Her Contract Marriage To The Billionaire Alpha

Family Betrayal

Alyssa POV

"Think about it, Alyssa. It could be mutually beneficial for us both."

Xavier's words rang inside my mind as I stood there, in the bridal shop, unable to speak, the folder safely tucked away under the mattress in the bedroom as I attended the wedding dress appointment. My stepmother was practically beside herself with excitement as she took in the look, while Dahlia stood there, examining her nails, feigning nonchalance, while I fought the urge to confront her, to rip into her, wanting to confront Theodore first and trying to pretend everything was fine in the meantime. It rankled though being so close to my stepsister and being unable to do anything to her. At least, not yet.

"Oh Alyssa, that dress, it's stunning" my stepmother breathed, putting her hands to her mouth and looking me up and down. "You look so elegant" she continued.

I looked down at myself feeling as though I was detached. The long dress, with its mermaid-like bottom and tight corset top, was uncomfortable and the bones of the corset were digging painfully into my flesh. I felt irritable. "I hate it," I said out loud.

My stepmother gasped. "Alyssa" she admonished, "you can't mean that. This was specifically designed for you in mind. Theodore worked hard on it, remember", she reminded me.

More like you persuaded Theodore about the kind of dress I should get, and he told the designer that. Nobody gave a flying f**k what I wanted, I thought to myself bitterly. I felt resentment sweep over me and tugged at the dress, causing my stepmother's eyes to widen in alarm.

"It's not right."

The sales assistant was looking uncomfortable now. "Alyssa, what has gotten into you?" Karen exclaimed."You're being rude" she hissed.

Part of me didn't care. I wasn't going to wear this dress anyway. Not when the wedding was going to be called off. But I couldn't tell Karen that.

If you marry Xavier, won't you need a dress, a voice in my mind teased, and I forced it to go back to being silent as I glared at Karen.

"I don't want this dress," I said with a snarl and whirled on the saleslady, who looked timidly between myself and Karen, "what do you have that's simple, elegant, and, for the love of god, doesn't dig into your skin."

Karen gasped. The saleslady flushed. "Well, we have a simple gown that's simply white and goes down to the ankle. It has simple spaghetti straps, and it does look a bit vintage" she murmured, bowing her head, "because it's so simplistic."

"Perfect" I muttered, "Please go get it."

The saleslady vanished. Dahlia was looking at me intently now and Karen looked as though she was about to throw a fit. "Alyssa, what do you think you are doing?" she snapped "Do you have any idea how much the gown you are wearing costs?"

The price of my sanity? I gave a crooked smile and tilted my head "It's my wedding and I want to wear what makes me comfortable" I said, my tone brooking no arguments.

I could see Dahlia texting on her phone. I wondered, with a slight twist of my lips, whether she was texting my fiancée about my reckless behavior.

The saleslady came back, holding the gown. I took it and headed to the changing room. I shimmied out of the annoying wedding dress and into the simple gown, breathing in relief. It was perfect. The fabric was smooth and a pleasure to touch, embracing my curves without being too tight-fitting. I could move in it with ease and it looked beautiful. Simple was better, I determined, pulling it off and pulling my clothes back on. I took it out and grinned at the saleslady. "We'll take this one", I nodded.

"Theodore has already paid for the designer dress". Karen looked incensed.

"I will take this gown" I ignored my stepmother, smiling pleasantly at the saleslady, who nodded and began to take it to the counter.

"Alyssa", my stepmother continued to follow me to the counter as I rolled my eyes "young lady, are you listening to me? You are being very childish" she continued.

I whipped my credit card out, paying for the dress. "Please, have the dress delivered to me," I asked, and the lady nodded.

"And the designer gown" my stepmother interrupted as I began to make my way towards the exit.

I felt Karen's hand on my arm as we stepped outside. Dahlia sounded amused. "I think she's lost her mind. It must be all the wedding planning."

"Shut up Dahlia", I snarled and saw my stepsister look at me stunned. I never spoke to her that way, but right now I was close to becoming violent towards her.

Even Karen blanched at the expression on my face. "Alyssa, I don't know what's gotten into you" she began, flattening her lips and looking at me in disapproval, "but you need to get a grip and calm yourself. What's Theodore going to think if you act so recklessly?"

You want to know what's gotten into me,, stepmother? How about finding out that Dahlia and Theodore have been f*****g each other senseless behind my back for the last few months? Or that I've been letting you and my family treat me like a puppet instead of a human being with real feelings?

"I don't care what Theodore thinks" I snapped, causing Karen's eyes to narrow. "Why are you always harping on about what he wants anyway?" I demanded, causing her to blink at me, while Dahlia merely played on her phone "anybody would think that he was your family instead of me."

