Mrs Bad and Mr Innocent

I sighed for what felt like the twentieth time as I stared at the girly dresses my maid, Amara, had brought into my room.

I looked at her. Then at the clothes. Then back at her. And once again at the clothes.

"So, you're telling me my dad expects me to wear this on a date? A stupid pink gown? What am I, seventeen?!" I raised an eyebrow, my voice laced with disbelief.

Amara shifted nervously. "Yes, ma'am. He said you must wear this and go to the date. He also instructed me to stay here until you're dressed."

Oh, you've got to be f*cking kidding me. I would rather walk through the seven circles of hell than wear that. What did he take me for, fourteen?

I crossed my arms. "Okay, you can go now. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

Amara hesitated. "Uhm, ma'am... he told me not to leave you alone under any circumstances."

I narrowed my eyes at her, giving her my most intimidating look. "Get out."

She barely lasted two seconds before she scurried out of the room like her life depended on it. I smirked. I knew I was her greatest nightmare, and I loved it.

Once she was gone, I grabbed the stupid pink gowns and shoved them under my bed. There was no way I was wearing that. I was a twenty-five-year-old woman, and nobody-especially not my father-was going to tell me what to wear.

Now, if you're reading this and wondering what the hell is going on, you probably skipped the part where I introduced myself. So, let me make this short.

The name's Nessa Stevens. I was living the life-partying, spending money, doing whatever the hell I wanted. After having a blast in college, I unfortunately graduated last week.

My future was supposed to be simple:

Graduate.

Take a share of my dad's company.

Make tons of money.

Have even more fun.

Easy, right? Wrong.

Because my dad just threw a bombshell at me-he gave me two choices:

Get married to a "good man", settle down, and be the "perfect wife" to earn my inheritance.

Continue being the bad b*tch that I am and get absolutely nothing.

At first, I didn't take it seriously. I figured I'd just find a bad boy, marry him for a while, then divorce him once I secured my company shares. But no-my father had other plans.

He bought me a husband.

And who is he? None other than Aaron Walker-a quiet, nerdy bookworm who has to be the most boring person on earth. How do I know that? Because I bullied him for six straight years in high school.

Aaron's POV

.

"There's no other way, Aaron. Look at this as a blessing."

My mom's voice trembled as she sat across from me, her hands folded in silent desperation.

I clenched my jaw. "Mom, you know what love and marriage have always meant to me. And now, you want me to marry a complete stranger?" I raked a hand through my hair. "Can't he give us more time? I'll figure something out-"

"Aaron, you can't! It's four million dollars we're talking about here!" My mom's voice cracked. "I know what I'm asking of you is a lot, but look at the bright side. He's willing to put you on a monthly salary, pay for any textbooks or projects you need at school, guarantee you a job after graduation-" She inhaled shakily. "He even promised to send your father to the best hospital abroad. Aaron, this is a miracle."

I sat frozen, my mind racing.

All of this... just to marry his daughter?

Something wasn't right. There had to be a catch.

I took a deep breath. "And who exactly is his daughter?"

The second the words left my mouth, my mother broke eye contact. She always did that when she was nervous.

"Uhm... you know her."

I frowned. "I do? How?"

She swallowed hard. "She's... she's Nessa Stevens."

My entire body went rigid. "You've got to be kidding me. Nessa?! My high school bully?!"

My mother flinched at my outburst, but I couldn't stop myself. "Really, Mom?! She freaking tormented me every day of high school! She made my life miserable! She almost convinced me to-" I stopped myself before the words could leave my lips. "No. No way. I can't do this."

My mom reached for my hand. "I know... I know. But Aaron, that was years ago. Maybe she's changed."

I let out a bitter laugh. "You really believe that?"

She looked at me with tears in her eyes. And suddenly, I realized how selfish I was being. We needed this. As much as I hated to admit it, we couldn't afford to pass this up.

Even though every part of me screamed to walk away, I couldn't.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Mom, it's okay. I'll do it. I'll marry her... for you and Dad."

My mother smiled, relief washing over her face. But it didn't last.

"Oh, and... the wedding is next month."

I stared at her. "You have got to be f*cking kidding me."

Later That Night – Aaron's POV

. I sat at the far end of the restaurant, my knee bouncing nervously under the table.

My heart pounded like a drum in my chest as I waited. This was happening. I had pinched myself at least ten times today, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.

But this was real. And it was happening fast.

I, Aaron Walker, was about to get married to Nessa Stevens-the same girl who made my high school years a living hell.

Just as my mind started spiraling again, the restaurant doors slammed open.

I turned toward the sound, and there she was-my karma.

Nessa.

