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Chapter 21 ~ A Costly Deception
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2024-10-30 06:19:43Related chapters
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 22 ~ The Raged Mary
~~~~Clara, still standing at the doorway with her shopping bags, chuckled to herself like she’d just won a marathon, completely unaware of the chaos inside me. Meanwhile, I sat on the floor, staring blankly at her, my mind numb and heart heavy.“Wow! What happened here? Did we get robbed?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips, as if it were a joke.I kept staring at her, my gaze fixed on those bags—my stolen money. I struggled to push myself up, my legs shaking beneath me. As I approached her, tears silently streamed down my face.“Clara,” my voice trembled, barely above a whisper, “where did you go, and what are you holding?”Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting to see me there. “Oh shit! Damn, Mary, you scared the hell out of me!” she laughed nervously. “Why are you back already? I thought you were at work,” she stammered, her voice laced with poorly concealed guilt.She was pretending not to know I was in. Fine. Play it cool, Mary. I forced myself to keep my voice steady. “Ye
Last Updated : 2024-11-01Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 23 ~ The Deal
~~~~~Turning to me with rage, he demanded, “What did you just say to me?” His eyes darkened as he gripped my neck harder. “I think it’s best I kill you now, since you clearly don’t know your place. And just so you know, I don’t feel bad fucking a corpse,” he sneered, pressing both hands down on my throat.“Great, because I won’t feel bad killing you either,” I hissed, glaring at him. Summoning the last of my strength, I kicked him hard in the groin. He winced in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to breathe. Desperate, I reached for the hand mirror on the nearby cabinet.Without hesitation, I smashed it into his face. He staggered, trying to regain his balance, but as he lunged at me, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed a shard of the broken mirror and drove it into his hand, the jagged edges sinking deep. He screamed and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding hand.I stood over him, panting and trembling as I forced ragged breaths through my nose. Seeing her boyfriend dow
Last Updated : 2024-11-02Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 24 ~ Eric Black
~~~~The Black Multiple Enterprise, New York“THEY’RE CALLING YOU a wealthy, ruthless bastard, sir.” Carol said as she scanned the article in the business magazine. “You must be happy.”Eric Black looked at his secretary but didn’t speak. Eventually she glanced up and smiled. “You like being called a ruthless bastard, one that is wealthy too.” She reminded him.“I like respect.” He corrected.“Or fear.”He nodded. “Fear works.”Carol dropped the open magazine on his desk. “Don’t you ever want someone to think you’re nice?” she asked.“No.”Being the nice guy meant nothing in his world. He didn’t see the need for it. As the firstborn of the third-generation conglomerate family of the Harry Blacks, no matter what path he took, people would still stick to him, whether out of fear or ambition. Connections and power were handed to him like an inheritance, and in his mind, niceties were just another form of manipu
Last Updated : 2024-11-03Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 25 ~ Cloaked Path
~~~~~While Ms. Nora Black spoke sharply into the phone, documents clutched in one hand, I found myself silently admiring the clean streets outside. For some reason, we had switched cars, and now she was sitting next to me in the backseat while a different driver took the wheel.As we moved from the quiet lane onto the bustling highway, Ms. Black finally looked up, a practiced smile slipping into place. "Oh! Sorry about that, just had to make a few calls," she said smoothly."It’s fine," I replied."We have a lot of ground to cover—starting with the hair salon, then makeup, and shopping. We’ve got our work cut out for us."I blinked, glancing at her styled hair. It looked perfectly fine to me. "Your hair seems fine, ma’am. Why do you need to go to the salon?"She gave me a stunned look, as if I had spoken an alien language. "I was talking about you, dumb girl," she said, her tone slicing through the air."Oh." I forced a smile, ignoring the insult. "But my hair looks fine.""To whom?"
Last Updated : 2024-11-04Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 26 ~ Dance of Lies: Faithless Encounter
~~~~~As the plane touched down in Austria, I could barely keep my legs steady from the nerves. Mrs. Black glanced over and sighed, "No need to look like someone about to face the firing squad, Mary. The marriage won’t happen right away. You still need to meet my son and discuss a few things. So, try to look a bit more alive."Easy for you to say, I thought, but managed a strained smile. "O...kay," I replied. "So, where are we heading now?""To the Black Estate. My son is expecting us there," she said, signaling to someone nearby. Almost instantly, a pristine white SUV pulled up in front of us.I mumbled to myself, “Wow, it must be nice to have this kind of money.”Mrs. Black turned with a curious look. “What was that?”"Nothing," I quickly replied, smiling.“Good. Now, get in the car.” She climbed inside, and I followed, bracing myself as we drove off.To be honest, from the airport to the Black Estate, I kept asking myself why on earth I agreed to this kind of arrangement. For the f
Last Updated : 2024-11-07Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 27 ~ The Wedding Arrangement
~~~~Eric sighed in frustration as he glanced at his reflection, the veins in his neck visibly pulsing.He felt an overwhelming urge to strangle the person responsible for his current predicament. "What on earth is 'virginal hair'? This is absurd." Despite his intense anger, he had no choice but to endure the situation; everything had already been set in motion, and canceling now would be a tremendous hassle.***Alone in the spacious sitting room, I couldn't contain my laughter. It was an uncontrollable fit, one I hadn’t experienced before. The expression on Eric Black's face was absolutely priceless.I continued laughing until Mrs. Nora entered, holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. I quickly stifled my laughter, not wanting her to suspect anything. She settled down beside me, and I smiled, extending my hand to receive the coffee. However, the look she gave me made me retract my hand.After a moment, she sipped her coffee and asked, “What did my son say?”“Oh, nothing much.
