Unwanted Marriage Turns Undeniable Love

EVELYN

These days, who even enters into an arranged marriage?

I had been with this man who detested everything about me for six months in a loveless marriage. During our marriage, Edward Richards truly let me know how much he despised me.

I was never touched by the man at all. He said nothing to me at all. He treated me like I didn't exist when I was in the house. He only talked to me when we were at his parent's home or in the presence of his coworkers.

I never would have imagined the outcome of my marriage to be this. My parents arranged for me to marry their best friend's son by the time I turned 22 before they passed away. Why? Since, in my opinion, they were merely bored and thought it would be wonderful to marry their kids.

Furthermore, I was a wimp for agreeing to this ridiculous agreement.

I assumed that though they never said so, Edward's parents wanted to take care of me since they knew I had no one else and that's why they wanted me to marry him.

All I had were my parents and no family. No parents, no siblings, no aunts, uncles, or anybody else.

My mother's marriage to my father left his relatives disapproving of her. His parents, who are my father's side grandparents, detested my mother and opposed my parents' union. When my father took my mother to flee and get married, it got to the point where they shunned him. After that day, my father had no family left except for my mother.

Sadly, when I was fifteen, my other grandparents-on my mother's side-passed away. Only one brother, who died young, was related to my mother. I was so left without an uncle. The family of my mother? Not that I'm aware of; I've never met them. Except for her parents and one aunt, whom she cherished dearly but who sadly passed away many years ago, my mother never spoke of any of her relatives. The small relative was a result of my mother's limited family background.

Edward's parents treated me so beautifully and kindly, which was a blessing. For as long as I could remember, they had been nice to me; they regarded me like I was their daughter, whom they had never had. Following the death of my parents, they kindly took care of me.

22 years ago, Elisa, an obstetrician, assisted my mother in giving birth to me. On that day, they grew close and became friends. Michael worked as a pediatrician. That they were both doctors astounded me.

Neither Edward nor any other healthcare professional was a doctor. In actuality, he was the owner of a business that his grandfather had left to him because Michael, being a doctor, was unable to manage it. When Edward turned 23, he took over the company with the assistance of a mentor after his grandfather passed away when he was just 16 years old.

He was a hardworking man, and it was the one thing about him that I liked. Despite having everything, he never allowed them to influence him.

I married Edward two years after my parents passed away. Our wedding was awkward, to put it mildly. When I walked down the aisle, he was emotionless. He didn't appear at all content. And our brief first kiss together as husband and wife was only two seconds long. If there was awkwardness between us, nobody showed it. My wedding was perhaps the most miserable event I have ever attended.

Not only did we not take a honeymoon trip, but we also didn't engage in any romantic activities or share a bedroom. He returned to work two days after our wedding, acting as though we had never said goodbye. I hardly ever saw Dad in the house because he was so busy. He would get up before me and go to work, returning just after I had fallen asleep.

There were moments when I thought he was intentionally doing it to avoid me.

He was only unable to avoid me when we had to go to activities together. Now and again Edward would have quiet events, and I would always accompany him. It was hard to be in public with him; we had to pretend to be in love. Imagine kissing the man you detested with all of your heart while holding hands.

Imagine for a moment.

I attempted to treat him with courtesy. Despite my efforts to be the wife he desired, he continued to disregard me.

"Do you mind?"

I blinked, realizing that I was obstructing his path.

I stepped aside right away. "Sorry."

He took out a bottle of juice from the refrigerator without saying anything else. He hadn't spoken anything to me in a long time until now.

I observed his features as I fixed my gaze on him. Although he appeared worn out and anxious, he still had a great appearance. How could someone who appeared anxious look so good?

He gave me a chilly look as he sensed that I was staring at him. I looked aside immediately.

I gave a throat clear. "I cooked for dinner, have a seat."

Even though we didn't communicate much, it was my duty as his wife to look after him. regardless of how dysfunctional our union was.

"I'm not staying for long, I have to leave soon."

I furrowed my brows. "Where are you going?"

He quickly answered, "Work."

