The Marriage Bargain

The Marriage Bargain

Ifeanyi Debbie · Completed · 281.6k Words

847
Hot
1.1k
Views
254
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

I stepped into the room and he smiled at me.

That was my first warning.

Rowan Vaughn hadn’t smiled at me like that in years. Not since the cheating. Not since the Cold War between us began.

"Hi," he said, like I was a stranger.

And just like that, I knew.

He didn’t remember.

Not the marriage. Not the fights. Not the night I begged him to sign the divorce papers.

But then she walked in, Gigi.

And he remembered her.

I stood there, invisible again, while he held her hand and called her name.

He remembered the woman he almost left me for.

But not me...his wife.

Now I wish I had let him die in that operating room.


When Remi's world is shattered by her cousin's leukemia diagnosis, she's forced into a loveless marriage with a billionaire CEO, Rowan Vaughn - a man she once had a crush on.

But Rowan, haunted by a past betrayal, sees Remi as a gold digger. Trapped in a toxic marriage, Remi longs for the man she thought Rowan could be.

She wanted an escape, so she offered the best thing for herself

Divorce.

Chapter 1

Remi's POV

I stood in front of an ornate mirror in the bridal suite, adjusting the lace on my wedding dress for the hundredth time. My hands trembled slightly, not from excitement, but from the nerves gnawing at my insides. I bit my lips in fear, again I was scared. I should be happy right? I was getting married to the man that I have crush on for years.

But I wasn't. Because he didn't love me. No, he hated me. He looked at me as if he wanted to strangle me. But yet, here I am, getting married to said man.

“Remember, Remi,” Aunt Victoria's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp and cold. Her blue eyes held no emotions as she tightened the corset. “Behave yourself. This is your chance to make something of your miserable life. Don’t screw it up.”

She acted as if she was putting a necklace around my neck but I know that her plan was if I mess up she would strangle me to death.

I bit back a retort, swallowing the bitterness that rose in my throat. Aunt Victoria’s words were a familiar sting, her face in its usual frown. I should have think nothing of it, already use to it but it stung. Like a bee.

I nodded mutely, knowing any response would only provoke her further.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes, emerald eyes shobe underneath the golden light, my blonde hair wad curled and pinned in all the right places.

An angel. That's what my mother use to call me.

But I didn't feel like an angel. More or less, I felt like a loss sheep.

Uncle Jacob's massive frame darkened the doorway, his bulk seeming to suck the air out of the room. "It's time," he growled, his voice like a rough scrape on wood. His gaze crawled over me, lingering on the lace of my dress, the pale oval of my face, the fingers I couldn't keep still. His eyes narrowed, his eyebrows beetling together in a scowl that made my skin prickle.

Then he said something that I couldn't hear. But I knew it was just spiteful words that's best known to himself.

I followed them out of the room, my legs moving mechanically as if they belonged to someone else. Each step down the hallway echoed in my ears, a countdown to a life I wasn’t sure I wanted. Rowan was probably waiting at the end of that aisle, the man I had admired from a distance, now the man I was bound to marry not by choice but by situation.

My aunt and uncle gave me one last look like a warning.

Then, without a word, they turned and disappeared into the chapel, leaving me alone in the bridal room. The silence that followed was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft creak of the chapel door as it swung shut behind them.

I stood frozen, my heart pounding in my chest, as I waited for the door to open again. The seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness, each one stretching out like an eternity. And then, I heard it.

A soft giggle escaped from the partially open door down the hallway, followed by a low, husky murmur that sent a shiver down my spine. My feet seemed to root themselves to the spot, refusing to move forward as. I tried my best not to move, I really did but curiosity got the better of me, and I moved closer, carrying my wedding gown with me, peeking through the crack.

What I saw made my stomach twist into a knot. Rowan, my soon-to-be husband, was entwined with two women, their bodies a tangled mess of limbs and lips. One woman's mouth was fused to his, her hands grasping his face as if she'd never let go. The other trailed kisses down his neck, her fingers digging into his skin like claws. Their laughter and the soft, wet sounds of their kisses filled the small room, making my skin crawl. For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

The world tilted, and I gripped the doorframe to steady myself, my mind reeling with shock and betrayal. I searched desperately for an explanation, some way to rationalize the scene in front of me, but there was no mistaking the truth. Rowan, my husband-to-be, was cheating on me, and just hours before our wedding.

He was having a threesome, tears, I could feel them in my eyes as my breath caught up in my throat. It can't be.

