Her Beast

No Fake Zone

I watched myself slide forward to him, my heel and the tile having zero resistance to friction and no one and nothing in the way to break my fall.

He didn’t even look up or stand, he continued working on his tablet, like nothing was happening.

Just before I could topple him over to the ground, I saw his hand extend to me, turn my waist swiftly around, and pulled me down right on to his lap.

To my surprise, he turned my face down to him, my hair falling onto his pristine suit. His hand came up to the side of my neck, his eyes meeting mine as he tilted his head slightly upwards to me.

This could have looked lovely if I had been watching 3D. Or if it wasn’t this same man who believed I wasn’t worth a million dollars.

“Gosh, this is the perfect shot!”

He sat me down on the couch, then looked back at the woman, his face the same expressionless marble I knew.

As for me, I was breathless, completely lost.

The close proximity had gone with my breath, his startlingly amazing eyes causing my imaginations to go haywire.

“Is it good enough for an engagement photoshoot?”

I turned. “What?”

“Yes, of course, It's perfect. The lightning, the atmosphere, the extreme gaze, the hands, the posture…it’s all perfect.”

“What engagement photoshoot?”

The CEO turned to me. “Saturday, three days from now, is our wedding.”

I almost vomited the cup of coffee I had churned down my stomach before heading out to the office this morning.

With just that, the CEO stood and walked out, leaving the women gushing about us.

“An engagement? With who? Who gave you the permission?”

I followed him upstairs, and he suddenly stopped, then turned to me.

“Here.” He tossed a ring box to me. “Wear it for the function tonight.”

He turned away, and his bodyguards closed in on me as I tried to follow him.

I stopped there, helpless.

This was getting out of hand. This was not part of the plan, and I wasn’t going to accept this. Not in a thousand years. Come to think of it however, we never had a plan.

I waited for him there at the top of the stairs.

He came out wearing a different suit thirty minutes later, and without so much as a glance at me, turned around and took the elevators downstairs.

I stood, held back by the bodyguards so I couldn’t go anywhere.

A minute ago, I just felt scared of him, but now, like a small paint spreading on the canvas of my heart, I felt his hate covering it and gripping it in black shadows.

I returned to my room, determined to not let the function this night be a success.

Time passed by slowly. Everything seemed like a blur. On my hand was the engagement band that I had been forced to wear, and my mascara drooling down my eyes. I couldn’t believe how bad my life had become in just one day. And the day wasn’t even over yet.

What had I done that was so wrong I had to be caged for the rest of my life?

“Ma’am?”

I turned.

“The CEO will be on his way shortly. Please let the makeup artists deck you up again, as it is already 4:30, and the event is scheduled for 6 o’clock on the dot. The CEO will escort you down himself.

“Do I…” I started to say, and his brows shot up. “Do I perhaps have a choice?”

The bodyguard looked down at his feet for a moment, then looked up with a sigh.

“I guess…you don’t, ma’am. Please be ready.”

He turned and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts again.

The makeup artists trooped in again, laying out their items just like the other time. This time, I noticed they came with the dress themselves.

“We’ll start now by wiping off the former makeup. After that, you could please take a bath again.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What? The CEO…”

“To hell with the CEO, I am not getting married!”

“Oh, you are. You were calm all through and now, the idea of marriage is making you lose it?”

The CEO was at the door, his eyes cold. I wondered how he managed to inject the sarcasm and disdain in to his voice while keeping his face extremely clean and void of the drama.

The makeup crew walked out, leaving only both of us.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Should I have filed for a lawsuit, then? And have you pay for the momentary fall in stock prices? Will you be able to?”

I kept mute, knowing the answer was negative.

He shrugged and walked in making himself comfortable.

His suit was a dark blue one this time, made of velvet material with black cuffs and black pants. He had a black bowtie, and long chained golden brooch. On the sleeves were gold cufflinks.

He looked expensive and classy, just like the owner of Gems should be.

“I chose the easiest way out for everyone, so it's better to go with it.”

I swallowed, suddenly getting an idea. “Oh. So..this is all a sham, right?”

“A sham? My wedding?”

“Yes, I mean…this is just a contract, right? I will be gone once the stock prices are back up and..”

“The stock prices of Gems have skyrocketed and reached even greater heights. And no. My legal team have a lot more contracts to draw up than that of a simple marriage.”

I put my hand in my hair, frustrated.

“We can do the fake thing without the paperwork though. The paperwork just leaves evidence behind.”

He snickered, his lips breaking into a small one sided smile.

“I am not privy to a fake wedding or marriage. Every single thing you see here is real. Our marriage, engagement, and your introduction to the public as my wife. Everything is real.”

Tears filled up my eyes. This isn’t how I envisioned my wedding. This isn’t what I wanted.

“No.”

He stood, and adjusted his suit, then walked slowly towards me.

I was too in my thoughts to even realize till he was right in front of me.

“It’s easy,” he said, then leaned in and placed a small kiss on my cheek.

I met his eyes and they didn’t look affectionate. They looked like the owner didn’t give two flying bats about me.

Hell, nothing was faker than this.