Last Updated : 2024-11-10Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 28 ~ Pre - Wedding Jitter
~~~~~It was finally the long-awaited wedding day, and I couldn’t shake the nerves gripping my stomach. It had been two weeks since I last contacted my family, and that weighed heavily on my heart.As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I thought, “This is supposed to be the happiest moment of a woman’s life, but because of this situation, it’s the worst for me.” Who would have imagined that my first wedding would turn out to be a sham? If my parents found out about the path I had chosen, they would be furious and might even disown me.No matter the circumstances, I couldn’t bring myself to explain my choices to them. It would devastate them. My family was devoutly religious, adhering to a strict moral code. They would never compromise their principles, even if it meant their own destruction.So, to preserve my family’s happiness and unity, I had to keep this part of my life a secret. Once the six months were over, I planned to leave it all behind.Yet, despite my resolve to keep
Last Updated : 2024-11-16Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 29 ~ The Breaking Point
~~~~~Eric Black woke that morning seething with frustration, his irritation only fueled by his mother’s constant involvement. Though his family had arranged this marriage, he was far from thrilled.The woman he truly wanted to share his vows with had turned him down, not for his affections but because of underlying reasons he couldn’t change. How could he have known that, had he made his intentions clear earlier, she might have accepted him? But he’d waited too long, leaving her to wrestle with her commitment issues on her own.Everyone in his family knew about his love for Diana, and he was determined to make her his—truly his, in front of the world, not just in whispered words or stolen moments. But to get there, he’d have to endure this ordeal.Fully dressed, Eric paused outside the room where his so-called “bride” waited. The anger bubbled within him, just thinking about marrying someone who wasn’t the
Last Updated : 2024-11-17
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Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 41 - Continuation
Continuations ~~~~~Eric regathered me for a second before replying. “Hmmm, no, not really; I just wanted to get that off my chest. To get this right, I want us to start all over.”“What? You want us to get married again?” I asked, shocked.“What? No, that’s not what I meant,” he replied hastily.“Good, because there’s no way I could go through that again,” I said, shivering at the thought. “Woooo, nope, never. I don’t even want to think about it.”“Pffffffff, oh come on, it wasn’t that bad,” he said, clearly enjoying my outburst.“Are you kidding me? It was more than bad. It was a total nightmare for me!” I finished, staring at him. For some reason, he had a weird look on his face. "Anyways, it’s getting late, and I need to move,” I said, starting to get up. But then he suddenly gripped my hands.“You don&rsqu
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 41 ~ A New Deal
~~~~Eric froze in place, staring down at the woman beneath him. This was the first time since their wedding that he was really seeing her up close. Her plush lips—he had never noticed just how enticing they looked until now. Damn, he felt an undeniable pull toward them.He could feel her heart racing against his chest, its rapid tempo echoing in his ears. She was warm and vibrantly alive. He raised his eyes to her face, noting the shocked expression carved there.Was she scared? Excited? He couldn't quite tell, but the way her heart pounded made it clear she sensed what was about to happen.Just then, Mrs. Lola's voice broke through from outside the library. Eric felt a wave of relief wash over him, grateful for the distraction because if he hadn’t been interrupted, he might have done something impulsive. But before he could respond to her—“Yes… for Pete’s sake, just come in, will you?” Mary yelled, her
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 40 ~ Butterflies
~~~~The next morning, I woke up with a resolve fit for a nation. Now that Eric wanted to cut the whole thing off, it was time for me to move out. With the money in my account, I could do a lot, but I needed to disappear before James came for me.Ignoring Mrs. Lola, who stared at me with a mix of concern and curiosity, I stormed off, brushing aside her offer of help. “I can take care of my own things,” I murmured to myself, the determination surging within me.“No doubt you can.” A male voice resounded from the corridor.Turning, I found Eric standing there, his glorious morning cuteness disarming even in my fury. “Morning,” I managed to say, forcing myself to focus on packing.“Morning,” he replied, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Are you going somewhere?”I shot him a glare. “What do you mean, ‘if I’m going somewhere? We were supposed to be in New York
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 39 - A Turn of Event
