1 Announcement

Today is my big day. The day that I have dreamt about since my childhood.

We are going to announce our engagement to the world, me and Parker. My greatest friend and well-wisher.

The most popular guy in the school is now my soon-to-be husband. I bet nobody would believe it if it was eight years ago.

The uninterrupted work for several days made me a little haggard. I looked at myself in the mirror and touched up my face. I want myself to look perfectly matched with Parker. Whenever I was with him I still felt like the chubby teen girl. There is enough time for that I should get some work done till then.

I was dismayingly checking the stock sheets when I saw Parker's call. I picked it up immediately.

"Hello Meredith", said Parker.

"Hi", I said straightening the papers before me.

"Are you excited to announce it to the world yet?", asked Parker.

"I'm and I hope our parents are happy too", I said with a half smile.

"Trust me they are very much happy for us. They already love you. I will pick you up and we will drive to the press meeting together", said Parker.

"Sure", I said to him. He ended the call soon since he had a business meeting. I was still checking up on the stock sheet when I heard a knock.

"Come in", I said loudly.

"Are you busy boss?", asks Lisa poking her head in.

"Not at the moment", I said with a chuckle. I was one of those lucky women who got her best friend as an assistant.

"Good because we have a crisis at the moment", she said entering and closing the door after her.

"What kind of a crisis?", I asked with a frown.

"A very bad one. But that is not important your father wants to meet you right away. He is waiting for you in his office", said she.

"What happened?", I asked worriedly. I knew something was up. Lisa was looking nervous and nothing fazed her.

Before she could say anything the door was opened and my father stormed inside.

"What the hell are you doing here Meredith? I asked you to meet me in the office", boomed my father.

"I'm sorry Dad. I was dealing with some work", I said to him. I didn't want him to shout at Lisa for not informing me earlier.

"Did Parker contact you today?", asked my father. I saw a flash of fear in his eyes when he said Parker’s name as if he was afraid that Parker knew about something.

"No, but he will pick me up soon for the press meeting", I said to him. I didn’t know why Dad was acting like this. He was very satisfied with our engagement, after all, Parker’s family business would do a lot of good to our company and that was all he cared about money.

"We can't let him know about anything", mumbled my father.

"I don't understand what are you saying Father?", I asked him with a frown.

"I got a call from him. He is back", said my father harshly.

"Who?", I asked him surprised. I have never seen my father this much distraught. Something must have happened though I have no idea what.

"Mathew Farrell", he said as though he was disgusted to announce the name. I felt a cold shiver run through my veins. So many years had passed after the last time I saw him. What did he want now? The memories started to flood my brain both good and bad. I thought after I survived nothing could break me but I was wrong. Only Matt's name was sufficient to bring me back to the place where I was five years ago.

"What does he want from me now?", I asked in a voice that was so low that I was surprised my father heard it.

"It is not what he wants but what we want from him", grumbled my father.

"Did you meet him?", I asked bewildered.

I knew the Matt I knew probably didn't exist anymore. He was now a billionaire with a fortune ten times more than us. I saw once my father mocked him for being poor. But now he had enough fortune to bury us. I hope he is not back to seek revenge on my father for insulting him before.

"Why did you marry that son of a bitch?", seethed my father.

"Father, can you please be quiet? I don't want anyone to know about my past", I said quietly. It was a long time ago that I was surprised, my father even mentioned it.

Even though my father hated Matt for being poor it had never affected me it only fuelled my love for him. My first marriage was a huge mistake and that’s it. He was my past and Parker was my future. I didn't want to compromise that. I had moved on from those dark days with great difficulty. I didn't want to feel everything all over again. I don't want to be left behind like a broken china doll by Matt again.

"What past are you talking about? He is not your past. You are still married to him", spat my father. I felt the earth move from under me. I couldn't hear anything after my father uttered those words.

I was still married to Matt? He was my husband? What happened to the divorce that happened a year ago? I took control of myself. I can't break down.

"Father you are mistaken. I signed the papers", I tried to say.

"The lawyer we found wasn't a real one. He never filed the fucking papers in court. Matt called me gleefully to inform me of this. If only you thought a second before crawling into bed with that street rat ", roared my father.

"Somethings never change. You still treat your daughter like a slave Sebastian", said a calm voice that used to to haunt me. I held my knuckles tight the nails bit into my soft under palm.

"How the heck you got into our building?", bellowed my father.