I thought I'd prepared myself for a loveless marriage, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The sight of Rowan, my soon-to-be husband, in a compromising position with not one, but two women, was a betrayal of a different kind,

And in a room so close to the chapel, where the priest and our guests waited, it was a slap in the face. I tried to blink back the tears, but they pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. My breathing came in short gasps as I struggled to process the scene before me.

Rowan was oblivious to the risk of discovery, too caught up in his own desires to care. He devoured the woman on her knees, his mouth claiming hers with a ferocity that made my stomach turn.

Suddenly I felt a shake. Aunt Victoria’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Remi! What are you doing? People have been waiting-” Her tone was a sharp whisper, full of venom, stopped as she followed my gaze and froze. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of panic. But it was quickly replaced by her usual cold composure.

“We’ll deal with this later,” she hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me away. “You will walk down that aisle and marry him, do you understand? Men cheat, you don't love him anyways. You know why you want to marry him, so hide those tears and say those vows. Do you understand?”

Numbly, I nodded. My thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind, but I let Aunt Victoria’s grip guide me towards the door.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and a sob burst forth from my throat, despite my attempts to stifle it.

The sound was like a wild animal, escaping from a place deep within me. Aunt Victoria's grip on my arm constricted, her fingers digging into my skin like talons. "Control yourself," she hissed, her voice low and urgent. But I couldn't. The scene before me was too much to bear. Rowan's betrayal, the women's laughter, the chapel's solemnity just a stone's throw away... it all combined to shatter my composure. I felt myself trembling, my vision blurring as tears streamed down my face.

"Remi, don't make a scene," Aunt Victoria hissed, her voice cold. Devoid of any emotions. "You'll ruin everything."

But I was beyond control. Tears poured down my face like a torrent, my body shaking with sobs as I stood there, paralyzed by shock and heartbreak.

Aunt Victoria's grip on my arm tightened, her nails digging into my skin like ice picks. "Remi, do you want your cousin to die?" she spat, her voice devoid of any warmth or compassion. “Would you be able to live knowing that it was your fault she died?”

I felt a fresh wave of tears rising up, but I forced them back, my throat constricting with the effort.

Two million dollars. That's what my dignity and self-respect were worth to Aunt Victoria and my so-called husband.

"You're a disgrace, Remi ," Aunt Victoria spat, her eyes flashing with anger. "You're embarrassing us all. Pull yourself together and let's get this over with. Stop being a wuss."

I nodded numbly, my mind racing with thoughts of escape, of fleeing this toxic situation and starting anew. But for now, I was trapped. Because she was right, I would never be able to live with myself.

If this marriage didn't kill me, the guilt would.


I stepped into the aisle, the guests’ eyes turned towards me, their faces a blur. The organ played on, and I forced one foot in front of the other. Rowan stood at the altar, looking every bit the dashing groom.

His lips held that smirk, that I have come to hate, his dark eyes, intense, was watching me like a wolf hunting his prey. His eyes moved down my body and then back to my face. His eyes met mine, and I saw no hint of the man I had just seen. His expression was calm, almost indifferent.

Cold.

I couldn't read him.

I didn't want to.

I had learned to keep my mouth shut during my years with my aunt and uncle. To be quiet. Silent like a bird even though you were dying.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. I wanted to scream, to run, to do anything but walk towards him.

But the more I think about my cousin on that sick bed, the more I step forward.

With each step, memories flashed in my mind. The years of neglect and abuse, the nights I cried myself to sleep, the moments I dared to hope for something better. And now, this. Marrying Rowan was supposed to be an escape, a chance at a new life.

But that illusion shattered the mom

As I reached the altar, Rowan took my hand. His touch was cold, devoid of any warmth or affection. The officiant began speaking, but the words blurred together, meaningless in my face.

“I do,” Rowan’s voice cut through my daze. I blinked, realizing it was my turn to speak.

The words caught in my throat. I looked up at Rowan, searching for something—anything—that might reassure me. But his eyes were hard, his smile forced.

“I...” My voice wavered. Aunt Victoria ’s gaze burned into me from the front row, a silent threat. “I do.”

The ceremony continued, a series of motions and vows that felt hollow. When Rowan kissed me, it was brief and cold, a mere formality. The guests cheered, but their applause felt distant, like it belonged to another world.

As we walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, I felt a strange detachment, as if I were watching someone else’s life unfold through a TV screen.

The chapel doors closed behind us, and the noise of the guests faded.

In the car, silence stretched between us. Rowan stared out the window, his expression unreadable. I wanted to ask him why, to demand an explanation for what I had seen. But the words wouldn’t come.

“Did you enjoy the scene?”