With a sigh, I filled my glass with the juice and took a sip. It was his fourth-night missing meals.

"Aren't you tired? You returned an hour ago."

"I have better things to do."

I rolled my eyes. "You're working too much. You see yourself now, don't you? You appear prepared to jump into bed and go to sleep. Work is not as vital as your health."

He spat, gazing at me angrily this time, "I didn't ask you to care for me."

I scowled at that. I did at least have affection for him, even though this marriage was a farce. After all, he was the man I would have to live my entire life with as my spouse. And perhaps, just possibly, I was a little too attached to him.

He left me in the kitchen and said, "I will be back very late tonight, don't wait for me."

As I watched him go, I sighed. I had run out of options for getting him to listen to me or at least treat me politely. He pushed me away each time I attempted to get near to him.

"Are you okay, Evelyn?" One of the maids found me in the kitchen and asked, "Jane?"

"I'm doing OK, Jane. Edward was being Edward, simply as that."

Jane, a 56-year-old widow, had spent 20 years working with Edward's family. She remained devoted to the Richards. She was extremely kind to me and made me think of my mother; I began to love her so much.

Jane was also aware of the events of our marriage. When your spouse avoided talking to you at home and you didn't share a room, it was difficult to resist saying, "Give him some time, Sir Edward is a nice man."

I sneered. "To you."

Evelyn, he will also get fond of you. I think he will.

I was too lazy to answer that. Nor did I anticipate that he would become friendly. Everyone is aware that would take a very long time to occur.

"Anyway, do you know at what time Felix comes here tomorrow?"

Edward was driven by Felix. At forty years old, he had two children. When his grandfather was still in charge of the business, he worked as an on-call driver for Edward before Edward hired him as his driver.

"He usually will be at 5 as Sir Edward has to leave to work at 6."

I gave a nod. "All right. Would you kindly ask him to take me into town at around ten o'clock?"

"Sure, I will let him know."

EDWARD

I have no idea how I got myself into this mess.

half a year. I still didn't know what to do with this marriage after six months.

I had no desire for this union. I truly thought it absurd that my parents would make me marry a stranger to carry out their absurd plan with their closest friends, and I never wanted to do that.

Myself and Evelyn's parents have been great friends for ages. Despite their assertion that Evelyn and I "used" to be friends, I had no memory of her other than the fact that her name seemed familiar in the back of my mind. But that was all there was to it.

Her parents tragically lost their lives in a terrible accident two years ago when a drunk driver struck their car as they were returning home. MaEvelyn and Alfred were nice individuals with a lot of compassion. Even though my parents knew them more than I did, it was still quite terrible to lose them.

I was able to vividly recall the day of their funeral. Evelyn had no one else to help her plan the funeral, so my parents did it for her. I discovered that she was raised in a tiny family, which explained in part why my parents cherished her like a daughter.

I recalled Evelyn's expression during the funeral. I could still clearly recall it. She was not emotional at their funeral. She said nothing as she simply stood there, staring at their graves. However, I knew that she was struggling to contain her tears for the benefit of everyone present. And that's when I realized she was a difficult girl.

Even though she and I were both astonished to discover that our parents had arranged our marriages, she didn't object. Her first error was to give her approval for our marriage. That's what infuriated me about her. So that we wouldn't be stuck in this marriage, she ought to have fought. We both knew we didn't want this, so she ought to have spoken with her parents to get the agreement canceled.

She didn't, though. Her goal was to trap me in her arms. And that's what turned me off to her.

She never appealed to me. Whether I liked it or not, though, I would have to live with her. I thought that the best way to avoid her and her betrayal for ruining my life would be to leave the house early in the morning and return very late. I didn't like having to see her in my home daily.

"Good morning, Mr. Breakfast is ready for you." When I entered the house, Jane welcomed me.

After going out for drinks with my best friend last night, I ended up staying in the penthouse. I didn't want Evelyn to ask me why I was so inebriated when I got home. I didn't require that much drama.

"I'll go shower first." I started to go upstairs to my room but stopped in the middle. "I didn't see the car outside, is Felix taking it?"

