Chapter 2 MY DIGNITY OR MY FAMILY'S HAPPINESS

The morning after came with a piercing sunlight on Amelia Harper's face passing through the heavy hotel curtains. At this point, her head was pounding like there was a marching band rehearsal playing inside it. She tried to lift her hand to cover her face from the sun's rays, but she couldn't raise it because there was something heavy on it or someone next to her.

She turned her head and blinked her eyes quickly, her vision was still not clear. "Am I dreaming or hallucinating? Who is lying beside me? Oh my!!! Damon Blackwood... My boss." She gasped

He was shirtless; the sheets were wrapped majorly around his waist. His dark hair was scattered, and his angular jaw showed a shadow of stubble... For a second, she thought he looked almost human, vulnerable even -- but the gravity of the situation on the ground brought her back to reality.

She looked around the room. There were scattered rose petals, an empty champagne bottle, and a funny-looking plastic tiara sitting on top of her purse. Then her gaze landed on the small silver bands on both of their left hands.

"No!" Amelia whispered while trying to sit upright. Her heart was beating very fast as she was shaking Damon's shoulder. "Damon! Wake up!"

He was still feeling very sleepy as he tried opening one eye. "Five more minutes," he mumbled with a tough sleepy voice.

"Sir... This is not the time to sleep. Wake up!" Amelia hissed as she was shaking him harder with annoyance.

His other eye snapped open, and he sat up quickly with a frowning face.

"What the hell is --" his eyes now met with Amelia and then looked at her finger with a ring on it. He looked at his hand also and his eyes widened in horror.

"What is this? What the hell happened last night?" Damon asked, his voice was becoming sharp now.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out because I'm confused too." Amelia snapped trying to get the greater part of the duvet while struggling to stand up from the bed. "All I remembered is going to the club, we have that ridiculous champagne and cocktails, and... Oh no." She slapped her forehead as she remembered little of what happened.

Damon swings his legs quickly over the side of the bed, and suddenly, his movement becomes stiff. "Wait... Did we..." He gestured something in the air between them.

"I think we did." Amelia's voice trembled. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and swiped through the pictures in her gallery. There it was... A blurry photo of them kissing passionately in front of a tacky-looking Vegas chapel.

"Eui... Yank" she spat out. "How did we get here."

Damon was just rubbing his hand around his face. "This is surely a nightmare... We'll get it annulled immediately. We were just drunk and living the moment."

"Annual you say? Was there even a wedding before now? What is there to annual? I never bargained for this. I'm just your assistant." Amelia was now teary, and both of her hands were now on her head.

"Calm down," he snapped. "It's just a mistake."

"Beep, Beep, Beep." Damon's phone Beeped with messages and online pictures of them taken by paparazzi.

"You think this is just a mistake?" She echoed. "Do you even understand what this could do to me? To you? I have a child, Damon! Also, a never-around fiance. This is going to be all over the tabloids!" She lashed out

He froze, and he rolled his blue eyes. "A child? A fiance? Since when do you have those?"

"Well, that's none of your business!" Let's focus on you fixing this shit!!! She fired back.

The tension in the room was sharp enough to cut through anything. "Look, I know I allowed my emotions to get the best part of me while at the club and asked you that question, but that was solely because I was drunk... And you, what's your excuse? You know what... Right now I don't care about your personal life. This -- "He waved his hand around their surroundings." Needs to be erased, and fast. I just need the expertise of my PR team on deck."

"Erased?" She repeated bitterly. "Is that how you see everything? Just another problem for your team to fix?"

"Oh please spare me the lecture," Damon shouted. "I don't have time for this melodrama. I have a company to run."

Amelia was now standing with crossed arms, and her temper was flaring up. "Remember you insisted I follow you to that club, also insisted we danced and let loose. Now we are letting loose by the internet paparazzi." She said sarcastically

Before Damon could respond, the doorbell rang, which startled both of them.

"Mr Blackwood?" A voice called out. "This is Eric from the PR team. We need to talk. It's urgent."

Damon sighed, throwing on a shirt. "Stay here," he ordered Amelia.

"Excuse me? She shot back. "I'm not a dog, Damon. We're in this mess together so I'm coming with you."

Damon opened the door, and Eric entered, holding a tablet with a sad look. "Good morning sir... Sir, I'm sorry to disturb but.."

"What do you mean... Sorry to disturb!! Disturb what exactly? Wait a second... How did I and Miss Harper end up in this hotel together?"

"Sir, this hotel was booked by Miss Harper for you to rest after the event, and this particular room is yours. We wanted to take Miss Harper to her room, but you asked us to leave you guys. You both were really soaked in alcohol, so we decided to let you both work."

????

They looked at each other dumbfounded

Eric handed over the tablet to Damon, showing him the photos of their impromptu wedding circulating all over, making headlines. It screamed: "Billionaire Damon Blackwood Weds his Assistant in Wild Vegas Nightclub!!!"

"CEO's Drunken Marriage: Real love or Publicity stunt?"

Eric cleared his throat. "The best move now, sir, is to spin this as a whirlwind romance. A temporary arrangement. Six months. Then you can divorce quietly."

Amelia's jaw dropped. "What? Absolutely not! I'm not going down that route, pretending to be married to my boss for six months?" That's hilarious

Eric turned to her."Miss Harper, this isn't just about you. The company is at stake here. This marriage could stabilize Mr Blackwood's image and secure a very critical merger."

"No," she said firmly." I refuse to be a pawn in some corporate scheme. I want an annulment to whatever this is, now!" "In fact, now I'm just getting a heads up; it seems you guys planned all of this; that's why you all insisted I go with the boss. You all want to ridicule me." Impossible!

"No, Miss, please don't misunderstand the situation; it's only right you went with him as his assistant to keep him on track with his schedule, but...." He scratched his head. "Ma'am, Damage control is what we need now; please be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" She snapped. "You dragged me to that club, and now you want me to fix your mess? I have other things to do, please. I can't be playing house with you for six months."

Eric sighed, looking at Damon. "If she doesn't cooperate, the fallout will be massive."

Damon was now furious. "Amelia, let's not forget your mother's ill health; you need financial aid. I could ensure she gets the best care or I could.... Reconsider."

Amelia was now filled with fury. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Damon said coldly.

"You're unbelievable. But I won't be bullied, Damon. Do your worst."

The room fell silent. Finally, Eric spoke. "This isn't ideal, but we can work around it. Damon, let's discuss contingency plans."

Damon gave Amelia a long, unreadable look before following Eric out of the room.

Left alone, Amelia fell on the bed, with her head in her hands.

"I know Damon could make my life difficult, but I refused to compromise my dignity or my son's happiness."