Marrying my High school bully

Chapter 1

Lorraine

"No! it can't be true," I tried to ignore the words I heard from the anonymous caller as I stormed towards the church.

Dressed in my silky black nightgown, with my hair packed in a messy bun, I didn't look like I belonged here and it could be seen by how people kept glancing at me. I was just woken from sleep with words I never expected to hear--not in a million years though.

We are in love for Christ's sake! Or were.

I blinked for the fifth time wondering if my eyes were deceiving me because there was no way Eden could have used the same venue we booked for our wedding..

"Now it's time to exchange the rings..." The priest announced and I gulped. He was the same priest I had booked!

"What is going on here?" I thundered as I advanced towards Iris and Eden who stood facing each other with bright smiles on their faces in front of everyone, my presence interrupting their happy moment.

Surprise and shock were evident in their expressions as I was probably the last person they expected to see in their wedding, at least not when they were about to exchange the rings and become a couple.

"I-I can explain, Lorraine." Iris pleaded, stuttering and palming her hands while loud whispers went round in the congregation.

I stared at the two people who meant everything to me with my eyes turning misty, but I willed myself not to cry or give them the satisfaction that they had broken me.

My lips curled in a smirk as I flashed a deep glare at her. "Now you stutter, but you didn't while you were declaring your vows without shame. What the hell did I do wrong to deserve this, Eden? I thought you loved me. We were supposed to get married next week....." My voice didn't come out sounding as confident as I wanted it to, but it didn't matter anymore.

I needed clarity.

Eden's expression switched from apologetic to stoic and nonchalant within a fleeting second.

"What makes you think that I can get married to a woman like you? You are timid and lack foresight. I do every single thing for you and with the baggage of your step father, I don't think I'll be able to deal with that in marriage." He spurted out.

The tears I'd been trying to keep in finally rolled down my eyes, but I wiped them off without hesitating, seeing that I was only making a fool of myself.

My stepfather was one of the reasons I turned out the way I did. After my mother died while I was nine years old, he treated me well for sometime but the moment I turned thirteen he began to make strange advances towards me.

I ignored it all, and stayed in school later than usual just to avoid him but when I returned home he'd hit me and tell me never to return late from school.

"After everything I've done for you, Iris, you saw no one else to be with but my fiancé?" I yelled at her, clenching my fist to punch the annoying expression off her face but she snorted then cocked her head to the side.

"It's not my fault that you were stupid and dumb and allowed him to do whatever he wanted with you. He never loved you from the onset, it was just some deep sympathy he felt for you because no one wanted to date a timid and needy girl like you. To him, you are the case of a lost puppy found under the rain, so leave here before we call the security to throw you out." She snarled, hissing like she couldn't stand my presence anymore.

My lips parted and I didn't bother to shut it. Here I was thinking that I'd gotten a family, but they just showed me that it was all an illusion. I inclined my head and touched my stomach, I couldn't even tell him that I was pregnant.

"You don't need to go that far, but I want you to remember that a stolen property never lasts. It will be taken from you the same way you took it."

Her face turned pale at my words but I'd said everything that needed to be said. As I walked through the aisle with my shoulders hanging loosely and my face lowered, the sad memories of my life began to replay in my head. I made sure not to look sideways or the sight of the guests flashing pitiful looks at me would make me cry harder.

Now I was pregnant and alone; no boyfriend or even a best friend. I hadn't seen my stepfather in a few years as he was my worst nightmare, but now that I was left with no house or property to myself there was only one choice left but to run away.

On my way out of the church, I sighted someone who looked just like my stepfather. I darted my eyes away from the man chewing his burger and taking a sip from the bottle of water on the wooden chair he sat on and looked around.

'It can't be him.' I muttered under my breath and trudged away from the church.

I scrolled through my phone and dialed the number of the person who had called anonymously to inform me about the wedding but it was unreachable. Goosebumps rose on my skin as I felt someone following me.

I turned around sharply, the action causing a wave of dizziness to hit me hard but I shook it off and searched for who might be following me and I found no one.

Unnerved by the eerie feeling, I increased my pace and began a sprint. Footsteps sounded behind me but I didn't bother looking back again as it was confirmed that I was being followed. The dizziness continued but I kept running till I got to the main road.

I glanced at the traffic lights which signified that it wasn't time for me to cross yet, but seeing that I had a stalker, I threw caution to the wind and ran across the road.

Cars honked their horns, the drivers throwing snide remarks at me but I kept running, gasping for breath at the same time. I paused my race then summoned the courage to check if I was still being followed but that was the worst mistake I'd ever made, as a black jeep which was coming with uncontrollable speed collided into me.

The force of the hit sent me flying in the air, and when my head connected to the ground, everything turned pitch black.

Chapter 2

Lorraine

The unfiltered noises, the strong smell of antiseptic and the weird feeling of someone hovering over me jolted me from my reverie. Slowly my eyes fluttered open but the bright light emanating from the fluorescent sent my eyelids back to safety mode.

