Chapter 4 – Back Home to Marry Off Myself Novel

“According to the arrangement, it was already decided between two families, how could we break the promise?”

Loredana lowered her eyes and didn’t dare to look at him. He was as unhappy with the arrangement as she was, perhaps more so. His consent was merely because a promise was a promise.

“That’s great.”

Garrett was delighted to hear the news. To connect to the Mendelsohn family via an insignificant daughter was certainly a good thing. Although the Flores family was rich, it was no match for the Mendelsohn’s.

Garrett stood and bowed deeply to Cormac. “I’ve asked my chef to prepare dinner, please have a meal here before leaving.”

Cormac frowned, disgusted by Garrett’s going-after-wealth-and-power behavior.

“No, thank you. I still have some things to deal with.,” he said, rejecting the offer and waiting for Abbott

Baron to push him outside in the wheelchair.

Upon passing by Loredana, he raised his hand gesturing Abbott to stop, and lifted his eyes. “Is Miss

Flores free afterward?”

Although it was phrased as a question, Cormac sounded more commanding than anything else.

Loredana nodded and, from the way he looked at her, Cormac seemed to want to talk to her about something. And coincidentally, she wanted to talk to him too.

Garrett shot Loredana a warning look. “Mind your boundaries.” He did not want Loredana to offend

Cormac before they even got married.

Seeing Cormac’s apathetic look, it looked to Garrett that Cormac was dissatisfied with Loredana. Yet, the arrangement was still good for the Flores family. Marrying into such an influential family would help with the family business. Garrett would do anything he could to prevent her from messing up the marriage.

Loredana pretended she didn’t notice her father’s look of disdain and followed Cormac and Abbott outside. She knew all too well what Garrett was planning. What gave him the confidence to assume she was going to help him join the Mendelsohn family? Did he think that she was going to stay in such a marriage just because she was his daughter? He’d never even spoke to her since he cheated on her mother. Was he assuming that Loredana would forgive and forget the life he’d condemned her family to for those eight years?

As she was lost in her thoughts, she bumped into something hard. She snapped back into the present and looked up to see the flawless face of Cormac Mendelsohn staring down at her. As she expected,

Cormac had no problem standing, meaning she now had something on him. Loredana’ scalp went numb from Cormac’s stare and she calmly met his eyes while bracing herself for his anger.

“You’re pretending to be paralyzed, aren’t you?”

Cormac narrowed his eyes and his anger and unease were clear on his face as he spoke in a hushed but fierce tone. “Why did you insist to marry me even though I’m a cripple? What do you want from me?

Money? To live the life of the rich and famous?”

Loredana had to force herself to ignore the rush of cold coursing through her veins as Cormac stared at her. It was as if her heart were grasped by an invisible hand, even making her breathing difficult.

“The marriage was arranged by our mothers when I was two. Could I have possibly known anything about money and the benefit of becoming a rich lady at that age? This is purely the wish of our mothers that I wish to uphold.” Loredana paused to collect her thoughts and soften her tone. “When I was two, you were ten and eight years my elder. If anything, I should’ve despised you for being so much older than me, but I didn’t.”

Cormac sneered. Not only was Loredana good at talking, but she also had a silver tongue! She was bold enough to call him old. There was electricity in the air between them. They stared into each other’s eyes and neither of them was willing to back off. Loredana’s hands, which hung at her sides, were clenched into fists. Her reason for marrying into the Mendelsohn family was only so Garrett would return her mother’s dowry, not to become the enemy of the man before her.

Not wanting to make things worse, she swallowed her pride and softened her voice. “Mr. Mendelsohn, I know you don’t want to marry me, and I understand that—”

She deliberately stopped to glance at Cormac’s expression. Although the fluctuation of his expression was minuscule, Loredana still managed to notice it.

“Mr. Mendelsohn, let’s make a deal,” Loredana continued.

She didn’t want to join the Mendelsohn family, she only wanted to come back home and reclaim her and her mother’s things.