"Yes, sir. Evelyn is being driven to town by Felix."

Did she go out? It's never happened before. As much as I wanted the girl to go outside, she never did.

"Do you know where she went?"

She gave a headshake. "I'm afraid no, Sir."

"All right. Give Felix a call and find out where he brought her. Tell me when I return."

Felix had to drive me to the workplace, so I needed to know when he would be returning-not that I cared. I had a meeting in two hours, and I was already one hour late.

An hour later, I heard someone open the front door. Evelyn grinned broadly as she entered. I found the sight annoying. She didn't grin much in the house, therefore who gave me her wide smile? Although I wasn't envious in any way, I refused to put up with infidelity in this marriage.

We never discussed relationships outside of marriage, and even while we decided not to have any close relationships outside of public appearances, that didn't imply I supported her having a partner. Not for as long as this marriage of ours.

I asked her as she passed me, "Where were you?"

I became even more annoyed when she gave me a glance and her smile vanished. "Wandering."

"Where?"

She obstinately replied, "Somewhere."

"To where exactly?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Why do you want to know?"

"Answer me." I lost my temper. She irritated me, goddamn it.

She dared to ask incredulously, "Why do you care?" "I went to town to get a job, if you must know. And I did, I received it, surprise!"

She walked upstairs to her room, refusing to answer any more questions I may have asked. My feet went right after her.

"A position? Where? How come you even require a job?"

She pivoted around. "You asked a lot, huh?"

With a sigh, I ascended the steps till I came to her. Evelyn, please don't toy with me. Just respond to my inquiries."

Let me ask you why you believe I need a job. then I can escape this dull life," she muttered angrily. "I want to work, not just stay in this house doing nothing."

And that's it. I could take no more of her annoyance; I'd had enough of it today.

"You are not working, quit your job right now." Saying that, I walked her upstairs.

She grabbed my arm to halt me as soon as I heard her footsteps behind me. "Will you please pardon me? I didn't solicit your viewpoint. It has nothing to do with you if I get hired. You don't control me!"

I made an effort to maintain my composure, but all I wanted to do was grab her and give her a kiss for speaking to me in such a rude way. Her error was believing that I had no influence whatsoever over her.

"You don't seem to remember that I'm your spouse. Anything you do, I can take over. You are not taking that position, as I mentioned earlier because I care about your employment too."

She became more irate. Alright. She has been treating me like that for the last six months.

"My partner? How long ago is that? Just on paper, as you don't even value our union as a tribute to my late parents!"

She yelled. toward me. I remained silent even though I didn't enjoy it when people yelled at me. To be honest, I was a little shocked when she lost her temper with me. I had never seen her exhibit any other emotion before.

She knew that she had just lost control, and her eyes widened. For a brief moment, I noticed terror in her eyes.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to yell at you," she said, glancing away from me. "But please, I need this job badly. This time, her voice was soft. "I want to work."

Then I caught sight of it. The exhaustion and defeat in her gaze. This marriage had worn her out just as much as it had me. Likely, I wasn't treating her fairly.

Screw it.

"Alright, you can work." Her eyes immediately jerked back at me as soon as I said it. "But, I need to know where you work, what kind of job you do, and who your boss is."

She was desperate for a job, but I was not willing to let her work in a risky position.

She went to unwind. "Wilson Media hired me, have you heard? the TV commercial editor? "And my employer, Matthew Wilson is his name."

Wilson Productions. I was familiar with the business. large business. Plenty of competitors, but nothing to worry about.

"Why TV commercials?"

Because that is the only business that has agreed to hire me! For heaven's sake, I'm not even qualified for a high school diploma. I was turned down eight times before Wilson graciously accepted me."

My parents had said that Evelyn had never attended college, maybe due to unspecified circumstances. It made sense that she would take a job offer from any organization. Applying for jobs without a college degree can be challenging. She was fortunate to be admitted.

"Okay, you can work."

Her eyes gleamed. "Really?"

"Just for the first six months. I would give it a try and see what transpired. I'll see what occurs after that. "Now go before I change my mind."

