Chapter Two: This Nightmare Is Real, Then?

"No...I have my answer...I accept."

"You do?" Elias asked, surprised at her quick agreement. He had thought she would need a few days to decide.

Elias Bourbeux analyzed the girl in front of him. At first he had scoffed at the sight of her. What woman would dress in tattered jeans and a t-shirt, to plant in her garden? Wasn't that an activity reserved for seniors? He had wondered, looking at her. Then again the garden looked well maintained, healthy, and cared for, with several flowers in bloom around them.

Cheeks flushed, and golden brown eyes glowing at him defiantly, he could see there was more to Hayley Renfree than met the eye. Her chocolate brown hair had been tied into a ponytail, as she stood in front of him, her hands fidgeting with the file folder he'd given her. She might have agreed to his proposal, but he knew better than to think she would go quietly.

"Yes, but I have conditions."

"Alright, and what are they?" He asked, sounding rather interested. What was she going to ask of him? Had he not given her plenty already?

"Renfree will continue to be under the ownership of my father." She told him, and he nodded. Fair enough, he thought. He could arrange for the laboratory to be an auxiliary organization under BNI, allowing it to remain independent but still under the brand.

"There will be a position available, should either of my brothers or my sister decide to work at the lab."

"Okay, anything else?"

"I will marry you, but I do not want to have to go through a big ceremony. So city hall would be perfect."

At this Elias smothered a laugh. He had met his share of girls, and most of them had some rough idea of how their weddings would be. Yet here was a girl forsaking all of the pomp and ceremony just to sign a certificate. Unbelievable, he thought.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you there." He told her, making her glower at him, as if he had dared her to retract her acceptance of his proposal. "I promised your father, that he would have the chance to walk you down the aisle...it was part of his deal with me."

It had been one of Michael Renfree's conditions. 'If you marry my daughter, I want to walk her down the aisle.' He had told him the week before, when Elias had come to ask him about becoming a partner.

"Any other conditions?" He asked out of curiosity, as the girl standing before him bit her lips.

"No..."

He almost didn't hear her quiet voice.

"Well then...I will take my leave. I'll call you in a few days once the details are set." He informed her. "You will also need to be introduced to my family before the wedding."

"Okay..." She sounded a bit put out, he thought, watching as she stared at the grass.

He could understand that it must have been hard for her to leave her family so abruptly. He hadn't exactly been thrilled at the prospect of marrying someone he'd never met either, but the thought of losing the company to anyone, especially his cousin, had motivated him. Elias knew he would stand by his word, and if that meant marrying Hayley, then so be it.

"Will you join us for dinner on Friday then?" He asked, giving her a few days to comprehend what she had agreed to. He wanted to make sure she understood, and it would giver her some time to back out if she should choose to.

"Alright."

...

Helping with the little children, Hayley brought out the construction paper and glue. They were making paper-mache piñatas, and since the balloons had dried with newspaper strips on them, it was time to paint and decorate them.

Once a week she spent time at the community center helping out with their summer activities. She enjoyed being able to do something completely unrelated to her line of work. It also helped take her mind off what was really bothering her.

The last few days had seemed as though they had gone on forever. At first she had thought it had been a dream. That encounter couldn't possibly have been real. Who in this day and age would ask for a marriage purely based on business interests?

Though she had not expected a fairy tale love, she had definitely not thought that she would stuck in such a situation just to help her father's laboratory. Hurt, Hayley had felt as though she were a pawn in her father's business dealings. She couldn't believe that neither of them had bothered to explain the situation to her beforehand. Unable to face either of her parents, she had silently gone to work and then home to her room. She was determined not to let the company suffer just because of what she felt.

"Okay, Hayley?"

Not registering that she was being spoken to, Hayley carried on cutting her sheet of paper.

"Hayley?"

"HAYLEY!"

Stunned at the shout, Hayley looked up to find her colleague and in-charge staring down at her. Autumn Rhodes was watching her, looking rather annoyed. Her jet black hair partly covered one of her grey eyes.

"Sorry, were you saying something?" Hayley apologized.

"Yea, I was telling you that we have enough decorations. Go help them paint." She pointed to the kids.

"Okay." She nodded, getting up from her seat.

