The Unplanned Contract Marriage

*MIDNIGHT, IN A PREMIUM LOUNGE BAR*

"Hudson Salander is extraordinary because he has accomplished so much at such a young age," the woman on the left, to whom Hudson put his arm around the shoulder, spoke.

They were now seated on a long couch in the far end of the space to avoid being disturbed. He gulped the most expensive wine in the world.

"You are right; who would have imagined that he would be the CEO of the Salander Group, the world's largest firm, at that age?" The lady who spoke was the one to his right arm. The woman's hand crept Hudson's abdomen with her hand. "Not only that, who are we to not admire a man with a perfect face and fit figure. I will do everything, Hudson, for you -- "

"Sitting here, surrounded by several women and unconcerned about your tarnished reputation, while our father becomes weary of the various ways he may cover up the foulness you spread." Lucas, Hudson's brother, arrived as everyone heard in his voice how firmly he spoke out.

On the other side, the lady raised her head because of not completing what she was about to say as a result of Lucas' abrupt remarks.

"What brings you here?" Hudson questioned rudely as the women with him were now being shooed away. He sat up straight and stared at Lucas with the ferocity of a knife.

"Your company's reputation and your image are being damaged dramatically. Daddy isn't sure what he'll do to cover up the disgusting things you're doing while not being aware of the media!" The man's shouting became louder, but Hudson maintained his composure. "Stop behaving like a casanova and dragging ladies you happen to come across on the road. It is not worth your time to mourn Tracy's disappearance for another guy; simply look - "

"And who do you think you are to vomit your meaningless words in my face?" Lucas stopped speaking when Hudson's tone got confrontational.

Lucas groaned, not wanting to see them dispute over this again. As a response, he shifted the topic to lighten the mood between them. He sat on his brother's opposite couch and resumed speaking, "Dad wants you to find a woman to marry so that you may immediately give him a grandchild." Lucas shrugged, took a glass of wine from the table in front of him, and continued. "If you are unable to do so or if you refuse to do what he wishes, he will be the one looking for a woman for you. You know how dad is; he cannot be stopped when he desires something."

"I have a mind and I'm already grown; he doesn't have to lead me in my decisions anymore. I will marry if I decide to change. He has no power over me." Hudson's tone of voice grew firmer once again as he stared intently into the glass as the ice melted slowly.

"Also, Raymond asked us about his upcoming engagement celebration, which will take place tomorrow morning. Her fiancé also invited her friends, so perhaps the event will provide a chance for you to meet a lady and fulfill our father's demand."

"I will reiterate that I will never let another woman destroy my life. When Tracy cheated on me, I vowed to myself that I would never fall in love again. They will do anything to wound you if they realize you love them too much.'' Hudson said and it was like a stone in his chest, since the scar caused on him by Tracy was evident to this day. The woman left an imprint on him, he was hesitant to try again, knowing that the next woman he would fall in love with would only bring him trauma.

"Talk to father. I am leaving." Lucas sighed, knowing that regardless of what he tried, he would never be able to persuade his brother. He also departed when Hudson remained silent.

When Hudson was the last one left, he leaned his back on the couch and closed his eyes as hundreds of memories came in. He rationalized that if there was a method to alleviate the pain he was experiencing, he would have taken it since he, too, was becoming exhausted with it. He didn't intend to be as heinous as his brother and father perceived...

In his mind he was just hurt too, he was just damaged by the woman he trusted wholly.

Hudson arrived at Raymond, his best friend's villa, the location of the engagement celebration.

Raymond put the cake over his fiancée's mouth while the other guests joyfully cheered. He couldn't help but think about Tracy while he watched them. She was his first love, and he once imagined that they would turn into this kind of situation. Unfortunately, he believed fate was cruel to him since she did not choose him; she chose to abandon him, to not be with him for the rest of their lives.

When his chest started to tighten as hundreds of memories of them began to flood anew, he drank the wine from the glass he was holding. When he finished gulping it, two women approached him.

"Hi! You seem to be by yourself? Perhaps you'd like to accompany me?" The blond woman massaged his arm to where he held the glass, and a black-haired woman caressed his hand to his buttocks. He grimaced at the touch they were imposing on him. He felt repulsed by their presence.

"Remove your filthy hands." He released their grasp on his hands and passed the glass back to the waiter who walked by.

He took large steps toward the exit, unable to breathe. He was glad for Raymond because he had already found genuine love and happiness, but he was uncomfortable seeing them because he couldn't help but compare their happiness to what Tracy and he shared before. He also dreamed of giving the ring to Tracy, but she chose to go with another man.

It was pitch black everywhere, and he couldn't see anything. Moreover, he could not find any seat since the area was densely packed with vehicles as a result of the large number of guests. He decided to take a stroll first to get some fresh air. He had no idea where his feet were carrying him. As he went, they suddenly escorted him to the garden. His eyes turned to a seat that remained unoccupied. He sat, leaned his back and massaged his eyes.

"Leave me alone!"

He unexpectedly opened his eyes because of the booming voice. He sought for the source of the noise since he couldn't see clearly in the dark. And there, he saw three guys vying for the opportunity to hold the lady who had screamed earlier. When the average height man touched the woman's body, he got slapped in the face. The man's face arched in response to the slap's force.

It was then that he had his first glimpse of the woman's face and their gazes locked. The woman's eyes became rounder as she raced towards Hudson. She yanked him from his seat, wrapped her arm around his, and then returned her attention to the three guys who seemed to chase her.

"Try to come closer and my boyfriend will be violent with you!" Her voice was so piercingly strong that it scared the three men.

Hudson's body stiffened because of what she stated but also recovered after a few seconds. Surprisingly, the three guys recovered as well fast from their apparent accidental pause.

