Avery stood outside Ethan's opulent office, her heart pounding as she clenched her fists. She took a deep breath, mustering the courage to confront him. The elegant decor and expensive furnishings only fueled her anger, a stark contrast to her own modest upbringing.
With a determined look on her face, she pushed the door open. Ethan looked up from his desk, his expression a mixture of surprise and concern. "Avery, what are you doing here?" Avery never really comes unannounced without emergency.
The moment she saw his face she wanted to stop herself. Was it really a bad idea to let things be? She was happy even though he may or may not have loved her. But she swallowed down her tears. She had to face this reality.
"Is it true, Ethan? Did you use me? Was everything between us just a lie?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of hurt and rage.
She waited for his quick denial even if its a lie, but she met with silence.
Ethan sighed, his gaze dropping to the floor momentarily before meeting her eyes again. "Avery, I never meant for you to get hurt. I did care about you."
Those words were sharper than when she was laughed at, scoffed at for being fatherless, poor, rootless. It was all fake after all.
Avery's eyes welled up with tears, her voice breaking as she spoke. "Care? Is that what you call it? Using me for your own gain, then discarding me like a piece of trash?"
Ethan looked into Avery's eyes seriously, regret evident in his expression. "You don't understand the whole story, Avery." His voice had something that was still telling her to listen to him, give him a chance.
But this part of her heart made her more angry. She had enough!
"Oh, I think I do," Avery's voice held a mixture of frustration and disappointment. "Lilith was right about you all along. You're just another wealthy guy who thinks he can get whatever he wants."
Ethan rose from his seat, his expression a blend of hurt and sincerity. "Avery, it's not that simple. Yes, I have wealth, but that's not all I am. And what Lilith said... it's not the whole truth."
"Nobody cares about your big fat whole truth, Ethan!" Avery's voice cracked with emotion. "Nobody! The only thing that's clear is that you tried to use me! So save those sorry words for the next girl you want to fuck and leave me alone!" Her words hung heavy in the tense air, a stark depiction of her anger and hurt.
She wiped her tears before turning to leave. She was so done with everything. It's over.
But a hand prevented her from leaving. How dare he still dared to touch her. Her body moved before her brain could process what was happening.
She slapped him hard across his face.
"I'm_" Avery quickly stopped herself from apologizing and hardened her face. He deserved that slap so there is no need to feel regret for that actions.
"Let go of my hand!" She said while frowning, he held onto her wrist tight enough to make it numb.
Ethan froze in that spot after that moment, his expressionless face told her underneath that mask was a volcano she wasn't ready to face.
And she was right. Ethan's face was turning crimson as the sting from Avery's slap still lingered. His anger simmered, fueled not only by wounded pride but also by her quick judgment of him and their relationship based on third-party rumors. His grip tightened on her wrist, his frustration was at boiling point. He pulled her into his embrace.
Avery, who was once captivated by his touch, now struggled against his embrace.
A strong urge came to him, Avery and only Avery will become his wife and stay beside him forever whether she liked it or not. He showed her that he can be gentle but he will also show her that he can be very cruel if he wanted.
Ethan's intense gaze met Avery's eyes. "If you want to save your father's last bit of memory," he whispered into her ear with a dangerous fervor, "you'll have to marry me." Avery's heart raced as she struggled to comprehend his audacious demand.
"How... how did you know?" she stammered, her voice tinged with shock.
Ethan's lips curled into a calculating smile. "I know everything about you," he declared that devious grin on his face that she had never seen before.
Fear clenched Avery's heart as she realized how fucked up situation she was in. On one hand she had to save her father's last memory on the other hand, she had to sell her soul and body to this devil.
Before she could protest, his tone turned even darker. "You have no choice," he sneered, "unless you want the world to know some... unsavory secrets." His brutal blackmail left Avery with a sinking feeling of helplessness.
....
In just a matter of a few hours Avery's life had completely changed.
Ethan's grip on her arm was tight as he led her inside the registry office. She looked around nervously, her eyes darting between the stern faces of the lawyer and witnesses present. "I won't let you do this, Ethan," she hissed, her voice trembling with anger and fear.
Ignoring her protests, Ethan stood tall, a sinister smile playing on his lips. The lawyer began reading through the legal documents while Avery's heart raced, her mind racing even faster. This wasn't how she had imagined her life turning out.
As the register prompted them to exchange vows, Avery's voice quivered as she recited the words, her eyes never leaving Ethan's cold stare. The room seemed to close in around her as the weight of the situation settled in. The witnesses signed the documents, sealing her fate.
Tears welled up in Avery's eyes as the reality of her situation hit her with full force. Her once bright future now seemed to fade into a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. As the ceremony concluded, she felt the first embers of the hellfire fate had cast upon her, leaving her to face the unknown horrors that lay ahead.