The moment my father told me I had to marry a woman I’d never met to save our family’s business, I felt like my life was no longer my own.
“Son, I wouldn’t ask this of you if there was any other way,” he said, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it before.
I stared at him, disbelief thick in my throat. “You’re certain the only way to save the company is for me to marry some stranger?”
He exhaled heavily. “Adriana is Victor’s daughter. The merger is the only thing that can keep us afloat. And Victor… he’s old-fashioned. He wants to unite the families.”
“So, I’m just a bargaining chip?” I spat, the words burning my tongue.
“James, please understand—”
“No, Dad. I understand perfectly. You made all the decisions that led to this disaster, and now you want me to fix it by selling myself off like some medieval prince.”
His face crumbled. “Just meet Adriana before you decide.”
I wanted to refuse. But there was something in my father’s eyes—desperation, maybe even regret—that stopped me.
“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll meet her. But I’m not promising anything.”
A few days later, I met Adriana at an upscale restaurant. She was stunning—polished, confident, and sharp-eyed, like she could read every thought in my head before I even spoke.
“I appreciate you agreeing to meet me,” she said, taking her seat across from me. “This situation is… unconventional, but I think we can make it work.” She gave me a small smile, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Let’s get better acquainted first. What would you like to know about me, James?”
Surprisingly, the conversation flowed easily. Adriana was intelligent, witty, and engaging. By the time we finished dinner, my resistance had started to crack.
“She’s incredible,” I admitted to my father the next day.
His shoulders relaxed, like he had been holding his breath. “So you’ll do it?”
I hesitated. Something still felt wrong, but I saw the hope in his eyes and let out a slow breath.
“Yes,” I said finally. “I’ll marry Adriana.”
Our wedding was less of a celebration and more of a business deal. The pews were filled with corporate partners, the vows felt like contract terms, and even our kiss was brief, polite, and rehearsed.
By the time we arrived at the penthouse suite of a five-star hotel, I was exhausted and unsure of what came next.
Adriana kicked off her heels, sat on the edge of the massive bed, and met my gaze with an unreadable expression.
Then, she said the words that changed everything.
“From now on, you must do everything I tell you.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?” I let out a short laugh. “Right. And what’s your first royal command, Your Highness?”
Her expression didn’t change. “I’m hungry. Go get me a burger from McDonald’s on Grant Street. Walk there.”
“Adriana, it’s almost midnight. Grant Street is two miles away.”
“I know,” she said, her smile sharp. “Better get going.”
I waited for the punchline. It never came.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious, James. My father only agreed to this marriage because your father promised you’d do whatever I wanted. That was the deal. So, you can either be my servant… or watch your family lose everything.”
I stood there, stunned. The charming, easygoing woman from dinner had vanished, replaced by someone cold and calculating.
Trapped, I sighed. “Fine. One burger coming up.”
But I wasn’t completely powerless. I pulled out my phone and called a taxi. If I was going to play this game, I would play smart.
The next morning, I woke up to Adriana standing over me.
“Press my blue suit,” she ordered. “Then make me coffee. Black, one sugar.”
I groaned. “I’m not your butler.”
She smirked. “No, you’re my husband. Which means you’re whatever I need you to be.”
And so it began. Every day, she found new ways to humiliate me. Wash her car by hand. Pick up her dry cleaning. Massage her feet after work.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked one evening as I polished her collection of designer shoes.
She shrugged. “Because I can. What could be better than a husband who caters to my every need?”
I said nothing, but I was already planning my next move.
I installed tiny wireless cameras around our apartment—everywhere she gave her ridiculous demands. For two weeks, I collected evidence of her treating me like a servant, laughing with her friends about how she had me “completely under control.”
All while her Instagram painted us as the perfect couple.
The breaking point came on a rainy Tuesday night.
“I want sushi from Akira,” she announced. “Walk there.”
“That’s three miles away,” I said flatly.
“So? Take an umbrella.”
I crossed my arms. “No.”
The word hung in the air.
She slowly looked up. “What did you say?”
“I said no, Adriana.”
She stood, her face darkening. “You don’t say no to me. Ever. Or have you forgotten what happens if you don’t play along?”
“Go ahead,” I challenged. “Call your father.”
Her eyes flickered with uncertainty, but she grabbed her phone. “Daddy, we have a problem. James is being difficult—”
“Adriana.” Her father’s voice was ice-cold. “What the hell have you been doing?”
She froze. “What do you mean?”
“James sent me videos. Dozens of them. I had no idea you were treating him like a servant! Is this how I raised you? Like a tyrant?”
She turned to me, horror dawning on her face. “You… recorded me?”
I nodded. “Every moment. Every demand.”
“Adriana,” her father snapped, “James has given me an ultimatum. You’re getting divorced. The business deal with his family remains intact, but you are out. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered, defeated.
When the call ended, she turned back to me, her voice shaking. “Please, don’t do this! My reputation—”
I smiled. “I’ll consider staying. But only if you obey my demands.”
For two weeks, Adriana got a taste of her own medicine. Fetching my coffee. Ironing my clothes.
“Divorce papers,” I said one evening, sliding the documents across the table.
She looked at them, her face pale. “But you said—”
“I lied.” I stood, looking down at her. “We might have worked, Adriana, if you hadn’t tried to break me. Pack your things and leave.”
Her Instagram post went up an hour later: “After much reflection, James and I have decided to part ways. We remain committed to our families’ shared business interests and wish each other well.”
When the door shut behind her, I took a deep breath. Finally, I was free.
This marriage had cost me months of my dignity. But it had taught me one thing—no contract, no family obligation, and no amount of money was worth losing control of my life.