Hudson pulled the woman's waist and stared into the darkness at the three guys who had stopped moving, as if convinced that he was indeed this woman's lover.

"Is there anything you need from my girlfriend?" His voice was powerful as the woman's hand clasped his waist, as though terrified by what had occurred. He placed his arms over her head and scowled at the guys. "If you are still not leaving, you will come out of this place with your neck broken." He made his fingers sound.

The three guys fled, and they left the lady. Hudson peeked at the lady, who had closed her eyes calmly as if nothing had happened. To his chagrin, he dragged her up to the upstairs where Raymond had prepared a room for him. This woman didn't even consider the possibility of anything horrible happening to her. What if he was not in that area; maybe those three guys were already sharing her body and carrying her somewhere.

'She doesn't know me very well yet the way she hugs me is rather confident. What if I'm just like those guys who want to take advantage of her drunkenness now?' Hudson clenched his jaw.

In a few seconds, they walked into the room. She was the first one Hudson let in because she almost fell. He shut the door and positioned her body in front of him.

"You know -"

"Have sex with me."

Hudson could not continue what he was going to say because of her boldness in suddenly speaking to him. She peered confidently into his eyes.

"W-what?" This woman's spit remarks astounded him.

"Didn't you hear me correctly? I said that I want to have sex with you."

Hudson blinks three times in disbelief at what he heard. This was not the first time someone had urged him to have sex; in fact, if another lady said anything similar, he may have tossed her out the door. However, this woman brought him something different; despite her alcohol intoxication, there was something encouraging in her phrases. Yet, regardless of how enticing her words were, he refused to let that carry him away.

"Why?" Hudson let go of her hand and crossed his arm. "Sex is not a collection of words." He would say one more thing to her. Something within him indicated that she was an interesting woman.

"I had a boyfriend, and at first he was quite lovely to me. I assumed we would be content and would stay like that thus, I was mistaken." She bowed her head, and Hudson could hear the small sobbing she had been concealing since earlier. "All of a sudden, his behavior towards me became cold. If I hadn't gone to his house, I would have been ignorant that he had been cheating me for an extended period of time!"

"So, what are you dramatizing here anyway? You should not cry because of those kinds of people. It is preferable that you discover it sooner rather than that he continues to cheat on you. They don't deserve your tears." Hudson shrugged his shoulders at her and just as she raised her head, their eyes met again.

He saw her puffy eyes and felt a tremendous thump in his chest. He was the first to avert his eyes between the two of them. He had to bite his lip so hard as her gorgeous face appeared in his mind. If you saw her eyes, you just wanted to embrace her because she seemed to have been mistreated, to her nose, which looked like a knife on the cape, to her crimson lips that were kissable. Hudson swallowed many times because of what he was thinking.

"THAT IS NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE!" She screamed in his face, and as a result, he covered his earlobe. "He even told me that even though I'm a woman, I don't have any sex attraction!" She took a step towards him and still hadn't finished her outburst. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be drunk like this!"

"No. I won't have sex with you." Hudson went over to the cupboard where Raymond had put an extra robe. He looked in the mirror and saw that her eyes were following him.

He could empathize with her. He felt sad for her because he, too, has had similar experiences. As though his whole existence had been broken and ruined, exactly like her. The suffering that the cheater inflicted on the victim was unparalleled. Trauma, anxiety, and trust issues grew, and he was not sure why people like them desire to do damage. They couldn't reason that they were tired.

That was bullshit.

"Why?" She instantly inquired and followed him silently. She did not allow them to detract from their glance in the mirror. "Did I say anything that offended you?"

He could already hear her voice trembling with concern. 'Is she really that desperate for sex?'

"A large portion of social media nowadays is dedicated to destroying my image. Since social media outlets are vast and eager to spread negative stories about me in order to ruin my reputation, how do I know and can be sure you're not one of them." Hudson's face became expressionless as the tone of his voice soared. He needed to be vigilant of the press at the present because he had no idea what their next trick would be. This lady may possibly be a collaborator with them.

"What are you talking a-about ?!" He could hear the frailty in her voice and saw the tears gathering again at the corner of her eyes in the mirror.

He stepped away from the mirror and unlocked the cabinet. She had been weeping since earlier, wasn't she exhausted? While she watched, he gradually removed the suit he was wearing.

Hudson didn't know if she was still looking at him. He was desperate to change his attire.

"If you are indeed a media participant, you understand what I mean." He was currently taking off his trousers. And he was well aware that she was still behind him, and hence did not turn around when he heard her voice again.

"I only want to demonstrate to that Raven that I am capable of proving myself in bed! That he is not the only one skilled at doing that! That I am competent at doing the same thing as he is! So, please; agree to my request." She kept pleading with him.

"No," he said flatly.

"I am not a minion of the media! You are the one I chose because you never hesitated to help me earlier." She paused, and as she proceeded, he could hardly hear her. "Besides, you're attractive and seem to have a lot of biceps."

"What?" Hudson pretended not to hear what she just said.

"NOTHING! Just help me, I won't look for you or disturb you after this one night stand! "

He did not reply to the words she threw, but it seemed as if this person had no intention of stopping, as she persisted. "If you don't trust me, I'll offer you money! I will provide you with a reasonable price." Her voice grew enthusiastic, and as a reaction to what she uttered, Hudson totally stripped down his underpants.

He turned his body in front of her, exposing his naked body. He laughed with mixed anger because she regarded herself too highly. How on earth did she believe she could pay him? Was she unfamiliar with him? He could even buy her life.

When she saw his private parts, her eyes widened and opened her lips to speak, but he prevented her from doing so because he had forced her into the bed.

"Don't regret it later," he whispered using his deep voice.