Arranged Marriage, Wanted Wife

by Mary Goldberger

  Waren clenched his hand into a fist. “Do you know by any chance which hospital Jassi was transferred?”

  Dana shook her head a sad look going across her face. “Jassi said that she requested the city so she could get lost although I know Jassi would’ve preferred a small town or even a rural area, but those places….”

  “One can easily be found,” Waren finished in a hard voice watching the woman nod her head in confirmation.

  A horn beeped and a man got out of the car a frown on his face.

  “My boyfriend,” she exclaimed sending him a soft smile, which lightened the dark look on his face. She turned back to Waren. “Any other questions?”

  “No, that’s all I wanted to know, but thank you for speaking with me even though you still want to rip my throat out,” Waren told her with a smile.

  She hesitated briefly before she said, “Jassi is a good person although a little too trusting some times.”

  She tilted her head and looked at him for a second as if she had seen him before, and then shook her head.

  “What is it,” Waren asked watching the confusion go across her face.

  “I didn’t see it the first time we met, but I was also a little biased too,” she remarked turning to look at him. “But now I see it and I wonder if Jassi did too although I doubt it.”

  Waren merely shook his head not being able to follow her thinking and she chuckled before explaining. “About two years ago, Jassi and I went out with some friends from work. It was a celebration to say because we had been able to stay in the hospital for a year. That night, Jassi had a few drinks nothing to make her drunk. She was tipsy but she swore she saw a man that made her heart jump in her chest although she didn’t get a good look at him due to the area he was standing, and yet the description she gave me…”

  Waren stilled waiting for her next words. “I swear if I didn’t know any better, I would think it was you, but that can’t be possible. If that’s true, then it means that you and Jassi were destined to meet, and I don’t believe in destiny.”

  Dana shrugged her shoulders and waved going to her boyfriend’s car as he opened the door for her asking her a brief question and giving her a kiss when she answered it.

  Waren watched them drive away shock on his face and he walked back to his car in a daze.

  “She saw me that night,” he said aloud once inside the car a grin spreading across his face thinking about what Dana said about ‘destiny’ and he wondered if such a thing could be possible.

  Three days later, he was getting ready to go home from a late day working in his office when the office phone rang.

  “Hello,” he said wearily snapping his briefcase closed.

  “Waren,” Bowen greeted in a tight voice, and Waren could hear complaining voices in the background. “I need you to come home.”

  “Dad, what’s wrong,” Waren asked a slight frown on his face, but his eyes began to narrow hearing one of the voices on the other end.

  “We got a letter from Jassi today,” Bowen revealed. “And so did her grandmother.”

  “I’m on my way,” Waren replied putting down the phone a second later before grabbing his briefcase and suit jacket leaving the office.

  Mrs. Chester had left some time ago, but he had stayed late since going home has become more and more unbearable so he wore himself out before going home only to pass out.

  Now his apartment was merely a place to sleep and change clothes. In fact, he hadn’t eaten there since the day Jassi left.

  Thirty minutes later, he entered his father’s house to hear a lot of noise coming from the living room and Anita, coming down the stairs, hurried over to him.

  “How long have they been here,” Waren asked her quietly.

  “An hour or so,” Anita told him rolling her eyes. “They are upset because Jassi sent them a letter,” and her breath uttered, “and I hope she told them to rot in hell.”

  “Anita,” Waren stated in a warning voice but a smile lurked around his mouth. “So do I.”

  Anita’s mouth dropped open at Waren’s agreement and giving her a wink, he went into the living room while Anita started to giggle before running back to the kitchen to share the news.

  Waren reached the living room just as his father raised his voice shouting, “Enough” and the room went silent.

  “Dad, I’m sorry that I’m late,” Waren came in at this time walking over to his father. “But what is the problem?”

  Bowen gave his son a hard look, but didn’t say a word as he walked over to his table and picked up a sheet of paper.

  “This was in the mail today,” he admitted handing the paper over to Waren.

  Waren accepted the sheet and began to read it a smile crossing his face at his wife’s words glancing up to see Siria and Brody smile, and Bowen looked contrite but a lingering smile in his eyes.

  “She thanked me even after the way I treated her,” Bowen shook his head and sat down in his chair. “I should tell you, Waren, that I won’t condone a divorce between the two of you.”

  Waren smiled relief reflecting in his eyes while Dylan said a tad too smugly. “Neither will I. I suggest we hire a PI to track Jassi down and bring her back where she belongs before she can file for divorce.”

  Waren turned to study them seeing the triumphant look in their eyes before saying, “Even if she does, I’m not going to sign it.”

  The uttered surprise on their faces was comical to see and Brody hid his laughter with a cough while Siria turned her head away.

  “Dad,” Waren turned to him. “I’ve made plans to start building the house. Craig is going to be overseeing it for me at the moment.”

  Bowen stared at his eldest son from the chair before he sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. “You are set on that, aren’t you, Waren?”

  Waren nodded keeping his eyes on his father out of respect, but he was in his thirties and he didn’t need his dad’s permission to do anything.

