Did He Plan It All?

Violet POV

I can't believe I was doing this. What would my family think of me? That old man of the Clarksville family made us go through hell years ago. I was still younger but I can never forget the painful struggles my father went through neither could I forget the humiliation he fought so hard to overcome.

He felt guilty for not being able to fend for his family. He was angry he couldn't do much about the situation. Luckily for our family, I got a scholarship to college and I worked very hard to be the best at what I do.

I hoped that someday my family would look behind the suffering and laugh over it. Even as that hope kept overflowing in our minds, the hatred for the Clarksville family was rooted in us.

I still can't believe that I just made the decision to get married to that same family. What would my family say? How would they react to it?

I got out of the taxi, sighing deeply. Afraid of the next step I was going to take but still I was determined to do it for the sake of my brother. I can't let him die simply because we hate the family.

I wonder if that grumpy pants had anything to do with my brother's predicament. One thing was certain though. Even if he didn't have a hand at first, he certainly was behind the last call I received.

I remembered how he threatened me the last time I was there and barely thirty minutes later, I got a call from my mother. It wasn't strange yet I was helpless.

It would have been better if he wasn't from the Clarksville family. Perhaps, I would have accepted the contract even if it was against my principle.

After receiving my mother's call from the station that my brother had just one hour before he would be taken to the gallows, without trial, I knew instantly that it was all Jason's doing.

Joe, who wanted to help me earlier on, had come to my office to confirm my suspicion.

"Violet, did you offend the heir of the Clarksville family?"

"I will advise you to go and meet him before the one hour elapsed or else your brother would not only die but your whole family might not be spared too," Joe said, looking down.

That was when I knew that I had to pay the sacrifice to save my brother even if it means getting married to my family's worst enemy.

I don't blame Joe or anyone else for not helping me. After all, I don't want to spoil other people's lives just to make mine better. It was better if I just sacrificed myself instead.

Left with no choice but to go back to Jason Clarksville, I swallowed my pride…for my brother's sake.

I had to follow his plans all along. With my head down and eyes filled with reluctance, I made my way to his mansion again.

I went to him for the contract… to save my brother's life.

When I entered, I saw the smirk on his face. I knew he was waiting for me… to c{me back and beg him. And that was exactly what I came here for… to beg him if necessary.

Fortunately, it wasn't.

And here I was… about to get married to him in a few hours. I still can't believe I was going to get married without the blessing of my parents.

"When you are through with daydreaming, can we get along? I don't have time to waste on frivolous things"

Those were the grumpy pants words that jolted me out of my thoughts. I raised my head to see the devilishly handsome face that would soon be my husband, on paper though.

I ignored his words and walked into the office that would change my life in less than two or more hours.

***

At exactly five minutes later, I stood outside of the civil affairs office holding my marriage certificate in my hand. I kept reminding myself that it was just a deal and nothing more.

What a despicable man! I can't believe he already prepared everything ahead. All that was needed was our signatures and photos taken. If not for my anger, I bet we would have left in less than three minutes.

No vow needed. All that was needed was our signature and the smiling faces in our photos. Smiling faces? That was where the problem came from. I could neither smile or even fake a genuine smiling face. I wasn't left out because the grumpy pants might be handsome but he was certainly not a fan of smiling.

At the end, they had to make do with the ones we could fake out. That was after Mr. Grumpy pants, who I found out was Jason Clarksville, became angry. No one wants to mess with him so they made do with it.

I still couldn't believe I was married to such a devil. Not just married but I was married to the son of the Clarksville family… a family that made us go through hell.

If only Jason hadn't pulled his foul strings at the last minute, I wouldn't have to marry him in order to release my brother. It would have been over my dead body!

I clenched the worthless certificate tightly as my heart was filled with anger, finding the right words to describe the cold looking and arrogant man beside me.

As I was wallowing in my woes, my phone suddenly rang, displaying my mother's name. Fortunately it wasn't a video call. I quickly composed my emotions before picking up the call.

"Mom…"

"Violet, your brother had been acquitted of the crimes he was accused of and the real culprit had been caught!" My mother's excited voice rang out.

I frowned on hearing the last statement. How could the culprit be found so soon? Within an hour? Was Jason behind my brother's murder case?

Did he plan all of this just to make me agree to the contract?

How was that possible?