Marriage by Law

by N. K. Pockett

  I turned to leave but he grabbed my wrist, not gently either. I turned around and stomped on his foot, letting my heel dig in.

  "Don't ever touch me," I said between gritted teeth. I pulled my hand back and walked away. I quickly rushed back to Darius who was talking to Ma and stood there with my hands clasped, trying to calm down my racing heart.

  He told Ma, "All right, that should be fine," turned around to look at me. "Where is James?"

  Like I was going to wait for him to ’wash’ up and then lead him back here. He can find his own way. I saw Ma and walked after her.

  "I'll help," I called to her, making her slow down. Any chance to get away from James.

  Ma didn't need any help, it seemed. The dining room was set to perfection, with dim lights, a tray of excellent food and glasses filled with wine.

  "What's for dinner, Ma?" I asked as I walked closer to the table. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing.

  "Indian tonight" She was smiling. "I made the bread myself."

  I smiled at her effort for these weird-shaped bread and we laughed. We turned serious when the men walked in.

  The smaller table was used instead of the large dining table. It was circular, which meant wherever I sat, I was between the men. Damn it.

  I avoided all eye contact and Ma walked around opening the lids, sending more flavoursome aroma into the air.

  "This smells wonderful, ma’am. Indian is my favourite," James said as he surveyed the foods.

  Ma smiled back at him. "In that case, I hope you enjoy your meal, sir. I will send your compliments to the chef."

  "I remember my girlfriend tried cooking it once," James continued and I froze. I could feel his eyes on me.

  "Really? How did that go?" asked Darius, helping himself to the food. I braved my hand to move to the rice.

  "Not very good. She nearly burned the kitchen down." James was laughing as he grabbed the bread. I gritted my teeth as I served myself and picked up my fork.

  "You never mentioned you were seeing someone," started Darius. "You should have brought her, too. Al - Ivory would have had company."

  I held back myself from rolling my eyes. Since when did you care about me? But I told myself, Stop being mean, Ivory.

  The conversation turned to business as I played with the food on my plate, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. I moved the rice to one side and then back, then the other, then down, then up, then left, then-

  I jumped, feeling someone’s leg brush against mine. My eyes shot up. James was too busy explaining something to Darius. I pulled my legs back. I didn't need to draw more attention to myself.

  To say this was horrible was an understatement. Not only did they talk on and on, but James just wouldn't leave, damn it.

  After dinner, a Chinese dessert was served. And then they went to the drawing room to continue their plans and I took this chance to stay behind to 'finish' my dessert. But when they were gone, I grabbed my jacket and went to the backyard.

  The cool air brushed against my legs as I walked over to my orchid plantation. A smile automatically came onto my lips upon seeing there was a tiny bud on one of them. I walked closer and leaned forward. Yep, it was a bud.

  I could feel the excitement in my bones. Finally it was working. The smell of sweet Jasmine from next to me filled my nose.

  I haven't been taking care of them properly.

  I wasn't sure how long I had been standing out here, but when I walked back inside, Darius was already in our bedroom, on his phone.

  Our bedroom. It sounded so weird.

  He looked up and ended the call as I walked in.

  "Did you go outside?" he asked.

  I nodded and took off my jacket while he narrowed his eyes. "You know, if you got sick again, Ma will kill me instead," he said.

  "That's why I brought a jacket." Duh.

  "So," he started, leaning back against the headboard. "Do you like James?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  "Wh-wh-what?" I can see my eyes widening as I looked at him. Did he know? Of course, he wouldn't know.

  And what did he mean if I liked him? That was in the past, he couldn't have possibly known. Unless James told him, then that two-face lying f-

  "James. What do you think of him? Do you like him? I was thinking of making him my business partner," Darius said as he got up and grabbed his tie from earlier.

  "Oh." My heart was racing, it was practically pounding and I could feel the blood flowing to my ears. "Um," I said. What was I meant to say?

  No, he was a hopeless partner and there was no way you guys should be partners. Would that be a bit too obvious?

  "I-I don't know. I mean, it's up to you." I was stuttering helplessly. Damn it, Ivory, tell him now. This is the perfect chance. James shouldn't be a business partner because he is a lying, cheating, backstabbing asshole.

  Damn it, why can't I just tell Darius? His eyes were staring right at me and all I could do was stand there like an idiot. I had to tell him; this would be the perfect opportunity before I make things worse.

  "Actually…" I just couldn't do it. What if Darius didn't know? I can just pretend it never happened. And then no harm is done. Darius wouldn't need to know, and James just needed to keep his mouth shut.