Cormac sneered, amused at the ridiculousness of Loredana’ offer. What sort of deal did she think she could make him?

Loredana swallowed and ignored the sweat drenching her back from her nerves. Cormac was tall and she had to lift her chin to look at him.

“I know the reason you’re pretending to be paralyzed is to convince the Flores family to call off the marriage. However, I too have my reservations toward the marriage.”

Loredana sparked Cormac’s interest and he asked, “What do you want?” Since it was a deal, there must be conditions.

“One month. After one month of marriage, I’ll divorce you and you can do as you wish.”

One month was enough. After getting back her mother’s dowry, she would divorce him.

Cormac frowned. “That’s the deal you want to make with me?”

“Yes. As it was our mothers’ wish, we have to marry each other no matter what we think about each other. We must show respect toward them, both in your mother’s memory, and acknowledge the sacrifices my mother made for me. However, it was only promised that we would marry each other, they never said that we had to stay married. It’s not counted as breaking the promise if we don’t match in terms of personality and principles and divorce each other.”

“If we agree to this deal, then you don’t have to spend a lifetime with someone you don’t like. It won’t do you harm, only good—” Noticing Cormac was pondering her proposal, Loredana went on. “I suppose you may have found someone you’re fond of and that’s why you’ve tried everything to make the Flores family break the promise?”

Cormac’s face tightened and his jaw clenched. “I didn’t expect you to be that smart…”

What Loredana said was true and he wanted to give Helen a better life. He was moved by her innocence and endurance when he was in great need.

Cormac fixed his gaze onto Loredana’ face, noting the anxiousness behind her composure, and retorted. “And what about you? What will you get out of this one month of marriage?” He knew that she wasn’t only thinking of him.

Loredana’ heart plummeted. She couldn’t tell him the truth about wanting to get her mother’s dowry but she also didn’t want to lie either. If she tried to come up with a different reason, there was a chance he would see right through her lie.

“My mother cares about the marriage greatly and has poor health, therefore I don’t want to disappoint her.”

Loredana avoided eye contact when she spoke, not wanting to give away her lie. Her mother didn’t want her to marry Cormac Mendelsohn at all.

Cormac pulled Loredana out of her thoughts and replied in a seemingly threatening voice as if he had read her mind. “Oh really?”

Loredana’ stomach lurched. His eyes seemed to penetrate her mind. While she was trying to keep her composure and figuring what to do, Cormac’s phone rang. Cormac glimpsed at her and took out his phone. Upon seeing the name on the screen, his face softened and his eyes lit up. He turned away from Loredana to answer the call but turned back as if he remembered something.

“Since the marriage will only last a month, there’s no need to organize a wedding ceremony.” Loredana didn’t have a choice and nodded in agreement. “Sure.”

*****

On the twelfth of August, Abbott arrived at the rental house to fetch Loredana. There was no ceremony or wedding banquet, only a marriage certificate. Loredana didn’t feel much from the whole ordeal because, to her, it was only a deal to accommodate their needs. If the marriage hadn’t been arranged by their mothers when they were children, they probably would never have crossed paths at all.

The car stopped in front of a villa. The stone building that had occupied a large area of the land looked majestic under the sunlight.

“Please head inside,” Abbott said, gesturing for Loredana to go ahead of him.

He was neither keen nor kind toward her. He was behaving nice enough and Loredana assumed he must’ve known that the marriage between her and Cormac was only to fulfill the promise. She wasn’t the real woman of the Mendelsohn family.

Although the villa was huge, there was only a servant of the Mendelsohn family. Abbott didn’t give Loredana any introductions and left as soon as she was inside. Loredana found it a bit hard to adapt to the surroundings.

“This is Mr. Mendelsohn’s residence. I’m the servant that takes care of his daily life, you can call me Coral.”

Coral led Loredana to a room and continued her explanation. “Do let me know if there’s anything you need.”

One month wasn’t a long time and Loredana brought her daily toiletries. Although she most likely wouldn’t need anything, Loredana nodded anyway.

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