My eyes involuntarily assessed her. She had grown into a fine young woman, but some things never changed. She wore a tight red dress with a high slit, black heels, and-of all things-a black fur jacket.

In the middle of summer.

I wasn't checking her out. I was just... disgusted. Yeah, that's it.

She scanned the restaurant like she owned it, then locked eyes with me. A slow, taunting smirk spread across her lips as she strutted toward my table.

She sat down opposite me, her gaze never wavering.

Then, she opened her mouth and said the one thing that made my stomach twist with dread.

"Hi, nerd."

I pushed the restaurant doors open with more force than necessary, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I stepped inside. I still couldn't believe I was here. This whole thing was a joke.

My eyes scanned the room, searching for my so-called husband-to-be, and there he was-sitting at the far end of the restaurant, eyes locked on me like I was some kind of ghost from his past.

I tilted my head, studying him. Huh. He hadn't changed much since high school, but at the same time, he had. The acne I used to tease him about? Gone. His face was smooth now, his features more refined. He'd filled out, too-not scrawny like before, though he still had those chubby cheeks that made him look younger than he was. And those big, round eyes? Still wide with that same look of disbelief, like he couldn't believe I was standing here.

The corner of my lips curled into a smirk. Oh, Aaron, don't tell me you're still scared of me.

A spark of excitement shot through me. It had been a while since I'd truly gotten under someone's skin-excluding my father this morning, of course. And something about the way Aaron's gaze flickered between irritation and dread made me all the more eager to play this game.

With a confident sway in my hips, I strutted over to his table and flashed him a small smile.

"Hi, nerd."

Aaron didn't say anything, but the way his jaw tensed told me everything I needed to know.

I pulled out my chair and sat down, placing my Louis Vuitton bag on the table like I owned the place. Which, honestly, I did.

"You know, I expected my groom-to-be to be a gentleman," I mused, locking eyes with him. "You can't even offer me a seat, hubby?"

Aaron's lips pressed into a thin line. Then, in a voice much firmer than I remembered, he said, "You don't know how to sit on a chair?"

I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Well, that was new.

Recovering quickly, I let out a short laugh. "So you do talk back now, huh?"

He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "It's been over eight years, Nessa. Did you really think I'd still be intimidated by you?"

I leaned in slightly, tilting my head. "Ouuu, my little Aaron is all grown up, isn't he?" I teased in a baby voice, just to get a reaction out of him.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Can we just get down to business?"

I gasped dramatically, placing a hand on my chest. "Wow, someone's eager to marry me." I smirked. "I mean, I don't blame you. I'm super hot. So I completely understand the rush. Trust me, I do."

Aaron stood up so fast his chair scraped against the floor.

"You know what? This is not gonna work. I'll leave now."

His tone was sharp, final. He wasn't playing.

My smirk dropped. I wasn't used to people walking away from me, and I sure as hell wasn't about to let him start.

"Sit."

His hands clenched at his sides. He hesitated.

I arched a brow, voice dropping an octave. "I said sit."

For a moment, we locked eyes, the air between us charged. He was trying to decide whether to defy me. But this was my game, and I always won.

Finally, with a sigh of defeat, Aaron sat back down, his gaze flickering away.

Just like that, the corner of my lips curled up again.

"Now," I said smoothly, resting my chin on my hand, "let's talk."

"I can't do this," I muttered, standing up abruptly.

I was done. This was a mistake.

"Sit."

.

Her voice was sharp, commanding. And just like that, I was back in high school-back to being the insecure kid she used to torment. That boy I thought I had buried years ago suddenly clawed his way to the surface, shrinking under her gaze.

I had convinced myself that I had changed. That I had grown. That I had become someone who wouldn't be affected by Nessa Stevens anymore.

But the way my body acted before my mind could stop it-the way I sank back into my seat, avoiding her eyes-told me otherwise.

She smirked. I hated that smirk.

"Good boy," she said, leaning back. "Now, let's talk business."

I exhaled slowly, forcing my hands to stay still on the table. "Fine."

She crossed her legs, taking her time as she studied me. "We're getting married in two months. My father expects me to 'get to know you,' but honestly? I have better things to do. So here's the deal."

She leaned forward slightly. "We'll put on a show-pretend we're head over heels in love. You know, the whole fairytale b*llsh*t. We play our cards right, and once I get my name on those papers, you cause a scene. Say I cheated. We get divorced, and we both walk away happy. Win-win."

It took me a second to process what she was saying.

It was, without a doubt, the best thing I'd heard all week. Up until now, I thought I'd be stuck with her forever. Now, at least, there was an end date.

"How long?" I asked.

