Divorced: Marrying Ex's Cousin

IRIS

"Well, here goes nothing."

I took a deep breath, shut my eyes and hit the plastic piggy bank sharply with a small hammer. I opened one eye, then the other.

"Holy crow!"

I cried as I spread out the bills on the kitchen counter. There was money here. Lots of it. How had I ever managed to save so much money in just under a year? I glanced at the clock. It was still hours before Ollie was due home, but what was that saying again? Time flies when you're having fun. And I was going to have a lot of fun buying my husband the best, most expensive wedding anniversary gift I had ever given him. I spent the next fifteen minutes straightening out the bills and counting them. As soon as I finished, I changed and headed straight for the most renowned jewellery store in the city. From the store's window, one could see the pieces they had on display, sitting on soft velvet cushions. I had window-shopped here more times than I could count. Now I actually had enough money to buy something. Getting a gift for Ollie was not as simple as I thought. The sheer number of men's bracelets, watches, studs, cufflinks on display was enough to make anyone confused. Twenty minutes after I had come into the store, I found myself in an aisle I had been to before, desperately trying to choose between a silver bracelet or a pair of golden cufflinks. My eyes darted from one to the other so fast it almost made me dizzy.

"May I assist you, ma'am?" I turned to see a plump, pretty redhead beside me, wearing a red shirt emblazoned with the store's name.

"Yes, please. I'm trying to decide which one to buy..." I trailed off. She smiled knowingly.

"It's to be a gift for your brother... father?" she asked.

"Oh. No. My husband. It's an anniversary present."

The redhead's smile widened. "Congratulations," she said warmly.

"Thank you." She glanced at the items I had been looking at and frowned a little.

"Does he particularly want those?" she asked.

"Not really." "Then I know just the thing. Please come with me." I followed her to a large display case containing wristwatches. She gently took out one that had also caught my eye.

"This is the Rolex Submariner. White gold, you see. It's exquisite. I'm sure he'll like this... Or you can try the-" "No," I cut in. As soon as I had seen the watch, I knew it was the one.

"I want it." She beamed.

"You made an excellent choice."

I sucked in a breath when she told me the price, but then I had just the amount, and I paid without batting an eye. Ollie was worth every cent. The sales girl again wished me a happy anniversary as I left the store. I kept imagining Ollie's delighted look of surprise when I handed him the watch. If I had known then that my world would come crumbling down in no time, I would have held on longer to that last shred of happiness. I pushed open the front door of my house and paused at the threshold for a moment. Faint noises were coming from somewhere in the house. Had I left one of the television sets on, or had Ollie returned? The sounds got louder as I approached the bedroom door. It was an odd motley of sounds: the creak of bedsprings, soft grunts, pants... a moan?

"Ollie? What are-" I had opened the door of the bedroom while speaking. I froze at the sight that met my eyes. My husband's arms were around a blonde. His lips were glued to hers. She shifted sighed his name, and I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces.

"Charlotte! Ollie!" I shrieked. Instantly, they sprang apart. Ollie's lips curled when he saw me standing there with my hand pressed against my chest. With a sigh, Charlotte, my stepsister, slowly sat up. As an afterthought, she covered her bare breasts with the sheets.

"Why the hell did you have to sneak in on us like that?"

Ollie grumbled. He swung his legs out of bed, searched and found his shorts among the pile of his and Charlotte's discarded clothes, and pulled them on.

"The door was locked, wasn't it? You should have knocked."

In my head, I was screaming at Ollie, at Charlotte. In reality, my brain desperately tried to catch up with my senses. Maybe I had fallen asleep and had begun having this terrible dream. It just had to be a dream. My husband sleeping with my stepsister? The thought was intolerable.

"What are you standing there, staring like a dumb ox, for? Huh?" Ollie said. Charlotte giggled and quickly clapped her hand over her mouth. Ollie's gave her an indulgent smile.

"She is rather dumb, isn't she, love?" Charlotte nodded and giggled again.

"Well, did you want something, Iris?" he continued. Tears ran down my cheeks. I forced my vocal cords to unlock.

