The Billionaire's Amnesia

Eleven | The Agreement

L A Y L A

I bite my lip nervously as I ask him the question that has been haunting me for days.

"When do you think the wedding will be?" I need to brace myself for the inevitable. For the day when I have to walk down the aisle with a man who doesn't love me and who I don't love either.

"Two weeks from now," he says casually as if he's talking about the weather.

"Two weeks?" I repeat, feeling a surge of panic. That's impossible. How can he expect me to marry him so soon? I thought he would at least give me a few months to prepare myself for this sham of a marriage.

But then I remember his twisted plan: he wants to break up with his gorgeous, glamorous girlfriend and marry me instead, just to spite his parents who are trying to force him into an arranged marriage with her. 

James tilts his head and studies me with amusement. "What? Too excited to marry me that you can't even wait for two weeks? Should I make it one week from now?" He teases, making me want to slap him.

He knows how to push my buttons, and I glare at him with all the venom I can muster. But he just laughs, unfazed by my hostility. And I hate how handsome he looks when he laughs, how his hazel eyes sparkle and his dimples show.

"No, I am not. Are you crazy?" I grit my teeth.

 "I never said I wasn't," he replies. "Since you asked, I must say that my honest response is that I would greatly enjoy getting married tomorrow."

He affirms his readiness for marriage, but I detect a hint of irony in his voice. Perhaps he is testing me, or perhaps he is sincere.

I feel a surge of conflicting emotions. How can he be so reckless and impulsive? How can I resist his charm and passion?

We lapse into silence for a moment before I venture to express my preference.

"A modest ceremony would suit me fine," I tell him. "Just a few close friends and relatives—"

He interrupts me with a disdainful snort.

"Not gonna happen." He says. "You'll be married to the second richest man in the world. I want our wedding to be the event of the year, one that will shake the world, one that will announce our union to everyone on this planet."

Right, I almost forgot, he has always been the pampered one in his family, receiving everything he wanted without much effort. But this has also made him resentful of his parents' authority and expectations. He seeks to rebel against them in every possible way, even if it means hurting them or putting their lives at risk. He does not care about the consequences of his actions or the feelings of others. He is a spoiled child who wants to break free from his family bonds at any cost.

"This can't be done in two weeks?" I argue, trying to convince him that it's impossible.

He dismisses my concern about the feasibility of organizing such a lavish wedding within two weeks times. "That's not our problem," he says. "We have people who will take care of everything for us."

I look at him incredulously, but I also realize that he has a point. He has the power and the resources to make anything happen without breaking a sweat.

*___*

I locked the door behind me and let out a sigh of relief. I had just survived the busiest morning shift ever and I needed some time to relax. I flopped down on the couch and glanced at my best friend Angie, who was holding a clipboard with a bunch of names on it.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Angie said. "We have to finalize your wedding guest list today. Who's in and who's out?"

I took a deep breath and looked at the list. I recognized most of the names as friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. But there was one name that made my heart flutter: Ryan.

Ryan was my second boyfriend. I started dating Ryan a couple of weeks after I broke up with Jake. We had dated for one year and had been crazy about each other. But then he got a job offer in New York and decided to move there without me. The worst part was he broke up with me over the phone and left me shattered for weeks.

I hadn't seen him in ages, but I still wondered about him sometimes. I wondered what he was doing now if he was happy if he had someone else. 

I shook my head and tried to focus on the list. I didn't want to invite him to my wedding. I was marrying a billionaire in a week, and even though I didn't love James, I still didn't think it was a good idea to invite Ryan, especially with the scandal still fresh in everyone's mind.

I shook my head and tried to focus on the list. I didn't want to invite him to my wedding. I will be married to a billionaire in a week, even though I did not love him, I still did not feel it is a good idea to invite Ryan, let alone Jake with the scandal still floating around.

"Hey, are you okay?" Angie asked, noticing my hesitation. 

I looked up and faked a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." I lied. 

"So?" Angie pressed. "Who are you inviting?" I bit my lip and made a decision. 

"I'm inviting Ryan." She said.

Angie's eyes widened. "You're inviting Ryan? Are you crazy? He broke your heart! And what about Jake? He's still out there, trying to ruin your reputation!"

I shrugged. "I don't care about Jake. He was a mistake. And Ryan... I don't know, I just feel like I need some closure. Maybe seeing him again will help me move on."

Angie shook her head. "Or maybe it will make you realize that you still love him and that you're making a huge mistake by marrying a billionaire you don't even know."

I sighed. "Angie, please. Don't make this harder than it already is. I'm doing this for my aunt. You know how much we need the money."

She looked at me with pity and concern. "But do you really have to sacrifice your happiness for her? You deserve better than this, girl! You deserve someone who loves you for who you are, not for what you can do for them." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. "Please, think about it. There's still time to change your mind."

I smiled weakly and pulled away from her grip. "Thanks for caring, Angie. But I've made up my mind. This is the best thing for everyone." I stood up and grabbed my bags. "Now come on, let's go shopping. We have a wedding to plan!"