Chapter 1

JENNIE POV:

Jennie already knew this meeting was going to be bad.

Her father had texted her “Be home by 7. We need to talk.”

And in her family, we need to talk never meant anything good.

It always meant someone had made a decision about her life and expected her to act grateful about it.

So by the time she walked into the dining room, she was already annoyed.

Her parents were both sitting there like this was some kind of board meeting.

There was a folder on the table in front of her father, and that alone made her want to turn around and leave.

Jennie sat down and looked between them. “If this is about another charity event, I’m not going. I can’t sit through another dinner with fifty rich people pretending to care about the planet while wearing diamonds the size of car keys.”

Her mother gave her a tired look. “It’s not about that.”

Jennie leaned back in her chair. “Great. So it’s worse.”

Her father slid the folder toward her. “Read it.”

Jennie didn’t touch it.

“No.”

“You haven’t even looked at it.”

“I don’t need to. You’re holding it like it’s about to ruin my week.”

Her mother sighed. “Ruby Jane.”

Jennie immediately hated this even more.

That name only came out when they were trying to control her while pretending to be calm about it.

“No,” she repeated.

“Actually, let’s save time. If this has anything to do with family image, succession, or me being expected to do something deeply stupid for business reasons, I’m already saying no.”

Her father opened the folder himself, turned it around, and pushed it toward her.

Jennie looked down.

blinked.

Then looked again.

Marriage Agreement.

She laughed.

Not because it was funny. Because there was no way this was real.

“No.”

Her father stayed completely calm.

“Read the full contract.”

Jennie looked up. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“No, like actually serious? As in you’re sitting here, fully sober, trying to hand me a marriage contract like this is normal?”

Her mother folded her hands together.

“This is a strategic arrangement.”

Jennie stared at her.

“Do you hear yourself?”

Her father’s expression didn’t change.

“This alliance has been discussed for years.”

Jennie let out a dry laugh.

“Okay, so it’s not just insane. It’s premeditated.”

She looked back down at the papers, mostly to prove to herself this was really happening.

Then she saw the other name.

And somehow it got worse.

Her eyes moved back to the top of the page.

Then to her parents.

Then back again.

“No.”

Her father nodded once. “Lalisa Manoban.”

Jennie actually pushed her chair back this time.

“You want me to marry Lisa?”

Her mother’s silence was enough.

Jennie stood up immediately. “Absolutely not.”

Because no.
Out of every possible person in the world, it had to be her?

Lalisa Manoban.

The one woman Jennie had spent the last few years trying not to commit tax fraud against out of pure irritation.

Lisa was impossible.

She was loud when she wanted to be, smug all the time, and somehow always looked like she found everything amusing even when she was being deeply annoying.

Every event they’d ever attended together had turned into either a competition, an argument, or something that felt way too close to flirting and had to be ignored immediately.

Jennie still remembered meeting her for the first time at nineteen at some business summit in Singapore.

Lisa had shown up late, sat across from her, and disagreed with her in front of an entire room like that was a normal way to introduce yourself.

Jennie had hated her on sight.

Which would’ve been much easier if Lisa hadn’t also been hot, but unfortunately life was disrespectful like that.

Her father looked at her. “Sit down.”

“No.”

“Jennie.”

“No, because I need both of you to understand how insane this is. You can’t just decide I’m getting married like I’m some kind of luxury investment package.”

Her mother kept her voice calm. “This isn’t about romance.”

“That does not help.”

“This is about stability. Long-term positioning. Family trust.”

Jennie gave her a blank look.

“You’re talking about my life like it’s a property merger.”

Her father finally leaned forward. “It is bigger than you.”

Jennie laughed once.

“That’s always your favorite excuse when you want me to shut up and obey.”

Silence.

Not awkward silence. Rich family silence. The kind where everyone’s trying to stay polite while making each other miserable.

Jennie looked down at the contract again.

