The 'Hell!'

The wedding won't happen anytime soon, the man said. I didn't know what he was waiting for. Even if Jenna got married, things wouldn't change.

Worst of all, just as we were relaxing too much and thinking Jenna's wedding was still a while away, we were hit with news we never expected.

"We need to get the wedding over with because Hellen will go on honeymoon with Ryan, and Jenna's getting married this week," said John, who immediately told me to get ready and that we'd just get married at the registry.

Unbelievable!

I just couldn't get over him. If it was just to get a woman, just take her away from her husband. Or just enjoy the existing love life because with or without snatching her, John could already enjoy Hellen's body, and vice versa.

It was different with me. Although I had tried to set Blake up, my plan had never worked.

"Miss Smith, didn't you hear me?" He snapped his fingers in front of my face and broke my reverie.

We'd had a state wedding, and now I was in his magnificent home, standing in front of a room that looked like it would be my room.

We wouldn't be sleeping together unless he wanted to. But I was sure that wouldn't happen. If he needed a place of release, it would be a woman named Hellen.

"Oh, sorry. What did you say?" I asked, refocusing my attention on the strapping man before me. I had a little trouble following his eye level because of our height.

My height, which didn't reach his shoulders, made me look up relatively high every time I talked to him. Didn't he know that was so exhausted me?

"Can we just sit down? I'm so tired," I argued. If he were a real man, he should know I suffer a lot when communicating with him while standing up.

"Alright. Let's enter your room. You can check what's missing so I can fulfill it right away," he said as he opened the door and let me in. "There is one thing we have to do after this. I'm planning a party to celebrate our wedding. I invite Ryan and Hellen, and you should invite Jenna and Blake."

Why should they come? As much as I loved Blake, competing with Jenna wouldn't be easy.

"What if we don't have to announce it? I didn't even say anything to my parents," I said, trying to negotiate with him.

Even though it was unlikely to work, I still had to do it. If Mom and Dad found out that I wasn't at Westmont to go to college but to get married, they would kill me.

John didn't respond to my words but instead left me to talk to someone on the phone.

I looked around the room. Many uncertain feelings were now ambushing me, and I wondered whether I was sure about this stupid decision and whether I wouldn't regret it later.

It would be easy to do whatever John wanted if it was just a fake status. However, marriage was a sacred word that couldn't be said or done carelessly.

That was why I decided not to get married. However, John's presence made me dismiss my own principles.

"Sorry, Hellen called," John said again after a few minutes of letting me wait.

"Did you tell her about our marriage?" I asked, and he didn't answer. "Aren't you afraid she'll misunderstand this?"

"Take it easy. Hellen is not that kind of person. If she comes, you'll know."

"You're not being honest with her, but you want to invite her to our wedding celebration? Are you sure it's okay?" I asked again to make sure. I didn't want to cause a scene due to his careless actions and crazy ideas.

Instead, he chuckled as he muttered, "We'll see."

***

How influential was this man? He wasn't a gangster, right? Why was it that all the concepts and preparations had reached one hundred percent in a matter of days? I was pretty amazed at that, but considering how infatuated this man was with a married woman, I felt like drowning him at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Stupid men like him shouldn't exist in this world.

If I were to be the woman loved so stubbornly by a man like him—handsome and well-established, I would never let him go, and I was the type of woman who was loyal when I found love, for example, to Blake.

Unfortunately, Blake might not have been made for me...

"Remember, you can't change your mind. Or all our plans could fail, and if that happens, I won't let you sleep well," a voice said, breaking my reverie.

I, who had just worn a dress, turned my head and found John standing in the doorway.

"What's the reason you're talking like that? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do for this strange marriage. I'm just waiting for your orders. If only you didn't threaten me with the fake sex tape. I'll never agree to be your puppet," I replied, putting on my accessories. "By the way, this dress fits me perfectly. Thank you. How did you know my size?"

"I saw one of the dresses in your closet and ordered it from my local boutique," he replied. "Hurry up and get ready because your best friend is already outside."

I was wide-eyed and starting to panic, biting my lip and walking back and forth like a dazed woman. "John, what am I supposed to do when I face them? I'm a terrible liar. What if they find out that–"

"Hey, Clara, listen to me." He stopped my random steps and grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look into his hazel eyes. I stared at a face with a chiseled jaw, thick eyebrows, and a piercing gaze like a hawk that could rip out anyone's heart. "You can do this. I'll stay close by and work with you so you don't make any mistakes."

Oh, John, why must you love a woman who only had you as backup? Didn't you want to change your course toward me, for example?

If you do, let's stop this pretense and walk together toward our real love story.

Enough, Clara! Wake up, he didn't want you!

I nodded in response to John's words and walked into the party room with him by the arm. Sure enough, Jenna and Blake were there, looking down at me with a look on Jenna's face that was... I was sick of admitting that Jenna looked very sincere—both surprised and happy about my marriage.

She rushed to me and 'snatched' me from John Armando, hugging me tightly and then looking at me with amazement.

"I can't believe you and Doctor Armando... oh, Clara." She smothered her mouth, and I could see a puddle in her eyes. "Look, you're so beautiful. You guys are so good together. Wait! There's one thing you have to do, though. You owe me a story, okay? Don't feel safe because you're married to a man as handsome as Doctor Armando."

Yes... I know. I would always have a story to tell you, Jenna. Unfortunately, I'd never tell you the details because this all happened because of you—either because of you or because of John's crazy brain.

I was awkward because Jenna kept looking at me like a big sister who was so happy about her little sister's marriage. I didn't like that.

I wanted her to get upset and rant at John, saying, "Doctor Armando, how could you take my Clara to marry without my permission?"

I wanted her to do that!

My gaze couldn't escape Blake, who came with Jenna. He was still as handsome as ever; his mature age made him look 'hard to resist'. If he asked me to wrap my legs around his hips, I would gladly accept. Unfortunately, his gaze hadn't been on me since, not even when congratulating me.

Did he hate me that much?

While engrossing himself in the guests, who, though few, seemed to be to John's liking, as he was all smiles from the moment he turned to me and nodded, came the one he was waiting for.

A bold-looking woman in a black party dress with fancy glitter accents, carrying a handbag, bright red lipstick, and a 70s-style hairdo, walked up to John, who approached and grabbed my hips to be close to him.

I briefly turned my head toward him to see how the man with the most outrageous ideas would react before I was forced to look away because someone had pulled my arm away from John and slapped me enough to knock me to the floor.

Shrieks of shock could be heard from some of the guests, and it wasn't pain that I felt but rather extreme embarrassment. Not to mention hearing her apparent slur directed at me.

"You slut!"

What the hell?! That line would one day backfire on you, Hell! You'll see!