~~~~Nora Black collapsed to the floor, wine spilling everywhere as she struggled to process what she’d just witnessed. She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. “What… did… I just…?” she murmured, glancing around the empty room. She slapped her own cheek lightly, wondering if this was real or some drunken hallucination.After drinking herself into a stupor, Nora had braced herself for the brutal truths she expected Mary—and the press—to expose. But what she heard instead shocked her to the core.“No. My marriage into the Black family is not a scam.” Mary had declared live.At first, she couldn’t believe it. She leaned in closer to the TV, turning up the volume just to make sure she hadn’t misheard. This was indeed a live broadcast, and the world was watching Mary’s violent stand against that redheaded journalist, Rachel Berry.Her fearlessness and poise left Nora stunned, almost instantly sobering her up as her phone began to buzz nonstop.Call after call, reporters from all over w
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 38 ~ Continuation
Continuation...There’s no way I’m letting someone like her bring me down. I smiled at her—but it wasn’t the kind of smile that warms hearts. Not by a long, short.“I’ve heard stories about you—the journalist who stops at nothing for a scoop. Once you latch onto a story, you hold on tight. I have to admit, I respect your commitment, but I can’t stand people like you who take pleasure in tearing others down.” I scanned the room, the cameras still focused on me. “You’re meant to bring truth and life into focus, not to shatter families or lives. Your constant invasion of privacy has devastated countless lives, leaving them unable to recover. Actors can’t truly be themselves; they can’t love freely or chase their dreams because they live in fear of what you’ll publish about them.” I snapped. “All for a damn paycheck. Maybe I should grab a camera myself, thanks to m
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 38 ~ Checkmate in Red
~~~~But the media wasn’t the only one on edge; Eric and Nora Black were perched on the edge of their seats as they each watched the big screen from their respective homes. They knew that if the world were to find out about what they had done, it would spell disaster for their family for generations to come.The moment the press asked Mary about her marriage to the Blacks, Nora felt her heart leap into her throat. “No… I can’t watch this,” she said, pushing herself up from her seat. “Or I’ll die of a heart attack. I can’t believe I trusted her enough to choose her. I thought she was different. How could she do this to me?” she cursed. “I’m going to ruin her,” she swore, storming over to the bar. Pouring herself a drink—one that was high in alcohol—she muttered, “If this whole thing doesn’t kill me, I hope this wine does,” before downing the entire bottle.In Ca
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 37 ~ The Spinning Wheels
~~~~~I laughed, relishing the sound of his anger on the other end. “Woo, brother, calm down. No need to shout,” James said, his voice taunting. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I didn’t kidnap or drag her as you’re thinking—she came with me of her own free will.”A long silence stretched from the other end. “Nonsense… My wife would never—” Eric’s voice started, but James cut him off.“Wife?” James laughed the sound sharp and mocking. “Please. You and I both know she’s not really your wife. She admitted it to me, and now, soon enough, the whole world will know.”Another silence, but this time there was a tension in it. Eric’s voice, wary, asked, “What are you talking about, James? What do you mean the whole world will know?”Bastard, I cursed inwardly as I yanked the phone from James's ear. “What he means, assho
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 36 ~ Continuation
Continuation****James pushed the car to its limits, speeding through the empty streets to make it to the press conference on time. His phone buzzed relentlessly, but he refused to let it break his focus. He glanced at the caller ID—Eric, of course—but ignored it. When he did answer briefly, he remained silent, waiting for Eric to give up before the line went dead.Beside him in the passenger seat sat Mary, his brother's so-called wife, quiet and unreadable. He cast a quick look at her, thoughts churning. She’d agreed to help him, and for that, he was grateful—or maybe just lucky. But how far could he actually trust her? Once the truth came out, she’d be useless to him. She’d already sold Eric out without a second thought; he wondered, with a bitter smirk, how quickly she’d turn on him too if the price was right. He could see her for what she was—a hustler, someone born from the streets, loyal only t
Mary Johnson ~ The Paid Bride Chapter 36 ~ Calculated Vengeance
~~~~I pulled on black leather pants, a fitted turtleneck, and high-top black sneakers. My hair hung loose down my back as I made my way downstairs, feeling nothing but a cold emptiness. I handed James a slip of paper with my bank details. “Here’s my account number. You said five times the pay, right?”“Right.” He gave me a questioning look. “So, does that mean I was right about everything?”I let out a low laugh. “I don’t know, James… why don’t you find out? But before we go anywhere, I want my account filled. Now.”He smirked, but I could see the flash of annoyance in his eyes. “Fine. I’ll pay you ten billion dollars—half now, half when you’re done.”Ten billion. If he could casually throw out that amount, I knew he had much more stashed away. “Fifteen billion,” I said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “And I want the full amount upfront. I don’t trust you.”He gritted his teeth but nodded. “Fine. But we need to leave now.” He looked around, nervous, as if someone was watching.“