She smiled broadly at me. "Thank you!"

I swear I caught a glimpse of her dancing joyfully as I watched her head to her bed.

*****

EVELYN

Even though it was a hard job, I enjoyed working for Wilson Media. My coworkers were pleasant. Bella and Greyson, two of my coworkers, and I became friends. They were really pleasant and helpful, and they worked in the same department as me.

"Bella, Boss is asking for you." While we were organizing some papers, Bella was informed by Reyna, Mr. Wilson's PA.

Bella nodded and straightened her hair, saying, "Be there soon." She turned to Reyna and said, "Gotta go guys, I'll be right back."

Greyson moved his chair closer to me. "So, what do you think about our boss?"

I gave him a quick look. "What about him?"

"Isn't he really in shape? God, I could never grow tired of staring at that delicious hunk of flesh." Greyson gave a headshake.

I arched an eyebrow. "Are you into him?"

He rolled his eyes. Is it not apparent? Indeed, I am proud to be gay."

Greyson gave me a deadly gaze as I burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, Grey. I swear I wasn't making fun of you. Just this. Every time Danielle sees you, I believe I've seen her slobber over you."

I had noticed Danielle, a marketing department employee, always keeping an eye on Greyson during the past three days. Anyone witnessing her knew she had a thing for Greyson.

Yes, I felt awful for her. A few months back, she confided in me about her desire, but I told her I wasn't into women. Though she never seems to believe me, she assumed I said that to get rid of her." Greyson clarified.

Sadly, girl.

The three of us headed to the nearby neighborhood coffee shop when it was time for lunch. We sat down and placed our lunch order. Greyson began gushing about how 'fit' and 'wonderful' our boss was when the waiter left. Silently, I chuckled at him. Why Greyson liked our boss made sense to me. Matthew Wilson had a good-looking appearance.

Not as good-looking as this one chap.

"I swear I could climb him like a" A deep voice interrupted Greyson's declaration of love.

"Hi, sweet Evelynrt. I had no idea you were here. I froze when Edward suddenly put his hand on my back since I wasn't used to it.

I never thought I'd see him here. I noticed three men standing next to him, who I knew as some of his employees.

"Evelyn?"

With a blink, my gaze locked with Edward's. His expression conveyed a knowing, "play along" vibe. Acting courteously with me was the look we had to wear whenever we were out in public.

"Hello, sweetie. Meet Greyson and Bella, two of my friends. Hey everybody, this is Edward, my spouse." I introduced him to my pals, playing along.

Edward said, "Hello," nodding to my friends before turning to face me. "We are going to my parents' house tonight, I'll pick you up in your office."

"Oh okay."

"I'm heading back to work. I'm going to miss you."

He kissed my cheek after grinning. If that hadn't made me flush, damn it. I could handle it, Cold Edward. However, Edward the Nice? I wasn't accustomed to it. No matter how many times he gave me phony grins and cheek kisses.

Suddenly everything here was quiet. Greyson's jaws were clenched to the ground. I might or might not have neglected to inform them of my marriage.

"What the fuck!" When we remained silent, Greyson swore. "You did not inform me that you are wed to a fucking god of sex. Is he good in bed, holy sh*t?"

He asked, and I choked on my saliva.

"Grey, don't ask something like that." Bella struck his arm.

He smiled. "I apologize. However, your spouse is fit; you're fortunate, ladies."

I shrugged. "He is okay I guess."

No. He was anything but 'okay'. Yes, he was cold, but the man was quite attractive. I would never tell him that. At all.

We returned to the office and worked there for the remainder of the day. And when work finally ended, I was waiting for Edward to come get me, as he had promised.

He talked about visiting my in-laws. I hadn't seen them in a long time. Most likely, they were having supper together again at their place. But I was looking forward to seeing them again, so I was excited.

Edward had not been spotted for thirty minutes. I took out my phone and gave him a call. He took a long time to pick up my phone.

"What?"

