The forgotten groom

chapter 1

Max

I am strolling down the park with my caretaker. I was basically an orphan and my grandfather the rich and famous Harold Demakide took over my care.
As usual, grandfather was too busy and all I had were nannies and caretakers. He also loathed me because I was not like his beloved late son Maxmillian Demakide.
Actually, he disinherited his son when he got involved with my mother, a low class druggie. She got pregnant and he washed his hands off them because my father refused to abandon her.
When my father tragically died in an accident, he claims he felt regretful and decided to take me in and then dumped my mother in a rehab centre. I never saw her again though she wrote me letters and I wrote her back.
That was our only form of communication. My grandfather would have a a heart attack if he ever found out. He was so controlling and always threatened his family with disinheriting! And he would, if he did it to his own son, why not the rest of us!
But I never cared a damn about his money. As long as he left me alone with my plants and animals.

Today, I was told we were having special guests and I was supposed to look my best.
My nanny Adeline calls me over,

"Maxmillian? Come this side" she gestures to me

I hurry to her side and see where she is pointing. My heart flutters in my chest and I sigh at the sight of him. Its Nikolas Starlinksy. He looks like a god. So tall and handsome, everyone loves him. I have crushed on him since we were young. He has never noticed me of course. Why would he? The only reason I got invited to events by the other kids was because my grandfather was rich. He owned almost half the city and their parents in one way or another were employees of the Demakides Corporation.

I remember at some birthday party I attended, he was the star of the party even though it wasn't his birthday. Everyone was allover him and I was just there in the corner admiring him.
He had a girlfriend called Alexia. She was the most popular girl in school. I was just Chubby, nerdy Maximilian, who loved plants and animals.
I know the kids secretly called me tree hugger. It never bothered me, I loved all plants and animals and I had my small little garden though grandfather would rage each time he found me working in the garden.

A few minutes later, I am called in and I see my grandfather smiling, which was a very rare sight. I glance around and see the starlinksy family all looking abit off.
I wonder what's going on.

"Max, come here my boy" grandfather says as he leads me to his study.

"Yes, grandfather" I say

"Have a seat" he says

I sit down and cross my legs obediently. I was really very shy.

"Sit up straight! Why are you slouching? You're practically royalty. Sometimes I wonder if you're even blood, if it wasn't for the fact that you are the spitting image of you're father,I would have disowned you"

I flinch from his horrible words and blink away tears.

"Now,onto business, do you like Nikolas?" He asks me

I blush a furious red and nod my head looking down, twisting my fingers.

"Good, that's good" he says

"Why grandfather?" I ask

"Well, I'm going to buy you a husband, i am going to give you Nikolas" he says

"But grandfather..." I try to protest

Are people bought?

"You like him don't you? And you want him? Not so?" He asks

"Yes" I tell him

"Then its settled, since you're a minor, I'll sign the contract on your behalf" he says

When he leaves, I touch my hand to my burning cheeks. Nikolas would be mine? Me? All the kids at school were going to  die of jealousy!
I smile running out of the study so excited, then I ran into Nikolas!

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