I shut my eyes for a few seconds then opened it again after getting used to the brightness. I took a cursory glance around the room which was painted in a shade of Aqua blue, with floral patterned curtains which had a lagoon blue background.

"It's nice to know that you are awake, you are really strong. You've been out for a week, your body must have enjoyed the rest." A familiar deep baritone voice intruded my brief scrutinisation of the ward and drew my attention to him.

I tried to sit up and reply him, but a sharp stabbing pain reminded me of the reason I was here in the first place. It came rushing to my mind: the man dressed in an all black attire chasing me around the street, Iris and Eden's betrayal which brought tears to my eyes again, then the accident.

My fingers trailed along my stomach which caused me to gasp. I bit my lower lip and hoped that nothing had happened to my pregnancy.

I glanced at the young man, staring at him from head to toe while searching my memories to remember where I'd seen him. "Who are you?" I asked, finally acknowledging him.

"The man who saved your ass." He blurted in a sassy tone, while I narrowed my brows at his curt reply. "It's funny how you don't remember the person that made your high school years fun and filled with troubles" He smirked, his voice was strong, bearing an uncanny resemblance to that of the teenager who made my high school years a living hell until he left.

My mind flashed back to the teenage boy who dropped a lizard on my desk just to get my reaction, framed me several times for doing the things I never did so that I could be in detention with him. He was the same person that gave me a lingering and unforgettable kiss at the only night party that I'd ever attended.

"High school? D-Dexter.... Dexter Hemmingway?" I stuttered and stared at him, this time it wasn't just a glance but a thorough scrutiny at the man who awoke strange feelings within me in one night and travelled to another country some days later.

Since then I didn't hear from him, neither did I bother searching him out even though I could after how badly he hurt me.

His smirk broadened, his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Finally, you remember. I thought you lost your memory when you had the accident." He joked, flashing his perfect set of dentitions at me.

He had always been a hottie since I knew him, but the transformation of his formerly slim physique to a more thickly muscled and well defined figure which was well hidden in a black suit baffled me. His dark hair which he always kept spiky was now styled into a slick comb-over.

Then his face... Damn! That face which was composed of dark piercing orbs, an aquiline and attractive nose which hovered over his well set cherry lips caused some shivers to run down my spine. He was more like a Greek god that was sent here on earth to torment lily-livered women.

"W-When did you return?" I stuttered, but he didn't have the chance to reply as the door swung open as a young man in a white coat strolled in.

My tongue became dry at the sight of him and his fallen expression gave me the chills. He was obviously a harbinger of bad news.

"I see you are awake already. You've been out for days and your situation would have been more complicated if not for this young man who saved you." He explained gently, then he asked, "How do you feel?"

I cleared my throat, my heart thudding fast. "Weak. Very weak." I replied, feeling drained after the response, then I forced myself to ask the question that made me anxious since I woke up. "Did I lose my baby?"

I felt a warm hand on mine as I felt my chest constricting while I waited for his response which took forever. "The impact of the collision was too fatal which made the surgery complicated since you lost a lot of blood. To sum it up, the baby couldn't make it." He announced without any hint of emotion.

I gasped for air as the room suddenly became hot. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and slight sobs from my lips. I didn't want to cry or become vulnerable in front of anyone but each time I tried to be strong, I failed.

Being strong wasn't for people like me as several situations had reminded me of that fact. My uncontrollable sobs grew into a bawl, as I poured out my heart with my body shuddering. Dexter took his hand from mine and produced a handkerchief, wiping my face with it then he caressed my forehead gently.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hills." He said and stalked out of the ward, leaving me alone with Dexter again.

I felt oddly better with Dexter comforting me with kind words. If I was in a better mood I'd have asked him when he learnt how to act like a human.

"You'll be fine, Lorraine, at least I'm here for you."

I sniffed and blew my nose then nodded. "Thank you for being with me at this point of my life." I said quietly and he snorted, dipping his hands in his pocket.

"There are better ways to thank me, you know." He said with a smirk then sank onto the edge of my bed which dipped under his weight.

My eyes widened as different thoughts began to evade my mind. He had better not think of sleeping with me, I hoped.

"What ways, Dexter? I'm not going to sleep with you if that is what you are thinking of." I objected and he burst into a peal of laughter.

Strangely, I felt butterflies fluttering in my belly at the sight of his laughter. I cleared my throat and he stopped abruptly then stared at me. "No, Lorraine, I'm not thinking of sleeping with you. Not yet." He countered.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to marry me, Lorraine." He replied with all traces of humor disappearing from his face.

It was my turn to laugh even though my body ached badly and my wounds felt like opening again, but I had to laugh because I was apparently hallucinating.

"I guess being away from me since high school has given you enough time to get more ideas for your annoying pranks." I took a pause when I noticed his silence, "You are kidding, right? You have to be joking about marrying me," I spat but he shrugged then got up, dipping his hands into the pocket of his pants.

