Wife Unwanted (Corrupt Vows #2)

Chapter 6

Carey

THALIA AND THE rest of the household were asleep when I came back home. Except for one person, my father. The only light illuminating downstairs came from his study and when I passed by it, he called out in a low dry voice, "Come in here, son." I was of the mind to tell him to fuck off, but he was my father after all, and ignoring him would cause more headaches than confronting him now.

I entered the study. He was at his desk working. His hands worked fast as he scribbled on paper. I felt sorry for his assistants, who would have to type all of that up on Monday. Without looking at me, he said, "Take a seat," gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

"If you want to schedule a meeting with your son, you're going to have to do it tomorrow. I'm tired. I've spent hours at the station trying to keep a spoiled teenager out of jail. I want some sleep."

He dropped his pen and looked up at me. Five years ago, that look would have intimidated me into doing what he said. Now I recognized it for what it is, an empty threat. I crossed my arms. He leaned back in his chair. "All right, I'll be quick. But sit down. I don't like looking up at my son."

I drew out the chair and perched myself on the edge. Satisfied that I did what he wanted, he continued, "What are your plans with Thalia?"

"We've only been seeing each other for a month. The least I could do is get to know her first."

"She's not one of us."

I scoffed. I knew this was the direction of the conversation before it even started. His hatred for 'the lower classes' was so archaic, one would think he time traveled from the eighteen hundreds to the present. "And?" I cocked my eyebrows for good measure.

"You have a career to think of."

"And that's my main focus."

"Your political career."

I rolled my eyes. This again. He thought he was the next Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. His desire to create the next Kennedy dynasty was admirable if it wasn't so repulsive. He wanted one of his sons to become the next president and sometime when I was growing up; he decided it would be me. If only he had asked me if I wanted a political career.

"Isn't making partner part of furthering my career?"

He nodded. "It is. You'd have fast tracked it if you were a prosecutor—"

"They don't make that much money. And lots of DAs won an election without ever being one."

"And few have one while single. You might become a DA while single, but higher political office, like senator, mayor or, dare I say, governor. You won't get anywhere near those while single."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That it's about time you got married. Preferably someone from a good family with good stock."

"You want my wife to be in the same elite circle I move around in? Good luck having that play well with the electorate."

A small smile appeared on his face for a brief moment. "I want you to be with someone who won't embarrass this family, that's all."

"And if I don't want to get married?"

"Then you'll have to adjust to living alone, without a trust fund and a job to support you."

"Are you blackmailing me into marriage?"

"Only simply pointing out your options."

"You're the worst father in the world. Do you know that?"

My father smirked. "Everything I do, I do for you and this family. You may not understand it now, but you will in the future."

"Is it for me or for your desire to achieve your goals through me?"

"Are you going to do it or not?"

This is why I have always hated this man. He asked as though I had a choice in the matter, but he knew I didn't. I could do as he said, reject his ultimatum, but where would that put me? Where my sister Ivy was. Scrounging for bare necessities while cut off from every source of funds. He had done it to Ivy before. He could easily do it to me. I would not let him dictate my life. If there's a way to make a choice on my own, I was going to take it. There's another way I could win. She just has to agree to my proposal.

Father was gone the next day, but his presence still loomed over me. Over us. Thalia was no longer the same carefree person she was previously, and I knew, without asking her, that my father had something to do with it. In order to get away from him, I took her out on a walk on the beach. The sun was warm and inviting and waters were calm. "How was my father?" I asked after we had walked in silence for about a quarter of an hour. Her back turned rigid, and she plastered a smile. "Did he say anything about me?"

"I know how… intense he can be, and I promise I didn't know he would be here."

"I understand."

"He likes ruffling feathers. But he's gone now and according to my brother, he was called to an emergency meeting so he's not coming back."

"Carey." She held my hand. "I understand. We had a small talk after dinner and then I went to bed."

"He never grilled you on why we are dating?"

"I didn't know we were dating. I thought this was a non serious relationship."

A bird flew above us, and my gaze went to it. How amazing it would be to be as free as one of them, I wondered. However, when I turned back my attention to Thalia, I realized being with her is the first time in my life I have felt anything close to freedom. She demanded nothing from me. Whenever I was with her, I never felt like I had to be something I am not. If anything, I wanted to be better for her, not because she was pushing me to, but because I felt it would improve our relationship.

"Have you ever thought of marriage?"

Thalia withdrew her hand and looked away. "Why do you ask?" Her voice was shaky? With emotion or something else? I couldn't tell. She dug her toe into the sand.

"Do you ever want to get married?"

"E-eventually, yeah."

"Most people marry for love. Are you one of those people?" She whipped her head up. Her eyes were wide and watery. It must be the wind. She looked down again. "I feel like we've stumbled into a serious topic." She chuckled nervously.

I drew her to me and forced her to look at me. "My father wants me to get married. He is a man who always gets what he wants. I don't want to give him that. If I don't get married, he will look for a wife for me."

She sucked in her breath. "W-why. You're still young."

A small gust of wind blew past, fanning her curls around us. She was so beautiful it made my heart ache. She would be perfect, I decided. I wasn't sure before, but it solidified in that moment. I didn't want to let her go. I wanted her to be mine. Images flashed through my mind. Thalia in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle toward me. Thalia barefoot and pregnant with my child. Thalia beside me at every function. All I had to do was convince her she wants the same.

"My father has had a plan worked out for me ever since I was young. He wants me to enter political office. And to do that, he has pretty much dictated every aspect of my life. From the school I attended to the programs I took, to the people I dated." I clasped both of her hands in mine. "And now he wants to dictate who I marry."

"Carey…"

"I do not want to marry some snobbish socialite my father picks for me. I may not have much choice in life, but I want to choose this. Which is why I have a proposition for you."

"Carey…"

"Marriage. With me. I can't promise a lot. I know you don't love me, but people have married for less. You don't have to worry about me cheating on you, because these past few weeks have shown you're the only person I want to be with. I have quite a large bank account—"

"—I don't care about your money."

"I know, but you won't have to work two jobs in order to survive. And besides that, I feel like we have good rapport. We like the same things. Marriage between us can't be that bad." I stopped feeling like I had spouted a ton of words without pause.

Thalia was visibly shocked. "Um, it's a little much."

"I know. You don't have to say yes right now. You can think about it."

"Are you sure your father wants you to marry some snobbish socialite, as you say?"

"He said as much."

"How do you know marrying me won't anger him?"

I let go of my hold and took a stepped back. "He may not see it yet, but you would make a superb politician's wife, if that's what you want, of course."

She took my hand again. "Is that what you want? You don't have to do everything your father says."

That was the problem, wasn't it? As much as I hated my father's overbearing nature, part of me wanted the same goals as he had for me. I wanted to become a lawyer. I wanted to pursue political office. The only issue was sometimes, it was hard to tell when my own goals ended and when my inherent need to please my father started.

"One thing's for certain. I know I want you. Will you marry me Thalia MacNeal?"

I held my breath as I waited for her response. My heart thumped against my chest as I realized I wanted her to say yes more than anything in the world.

She looked down again and for a moment I thought she was thinking of some way to let me down gently until she said, "If that's what you want, then yes."