Fighting Scandal

Beatrice woke up late and found that her knuckles stopped swelling. Her body also felt reenergized after that long slumber and she was feeling light. She yawned and stretched her arms to get ready for the day.

She went downstairs to find breakfast served on the kitchen table and there was a note beside it.

I need to go to work and I will be mostly out for the day. But I cooked breakfast before going out so don't worry and I hope your hand is okay.

I'll be back soon wife.'

Beatrice read the letter and cringed.

'This feels like we're a real married couple. I mean yes we're married in church and on paper but we don't have the mutual feelings for each other. I guess you can take my hatred for him into account but I don't know what Lucas is thinking about me. Maybe he sees me only as his ticking time bomb shield.. but what's with the hug yesterday?….

She sighed heavily remembering the hug.

'I can't understand men.'

Lucas will be busy throughout the week with their partnership and because his grandfather's corporation will be transferred to him.

But she doesn't have any care in the world with that company stuff.

'What I do care about is food right now? Since food is my life and food is more important than a company.'

She ate breakfast and oh boy was it good. Lucas can be a self-proclaimed professional chef if he wanted to. Maybe she can sign him up in a cooking show and she'll be his manager and in turn, make lots of money.

'Speaking of money, I'm a young, dumb, broke married woman and I am in need of funds. Maybe I'm the only person in the world who has rich-ass parents and is married to a billionaire but is poor. What happened to my life?'

Her cellphone rang so she grabbed it and looked at the caller. Her mother's name showed up and it brought back shunned memories.

'Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea to pick it up. The last time I answered her, my life instantly turned 180 degrees and I am currently living in a nightmare because of it.'

Beatrice ignored her mother's call but she was persistent. Her phone kept ringing and she was on the brink of irritation. She looked at her phone again but this time, it was his father's turn to call her.

She pressed the answer button and her mother's voice was on the receiving end.

"Beatrice! Why are you not picking my call?!"

'I should've known better than to answer.' She thought to herself.

"Oh well hello, mom! I'm fine, Thank you...Bye," She was about to bring her finger up and press that end button.

"Beatrice, Don't you dare hang up on me. We need to talk!" Her mother uttered in a warning tone.

She already got married to Lucas out of her will and put her freedom at stake, what more should I sacrifice for them?

"What else do you need? You already ruined my life, don't tell me you're going to fuck my already fucked up life!-"

Her mother cut her off as she started to talk about the reason why she was calling.

"There's a video that has gone viral and it's about you roughing up a guy! Beatrice is it too difficult to ask for you to behave once in a while? We are in a difficult situation and we can't afford any more scandals about you. What if Lucas backs out because of this? What if this will put the partnership in jeopardy?"

She rolled her eyes. Of course, this is about the company and the partnership. What did she expect?

The video may be about the guy he beat up last night because he was harassing a girl. But her parents don't have any care about that reason. They only see her as their irresponsible and war freak daughter. They don't care if she saved someone or did it out of goodwill (beating up people can be goodwill too), what they only care about is their reputation and image.

"If you're just lecturing me for what I did them I'm hanging up. And besides, I don't think Lucas will back out just because of that."

Lucas already said it, he's Captain America and he's her shield….

Ok, He actually didn't say that... but you got the metaphor.

She's someone that should receive the bullets ie, the insults and other stuff fired by the elders with open arms.

"Beatrice, I'm warning you! Don't do anything rash and no more scandals-"

"Yeah, yeah mom, received in one ear, out in the other" she chuckled slightly

"Why you!-" Beatrice pressed the end call button and turned off her phone so they wouldn't pester her again by calling.

*******

(In Lucas's company)

"Christina, what's my schedule today?" Lucas asked his secretary as he arrived at his company.

"A meeting with the Board of Directors at 9'oclock sharp, a conference at 11:00, meeting regarding the partnership with Chastain's at 1:00 and a lawyer will come here at 3:00...that's all"

He went directly to his office as he received the schedule for today.