"Ollie... how... Why? How could you..." I couldn't go on. Tears clogged my throat, making it difficult to speak. Ollie ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"Couldn't you have returned a little later? Charlotte and I were getting to the good part. You- What's that?"

His gaze had lighted on the box still clutched in my hand. He walked up to where I still stood, rooted to the spot. He took the box and opened it. A mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"How touching. She seems to have bought me a gift." He put on the watch, twisted his wrist this way and that, and then held it out for Charlotte's inspection.

"What do you think?" he asked her. She wrinkled her nose.

"That's the ugliest watch I've ever seen." "I think so, too." Ollie unclasped the watch and flung it at my feet.

"Is this the best you could think of? Gifting me a stupid, valueless watch? It is no surprise, though, seeing as you're pretty stupid and valueless yourself." I tried again to put my feelings into words, but all that came out of my mouth was, "Ollie..." "I'm sick of you, Iris. I've been pretty sick of you for a while, to be honest. I suppose it's good you caught me in the act. I want a divorce."

"No," I croaked.

"Yes," he hissed.

"I'll serve you the papers soon enough. Now you have to leave this house."

"Thi- This is my home," I stuttered. "I'm your wife." "Not anymore. Now leave."

"Ollie, we were happy together. What has gotten into you?"

"I'm telling you for the last time to beat it." It suddenly felt very difficult to breathe when I recalled that I had spent all my money in this world just to buy him a watch. I didn't even have enough to pay for the cheapest motel room. Where would I go?

"I have nowhere else to go," I pleaded.

"Please, you can't throw me out." Ollie's eyes glinted dangerously.

"You don't get to tell me what I can or cannot do," he roared. The next moment, he had my hand in a tight and painful grip. I screamed and begged as he dragged me out of the room. He pushed me outside what had once been my home and shut the door in my face. I pounded on the door with my fists.

"Ollie!" I yelled.

"Ollie! Please, open up. Let me in. Ollie!" For a long time, I screamed till I was hoarse. No one answered. Sobbing, I sank onto the floor as the tears ran down my face in a continuous stream.

CARTER

"Carter? Are you still there?"

My grandmother's high-toned, querulous voice came floating over the phone.

"Yes, Grandma," I said.

"I'm here."

I had gone over to the little calendar kept on my desk. I ran my fingers along the dates twice to be sure. I wasn't mistaken. Today was a Friday. Every Friday evening, without fail, my grandmother went out with several of her friends to play bingo. Grandma was a creature of habit. So, what on earth had changed her routine? Why was she demanding to see me on a Friday? What was so important and urgent enough to disrupt her routine? And most importantly, what did I have to do with it?

"I'm here," I said again. "Then you heard what I said?"

"I did."

"Good. Remember, this evening."

"You're feeling well?" I asked. It had just occurred to me that perhaps something was wrong with her health, although her voice was as strong as ever.

"Of course I am. What else do I pay those overpriced doctors for? Don't keep me waiting, Carter." She rang off. I was so curious to know why she had sent for me that I left the office by five and arrived at my grandmother's mansion a few minutes before 6.

"She's in her room," said Flora, my grandmother's personal maid, who met me at the front door. My grandmother's room was sort of a combination of a sitting room and a bedroom. Paintings, mostly from her time, adorned the walls. In the corner by the huge glass window, was a grand piano. Seated on a Queen Anne chair, which was furnished more like a throne, was my grandmother, a short, thin, white-haired woman, immaculately dressed. One would think that she was either attending or returning from a function after seeing the numerous articles of jewellery adorning her throat and fingers. The thing was, she could be this well-dressed and still decide to lounge about the house all day. With an introspective look in her eye, she was staring at a life-size portrait of her when she was about four decades younger. It was the latest installation in her room. I stood by her chair and stared at the portrait also.

"Nice portrait, gran," I said. She shrugged indifferently.

"You look-" "Very different from what I am now. I know."

I was about to comment that wasn't exactly what I wanted to say when she added, "Someday, that will be you, sitting in this chair or another one, looking at a picture of a younger you, and wondering where the time had gone."

