Chapter 5

Ophelia's POV

I woke up to the stark white ceiling of a hospital as I laid in bed with a throbbing headache. How I got here, I had no idea. The last I remembered was the old man….. Mr. Andrew told me he wanted to invest in my gallery and he came on behalf of Dominic Blackwood. If my memories serve me right, Dominic Blackwood was the name of my supposed husband. I've never been more confused in my entire life as different thoughts raced through my mind.  Was Mr. Andrew really from Dominic? Or was this another one of Hudson and Anita's ploys. It didn't seem like they knew about it, because Anita was equally surprised as I was when he informed me he wanted to invest in my gallery. 

Well, if that's not the case, the question now would be, how was my supposed husband who is supposedly in a coma aware of the arrangements made between our parents? Also, how did he even know about my failing gallery? It's barely two days since all this mess.

Trying to make sense out of all this nonsense only increased the throbbing headache. The door to the hospital room opened and a nurse with a bright smile walked in.

"Hello, Miss Beaumont," she said gingerly, the smile on her lips getting wider. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I replied. "And my head hurts, what happened? Is everything okay with me?"

"You passed out from stress," she explained gently. "You just need to rest a little bit, everything is fine, you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," I said, smiling in return. I can't afford to be falling sick right now,  not when my problems are just laying around.

"Oh, there's someone here to see you," she added. "Should I let them in?"

"Yeah, sure," I sat up on the bed, waiting for whoever it was.

The nurse ushered the person in, and it turned out to be Hudson.

"What are you doing here, Hudson?"I demanded irritatedly.

"Babe, I was just checking up on you, do–"

"Babe?" I scoffed in disbelief.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" Hudson tried touching my forehead but I slapped his hand away.

""I know you don't care what happens to me," I said, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. My heart aches, knowing that all this was just an act, and he doesn't actually mean a word he says. "Why are you really here?"

"Ophelia–"

"Stop it Hudson, please," I said pleadingly. "You've hurt me enough, just stop it, and tell me why you're really here."

"Fine," Hudson said, and his mask came off. "Who was the man that came to your gallery today?"

I scoffed, and shook my head slowly "I see your little bitch Anita came running her mouth."

"Don't call her that," Hudson flared.

"Or what?" I retorted.

Hudson sighed. "Just tell me who that man is?"

"You have no business with what happens in my gallery," I told him firmly.

"I've always known you're a slut," Hudson said, his eyes darkening. "You're sleeping with old rich men for money now? How low can you get?"

"How dare you accuse me of that?!" I yelled, feeling my blood boil. "You have no right to judge me after everything you've done!"

"Oh, please," Hudson scoffed. "You're just a desperate pathetic woman who'll do anything for money. Even if it means wiggling her ass for a man old enough to be her grandfather!"

"Look who's talking?" I retorted. "I'm desperate?" I asked with furrowed brows. "You're the epitome of desperation, Hudson. You don't get to call me desperate," I spat. "You literally used me to climb to the top, and then tossed me aside like some piece of garbage!"

"You're feeling high and mighty simply because some old man is funding you now huh?" Hudson snarled. "Well, you're nothing, you've always been, and always will be!" He spat, glaring at me.

"And yet, here you are, desperate to know who came to my gallery," I glared back in return, not allowing him to intimidate me. "If I'm nothing like you claim, why are you so interested in what happens in my life?"

Hudson clenched his teeth. "You think you're better than me, huh?"

"At least I have integrity, which is more than I can say for you!" I lashed out.

"You were always a delusional fool," Hudson insulted. "And that's the reason your family is in this mess."

"Get out Hudson!" I growled, blood boiling in my veins as he brought up my family financial situation. It also triggered the fact that I'll be married off to some comatose man I didn't even know. "I never want to see your face. Go to hell!"

"You first!" Hudson sneered, and stormed out of the room.

As soon as Hudson left, a gut wrenching sob tore through my chest, and with shaky hands I covered my face, and sobbed, as the tears poured out my eyes like a river escaping a dam.

The door to the room opened and from the corner of my eyes, I saw a man's shoe.

"Get outHudson!" I yelled, grabbing the vase on the table beside my bed, and hurling it at the door.

Raising my head up, as the vas crashed on his feet, I saw that it wasn't Hudson, but Dominic Blackwood, who was supposed to be in bed, standing on his two feet,  and looking every bit as healthy as anyone. 

Dominic smiled amusedly as he stared at me with furrowed brows.

"Well, Miss, given that you can throw a vase with such vigour, you must be on the mend," he said, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Let’s discuss our CONTRACT marriage, shall we?"