I blinked looking at him, “What?”

“You seemed to enjoy watching me sleep with other women, did it turn you on?”

I narrowed my gaze, “You are sick.”

Rowan smirked, “But yet you fell in love with me. I saw the love letters, the diary, your aunt showed them to me. I think you are the one that's sick cara mia.”

I turned away from him, saying no more as I twirled the ring on my finger.

The car started moving, taking us to the reception, to the rest of our lives.

As the city blurred past, I made a silent promise to myself. No matter how hard this life became, I would survive. For Jules, for the faint hope of something better, and for the woman I still believed I could be.

It's just six years. I can do it.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)

A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)

4.5k Views · Ongoing · ADB_Stories
One mistake centuries ago left Lemuel cursed by the Goddess Merlos and forced to wander the earth granting the wishes of those who touch him. Lemuel was looking at an eternity of loneliness until his unexpected soulmate plucked him right out of the sea.

Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.

Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.

A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.

Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna

Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna

17.1k Views · Completed · Sherry
"How thoughtful."
"Bella." Ethan's tone shifted, taking on that warning edge I knew too well. "Faye is vulnerable right now. She's terrified you'll resent her, that this will divide the pack. The last thing she wants is for this baby to come between us."
"Then you shouldn't have done it." I met his eyes squarely, letting him see the ice in mine. "Go back to your son."
"For fuck's sake." He dragged a hand through his hair. "How many times—it was artificial insemination. They used my sperm, yes, but Faye and I never—"
Bella let out a cold snort. Such brazen lies. Her mate had an affair with his brother's partner, and his entire family helped force her out with nothing, all to make way for the mistress to take her rightful position. Poor fool—he thought she was just an unwanted adopted daughter, easy to dismiss and control. He never knew the computer genius he'd been searching for was his own Luna.
Since he'd tainted himself, Bella was done. She rejected him and reclaimed what was hers, rising to the top with help from Victor, who'd been secretly in love with her for years.
When Ethan tried winning her back: "You don't want our child growing up fatherless."
Bella smiled mockingly. "The child's father isn't you."
The Spy Who Left

The Spy Who Left

1.3k Views · Completed · Orion Vale
"She's naive. A pretty little socialite who got lucky marrying above her station."
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
The Dragon's Last Fae Queen

The Dragon's Last Fae Queen

6.3k Views · Ongoing · Sylvia Sylvester
Hidden all her life in the slums of Emberveil, Aerith has one rule: never let the dragons see her eyes. Fae are extinct, hunted, burned, and erased from the kingdom. Or so everyone believes. But on the night of her eighteenth birthday, when her forbidden magic stirs awake and her grandmother falls deathly ill, Aerith breaks the one rule meant to keep her safe. She enters the royal dragon pharmacy… and collides with a werewolf princess who drags her straight to the dungeon. There, in the deepest shadows of the palace, the youngest dragon prince sees her glowing eyes and instantly knows what she is. A fae. A secret the entire kingdom would kill for. What would be her fate? Another dead Fae? Or the Last Dragon's Fae Queen?

“Prince? Dickhead? Asshole? Or stalker?” A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. “Maybe I should show you the one title I want you to use.” Before I could react, his hand closed around my chin, tilting my face up. His lips crashed into mine, hard, claiming, breath-stealing. When he finally pulled back, his voice was a rough whisper against my lips. “You could call me yours… because you are mine.”
The mafia princess return

The mafia princess return

908.2k Views · Completed · Tonje Unosen
Talia have been living with her mother, stepsister and Stepfather for years. One day she finally get away from them. Suddenly she learn she have more family out there and she have many people that actually love her, something she have never felt before! At least not as she can remember. She have to learn to trust others, get her new brothers to accept her for who she is!
The Game of Claiming

The Game of Claiming

12.7k Views · Completed · Billie Patsy
When Lila Moreno stepped into the Romano mansion, she didn’t expect to be caught in the middle of a silent war. The four infamous Romano brothers rule the city’s underworld with blood and money—yet the moment they see her, their power turns personal.
A drunken bet becomes their private game: win the maid.
The rules?
Don’t let the others know you’re falling for her.
And never, ever let her leave.
But each brother plays differently—
The eldest buys her obedience.
The second steals her breath.
The third corners her in the dark.
The youngest ruins anyone who touches her.
Lila isn’t sure if she’s a player in their game… or the prize they’ll destroy each other to claim
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

2.3m Views · Completed · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Bride

The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Bride

51.1k Views · Ongoing · Riley Above Story
As a wolfless orphan, Joanne had been abused by Alpha Anthony ever since she was a child. She devoted her entire life to surviving in his pack—until one day, she returned home to find an injured vampire lying in her house, his whole existence luring her in. Taking the risk of bringing him in, Joanne never expected Alpha Anthony to discover it the very next day and finally seize the chance to kill her. Just as Joanne was about to be executed, the vampire she had saved arrived, with his army. And Joanne realized that he was the Prince Alexander, heir to the vampire throne…..
From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession

From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession

2.7k Views · Completed · Ellis Carter
"Ten years of atonement, and you flee?"