She shrugged. "A few months. Maybe a year. Depends on how fast we can convince my dad."

I nodded. "Okay, but-"

Before I could finish, the waiter appeared.

"Finally." Nessa scoffed. "Do you guys take an eternity to answer a customer? Whatever, just get me two plates of fried rice, fried plantains, salad, a chicken, a turkey, and a bottle of champagne. How much is the bill?"

"400, ma'am."

She turned to me with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Baby, pass me your card?"

I frowned. "What?"

She subtly nodded downward. Confused, I looked down-only to find a credit card on my lap.

What the hell? When did she even-?

Still puzzled, I picked it up and handed it to her. She smirked, swiping it from my hand before turning back to the waiter. As soon as he left, I gave her a questioning look, but she just shrugged.

"We're getting married," she said simply. "And the last thing I need is for people to think you're incapable of taking care of me. Or worse, that you're a loser."

Her voice dropped slightly, eyes sharp. "Which you obviously are."

I clenched my jaw.

"That credit card is yours," she continued, completely unfazed by my reaction. "It has close to two million on it. Use it when we go out, especially when we're with company. And for the love of God, get yourself some decent clothes."

I scoffed. "I have clothes."

She wrinkled her nose. "Yeah. Terrible ones."

I exhaled through my nose, slowly sliding the card back across the table. "I don't need your money."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ugh, why do men and their egos annoy me so much?"

"And believe me," I added, "the next time I see you will be on our wedding day. There won't be any outings."

I expected her to be mad. Instead, her lips curled into a slow, taunting smile.

"I'm loving the sharp-mouthed version of you," she mused. "You've grown some claws, huh? We're gonna have so much fun."

Then, just as quickly, her expression hardened.

"But let's get one thing straight." She pushed the card back toward me. "I have a high reputation to maintain. It's bad enough that I'm marrying you. The least you can do is make sure no one finds out what you really are."

I stiffened. "And what exactly am I?"

She tilted her head, feigning innocence. "A nerd. A nobody. An insecure little boy with no friends, probably never even had a girlfriend-" she smirked, "-I wouldn't be surprised if you were still a virgin."

My fingers twitched.

"So do what I say." Her voice dropped an octave. "Because you need this marriage more than I do. And if I tell my dad you're making things difficult for me? He'll pull the plug on your father's treatment. So go ahead-make your choice."

I swallowed hard.

The worst part? She wasn't wrong.

I needed this. My father needed this.

With a deep breath, I picked up the credit card and shoved it into my wallet, keeping my gaze on the table.

Nessa smirked. "Good boy."

The waiter returned with our food, and I ate in silence, the weight of the entire situation settling over me like a boulder.

This was real. This was happening.

At one point, I glanced up and found her staring at me. There was no smirk this time, no taunt on her lips. Just... a blank expression. One I couldn't read.

"What?" I asked, more irritated than curious.

She twirled a fork between her fingers. "Tell me about yourself."

I blinked. "What?"

She took a bite of plantain. "It's been a while since I've felt pity. So go on, tell me something sad so I can feel that."

I stared at her, genuinely wondering how someone could be this insufferable.

Shaking my head, I focused back on my food, praying this dinner would end soon.

Unfortunately, she wasn't done.

"We finished high school together, right?" she asked. "But I already graduated college, and you're still in your second year. Why's that?"

Something inside me snapped.

"I don't know, Nessa," I said, voice colder than before. "Maybe because not everyone is as privileged as you? Some people have to work. Some people have to take scholarship exams over and over again because they can't afford tuition. Some people have a sibling to take care of. Not everyone has a multi-millionaire daddy funding their entire life."

For the first time all night, she didn't have a comeback.

Instead, she simply picked up her glass of champagne and smirked. "Mmm. Not my fault I'm lucky, nerd."

That was it.

I stood up. "I'll see you around."

I was halfway past her when she grabbed my wrist.

"Wait."

I turned, barely concealing my annoyance. "What now?"

She held out her hand. "Your phone."

Frowning, I pulled it out of my pocket. The moment she saw it, she burst into laughter-loud enough that people turned to stare.

"An iPhone 7?!" she cackled. "Nerd, what year are you living in?"

I clenched my jaw.

"Take some money from the card," she said between giggles. "Get yourself something newer. You're gonna be my husband. You can't be seen with this."

Then she dropped a car key into my palm.

"Oh, and take that too. You're not riding public transport anymore. It's embarrassing enough that I have to marry you."

She took a step forward, close enough that I could smell her perfume.

Her lips brushed my ear as she whispered-

"See you soon... hubby."

Then she walked away, leaving me gripping a Benz key and questioning every life choice that had led me here.