6MY FIANCEE, MY BOSS
By Dandy352
About the Story:
For someone who wants to get away from an arranged marriage, desperate times call for desperate measures. London's business heartthrob Julianne Hart took a rather risky measure by charming his fiancée with a motive to break her heart, enough that she'll break the arrangement herself. Little does he know that knowing her beforehand, will be his biggest regret.
Prologue
~Before
The plan is simple. I'll first get myself employed as her secretary, be good for a couple of weeks. Then when she's comfortable having me, I'll charm her and make her mine. Piece of cake for Julianne Hart! All I should be careful about is keeping it secret from our parents that I'll be working for her, much less, hitting on her.
Good looks and wealth always work hand in hand to make women submit. I'll use being me as advantage to make her submit, as always. She will submit. After a week and a half, I'll dump her like a piece of trash. Usually, I can last three weeks in a relationship. But I can't afford to be discovered, can I? It's my fiancée we're talking about. The sooner I get it done, the better. The harder I treat her before I end it, the better. She'll hate me so much she won't want anything to do with me. By the time our parents introduce us to each other as fiancés, she'll be hysterically mad our parents will have no choice but to pull off the engagement. As for me, all I need to say is "I didn't know it was her."
~Dec. 10: Day of their first meeting
"Eric son, calm down. They're coming alright."
"Really? Are you sure? Did she call you?" He was sweating. If his dad and mom didn't know any better, they'll think their son was already in love with this woman, his fiancée who he'll be meeting for the very first time. If only they know how right they were.
"Oh look, they're here!" Sharina Morris, dressed beautifully in her long black silk dress reached their table first, her husband Daniel Morris right behind her. The Hart family looked longingly behind them hoping to see someone but found none.
"Sharina dear, didn't Lilac come with you?" Angela Hart, in between hugs, asked her best friend since college.
"Oh yes she did. She just excused herself to the comfort room." She replied warmly.
"I see. That got me worried for a while."
"Oh dear, you know you have nothing to worry. I'm pretty sure our daughter will like our future son-in-law. Isn't that right Eric?" She smiled at him, not knowing the torture her kind affection was causing him inside. He was after all, the man who broke her daughter's heart.
"I-…"
"Finally!" Mr. Gregory Hart interrupted and all eyes turned to the pretty lady walking shyly towards their table.
"I'm sorry I was late. Good evening Mrs. and Mr. Hart and-" she paused, hesitating if she should greet him too.
"Eric." He said softly, staring at her, which she didn't return. "You can call me Eric."
The tension was so thick Mrs. Hart had to think of something immediate to give the two some privacy.
"Well then, I suggest we should leave the young ones to settle the matter on their own." She grinned, excusing herself, pulling Mrs. Morris with her. The two men followed right behind them leaving the two standing still, a huge distance separating them.
Eric stood still, eyes searching anger from her. He didn't know what he should feel. In all honesty, he'd rather have her mad than her giving him the cold treatment.
"I know you do not want to be here but-" He paused, head bowed as he dared himself to take small steps towards her. "We should talk."
She silently obeyed, allowing him to pull the chair for her. When she's settled, he returned to his own seat opposite to her.
He signaled the waiter to come.
"What would you like to have ma'am, sir?"
"Li-" he stopped his tongue. He was no longer allowed to call her by her name. To her, he was even more distant than a stranger. To her, he was the enemy.
"I'd like a glass of red wine please." His brow rose. She never ordered wine before.
"Sir?"
"Make it two."
"Anything else sir?"
"That's enough for now. You can go." The waiter bowed and left the two again.
A few minutes passed, still none of them would dare say a word. The waiter returned and poured them the red wine. Even he was being extra careful seeing the tension emitting from the two customers.
"Thank you."
He finished serving and they were left alone again.
"I-" he began.
"Don't." She said coldly. "Don't say anything that you don't really mean."
"I'm sorry."He held her hand, eyes pleading for her to look at him but she averted her gaze. It was good enough for him, she didn't push him away.
"I asked you not to lie."
"I'm sorry. I'll say it no matter how many times I need to. I'm sorry. I-" he paused again. "I know you won't believe me now. But I want you to know, I really am sorry. I admit, I had it all planned. I applied as your secretary on purpose. I…I even…"
"Enough!"
"What?"
"I said enough! You said so yourself, you planned it all. I wouldn't want to waste your efforts either. I'll tell them I can't marry you and that'll be the end of it."
"Lilac, please listen to me first!" he begged, grasping her hand tighter.
She tried to take it back but he won't let go. "Let go of me." Still, he won't. "I said let go!" This time she said it with the coldest tone and expression she can use. It was an order, and this time, it was even said harsher than when she was ordering him as his boss.
It was a good thing his parents rented the entire floor for the two or else they could have caused a commotion.
"This is what you wanted. Good news, you got it! It's over! All I ask is that you spare me of the embarrassment and never speak of anyone whatever went on between us. From now on…" she paused, searching for words. "I'll forget I ever met you. And I beg you to do the same." When she felt his grip loosening with her words, she successfully took her hand back and walked away.
He was left alone, with nothing to watch but her retreating back. Her caramel hair was curled, waving with her every step. She was wearing a fit light green long gown. If he didn't know her, he would have thought a goddess came down from Olympus. And as a goddess would, the ethereal beauty that was once his was ascending.
She was walking away from him, from their past, from their present, and from what could have been their future. She was leaving him, and there's nothing he could do. More than she knows, he was more aware that it was his fault. Now, he has lost the game. Fredrick Julianne Hart has reached game over. He was beaten by her. And his only regret was that he didn't get to tell her, for now he didn't even have the right to let her know that it was him who lost. For when she was supposed to fall for him, he was the one who felt it, that feeling which he never believed would come to him. He was falling for her, harder than she fell for him. And what makes her superior to him was that she didn't even know what she's doing to him.
A/N: I'm an aspiring novelist. This is ONE of the novels I'm working on. I encourage you to give constructive criticisms. I only decided to post this because I want hear the public's opinion, sort of like an experiment. Please help by submitting reviews. Thanks and God bless!
PS: Saving my work as a file or printing it, I allow. But PLEASE, I'd like to be informed first. Thank you.