His fangs glinted as he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. Dragon scales shimmered along his neck, breath scorching my skin.

"Your Majesty... I beg—" He shoved me onto the bed. Silk tore with a sharp rip, cold air rushing over my exposed body.

"Scared?" He smirked, palm sliding down my waist, fingers tracing slow, burning circles. "Yet you shiver... not from cold."

I lunged for the candlestick, but he caught my wrist, pinning it overhead. His knee forced my legs apart.

"When your father gave you to me," his lips brushed my ear, voice a dark rumble, "you were already mine."

On the eve of freedom after ten years of servitude, Lina Valeria stood one night away from reuniting with her betrothed. But Dragon King Augustus condemned her to the Abyss Mines on false charges—a trap forged from obsessive desire.

Augustus Ashenwing, Supreme Sovereign of Skyhold Citadel, is ruthless and feared by all races. His obsession stems from ancient grudges and dragonkind's most dangerous instinct: possessive desire. He demands her submission, binding her to his throne as his consort.

From prisoner to queen, Lina battles him through court intrigue and twisted passion—fighting for her mother, her freedom, her dignity.

Yet this cold-blooded tyrant reserves all tenderness for her alone. He indulges her temper, bends his pride, compromises without limit—anything to see her smile. Gradually, her heart wavers. But loving him means betraying Kain, who waited eleven years. Torn between duty and desire, she drowns in agonizing guilt.

Love and hatred intertwined—a forbidden dragon romance in a realm of oppression.
Avery and the Cursed Alpha

Avery and the Cursed Alpha

3.3k Views · Completed · Lyra Lupine
After losing her mother to cancer and drowning in crushing debt, Avery Wellesley is running out of options. Her house is about to be seized, her job is hanging by a thread, and every door she knocks on seems to slam shut in her face.

Then a mysterious billionaire offers her a deal that sounds too good to be true.

Alexander Ravenswood is powerful, wealthy, and feared throughout Tenebrous City. Behind his perfect public image lies a deadly secret. He is the Alpha of the Nocturne Pack, cursed by an ancient bloodline that is slowly driving him toward madness and death. His only hope lies in finding the legendary Aethon Orb—or the prophesied mate destined to save him.

When Alex discovers that Avery can draw symbols connected to the long-lost artifact, he offers her a contract she cannot refuse: become his fake fiancée for six months in exchange for enough money to erase her debts and save her home.

What begins as a business arrangement quickly becomes something far more dangerous.

As they search for the missing Orb, Avery is drawn into a hidden world of werewolves, ancient prophecies, and deadly pack rivalries. Powerful enemies want Alex's throne. A jealous Alpha heiress wants Avery gone. And a ruthless rival Alpha will stop at nothing to claim the Orb for himself.

But the greatest secret of all may be Avery herself.

Because the closer she gets to Alex, the more impossible truths begin to surface about her past, her strange abilities, and the destiny that has been waiting for her all along.

With a curse threatening Alex's life, enemies closing in from every side, and a forbidden bond growing stronger by the day, Avery must decide whether to walk away from the dangerous Alpha who needs her—or risk everything for a love written by fate itself.

In a city where secrets kill and destiny cannot be escaped, can a fake engagement become a love powerful enough to change the future?
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

1.4m Views · Ongoing · Louisa
Dear readers, this novel is coming to an end soon. I highly recommend another fantastic story of the same genre:


I’d appreciate all your support, thank you so much!
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.

On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...

Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.

George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.

His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"

Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.

When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.

"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"

George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Bound By Power, Torn By Love

Bound By Power, Torn By Love

2.1k Views · Ongoing · Cynthia Adama
She is the only daughter of a notorious mafia boss, but she is forced by her father to marry a hateful bastard in a contract marriage. To avenge her father, she has a one-night stand with a charming man, but unexpectedly falls into the trap of another terrible man, who is her father's enemy and another mafia boss. His mission is to make her father disappear.
She regards him as her only salvation, but he regards her as a pawn for revenge. When two enemies dance on the sharp knife, what will be the final outcome?