I raised a brow. She was undoubtedly in a very strange mood today. What exactly was going on? I began to wish I had thought to ask Flora before coming in. Finally, she roused herself and glanced at the clock.

"You're early," she remarked.

"You sounded... urgent."

She shifted in her chair and offered her cheek to me, which I kissed dutifully. That ritual being dispensed with, she leaned back in her chair. "It is urgent. Take a seat."

I drew one up, placed it in front of her and sat. "I'm getting old every day, Carter. That means I'll die soon."

"But you said you were fine-" "For now."

She snapped her fingers impatiently.

"But that doesn't mean I'll be around forever."

"Ah. I see. And why are we being morbid today, Grandma?" "Because, my dear grandson, it's high time you got yourself a wife." I let out a laugh.

"A wife! Is that what you cancelled bingo for?"

"Bingo can wait," she snapped.

"And this is no laughing matter. I'm dead serious about this. You have to get married so you can get children to carry on your name-"

"I'm well aware of how the cycle of life works," I said dryly. Her voice drowned out mine.

"You also have to get married if you want me to leave the company to you."

It took a few seconds for what she had said to sink in. I stared at her incredulously. She stared right back without a hint of a smile on her face to show that she was joking.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want you to get married and have children before I die. If you don't, you will be cut out of my will."

Her expression softened a little when I continued to look appalled at the idea.

"It's actually very simple. Just find a girl you love and ask her to marry you."

"Love? Oh, please, Grandma! I don't believe in love, that sentimental rubbish. Besides, what has falling in love got to do with the company? You and everyone else know how good I am at running the company. I can keep doing that without falling in love and getting hitched." She gave me a pitying look.

"I don't think I'll ever understand what you've got against love, Carter. Love brought you into this world, remember?"

"Oh. That's different," I said dismissively.

"How is it different?"

"Look, grandma, I'm not just cut out for that sort of thing. You can't force me to get married now, can you?" Her weathered face hardened slightly.

"I'm not forcing you. But if you'd like the company to fall into other hands..."

She shrugged. My fists clenched involuntarily. I knew who the 'other hand' was- my cousin, Ollie. He had always been jealous of my successes right from childhood. That jealousy had grown and matured as we got older. Ollie would want nothing better than to take over the company I had worked so hard for all these years. Thanks to my acute business sense, the company has grown in leaps and bounds ever since my grandmother handed the reins to me.

"Grandma. Think what you're doing," I said desperately.

"Ollie is going to destroy all I've worked to build if you hand the company over to him. That company is a legacy, and Ollie's a fool. Sorry, but it's true. Fools destroy legacies. Isn't that what you always say?"

"Your cousin is not such a fool as you think, Carter. He's divorced Iris, and now he wants to marry a more successful woman. He's planning for the future, you see."

Ollie had divorced his wife? That scheming jerk certainly had something up his sleeve. I couldn't let him win. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did. I needed to be in control of that company. But how? When I looked into the steely blue eyes of my grandmother, I knew there was no other way. Some way, somehow, I needed to get a bride. Still, for the last time, I had to try. With a sigh, I leaned forward.

"Grandma. Can you please reconsider this decision of yours? I know you want what's best for me, but this isn't how to do it."

"My decision is final," she said. I fell silent and appeared to mull over what she had said, even though I had made my decision minutes ago.

"I'll get a wife," I said tersely as I pushed to my feet.

"You have a month to get a wife. If you don't get one by then, everything will go to Ollie."

I glared at her. She met my stare with defiance. Angrily, I stormed out of the room. A month! How was I supposed to get a wife in a damn month? I was so furious I could hardly think straight. As I hurried over to my car, I decided to go to a bar and drown my troubles in booze, at least for today.

IRIS

With a scowl, I shifted on the barstool and resumed contemplating my drink. Was I on the tenth or twelfth glass now? I couldn't remember. I didn't care either. I just wanted to get drunk enough to forget why I had come here in the first place. I threw back my head, gulped the drink, shuddered as it hit the spot and poured another. I stared right into the depths of the amber liquid in my glass and wished that I could somehow drown myself in it.