  "You know," said Darius, getting up, "it's your business too, so you have a say. Isn't that why we had to get married?" He walked into the walkin closet while I stared at the floor. That was exactly why we got married.

  Not because we loved each other; everything is far from that. We were married because our stupid elders made a deal that no company can take over the other. Instead, together our companies will take over the rest. It was stupid.

  I couldn't even imagine how my life would have turned out if I didn't marry Darius. I mean, would I have the chance to find someone again?

  I sighed as he walked back out, with the phone on his ear again. He looked up at me and raised his eyebrow. "Are you going to sleep?"

  "Oh right." I realised I had been standing there like a statue. I walked over to my side of the bed and got in. It still felt so weird sharing a bed with him. Sharing a bed with someone was such an intimate gesture and here I was sharing it with someone who was just my 'husband' on paper.

  "You're not going to change?"

  I shook my head and replied, "Nope." I should, but nobody got time for that. I turned to my side facing the door to the veranda. I heard a deep chuckle before the lights went off.

  "Should have known," he said.

  I felt the bed dip as he got in and I could see the light from his phone. Knowing Darius, he was probably going to be on that till morning.

  6 Months ago

  "Oh my god, it's perfect," she said, clapping her hands. I raised an eyebrow at my mother. Seriously? She thought this dress was perfect?

  I could barely be seen in the mirror. All you could see was material and more material flowing out and out.

  "Mother, can we pick something small? Something elegant but not extravagant?" I asked.

  "Darling, have you had too much champagne?" she asked with a sigh as she picked up the glass from the sales girl. I rolled my eyes. No, it looks like you had too much.

  "Go change. That dress is perfect."

  I gritted my teeth, trying not to say anything, and stormed back into the room. I tore the dress off me, slipping back into my horrible tight black dress she made me wear, and marched out of the stall.

  "Yes. Pack it, will you?" my mother was saying, and at the same time she was on the phone. I started heading for the door when mum pulled me back, her grip too hard on my small wrist.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Home?" I asked. Where else can we go?

  "Nonsense. The groom is finally going to have lunch with us. Come on, let's meet him."

  I groaned. Was he at least going to show up this time? Well, bold, fat, pot belly mafia leader, let's meet you.

  12 months ago

  "I don't really want to," I muttered as
James looked through the pamphlet. An exotic trip to Hawaii, just the two of us. For some reason I didn't want to. Especially with the way he was acting lately. He was so bi-polar.

  One minute he was loving and caring, then the next minute he would yell or swear at me.

  "Why not?" He yelled, making me wince. There it was, that drastic change in mood. I looked around the ice cream store and I could see some people staring at us.

  "James, keep your voice down," I whispered.

  "Why should I? We paid to be here." He was still yelling. I bit my lip as I looked around. Does he always need to be the centre of attention?

  "Why don't you want to come with me, Ivory? Do I embarrass you?"

  "What? No! What are you talking about?"

  "I saw the way you were talking to Michael the other day. What, you like other guys now, don’t you? Am I not good enough for you?"

  "James, Michael is twelve. He asked me where the history building was. I was not flirting with him," I retorted, as though I was talking to a child. What kind of a guy is jealous of a twelve-year-old?

  "So you're into kids, now?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

  "I'm not dealing with this. Call me when you grow up."

  I grabbed my bag, stood up and walked out. There was no way I would deal with his childishness today. Especially with weird things happening at home, all these stupid phone calls, long discussions with my parents, my mother pretending I had no boyfriend and asking me when I want to get married.

  I wasn't going to deal with a man who was jealous of a twelve-year-old. Was he even a man to act that way?

  I stepped out onto the street and looked around. Damn it, it was already dark. How did I not realise what the time was? Crossing my arms over my chest, I bowed my head down and started walking. My house wasn't that far away, but still, I should have called for a taxi.

  I headed up my street, seeing the lights on all over the house. Was there something going on?

  I slowed down as I reached the gate, watching as a limousine drove out.

  Present Time

  In the middle of the night, which I call the witching hour, when there was no noise, and no light, and the rest of the world was sleeping, that was when I woke up.

  I wasn't exactly sure what woke me up. Maybe it was the fact that I was positively melting under these covers.

  I looked over my shoulder to see Darius sound asleep, and I slowly slipped out of bed. I walked across the floor carefully, trying not to make any sound, and opened the bedroom door.

  The door creaked. I froze, looking back. Darius wasn’t moving. I slipped out quickly, tip-toeing down the stairs and sneaking out into the backyard. The air was still cold but warmer than before.

  I grabbed my spade and cutter from the corner and walked over to my precious babies.

  "Hello, children, miss me?" I asked as I started to pluck off the dead leaves. “I had neglected you guys too much.” I looked at the blue orchids again.

