Disagree To Agree

The click of heels coming from the foyer subdued every conversation. Only Martha was exclaiming in anger. "What the hell, Pete?!"

A girl came into view. To say she was beautiful, was understating it. She looked like a goddess and even walked like one. But something told me she was going to be one evil goddess.

I might be wrong.

"Hey babe." She squealed as soon as she saw Jared and ran to him.

"Hey, baby." Jared was happy to see her as well. 

He stood and hugged her. They exchanged a brief kiss. I should not be watching them display their affection so openly but I couldn't help it. 

Someone cleared their throat, I jerked my eyes away to meet Martha's hateful one. She had seen me moping hopelessly at them like some pervert.

Ashamed, I brought my head down. I couldn't even look at Uncle Pete to know if he had seen or not. 

"So who is marrying who?" She asked again, taking in everyone's faces. She stopped when she got to mine, a small frown appeared. "Who is she?"

Pulling her close to himself, mostly for me to see, he introduced. "Baby, I want you to meet Hailey Baldwin. Hailey, this is my woman, Mia Pillax."

"Wait. I do recognize this face." She moved away from Jared's embrace, stepping forward as though to get a proper look at me.

"She's the whore who accused Jared of sleeping with her and putting her in the family way." Martha was all too happy to help her remember.

"You!" She rushed forward.

"Do not try it, Mia." Uncle Pete's tone was serious and rebuking. "Touch her and you won't like what I'll do."

She gave Uncle Pete the stink eye, hesitated but finally lowered her hand. There was a pattern here and I was yet to understand it.

"Jared, warn your mother and Mia not to harass this girl anymore. What is your problem? Why are you suddenly acting this way? I've never known you to be this person."

"Uncle, when my company is on the line and clients are beginning to see me as some pervert, it is ruining my life, my career, my future ambition." Jared argued.

"And her life is on the line too, Jared. Don't be selfish." Uncle Pete reprimanded. "Take a look at her. Does she look okay to you?"

"She wanted this to happen to her. She knows who sent her or why she chose to do this." Jared retorted.

"So you think I'll let myself get drunk and have you sleep with me in my matrimonial bed?" I allowed my gaze roam his entire tall physique. "A respectable married woman like myself?"

Mia, his girlfriend, scoffed. "Respectable indeed!"

"Stay out of this, Mia. This does not concern you." Uncle Pete shunned.

"On the contrary, Pete, it does concern her." Martha defended. "This is her own future we're also taking about and as you said we should not be selfish. So let's take everyone into consideration, including Mia because she's also a part of this."

"Exactly." Mia nodded.

The glare uncle Pete gave her had her hiding behind Jared. She was scared of the man. 

"She is my son's chosen. Am I right, Jared? Who do you love and want to marry?" Martha directed to her son.

"Mia, of course." His response came easy.

"So you see. Whatever plan you have will not work, Pete, not while I am alive. You can not bring in one dirt bag from a poor background and expect my son to just marry her."

"Martha..."

"Don't 'Martha' me, Pete. This is your brother's son. You should be happy that he has found love. You should be happy that he's getting everything he wants and has worked hard for. Do you know what a merge with Mia's family will do? Or do you not know who the Pillax are?"

"Fine! You have made your point. But I hope you all enjoy the repercussion." So saying, he angrily brought out a folded paper from his pocket and threw on the table.

"What is that?" Jared picked up the paper — seemed like a newspaper — and perused through. His eyes widened and I saw something like fear flicker. "I thought you said you would handle this, uncle!"

"I did! But someone is behind the scene, taking advantage and pumping these social media with money to keep the news flying. I fucking paid and bribed but it came on again. Within the span of two hours, just before I came here, I saw that." 

Uncle Pete looked very much unhappy and a bit frustrated too. 

"And more investors are pulling out, Jared." He continued.

"And how would you know that? I didn't get any emails or calls from my secretary." 

"That's because I asked her not to call you. I knew you'd flip and make things worse for Hailey on your way here. She called me and informed that three more investors have pulled out. So if you and your mother still want to throw away your career rather than save it, fine by me."

He trembled with anger. 

"No, it's not fine by me because I started this company with your father, my brother but left it for him to manage alone while I attended to other goals of mine. So fail me and your dead father." 

He paced the living room. Everyone had gone quiet. No more shouting. Even Martha and Mia knew what was at stake. 

"Let's go, Hailey. I'll try to find a way out for you." He beckoned on me.

Without delay, I followed him. I'd had enough of Jared and his crazy family trying to breath down my neck.

"Wait." Jared called.

Uncle Pete halted in his steps, so I did too. "Yes, Jared?"

"Do you think this will solve the problem?" He didn't even meet my gaze.

"It has a greater chance to. No one will call you a pervert or a rapist or an irresponsible man anymore because she'll be your wife."

"What?!" Mia exclaimed in rage. "What wife? Where? Jared, don't tell me you're agreeing to this!"

"Relax, baby. It's just to secure my career and keep my business going." 

I kept quiet and watched them display drama before me, waiting for my turn to speak. 

"My father can help you." She argued.

"Even so. Maybe he might help me now but what about tomorrow? When I'm vying for a political position? Your family's money can't help me then." He reasoned with her.

Mia turned to me with a growl. I didn't react. 

"What are you saying Jared?" Uncle Pete urged.

He released a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll marry her."

"That's better. Now Hailey..."

"It's unfair uncle Pete that you didn't think to ask me what I want." I cut him off, silently boiling with anger. 

How dare they include me in a discussion without asking for my thought?

"I'm sorry. What do you want, Hailey?"

Meeting and holding Jared's gaze, I replied without emotion. "I want to go back to my husband."