I sounded churlish. I was angry and was losing control. I could see that Karen was struggling to maintain her composure in the face of my anger. Karen went pale. I stared at her. She licked her lips, looking nervously at me. "That's not, well no, Alyssa, the thing is" she stammered.

I narrowed my eyes. She was keeping something from me as well. I could sense it. "What aren't you telling me?" I demanded flatly.

I was sick of secrets. Sick of being manipulated. Tired of all this nonsense and lies. Karen looked towards Dahlia and I frowned.

"Karen" I snarled.

"We just want to keep Theodore happy," Karen insisted, "that's all Alyssa."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Bullshit" my tone was loud and carrying "there's something else, isn't there? I can see it in your eyes, Karen," I continued. "You've never been a good liar. You have a twitch" I pointed out as she swallowed hard, "and you're visibly shaking," I added, looking her up and down.

"Alyssa, maybe we should leave this until we're home" Dahlia finally spoke, her eyes glancing nervously around as people walked past, some of them openly staring at us.

I was making quite a spectacle and Dahlia was growing embarrassed. I ignored her and the looks. I stared at Karen. She bit her lip, anxiety crossing her face.

"Alyssa honestly, I think it's for the best if I don't tell you" she began in a soothing tone.

"Why don't you let me decide that for myself, stepmother" my voice was icy.

She fidgeted, touching her pearls around her neck and then fiddling with her watch. "I really think it would be best to come from your father," she said in a whisper.

My father? What on earth did he have to do with all this? I could feel my stomach beginning to churn. Now I was growing even more angry at their repeated refusals to tell me. I shook my head.

"Just tell me"

I was fed up. Over it. "Tell me, or I will walk away and disappear forever" I threatened, my tone becoming harsh.

It was only half a threat. The way I was feeling, I was more than inclined to follow through with it.

Karen sighed. "Fine," she said, flinging up her hands in surrender and looking at me with exasperation, "but just remember that you asked for this. It's to do with the company," she admitted.

"The company? What about it?"

"Your father made some serious bad investments and lost a lot of clients. We're in dire straits" Karen told me, breathing shallowly, raising a hand to her hair and absent-mindedly tidying it.

"How dire?" my tone was dark.

"We're in trouble, close to going into the red," Karen admitted. "Your father has been too proud to tell you. He insisted that we keep it to ourselves. Besides, you know that he's never well considered you as part of the..." her voice trailed off.

Part of the family business I finished in my mind.

"I could have helped," I said in disbelief. "I could have found a way to get the company back in the black."

Karen gave a bitter laugh. "That's the irony. You are helping, and you don't even know it" she exhaled.

I looked at her confused. What did she mean by that exactly? How was I helping with the family company when I didn't have anything to do with it?

Karen sighed, a look of resignation on her face. "Your father made an agreement with your fiancée," she said quietly.

Agreement? "What kind of agreement?"

"In exchange for your hand in marriage, your father has agreed to make Theodore a partner in the company and Theodore will save it."

I stared at her horrified, the blood draining out of my face. "You had no right to make such a deal behind my back". My voice was shrill "I'm not something to barter with or trade," I added furiously.

"It was the only deal that Theodore would make with us", Karen snapped back. "He refused to consider anything else. What's the big deal?" she added, narrowing her eyes at me "you were planning on marrying him anyway. It's not as though anything has changed, has it?" she demanded. "You're still going to walk down the aisle, you're still going to say the words I do, and you're still going to take Theodore as your husband in a few days' time. This changes nothing" she insisted.

But this changes everything. If I don't marry Theodore, the company will suffer, as will my family. If I do marry Theodore, I marry him knowing that he's been cheating on me with my stepsister and will most likely continue to cheat on me. How do I make a decision, knowing that my family's future now hinges on it? How do I sacrifice my family's company for my own selfish wants and needs? Can I walk away from my family and the company, knowing what the consequences will be? Can I be that person? I was so angry at Theodore before, but now I'm so filled with rage that all I can see is red. Did he deliberately engineer it so that I wouldn't leave him if I did find out about the cheating? Was this his way of keeping me trapped?

"I can't believe you and father did this" I whispered, as Karen began to look uncomfortable and Dahlia looked bored. "Is there no common decency in either of you? How could you be so selfish?" I accused.

"As long as you go down the aisle, there is nothing to lose. You wouldn't ruin our family by doing anything so foolhardy as refusing to marry Theodore" my stepmother's voice lingers in the air behind me as I storm towards my car. "Not now when you know what's at stake. Your father did what he needed to Alyssa, he loves that company". Her voice cut off as I slammed the door shut and started the engine.