Thoughts of ending it have been creeping up on me lately. Oblivion had to be better than this gut-wrenching pain I had to live with daily, right?

"Hi, baby. Can I buy you a drink?" said a voice beside me. I squinted at the stranger as I tried to bring him into focus. He was tall, dark and wearing a peaked cap that obscured most of his features.

"No thanks," I said.

He sat beside me and draped his arms around the back of my chair.

"Okay then. So what's a pretty woman like you doing alone at a club?" I shrugged.

"I'm just having a night out."

"By yourself," he said.

"Mmmm." I felt his fingers brush against my shoulder.

"You have such beautiful hair," he murmured.

He leaned in close, too close. I caught a whiff of whiskey and stale cigarettes. Unconsciously, I shrank back. Alarm bells began blaring in my head. The man was seriously creeping me out. I tried to get to my feet. The room spun, and I sat down heavily. I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Where are you going?" he asked sharply.

"I- I need to use the restroom," I said.

"You and I are just getting to know each other, so sit your ass down," he snapped. When I tried to walk past him anyway, he grabbed my arm.

"Let go," I squeaked.

"You heard the lady. Take your paws off her," said a new voice. The newcomer had come to stand beside me without me noticing. He was staring at the first man who was sizing him up.

"Run along, buster," said the first man.

"Nothing going on here concerns you."

"It becomes my concern when I see a creep holding on to a woman against her will."

The first man shot to his feet. "Are you calling me a creep?" he hissed from between his teeth.

The second man stepped forward until he and the others were nose to nose.

"What if I am?" he said in a voice as cold as ice. The first man hesitated, swore softly and walked away, but not before giving him the finger. The second man muttered something about breaking fingers, then turned to me.

"Are you okay?" he said. I didn't realise how sheer willpower kept me on my feet until he asked that question. I swayed and almost fell. He grabbed me and gently lowered me onto the stool.

"Sorry," I said.

"Tipsy."

He grunted and sat down on the chair the other had just vacated.

"Hey. Thanks for saving me. That other guy..." He was facing me now for the first time, but under the coloured revolving lights of the club, it was hard to make out his features. My alcohol-clouded eyes weren't also helping matters. I just got the impression that he was blonde and built around the lines of perfection. The man glanced at the empty bottles in front of me. I flushed a little at the surprise I read on his face. I felt very ashamed and suddenly felt the need to explain myself to this man.

"It's not what you think," I blurted out. "Ah. And how do you know what I'm thinking?" he asked in his deep voice that began to do things to me.

"Saw you-" I hiccoughed.

"Staring at the bottles." A smile touched his lips. I had the almost ungovernable urge to trace a finger around those lips to get their exact shape. Impatiently, I swiped at my eyes, but no matter how much I squinted, his face still remained mostly blurry.

"I was asking myself why you had to drink so much. Yes."

"I'm not a drunk. I caught my in bed with my husband."

I paused, replayed what I had said in my head and giggled.

"Damn! I guess I'm more drunk than I thought."

"Yeah, but I understood you. He cheated?" I nodded.

"He did, with my stepsister. He threw me out of the house and... divorced me."

"Why did-" he began. He took the glass of alcohol; I wasn't aware that I was raised to my lips, away from me. In doing so, he leaned real close, and I got a nose full of his perfume, something woodsy and fresh.

"So why did you-"

"You smell... divine," I said. "Thank you, but-"

"I don't want to talk about my problems now." I pouted, then smiled.

"So what's a cute guy like you doing alone in a club with no girlfriend." Somehow, my hand had rested on his thigh. I felt no urge to remove it even though the man was staring at it with a fixed intensity. The muscles under his thigh were very tense.

"No girlfriend," he said in a strangled voice.

"Oh." Unconsciously, I moved my hand up his thigh. I heard his sudden, sharp intake of breath. He held my hand and, to my surprise, pushed it further up. He leaned close again until our foreheads were almost touching. Blue. Were his eyes blue?

