled the large space, and the sound of chatter surrounded us. Soft mu
Last Updated : 2024-02-14
Latest chapter
A Marriage of Convenience Feel something
“You have to be kidding me,” Chris groans at Shawn, his face twisting with annoyance. Flour clings to almost every surface, and the kitchen is going to need a deep clean, but this is the most fun I’ve had in months. It’s my life by Bon Jovi blares from the small radio set up on the countertop. “What?” Shawn shimmies his shoulders. “This is a classic, sir. You not enjoying it is just a sign of your bad taste.”“My tastes are modernly defined,” he narrows his eyes.“That’s just a fancy way of saying they’re crap.”“Says you,” he waggles a finger in my direction. A bowl of brownie batter is wrapped in my arms, but Shawn snags it away, sitting it atop the counter before lacing his fingers with mine. Our arms moved back and forth, palms attached, and I felt my lips pull into the first real smile since we’ve been here. “It’s my LIFFFFEEEE,” Shawn sang off key, “It’s now or never.”“I AIN’T GONNA LIVE FOREVER.”“I just wanna live while I’m alive,” Shawn spins me in a circle, tipping me
A Marriage of Convenience Six weeks later
We’ve been here for six weeks. Six weeks I’ve spent staring at the walls of this cabin expecting the boogeyman with shimmering green eyes to pop out at any moment.Once the shock of being flown here wore off, fear settled beneath my skin like a poisonous snake. I plastered a smile on my face for Chris and Shawn, but the days have been long, and the nights… even longer.I’ve learned the sounds of the forest surrounding us. The calls from the birds that chirp from the trees and the geese on the lake. Some days, the wind pushes the water against the shoreline, the sound of crashing startling me.I hate what I’ve become. It’s sickening to think that once upon a time, I was just a girl with the ambitious thought that she could convince her husband to love her.Now I’m afraid of my own shadow.“Rosa-lindddd,” Chris singsongs my real name, and I ignore him.Rosalind was dead. I was Rose now.I hated both versions of myself.The hopeful one that was naïve enough to believe in fairytales, and
A Marriage of Convenience Prove that I'm not broken
I’ve been sitting on the large, four post bed that sits in one of two rooms for over an hour. Dante really wasn’t kidding when he said that Shawn… Shay and I would have to pretend to be married. I haven’t told him of our complicated past, but it’s clear that he’s intuitive enough to see that we’re comfortable with one another. That or he knows deep down that Shawn has always held a piece of my heart. Either way, this feels too soon, and my chest aches as I sit here, staring at the floorboards. A soft knock at the door startles me, “Come in.” My voice is barely above a whisper. Shawn peeks through the crack, “Can we talk?”I nodded, scooting over towards the headboard to give his large frame space to sit. The bed dipped as he took a seat beside me, close enough for our knees to brush. I feel his eyes on me, studying me before he sighs softly, “I don’t know what to say right now,” he whispers with a shrug, “How are you holding up?” “If I’m being honest, I don’t know what to tell y
A Marriage of Convenience You took everything from me
“I have to say,” Chris spins around, eye wide with excitement, “I could get used to this. Do you see that fucking view?”This place was like a miniature paradise. The air smelled fresh, like the scent of a frigid breeze during the first snowfall. A serene lake sat in front of a picturesque log cabin. Smoke billowed from the chimney, and mountains stretched across the entire horizon, painting a scene that was nothing short of extraordinary.“It’s a bit colder than I’m used to,” Shawn’s words left his lips on a puff of air. “But Dante has taste. This place feels like its own little paradise.”The three of us headed inside, and I gasped at the warmth in the cabin. The scent of pine and cedar swirled around with a hint of smoke. Everything was bathed in warmth. Stained wood decorated the walls, and deep colors accented the feel of the space.“It’s homey,” Chris glances around, his brows knitted, “Kind of expected something more modern.”“It’s a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” Shawn mutte
A Marriage of Convenience Blurred lines