  “Then do it,” Bowen stated giving him a smile. “I always knew that your heart like your grandfather’s resided in the actual construction than sitting behind a desk, but you’ve tolerated these last few years for me. Brody is ready to take over the business, right, Brody?”

  Brody laughed going over to slap Waren’s back before teasing, “I was just waiting for my big brother to finally step down.”

  Waren punched him lightly in the shoulder and Brody mockingly groaned in pain before backing away with a parting shot. “We just knew that we had to wait until you met a woman who would go with you.”

  “I think Jassi would like it out there too,” Siria remarked thoughtfully.

  Waren glanced at her with a smirk. “I have it on best authority that she would prefer to work in a rural town instead of a major city.”

  “Good, good,” Bowen exclaimed clasping his hands together with delight. “So when are you going to get her?”

  “I have a few things to clear up first,” Waren admitted his eyes going to Dylan and her family who were bewildered by the conversation going on around them.

  Dylan masked her confusion by smiling before adding to the conversation. “Then we are in agreement that Waren and Jassi should stay married.”

  Bowne made himself more comfortable in his chair before agreed. “Yes, I would like Jassi to stay as my daughter-in-law, but…”

  “But,” Dylan’s daughter, Glynis squeaked out clearing her throat before continuing. “We can polish Jassi some so don’t worry about that, Bowen.”

  Bowen’s brow rose at her using his name while Waren told them without hesitation. “Jassi is fine just the way she is and in fact, I wouldn’t stay married to her if she was any different.”

  They glanced at each uneasily before Dylan asked, “So what does’ but’ mean?”

  “When Jassi officially changes her name over to Glenson which she hasn’t done yet,” Bowen confided catching Waren’s wince and clench his hands. “Then we are going to officially cut ties with her family.”


  Dylan was stunned while her family began to protest in loud voices and Bowen held up a hand quieting them down.

  “Then I withdraw my granddaughter from this marriage,” Dylan proclaimed harshly.

  “You don’t have a say in the matter, Dylan,” Bowen replied with a smirk. “Once they married, what happens in their marriage is up to them and since, so far neither has produced divorce papers, they are still married.”

  “They never registered their marriage,” Glynis countered with satisfaction.

  Waren’s face didn’t even flinch at her words knowing that it was true, but he wasn’t going to admit it neither did the rest of his family wearing similar masks of indifference to the comment.

  “When did you have time to register it,” Dylan demanded blanching when she recalled Pricilla telling her that Waren and Jassi both took a day off to spend it together.

  “Damn it,” Dylan raged. “That good for nothing girl ruined everything.”

  “We told you that you should’ve never taken her in,” Freya, one of the cousins, cried out while her sister, Becca, just nodded her head in agreement. “She should’ve just gone to an orphanage.”

  “I couldn’t do that,” Dylan yelled out them. “Unless I took custody of Jassi, I couldn’t touch my son’s money that was left to him by your grandfather, money that he should’ve left to me. The only thing I couldn’t touch, and I tried my best to get it, was the trust that my idiotic son left for Jassi.”

  Listening to them reveal their greediness and cunning, Waren felt sick to his stomach glancing around at his family seeing them stare at the four women in the room with dislike and disgust.

  “Don’t worry,” Waren cut into their tirade pulling out a check from his pocket and walking over to throw it down on the table in front of Dylan. “I opened an account for Jassi the day after we were married and she hasn’t touched a dime of it. Before she left, she suggested I give it to you and I’m going to do that with one stipulation.”

  Dylan was already reaching for the check when Waren added this last statement bending down to stop her from picking it up.

  “What do you want,” she demanded.

  “Leave Jassi alone,” Waren ordered his tone cold. “If you don’t, then I will demand everything back from you that my family including Jassi has given you and I won’t hesitate to do it. Jassi is my wife and for now she is under this family’s protection so with this money, she is free of you.”

  Waren stood up slowly letting Dylan’s hand go watching her snatch up the check and study it her eyes going wide at the amount.

  “You were very generous in your monthly allowance to her,” Dylan said slyly.

  “To be honest, I added more to it so you will get out of our lives,” Waren spoke directly and bluntly sliding his hands in the pocket of his slacks.

  “Well, really,” Becca uttered with a sniff of disdain.

  Dylan gave them a mocking look before she turned to her family. “We have what we want so let’s get going.”

  “But mother,” Glynis complained until Dylan showed her the check and she smiled widely.

  With snotty looks, the four women left the house and Bowen shook his head before saying dryly, “You gave them the money that your grandmother left you, didn’t you?”

  “Grandmother would approve if it got them out of our lives especially Jassi’s,” Waren responded back in a confident tone.

  Bowen and Brody both nodded their head in agreement while Siria asked, “So now are you going to get Jassi? Do you know where she is?”

  Waren smiled but shook his head. “Not yet although I don’t think it will be difficult to get the information, but there are a few more things I need to do before I approach her,” he glanced at Siria intensely that she sent him a confused look, “and I need your help, sister-in-law.”

  Her smile was slightly bemused and bewildered but she nodded her. “What do you need my help with?”