"Is everything alright? You don't seem like yourself today?" Autumn asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"Every thing's fine..." She lied. How could it not be? Her mind scoffed. My parents made a deal with some man telling him if he could convince me to marry him, they would agree to work with him!

"Okay...well if you ever need to talk, just let me know..."

"Thanks." Hayley nodded, as she walked away.

Going over to one of the kids who was struggling with the task, she helped him stabilize the balloon, as he painted.

"Hayley..."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Hearing her name being called, this time she recognized the voice...it was the one she had thought she had dreamed up. She gulped, closing her eyes, wishing for it to be a nightmare, when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Hayley..."

Biting her bottom lip, she turned to face him. So you really do exist, she thought, mournfully.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, looking straight into those forest green depths.

"I dropped by your house and the lab, but your father told me I'd find you here." Elias answered.

Of course he did, she thought darkly. It's like he sold me out!

"What do you want?"

Getting up, she crossed her hands over her chest, distinctly aware that the others working with her were watching them closely. Silence filled the room, and she could hear the whispers around them. 'Who is he?' 'Isn't he the one from that company?' 'What's he doing talking to her?'

"Well, there were some details that my family thought I should ask you about since you are technically my fiance."

"Wait, you're getting married, Hayley?" Autumn was the one to ask, looking shocked at the news.

"Um...yea...it's kind of a long story." She said, sounding apologetic. Realizing the longer they stayed there the more questions would be asked, Hayley pulled Elias by his well-suited sleeve.

"We just need a few minutes if you all don't mind." She said, before looking at him. "Come on."

Dragging him outside of the community center, she let go of his sleeve standing in front of the brick wall. Looking at him, she hated that he looked so well dressed, and dapper, feeling more than a little inadequate. He had the unfortunate ability to make her feel out of place, she thought, grudgingly.

"So what is it? What do you want?"

Pulling something from the briefcase she hadn't taken note of before, he handed her a stack of envelopes.

"These are our wedding invitations. I asked your father for the best available day. Your entire family is welcome to join, and of course you can invite your friends."

"I don't have any friends...I sort of lost touch with them after high school and when I left university to work at the lab, I usually only hear from them through Facebook." She told him lamely. Why am I telling him? She wondered, not understanding how being watched by him made her spill things she would much rather hide. I don't need him to feel sorry for me! She thought, irritated.

"What about those people I just saw?" He asked, looking curious, as if he hadn't expected the answer.

"I don't know them very well. We met a few weeks ago at the beginning of summer activities."

"Well, you're welcome to have them join us." He told her. "They can RSVP for the ceremony and reception."

"Anything else?"

"The ring...was the size okay?"

Thinking back, she remembered he had presented her with a small box. A beautiful band of white gold holding a princess cut diamond, had been placed on a cushion. She had stared it down each night since their first meeting, the ring being the only proof that his proposal had really happened. Perhaps if there were feelings between them, she would have felt thrilled, or at least something other than obligation and dread.

"Yes, it was fine."

Giving her a hard look, Elias pointed at her bare left hand.

"Then why aren't you wearing it?"

Taken a back by his question, she wasn't sure why he cared. Hadn't he said this was just for business.

"It was too conspicuous...and it kept getting in my way." She said, remembering how it had got caught in her hair the first time she wore it.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it." Elias said, sternly.

"Why?" Wasn't it enough that she was going through with the wedding?

"You're marrying into the Bourbeux family. Do you realize that your every move, your every choice, will be analyzed by critics and gossip columnists?"

Oh, Hayley thought, having forgotten just how much the members of Bourbeux were in the press.

"The minute you're seen without the ring, they'll start speculating, and it'll send the rumor mill into over drive. While I can let it go for now...once I introduce you to my parents, a press release will be issued. So please, don't forget." He warned her.

"Okay, I won't. Is that all? You wanted to give me the invites and check on the ring?"

"No, there is one last thing."

"What?" She asked, wearily. Hayley wasn't sure how much more she could take. With everything that had happened over the last few days, she was amazed that she was still standing.

"I'll be picking you up for dinner tomorrow at six. I've already left something for you to wear for the occasion back at your house."