His office was situated at the topmost section of the building overlooking views of the city and mountains. It is painted with hues of white grey and black that gives off a masculine vibe.

His office has an informal sofa lounge with a table in the middle and a cabinet with files and records slumped back on the wall. In the far corner lies his office table with countless documents arranged on piles, a laptop and a personalized glass nameplate that read Lucas Landcaster,

CEO of Landcaster Company.

He pushed the glass door open and a man in his middle 20's was sitting on the sofa.

"Lucas my man-Oh! What happened to your face?!" The man asked as he was surprised seeing Lucas's face with a swelling cheek. It was noticeable but it still didn't lessen his handsomeness.

"It's nothing, What are you doing here, William?" William ignored the question and inspected his swelling cheek.

"Did you sleep with a girl and you got slapped because of your jerk attitude?"

Lucas knitted his brow with his absurd question.

"No, my wife did this."

"So she caught you sleeping with another woman and she slapped you?!" Lucas massaged his temples with how dirty William's mind is.

"No, and I never slept with another woman."

"Wait, Lucas, you're married?!" Christina butted with a surprised expression on her face and she almost dropped the catalog she was holding.

"Oh yeah, surprise surprise, Lucas got married three days ago" William happily answered Christina's question.

"Shut up William. I'm not talking to you"

"Yeah, I already married someone" Lucas uttered without an expression on his face.

"But how about my sister!" She exclaimed and there was something unexplainable about her reaction. Was it fear?

"Christina, I only see Hanna as a sister and besides she doesn't see me that way."

Christina's face contorted to an indescribable one, and she excused herself.

"Whoo, those sisters are head over heels

for you. You gotta give me some of that face of yours and your manliness to make Christina swoon over me" Lucas gave him a glare.

"You're disgusting and they're not like that, especially Hanna" William scoffed at him

"Well maybe Christina just wanted to drag you in bed and that's it, but Hanna? Dude that girl only wanted you for herself and they're both cuckoos. Christina's a bit cuckoo but she's hot…. I heard she already slept with hundreds of your employees...So I'm wondering why she's not coming to me…. I bet she's super good in bed" Lucas gave him a disgusted look for thinking about Christina like that.

He does agree that Christina's a playgirl and her late-night adventures can be weird sometimes. He even wonders if she's bipolar and has some attitude problems but he only sees her as an efficient secretary and a friend.

"She doesn't come to you because you sound like a 4-year-old yapping away and the janitor's more handsome than you."

William put on an exaggerated face with his hand on his chest and his mouth was open in shock.

"That was mean! Take that back or I won't share my cookie with you!" Lucas shook his head with another one of William's silliness.

"I think you should be working your ass right now rather than being here."

"Naah, I'm bored. Office work is not for me. How could you endure sitting on that chair looking at piles of papers with alienated language about stocks and stuff?"

William's an heir to a multi-national conglomerate but he never has the will nor the urge to take his family's a company on his back.

"Oh, by the way, Lucas, there's a viral video on the internet and the girl in it looks absolutely like your wife. It's like a miracle because they look absolutely the same." William blurted out and Lucas frowned hearing his wife was in a video.

"Show me the video." William brought his phone to him and played the video.

It showed a man punching a girl but the girl was able to avoid it and kicked the man in the balls. The man fell down on the ground writhing in pain.

"Ow. That must have hurt" William clasped his crotch as If he was able to feel the pain the man was experiencing in the video.

Lucas examined the girl's face and it took him minutes to realize it was….Beatrice?!

"That's my wife!" Lucas instantly sat up and went out of his office.

"Hey! Wait! Lucas!" He ignored William and continued to walk away, his strides were long as if he was in a hurry.

"Christina, cancel all my appointments today. I need to go somewhere important"

"But sir!? Sir?!" He proceeded to the parking garage and went inside his car.

He picked up his speed and in a matter of minutes, he arrived at his house.