"Hello to you too, dear husband," I remarked cynically.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing at all, but didn't you say you would come get me at work? Where the devil are you now? It has been thirty minutes.

"Ack. I overlooked it. I'm still in the middle of a meeting, therefore I'm unable to pick you up." I won't apologize.

"All right. Then, I'll give Felix a ring to get me up."

"You cannot. Felix can't leave me just yet; he's with me right now. Take a cab, or do something else."

What a waste of being a gentleman.

"You are impossible, you selfish prick!" I snapped and hung up the phone.

That irritating man's nerve. I'm positive he did that on purpose. telling me falsehoods to get me to work.

"Evelyn?" I turned to see that Matthew had just departed the office. "Why are you still here?"

"Oh I was waiting for my husband but he is still in a meeting so I'll call for a taxi."

"I can give you a ride."

"Oh no, you don't have to, thank you so much for the offer." I graciously turned down his offer.

He grinned. It's alright. Getting a taxi would take a minimum of thirty minutes. Knowing that you are secure with me will relieve me."

That was the most adorable thing I've ever heard someone say. Furthermore, it wasn't from my hubby.

"Alright then, if you don't mind."

With a nod, he guided us to his vehicle. I thanked him and got inside the car after he opened the passenger door for me. After shutting the door, he moved to his side and entered. He pulled the driveway after starting the engine.

"How do you feel about being employed by my company, then? Have you yet to adjust to it?" After a few minutes of stillness, he inquired.

"It was okay, I struggled a bit but I'm getting used to it."

"No one is giving you a hard time, right?"

I gave a headshake. "No, they are all so nice and helpful."

He gave a nod. "All right. I make sure that no one at the company treats the newcomers badly and that everyone gets along like friends. Your crew needs to get along well to run a business."

I smiled at him. It was kind and considerate of him to be concerned about his staff. I was happy to be employed by him.

"Turn right, my house is in the corner of that street." We were getting nearer to my house when I said.

When we arrived at my house, he turned to face me after stopping the car.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Wilson."

"Please, call me Matthew."

"All right, Matthew. Once more, thank you for the voyage."

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll see you at work.

I smiled at him before exiting the vehicle. He gestured to me while rolling down the window.

"Bye, drive safe." I gave him a wave and watched him go.

Edward's vehicle was already parked when I entered the yard.

Asshole. He claimed to be in a meeting, didn't he?

I sighed and hit the bell. Jane let me in right away after opening the door. I removed my blazer and my killer heels.

"How long has Edward arrived home?"

Jane said, "Just 10 minutes ago," taking my purse and blazer. "Evelyn, I made apple juice. Would you like some?"

My eyes glowed. "Oh, please, yeah! I believe that your wonderful apple juice is the perfect reward for me after a hard day."

She laughed. "Come on then, have a seat."

I sat on the kitchen island chair watching Jane pour her homemade apple juice; I didn't need to be reminded twice. I drank the drink almost shortly after she offered it to me.

"I don't understand your love for apples, Evelyn," Jane said as I took one mouthful of my drink and was done.

"Apples remind me of my mother, she always made me apple juice whenever I came back from school."

Jane smiled weakly at me. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to remind you about your parents."

I started to cry when I remembered my parents. Even after two years had passed since their passing, my anguish had not subsided.

It's alright, I'll always miss them. I'm alone now; they were the only family I had."

It served as a somber reminder that I was now alone and dependent only on Edward's family.

Jane came up to me and gave me an embrace, saying, "Evelyn, darling, you are not alone." "This is your household. This house is your family, all of you. Your family is Sir Edward. The Richards are your family, Mrs. Evelyn, you have me too. We are a family."

I started crying as soon as she said that. She was correct-I wasn't by myself. I was related to another family. I still consider Richards to be my family, even though Edward detested me. My family was also Jane's.

Someone's throat was cleaned. As soon as Jane and I moved aside, Edward was in the kitchen. I gazed at the glass after wiping away my tears.

"I'll take your blazer and your purse to your room, Evelyn," Jane stated and quickly left the kitchen to head to my room, leaving my so-called spouse and me alone.