"Why can't I wear something of my own?" She asked, rather annoyed. Elias was making her feel as if he would be the one controlling her.

Giving her an amused look, she thought he was imagining her back in her gardening clothes.

"I'd rather you didn't." He said, simply. "My parents do have certain expectations."

"What if I don't like your choice?"

"You'll just have to trust me."

Biting back whatever snide comment she had, Hayley gave him a hard look. What was she in for, exactly? The thought crossed her mind. What was going to happen to her once they got married? She didn't want to be stuck as the forgotten wife in some loveless marriage locked away in an ivory tower, Hayley thought as all her worries engulfed her.

"I don't like being controlled."

Nodding, as if he understood her, Elias gave her a small smile.

"Neither do I."

...

"How were the kids at the community center?" Hayley heard her mother ask, as she stepped inside the kitchen, having finally come home.

More than a little aggravated at the way her day had been going, she had been hoping to minimize any interaction with either of her parents.

Seeing her father sitting at the table, Hayley gritted her teeth.

"It was fine."

"I thought you loved volunteering with the kids." Her father said, as if wondering why she spoke so tersely.

"Apparently not as much as you like handing me over to some stranger." She muttered under her breath, looking in the fridge for something to eat.

"What was that, honey?" Hayley's mother asked.

"Nothing." She said, quickly.

Not finding anything that looked remotely enticing, she turned to see her parents watching her.

"What?"

"I heard Elias dropped by to see you." He said, her father's face not giving away any emotion.

We're going to play that game, are we? She thought, unamused. Giving him a hard look, she was about to turn away and leave when she heard him speak.

"Hayley, I know you're upset." Her father started.

"Do you? Really?" She asked, annoyed. Upset was just the tip of the iceberg.

"I do, and I'm sorry...it's just that there wasn't any better way."

"Better way to what? Save the lab? Because, if things were so bad, I'm pretty sure I would have known and I could have thought of a few ways to help." She said, laughing darkly. "Of course, I never expected that my parents would simply give me away to a man I've never met!"

Unable to keep herself in check, she could hear her voice rising. All logic and rationality had gone out the window. All she could feel was her anger at having to accept Elias' proposal, and betrayal over the fact her father had known all about it before hand.

"You know what I feel like? I feel like you're trying to push me out of the house! If you wanted me married that badly, why didn't you just tell me? I could have found someone I liked!"

"Hayley, that's not it at all." Her mother interjected.

"Then what?" Hayley asked, as though daring either of them to refute what she'd said. "What could possibly make you send me away like this?"

"We want what's best for you. This way the lab will flourish, and I'll know that at least now you'll have the chance to start a fresh new life." Her father said, giving her an exasperated look.

"Are you kidding me?! What fresh new life? You're condemning me to a loveless marriage, and you're saying it is what's best for me?"

"You don't know that it'll be loveless." Her mother put in.

Wanting nothing more than to bang her head against the nearest wall, Hayley blew out an explosive breath. This was going nowhere.

"What about the lab? I thought we were in this together, Dad?" She asked, the hurt bubbling up. The only reason she had agreed was so that her father's business wouldn't be compromised, and so that her family wouldn't be financially insecure.

He looked away, unreadable, and Hayley knew it wasn't going to be good news.

"Hayley, you've helped me when I needed it most...but I think now you need to start your own life. Besides, the lab is going to be in good hands now...we'll have actual employees taking care of things."

The words cut through her like a knife. This can't be happening! She thought. Please wake me up from this nightmare!

"So you're pushing me out of the lab...just like you're pushing me out of the house?" Her voice came out weak, as she tried to control her emotions.

"Honey, you're tired...I can see you burning out more and more each day...you've been helping me non-stop for almost four years. You need a break, and to get on with your life." Her father tried explaining to her, but the damage was done.

"I get it...all I am is a business transaction with the Bourbeuxs."

"Hayley, wait!"

"No...it's fine. I'm sorry if my slowing down caused you any problems, Dad." She said, as her vision blurred with tears. "I hope the lab succeeds just like you wanted it to."

Unable to stay any longer, Hayley ran out of the kitchen towards the stairs, the feeling of being abandoned and used overwhelming her as she stormed to her room.