"Keep your voice down I'm not your daughter old man", said he again not bothering to raise his voice to match my father. I refused to look at the man who had caused chaos in my life and was still doing the same.

"Hello Meredith", said Matt calling my attention in a way that I couldn't ignore any further. That was the first time I heard any emotion from him. It was cold and tight with hidden anger.

"Hello Matt", I said slowly raising my head to meet his coal-black eyes.

He looked more handsome. He still had the same wild hair and midnight-black eyes. His brown skin shined through the suit. His tanned chiseled body was carefully tucked away in an expensive suit. He wore clothes better than my father. But he still hadn't raised in his eyes which was undoubtedly because of his origin. My father would never see Parker and Matt with the same eyes even when Matt was richer than Parker. According to him, good money is old money. Though he would never admit it I sense prejudice and racism whenever he mentions Matt.

"I heard about your secret engagement with Reynolds. I don't think polygamy is allowed in the United States of America", he said with a smirk.

"That marriage was a mistake of my daughter. She regrets it to this day. ", My father was still shaking as he said those words.

"I know she regrets being married to a penniless man. But now I'm not that guy anymore so I'm sure she wouldn't mind the marriage", he said amused. I listened to their banter silently. I don't think my voice will fit between two huge male egos.

"You trapped a naive girl with no brain", said my father. Matt looked at my father with a bored face and instead of backing down, he went on to attack him further.

"Her choice to leave you was the only good thing she had ever done in her life", seethed my father.

"I know you want to break my heart old man but unfortunately for you, I don't have one", he said with a dark laugh. I watched him carefully I couldn't believe that for a second. He was certainly not the Matt I knew.

It seems he has changed a lot, time has changed us both.

"What do you want Matt?", asked me weakly.

"I want a divorce so that we can move on from this hell of a marriage", said he Jaws tightening as he said those words.

"Ok. We will do a quiet divorce then without involving anybody", I said quietly.

"I agree", he said. His tone was clipped.

"Ok. I will mail the divorce papers after I get hold of them", I said to him.

"No. I will do it. You messed up the last time. I don't want to find out my wife is getting married for the third time to another while being married to me after a few years", he said with a chuckle.

"I have some work to do Mat. I think we are done", I said my voice sharp.

"There is one more thing I'm hosting the annual Sundance this time. You should come and see Sebastian how a street rat like me makes that happen", he said with a smirk.

"You may have money but you will never have any class. One must be born into it", said my father.

"I didn't have any class or money yet your daughter slept with me", he said.

My father could have broken a tooth from grinding them too much. I knew I must interrupt this.

"Goodbye Matt", I said quickly.

"Goodbye princess", he said staring at me. He used to call me that before and I blushed like a schoolgirl. My face got angry this time. Some things never change. He went outside and then left me to deal with my father.

"He thinks of himself as God. He is just an idiot with lots of money. He could never stop me from attending a function that I attended even before he was born", said my father irritated.

"Why do you want to go there, Father? He will only insult us", said I desperately.

"I have to save the business and Sundance is the only way", said my father gravely.

I wanted to tell him that attending parties and Socialising is not the way to save our business. He had refused to meet our creditors even though they requested a meeting many times. But I stayed silent since my father would never listen to me.

"You must come with me as well Meredith," said my father.

"Why should I go father?", I asked baffled.

"To help me of course What if they ask some important questions and I'm unable to answer", said my father

Even though my father claims that he loved the company he never tried to understand what went wrong. He reads out the presentation I prepare and fires other people for his fault. I knew he would make me go no matter how hard I tried to escape.

"Lisa can help father you can take her", I said.

"Lisa is only an employee and you are my daughter. Take some responsibility for fuck's sake Meredith", said my father. I only sighed in response.

"What about Parker will he be attending?", asked my father a little bothered.

"I don't think so. He has a meeting with one supplier on the same day", I told him.

"Good", said my father relieved that he didn't have to manage both Parker and Matt.

"I have to call Parker and say that I can't do the press meet", I told my father.

"What do you mean?", asked my father agape.

"I can't do it while being married to another person", I said slowly.

"I can't believe it", I heard a voice and I was shocked to realise that it was Parker. I whipped my head to find him standing at the door. I saw my father's eyes going wild realising that his dreams of securing Parker the heir of Reynold Enterprises going down the drain. I didn't know what to say to the guy who supported me during my worst time. I knew I should apologise for what I did to him. Even if it was done unknowingly it was a mistake, a big mistake. The one I was still paying for.