  "I wish you guys would bloom quickly" I picked up my watering can and continued talking.

  "I'll make you a deal. If you bloom and actually come out right, I will throw you a party," I muttered, standing up.

  "Do I get to go to this party?"

  In the stillness of the night, the voice was an unwelcome distraction that had me jumping under my skin. I looked around with eyes wide and saw Darius. Oh, just him.

  "Damn it. Can you give some warning before you go scaring people?" I demanded, putting the watering can down. He walked up to where I was standing.

  I didn't realise what he was wearing till now: a grey v-neck shirt that just made his eyes stand out even more and highlighted his body a bit too much. Stop it, pervert Ivory.

  "What are these?" he asked, referring to my orchid.

  "Eh-"

  "What are you doing up, anyway?"

  Hmm. Which question should I answer first?

  He lifted his hand and poked the bud. I watched, horrified, as it tilted and fell off the plant and onto the ground at my feet.

  "Um, I don't think that was meant to happen, right?" He asked, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. I looked at the ground with my mouth hanging open, and then at him.

  His lips curved upward in an attempt to smile. "I guess the party's off?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  "My- my- my babies!" I whined as I looked down at the bud. There was one, one damn bud, and he had to kill it. I gritted my teeth and he took a step back.

  Count to ten, Ivory. Count to ten. There was no point arguing.

  "We can still throw a party?" Darius threw up his hands, trying to placate me.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. He bent down, picked up the flower and held it out to me.

  "It's not that dead. Maybe if you float it somewhere, it can blossom," he said. I reached for it but he pulled his hand back and inspected the flower. He pulled at the closed petal and I let out a squeak.

  "What are you doing?"

  "There." He pried it open, trying to make it look like it blossomed. Only the petals all fell and scattered to the ground and all that was left was the stem.

  "That wasn't meant to happen," he quickly reasoned out.

  I looked at the pale blue petals on the ground and groaned in dismay. Rich men. I bent down and started to pick them one by one and saw him join me.

  "Here, I got it," he said, grabbing some.

  "Don't worry about it"

  Yet he insisted. "No, really. I got this." He took the petals out of my hand and placed them on his palm. But sir genius forgot about the wind which just blew them straight out of his palm and away. He looked up at me with a sheepish look.

  I laughed so hard I fell back against the fence and ended up sitting on the ground.

  "I told you not to," I reminded him when I stopped laughing.

  "Sorry."

  "They're just flowers," I said with a wave of my hand. It’s not like they were my favourite, I thought sarcastically but I had been trying to grow it for months. He sat down on the ground as I leaned my head back, looking up at the stars.

  We were quiet for a little while, and then somebody barged in. "There you both are."

  I looked up to see Adrian walking toward us and exchanged looks with Darius. What on earth was he doing here?

  "What are you doing here? At this time?" said Darius, reading my mind.

  Adrian decided to plop himself right next to me, spreading his legs out unceremoniously, nearly onto Darius's lap. The latter playfully kicked Adrian’s leg away.

  "I wanted to see my awesome sister-in–law, of course."

  "At this time?"

  "Yes. We are cheating behind your back," Adrian replied, his voice laced with mirth. He even placed an arm around my shoulder, as if to make the point, but it only made Darius shake his head. Cheating, cheating. Isn’t that what I was doing by not telling Darius about James?

  "Seriously, why are you here?" I asked, looking at Adrian.

  "Well, sorry for interrupting your night, kids, but I was at the bar, and was too drunk to drive so I decided to walk to your house. Darius, do me a favour and call me a cab, will you? And pay them, too."

  "Do it yourself," muttered Darius. I listened to the childish banter between them as they exchanged words. This was a nice side, a friendly side, a childish side I hadn't seen in Darius before.

  "You're an idiot," muttered Adrian.

  "You're an idiot. Go sleep in one of the rooms. I can drop you tomorrow."

  "Do I get the master’s bedroom?"

  Darius narrowed his eyes.

  "No."

  "Thank you." And with that, he got up, linking his arm on mine as he pulled me up. I let out a squeal.

  "Can I take this teddy bear with me?"

  Darius got up as well, pulling Adrian away from me. "Go to bed, Ad."

  "You never share. You're mean," said Adrian, who started walking and pulling me behind him.

  "Adrian," warned Darius in a serious tone.

  Adrian
stopped and faced him. "Fine, you can have her. Can I give her a goodnight hug at least?"

  When Darius didn't say anything, Adrian proceeded to throw his arms around me, making my face slam into his chest. I got a puff of his cologne and the smell of alcohol.