*Two-year minimum term.

*Public appearances required.

*Joint residence strongly encouraged.

*No public scandals.

She looked up slowly.

“This is not a marriage. This is corporate kidnapping.”

Her mother’s tone softened. “You don’t have to love her.”

Jennie stared at her.

That sentence should not have made her as angry as it did, but it did.

“Wow,” she said. “Good to know love was never on the table. Very comforting.”

Her father slid a pen toward her.

And there it was.

The real reason for the meeting.

Not discussion. Not compromise. Not family concern.

They had already decided.

They were just waiting for her signature.

Jennie looked at the pen, then at him.

“What happens if I say no?”

Her father answered immediately. “You lose your board position.”

Jennie went still.

Her mother didn’t say anything.

Which told her this had been planned together.

Her father kept going. “No succession. No executive transition. No future authority within the company.”

Jennie looked at him for a long second.

Then at her mother.

Then back at the contract.

And there it was. The actual deal.

Not marriage.

Control.

That was always what it came back to in this family.

She had worked for her place in the company. She had earned it. And now they were threatening to take it away because she didn’t want to marry someone she couldn’t survive ten minutes alone with.

Actually unbelievable.

Jennie sat back down slowly.

Not because she accepted it.

Because she needed a second to stop herself from throwing something expensive.

“So that’s the game,” she said.

Her father didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

Jennie looked at the signature line.

Then at the name beside hers.

Lalisa Manoban.

She could already picture Lisa finding out.

Probably swearing. Probably pacing.

Probably acting like this was beneath her while also being just as furious as Jennie was.

That thought almost made this slightly less awful.

Almost.

Her mother finally spoke. “She’s being told tonight.

Jennie looked up. “She doesn’t know yet?”

“Not officially.”

Jennie leaned back and exhaled. “Good.”

Her mother frowned. “Good?”

Jennie looked down at the contract again.

“Because if I’m suffering, I’d like to know she is too.”

Her father looked unimpressed.

Jennie picked up the pen.

Then paused.

Then looked at both of them.

“I’m only doing this because you backed me into a corner.”

Her father said nothing.

Jennie signed her name anyway.

Hard enough to almost tear through the page.

Then she dropped the pen.

“But just so we’re clear,” she said, “if you think Lalisa Manoban and I are going to play perfect couple for your business fantasy, you are about to be very disappointed.”

Her mother gave her a look. “You’ll do what’s necessary.”

Jennie stood up and grabbed her phone off the table.

“No. I’ll do the bare minimum and make it everyone’s problem.

Then she left before either of them could say anything else.

Back in her apartment, Jennie kicked off her heels, changed into an oversized shirt, and poured herself a glass of wine she didn’t even want that much. She was too annoyed to enjoy alcohol properly.

She had just sat down on the couch when her phone suddenly buzzed.

Unknown number.

She stared at it for a second.

Then opened the message.

Unknown Number:
heard we’re getting married. my condolences.

Jennie stared.

Then, against her will, smiled a little.

Of course that was the first thing Lisa would say.

She typed back immediately.

Jennie:
if u think i’m the one suffering here, you’re more delusional than i thought

Lisa replied almost instantly.

Unknown Number:
still mean. comforting tbh

Jennie rolled her eyes.

Jennie:
save it. i’m not doing fake nostalgia with u

Unknown Number:
cute. anyway family wants us seen together tomorrow morning. 9am. i’ll pick u up.

Jennie stared at the screen.

The audacity.

Jennie:
die.

The typing bubble appeared again.

Unknown Number:
see u at 9, wifey.

Jennie threw her phone onto the couch.
Then immediately picked it back up and turned it face down like that somehow helped.

This was going to be a disaster.

And somehow, the worst part was that she already knew Lisa would make it even worse on purpose.

End of the first chapter

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Thanks for reading. And sorry if there was any mistakes English isn’t my first language. So leave a comment and vote 🩷