Family Reputation

Thaddeus took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "Because I wanted to."

His father narrowed his eyes. "There has to be another reason. Tell me the truth."

"No, Dad. It's not complicated. It's exactly what it sounds like. I married Sabrina because I wanted to. End of story."

His father exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Thaddeus, this is serious. You can't just go around marrying whoever you want. What if she's after the Gillcrest fortune? What if she's just using you?"

"Dad, please," Thaddeus said with a dramatic eye roll. "I'm a grown man. I can handle myself. And I can spot a gold digger a mile away. Trust me, Sabrina isn't one."

His father didn't look convinced, and Thaddeus couldn't blame him. It was a bit odd, getting married to someone he barely knew. But it was the only option.

"This is a rash decision," his father said, shaking his head.

"I know," Thaddeus admitted. "But I made it anyway. She's not a gold digger, and I know what I'm doing."

"So you say."

"Dad," Thaddeus groaned. "It's done. It's signed, sealed, and delivered. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Are you sure?" His father's voice was calm, but it had a dangerous edge. "I could have this annulled faster than you could blink."

"No, you can't."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because it's already legal. I have the documents to prove it."

His father stared at him, his expression unreadable. "And what, pray tell, were you thinking?"

"That I needed a wife. And now I have one."

Matthias sighed, rubbing his temples. "I should have seen this coming," he muttered.

"See what's coming?"

"You always had a rebellious streak, Thaddeus. You never could follow the rules."

"Dad, I'm thirty-nine years old. I don't need rules."

"That's what I'm afraid of," his father said, his gaze sharpening. "If you were serious about marriage, you would have talked to me first."

"It's my life," Thaddeus countered. "I'm not a child. I can make my own decisions."

His father's expression didn't change.

"Dad, come on. What's the big deal? I got married. So what?"

"The big deal," Matthias said, his voice dangerously calm, "is that you didn't tell me. You went behind my back and did this without consulting me. And now, we have to deal with the consequences."

"What consequences?"

"I've already invited the Rodgers for dinner tomorrow," his father said, his jaw tightening.

"Wait, what?" Thaddeus felt his stomach drop.

"Don't act surprised. You knew this would happen."

"You mean, you invited them without even talking to me first?"

"What's there to talk about?" His father shrugged. "You're already married. I might as well start making arrangements."

"Arrangements?" Thaddeus echoed, his voice rising.

"Yes," his father said coolly. "To have your marriage annulled."

Thaddeus shook his head, anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Dad, no. You can't do that."

"Why not? It's not a real marriage."

"How would you know? You've never even met her."

"I don't have to meet her to know it's not a real marriage," his father retorted.

"Then, why bother?" Thaddeus snapped. "Why not just let me handle this?"

"Because," his father said, his tone growing increasingly impatient. "You've made a fool of yourself, and now, the Gillcrest family reputation is on the line."

"Oh, please," Thaddeus scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't be dramatic. No one's going to care about this."

"You're wrong," his father said, his voice hardening. "People will care. They'll talk. And if they start digging, they might find out the truth about your marriage."

Thaddeus swallowed, his anger deflating slightly. He had considered that.

"Dad," he began, "it's not what you think—"

"Save it," his father said, cutting him off. "I'm not interested in excuses. I'm only interested in fixing this mess."

Thaddeus exhaled sharply, his irritation flaring. "This isn't a mess. I'm handling it. Can't you just trust me for once?"

His father shook his head, his expression cold. "Not when you've gone and married a stranger. Do you have any idea what you've done? How much damage control we'll have to do?"

"No," Thaddeus countered, his tone hardening. "But I'm willing to take responsibility for my own actions. You can't keep treating me like a child."

"I can, and I will, until you learn to make better decisions."

"Oh, come on," Thaddeus said, rolling his eyes. "Like you've never made a mistake. Like you've never done anything reckless."

"This isn't about me," his father said, his jaw clenched. "This is about you and your impulsive decision. Do you have any idea how that makes the Gillcrest family look?"

Thaddeus let out a frustrated sigh. It was always about the reputation, wasn't it? Never mind the fact that his marriage could be the solution to all their problems.

Matthias took a step closer, his piercing gaze never wavering. "You went and got yourself married without so much as a word. Do you think that reflects well on this family?"

Thaddeus ran a hand down his face. "Dad, it's done. There's nothing you can do about it now."

"Oh, believe me, I would if I could," Matthias shot back, his voice tight with restrained anger. "But since I can't, I at least deserve to know—who is she? Where does she come from? What does she bring to this family?"

Thaddeus crossed his arms. "She's my wife. That's all you need to know."

Matthias let out a humorless chuckle. "That's all I need to know? You're telling me you, my son, married some woman and expect me just to accept it without question?"

Thaddeus met his father's gaze head-on. "Yes."

His father's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then bring her to the dinner party this weekend. I want to meet your wife."

Thaddeus hesitated, feeling a spark of panic in his chest. The dinner party. He had almost forgotten about it. It was a tradition, held every year, to celebrate the anniversary of his parents' wedding.

And he had no idea how Sabrina would react to the sudden invitation.

"You're not the only one who gets to make snap decisions," his father said, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. "Bring your wife, and we'll have a proper dinner."

"I can't just spring this on her, Dad," Thaddeus said, his tone firm.

"Then don't," his father said smoothly. "If she's truly your wife, then there shouldn't be a problem. Besides, this gives me a chance to see for myself if she's worthy of being a part of the Gillcrest family."

"She is," Thaddeus growled, his patience wearing thin.

"We'll see."

Thaddeus stared at his father, unable to mask the frustration in his voice.

"You're not giving me a choice here, are you?"

His father shook his head, his expression hardening. "You made your choice when you went and got yourself married without my approval."

Thaddeus's gaze narrowed, his jaw tensing. He knew his father was right, but that didn't make the situation any less infuriating.

"Fine," he relented, his voice dripping with disdain. "I'll bring Sabrina. But don't expect miracles. She's not some trained dog."

His father let out a dismissive noise. "We'll see about that."

Thaddeus's gaze darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. This wasn't going to be easy.

He turned to leave, knowing the argument was over. His father wouldn't budge.

As he made his way out the door, his father's voice called after him.

"And Thaddeus? Don't think you're off the hook yet."

Thaddeus didn't turn, his jaw set. He'd figure this out one way or another.

But first, he had to meet his wife.