  “Jassi and I have been married for a year, and yet I still haven’t bought her an engagement or a wedding ring,” Waren pronounced. “I think it’s time we change that and Dad, this time, I want Jassi to have a real wedding.”

  Bowen laughed while Brody and Siria chuckled. “I think she deserves one.”

  “But nothing too elaborate,” Waren warned. “I don’t think she would like elaborate, right, Siria?”

  Siria nodded her head in agreement and offered her services. “Don’t worry, Dad, Waren I will take care of it because I think I know what Jassi would like.”

  “And I know the perfect place to have it,” Waren announced a wicked smile on his face that had the others laughing, and Anita coming into the room beamed with excitement.

  Chapter 12

  Unlocking the door to the apartment she rented a month ago, Jassi sighed wearily flipping on the light before closing the front door.

  Although she loved working for the hospital, she was having a hard time adjusting and that was because of the people who worked there. The staff members were much more arrogant and so self-assured of themselves, which wasn’t a bad quality, but at the same time, Jassi noticed they were quick to push small mistakes to others.

  No, Jassi amended rubbing the back of her neck, she just didn’t like working in the city and was finding fault with everything.

  She put down her keys on the small table that she had put in the entrance way only to stop realizing that she had took the small habit from her time with Waren. She groaned aloud hitting the table with the heel of her hand and her keys slithered off the table to the floor.

  She walked into the small living room to collapse on the couch while the envelope on the table mocking her.

  She had the divorce papers drawn up through a lawyer paying a lot of money that nearly broke her and yet she still hadn’t sent them out yet.

  “What are you waiting for,” Jassi muttered to herself leaning her head back and closing her eyes. “Waren is probably waiting for them and you dragging your ass won’t help the situation.”

  She sighed heavily before sitting up and with a determined look grabbed the envelope, and headed back to the door.

  She scooped to pick up her keys before pulling open the door only to still at the person standing there with his hand raised ready to knock.

  Seeing the man her heart been missing for the past month, Jassi stepped back her mind in confusion and when he uttered her name, she felt her stomach knot before she passed out the envelope fluttering to the floor.

  Waren caught her just as she started to slide to the floor and he frowned not liking the dark marks under her eyes or how thin she seemed to have become in such a short period.

  Swinging her up into his arms and using his foot to close the front door, he walked her over to the couch seeing how small the place was and yet she had decorated it in a pleasing style.

  He placed her on the couch pushing back her hair before he glanced around going into the kitchen to wet a dishtowel and get a glass of water.

  He walked back over to the couch and placing the glass on the small coffee table, he began to wipe Jassi’s face until her eyes began to flutter open at the coldness.

  When they were fully open, she stared at him in confusion and bewilderment which Waren ignored for the moment helping her to sit up.

  “You haven’t been taking care of yourself properly,” he berated turning around to take the glass from the table.

  ‘I’ve been busy,” she muttered taking the glass he offered for her to drink.

  Waren went back on his hunches and glared at her. “That’s not a good enough excuse.”

  Jassi mumbled something underneath her breath and pushed herself to the edge of the couch looking around before she spotted the envelope near the door where she had dropped it.

  “If you are here for that,” she waved a hand to the envelope, “then there you go. They are already signed and I was planning to mail it tomorrow. You didn’t need to come find me for it.”

  The last part was barely a whisper before sh
e pushed herself up from the couch only to get dizzy and almost fall again if Waren hadn’t caught her.

  “We will worry about the divorce papers later,” Waren stated settling her back down on the couch his eyes never leaving her. “I think we should get you to see a doctor.”

  “I’m fine,” Jassi protested in a strong voice pushing Waren’s hands away from her and sitting back up. “I’m just hungry since I haven’t eaten today.”

  Waren sighed before standing up and without asking her, lifted Jassi to her feet.

  “Let’s go get you something to eat before you pass out on me again,” he ordered taking her hand and heading for the door where he stooped to pick up the keys Jassi had dropped when she passed out including the envelope which he just placed on the table.

  “Waren, you have no right…” Jassi started angrily only to stop when Waren spun around bringing her up close to him.

  “Actually, I do because I am still your husband,” he gave her a hard look. “Once you get something to eat, then we will talk.”

  Jassi grumbled following him out of the apartment and watching him lock her door before he took a more secure hold of her hand and escorted her out of the building.

  They went to a little place not too far away, which surprised Jassi glancing over at Waren.

  “You look tired so I don’t want to take you too far away just in case,” Waren replied to the look searching for a server who immediately caught his look and hurried over.

  They ordered before Waren made small talk asking her about the job at the hospital and Jassi found herself being honest with him.

  “It’s different than our hospital,” Jassi admitted taking sip of the lemonade she ordered glancing up at Waren who watched her steadily.

  “I talked to Dana,” he mentioned seeing her eyes go a little wide at his words. “She said that you would prefer to work in a more rural area maybe where Craig and Delilah live.”

  Jassi smiled thinking about Waren’s friends before she sighed nodding her head. “I believe so. I once did a short nursing job out in the country due to a shortage and they asked for volunteers, and it got me away from the family for about a month. I actually enjoyed it out there although it was more hectic and chaotic.”