I stared into his eyes which had darkened, and his lips which were pursed then he said. "I'm dead serious, Lorraine. Marry me for two years and give me a child, after that we divorce and I'll settle you with a million dollars. You'll also be able to visit your child anytime you want, but whether it's a son or daughter, the child gets to stay with me."

Chapter 3

Lorraine

I scoffed and tried my best to stand up so that I could smack him in the face but my strength failed me.

"You've gotta be joking, huh? What makes you think that I need your help? The fact that I lost my boyfriend and my child doesn't make me helpless." My eyes turned misty as I burned in rage, wondering why everyone thought I was a piece of trash that they could spit on.

Eden's emotionless words replayed in my head. He called me needy and helpless, then said I had a lot of baggage. Iris said that I was the case of a lost puppy found under the rain. Now, Dexter wanted me to marry him out of the same pity?

"You don't have to be so sentimental about the proposal. I've made some background checks on you, and I discovered that you do need some saving or you'll be in big trouble." He stated passively, his hands plunged into his pocket.

The face I'd admired earlier disgusted me, but nothing annoyed me more than the fact that he was right. I needed help, but I wouldn't ask for his. Never!

"What kind of trouble are you talking about? " I swallowed, my heart thumping faster to the extent of wishing that I could join my late parents in the grave so that I'd be free from all these problems.

He hesitated in replying, pacing to and fro in silence which caused me to become nervous. I had to know what was going on.

"Talk to me, Dexter! Your silence is not what I need now." I urged him on, my voice rising in an angry crescendo.

I wasn't in control of anything anymore, not even my own voice.

"I'm thinking of the right way to put it to you. Your ex, Eden Maxwell, took a loan in your name and I didn't get to find out until today." He spat and I reeled in shock, my lips parting widely. Then I burst into laughter, shaking my head and clutching at my stomach because of the pain I felt.

It was obviously a lie to get me to do what he wanted. Eden could be many things but a debtor. He seriously hated debts!

"That's not true, Dexter. Everything you've said right now shows how much you want me to warm your bed. I'm not that cheap, you know, so get out of here before I call on the doctor to take you out." I yelled at the top of my voice, my chest constricting as I panted heavily.

"One million dollars. That's what he took from me." He blurted casually, flashing a look at me that said he wasn't joking.

I gulped, then swallowed. "No! No! No.. That's too much. What the hell did he use it for? He isn't even a businessman." I cried, leaning on the head board in exhaustion and resignation, wondering why the accident took the baby's life and not my own as well.

"An elaborate wedding, I guess, and enough money to take his new bride for the best honeymoon he can think of. That's not my problem, Hermione, what I need you to know is that you owe me money and with your current state. You can't even pay back, so why don't you marry me so that I can take care of you?" He drawled, his voice calm and unshaken.

I'd always known him to be confident even in high school, it was no wonder he turned out to be this way-cold and cruel.

"Look, I'll find a way to get you your money, but I can't get married to you. Marriage isn't something that we should both rush into, Dexter. Besides, how could you allow someone to take a debt in my name without even making verifications? What if I was dead?" I questioned, angry at my confinement to the bed.

I needed to be free to walk around the room, if not for anything but to be able to punch the metal table or stomp my foot on the tiled floor.

He burst into a heavy bout of laughter which left me stunned, his voice resonating in the room and his eyes shut as he mocked me to scorn. I watched him laugh to his heart content, and though I despised him, I couldn't deny that he laughed beautifully.

"That accident might have done a lot of things to your brain, Hermione. Have you forgotten how poor you are? With your meagre sum of a salary how do you think you can pay off your debt? Besides, I'll still pay you heavily after the contract is over." All traces of laughter had disappeared from his face with seriousness replacing it.

His hardened expression reminded me of how cruel he could be when he wanted. I'd forgotten about Dexter or at least I thought I did until he came standing in front of me-flesh and blood.

He reminded me that I was a pauper and I should have been hurt, and bawling on the floor because his words, but I only felt chill because it was the truth and I was used to hearing such words from people.

"What are my options?" I asked impassively, staring into his eyes which were presently unreadable and then I let my gaze lower to his alluring cherry lips which I had no business looking at.

"Marry me or I'll sue you, and with my influence, you might spend a long time in prison. I bet you can't even afford a lawyer." His lips curved into a smug grin as he cocked his head cockily, then he approached my bed and lowered his body towards mine.

The memories of the past came in as a flash, how he leaned in for a kiss that night and I didn't push him away because my body craved for it-his touch, his lips on mine and it happened.

I shoved the sizzling hot memory aside which made me feel like I'd plunged my body into a pot of hot oil and focused on the present.

"To hell with you, Dexter! I won't let you have me the way you want just like it happened in the past. I'll surely get you your money." My reply got him shocked, but he hid it with his impassive mask and backed away.

He straightened the jacket of his suit and shrugged, his hands still in his pocket. "You've got seven days to save yourself, Lorraine. Don't forget how vile I can be when tempted." He stalked out of the room leaving me drained and exhausted beyond words.

How on earth was I going to produce one million dollars in seven days?