“Chris,” I whisper, approaching him on the small aircraft carrying us to the unknown location. “Can we talk?”There is a long silence before he finally pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, his bloodshot eyes boring into mine, “Sure.”His tone is short and unlike him, but I don’t blame him. Once the relief of finding us alive dissipated, he was left with anger, and despite his normal use of drugs or alcohol to make him forget, I imagine it’s not quite that easy when it comes to Shawn and me.“Before you start,” he whispers, “I want you to know that I’m not interested in excuses. I’m not interested in half truths. I’m on a fucking shoebox of an airplane headed to bumfuck nowhere, and I don’t even understand why.”“Of course,” my voice cracks, “There is no reason to hide anything from you anymore,” I shake my head, “There was never any reason to hide anything from you. I don’t have a good reason for keeping you out of the loop… I guess I just didn’t understand what was going on
A Marriage of Convenience Victim
“Why does this feel like we’re going into the witness protection program?” Chris groans, his sunglasses balancing on the tip of his nose. I know he’s only got them on to hide the fact that he was drunk last night, but I don’t comment on it.Part of me wishes I had been drunk last night instead of silently sobbing to myself curled in an armchair next to Shawn’s bed.“That’s precisely what this is,” Dante mutters, “It’s just a bit more under the radar than your typical witness protection. Instead of the government, you get me.”“Yay,” Chris mumbles, dropping his head back against the headrest.Guilt eats away at the remnants of my soul, and each day that passes leaves me feeling hollower than the one before it.The windows of the vehicle Dante drives have been blacked out to the point that you can’t see a thing inside of the car, and there is very little visibility from the inside.“Where in the hell are we going to go that no one is going to recognize two millionaires and a famous foot
A Marriage of Convenience How it was always supposed to be
“Still no word on where they’re at?”I’ve spent the last four days in the hospital, unwilling to leave Shawn’s side while he recovered. They tried to send me home, but I refused. Shawn is in this mess because of me, and I’ll be damned if James or Marina somehow finds their way back to him.Dante pinches the bridge of his nose. He comes by every day, and I see the guilt swimming in his eyes. “I told you he was smart. I’ve not been able to track him through his accounts. Money has been moved from investments, but they’ve got to be using an alias that I’m not aware of.”He frowns, “I’m sorry I don’t have more to go on. Like I said, James is smart. He planned this all out right under our noses and didn’t leave a crumb behind that he didn’t want left behind.”I mull over Dante’s words, my mind scattering in so many directions, my head begins to ache. Dante had said James intentionally bought that warehouse under his main bank account because he knew it was trackable, but why would he do th
A Marriage of Convenience Disappeared
My eyes widen as a gasp leaves my lips. The air around us feels instantly stale, and my heart jackhammers in my chest.Neither of us utter a word, unknowing if the voices we hear are there to help. Honestly, in my current state, I’m unconvinced that they’re even real.“Rosa,” Joanne voice breaks through the heavy shuffling of footsteps, and I find the strength to stand, untangling myself from Shawn’s arms.“Oh my goodness,” our eyes meet and hers widen when she takes in mine and Shawn’s appearance. “What has he done?”Her voice is barely above a whisper, but I see the horror reflecting in her normally warm eyes.“I found them,” she shouts, still standing rooted to her spot. Moments later, police and paramedics rush towards us and a few moments after that, Dante and Chris on an ATV.“Rosie,” Chris jumps out of his seat while the vehicle is still moving. He stumbles as he runs towards me. His eyes are a mixture of pain and relief, “Fucking hell, Rosie. You’re alive. You’re both alive.”
A Marriage of Convenience Everything hurts and I'm dying
Shawn and I ran as fast as our battered bodies could carry us. Pain sears through my body and my muscles scream in protest.I saw a workout shirt once that said ‘Everything hurts and I’m dying’. How fitting would that be to have on at this very moment?“Shawn,” I hiss through my teeth, feeling darkness shroud my vision. “I don’t know how much further I’ll make it.”“You don’t have another choice, Rosie,” he grits out, “We have to make it out of here.”My lungs ache with every breath. It feels as if I’ve inhaled tiny shards of glass, and each breath sends them further through the surface of the organs that aid my breathing.Is this how I’m going to go?Shawn falls back, scooping me into his arms.“Shawn,” I gasp, trying and failing to fight him, “You won’t make it anywhere carrying me.”“If you haven’t realized this yet,” he growls through his pain, “We’re getting out of here together. You should really stop making me say it.”The sound of paws slamming against the Earth sends my brain