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes." In a flash, he had gotten to his feet. I had trouble getting out of mine, but with his hand on my waist, I succeeded in making it out the door and up the street to a hotel around the corner. All I could think of was tracing his lips. I proceeded to do that with my tongue the moment the door of the hotel room shut behind us. The man clasped me in his arms and kissed me long and hard until I felt my toes curl with pleasure. As he pulled me to the bed, I could subconsciously feel I wasn't doing the right thing, but I didn't care. I wanted to feel something other than pain and to silence the raging thoughts in my head.

*******************

A phone rang somewhere in the room. I turned, opened my eyes, and nearly had a heart attack when I saw a man sitting up in bed and staring right at me. I looked down at myself, the realisation that I was naked hitting me like a train, and I almost screamed. For a moment, I wondered what I was doing in a strange man's bed; then, I slowly remembered the events of last night. Fuck! I wrapped myself in the bedsheets and shrank back.

"Hello," he said quietly. I sat up slowly and clutched the sheets around my naked breasts. How could I get him out of the room so I could get dressed and run away? But I was distracted for a long moment by my first honest look at his face. With blonde tousled hair and piercing blue eyes set in a perfect face, he looked... breathtaking. A phone, probably his, buzzed, and I regained my senses. Embarrassingly, I realised I didn't even know his name.

"Umm. About last night... I don't generally behave like that-"

"Marry me, Iris," he said quietly.

I nearly fell out of the bed in shock, which soon gave way to fear. Was he some sort of psycho after all? And how the hell did he know my name? I surreptitiously glanced around the room for a weapon I could use to defend myself if he chose to attack. It was too bad that I would have to pass him on my way to the door.

"I'm not crazy, I promise," he said like he was reading my mind.

"How did you know my name and- and-"

"Why did I ask you, a stranger, to marry me? Sit down, and I'll explain."

I hadn't even noticed that I was on my feet already, but there was no way I would sit back down until he made this make sense. I told him so.

"Fine," he said.

"I suppose I was too... abrupt. It's just that I like the direct approach. I find it saves time. So you had a text message this morning, and I saw your phone's lock-screen wallpaper. It was of you and Ollie, my cousin. I'm Carter, his elder and only cousin."

"Your- your cousin?"

"Yes. It wasn't hard for me to piece everything together. I know he had gotten married to a woman called Iris, then cheated and eventually divorced her. This tallied with what you told me last night."

"Oh. But why-"

"Did I ask you to marry me? Because my grandmother is threatening to leave everything to Ollie if I don't get a wife in less than a month. Now, I can't have that. Also, think about what marrying me would entail. You'll have lots and lots of spending money, and you'll be getting back at Ollie, who loathes me, by the way. When he sees I'm married to his ex-wife, he'll lose it, trust me. And after our contract ends, you'll receive fifty million dollars as compensation. So, are you in? Will you marry me? I will get my lawyer to draw up a contract between us immediately."

"I still love my husband," I admitted.

"I can't just marry you after a day of divorce. What if he changes his mind?"

"Really?" he corked an eyebrow.

"He is marrying your step-sister to please my grandmother and get the company. He won't change his mind about the divorce. I'm sorry, but he doesn't love you like you think."

"And what would your grandmother think of me? One of her grandsons just divorced me, and the other wants to marry me. Do you think your plan will work?"

"The only plan I have is to get married to someone. I can help you get revenge on Ollie and your step-sister. They've hurt you, and they deserve to be punished." As he continued to speak, his words faded behind my thoughts. I realized Ollie had considered me useless, so he chose to marry Charlotte. He didn't love me at all, and there was no use waiting for him to change his mind. That would only make me stupid. Marrying Carter, on the other hand, was a power move. I could get Ollie to regret leaving me and fifty million dollars at the end of the day. But how could I marry my ex-husband's cousin?

"How long will this marriage last?"

I finally asked. He shrugged. "As long as it takes to convince my grandmother that I deserve the company. Within the time frame, you'll be properly catered for." I sighed and went over my options for the last time.

"I'm in," I said firmly.

"I'll marry you."