The Marriage Bargain: Betrothed To Mr. CEO

Juniper's Pov

"What the fuck, did you just bring me here to see my fiancé betray me by having sex with my stepsister today that's supposed to be my wedding day with Orion?" I cried out, my body trembling in shock and outrage as I took in the sight before me - my dear fiancé Orion and my stepsister Aria naked and intertwined on the bed of the hotel suite where Orion and I were supposed to spend our wedding night.

My bastard father just stood there with a smug look on his face. "Yes, you deserve such humiliation for not doing my bidding and leaving your stepsister so Orion could marry her instead, as I instructed," he replied coldly.

I felt like I had been stabbed through the heart. The man who was supposed to walk me down the aisle today had manipulated and betrayed me in the cruellest way possible.

Aria was now on top, riding Orion vigorously as she faced me, not an ounce of shame on her face. It was like my presence only spurred her on more. She leaned down and kissed Orion deeply, purposefully putting on a show for me.

Anger and nausea rose up in me simultaneously. I spun on my heel to storm out, but my father roughly grabbed my arm. "Oh no you don't! Sit down and watch this. I want you to feel humiliated," he barked.

Tears stung my eyes as he forced me into a chair facing the bed. Orion smacked Aria's backside and she squealed in delight. Bile burned my throat.

"If you even think of leaving this room, I'll call the hospital doctor right now and have your mother's oxygen removed. You know very well what will happen then," my father threatened.

I shrank back, hating how once again my only bargaining chip was my mother's life. She had been in a coma for over a year now after her terrible accident. As her husband, my father had medical power of attorney. He financed her hospital bills on the sole condition that I do exactly as he demanded - which mainly revolved around honouring business arrangements like marrying Orion.

Over this past painful year under my father's controlling thumb, I'd done so many awful things just to keep my mom alive...but this, watching my fiancé fuck my own stepsister right in front of me, this was a whole new savage low.

My dad left, seeming very satisfied with my anguish. I turned my rage on Orion. "How could you do this to me today of all days? Have you no shame or respect?" I cried.

Orion didn't even bother pausing his enthusiastic pounding of Aria. He just shot me a disgusted look. "Why the hell should I respect you? I already got what I needed from this little arrangement of ours - half ownership of our boss's $120 million company after our merger. Now fuck off and stop your whining."

His callous words clawed out my heart. So this entire relationship had meant nothing to him after all. I was just a means to an end. He had never loved me.

I glanced wildly around the opulent suite draped with flowers and candles for our wedding night. The pain of realizing it had all been an elaborate ruse orchestrated by my father and Orion was unbearable.

"So you used me this whole year...made me fall in love with you...just for our boss's money and company? And now you're fucking my sister to humiliate me as one last twist of the knife?" I wept, hugging myself tight.

Orion shrugged, not stopping his enthusiastic pounding. "I fucked your sweet little stepsis here months ago to seal the deal with your Dad. We both wanted you knocked down a peg. Frankly, you should be thanking me for even wasting a year playing pretend with you."

His words were like physical blows. I thought back to all those tender moments we'd shared, and the future plans we'd made. My whole body shook with anguished sobs.

Suddenly Aria shrieked and collapsed atop Orion. It was finally over, their disgusting show. Aria slid off and sashayed out nude without a glance at me. Orion stood and tediously put his clothes back on as I sat there hyperventilating.

"What...what are you going to do now?" I finally choked out. "Now that you already have your precious company shares and merger money?"

Orion smiled coldly. "First I'm giving your dear old dad his cut for helping make this possible. But the bulk is mine to do as I please with. And you won't see one goddamned dime...believe me."

He ran a hand through his hair, looking utterly relaxed despite having just destroyed my entire world. I shuddered thinking back to how lovingly I welcomed his touch only yesterday.

I had met Orion just over a year ago at a business gala. My father made it very clear I was to get close to this young, handsome entrepreneur. As always, he threatened my mother's life if I refused.

At first, I resented being forced into yet another of my dad's financial schemes. But Orion had been so charming. Within months it felt like we shared something real - late night conversations, silly inside jokes, whispered "I love you's."

Now I knew it was all a carefully orchestrated lie so Orion could get a controlling interest in my company. And I had fallen for it like a fool. The ultimate revenge plot against me.

I slowly removed my diamond engagement ring with trembling hands. "I take it there won't need to be any wedding announcements calling this off then?" I whispered brokenly, already knowing the answer.

Orion actually laughed. "God, you really are dense, aren't you? Why the hell would I blow thousands on a real wedding? I got some interns to photo shop some fake mockup invitations to send you and posted some bullshit on social media. But no, there was never going to be any actual wedding, you stupid bitch."

Hearing him demean me so viciously after being so loving just yesterday was the absolute final devastating blow. I literally couldn't breathe, choking on my own sobs.

Orion strode over and grabbed my hand, running his fingers almost tenderly over my exquisite diamond ring - his cruel parody of affection making my stomach turn.

"I fucked your sister on this bed today because I wanted you to fully grasp how useless you are - to me, to your family, to anyone. Consider yourself forever humiliated and dismissed, you gullible little parasite," he hissed.

With that, Orion turned and sauntered out. Through tear-blurred eyes I watched him swagger over to my father who had reappeared.

"Oh, and as for your precious cut of my hard-earned money - fuck off old man. Did you really think I would actually pay off a snake like you?" Orion sneered. I felt a tiny spark of triumph through my despair as I took in my father's appalled expression that for once his scheme had failed.

As Orion peeled off in his shiny sports car without a glance back, my father stormed over and backhanded me hard across the face. "This is all your fault! If your sister had just married him, I would have gotten my ten million easily!"

Reeling from his blow, I glared defiantly up at the man who had tormented me for so long by using my dying mother as leverage. "Well congratulations Dad - your little revenge plot failed spectacularly. Was all this really fucking worth it in the end? Does destroying your daughter make up for losing a few dollars?"

My father stared at me, his face a mix of impotent fury and what almost seemed like dawning regret over what a monster he had become. For a brief moment, I thought I glimpsed the loving father from my childhood.

But just as quickly his expression hardened into cruel resolve. "You think this is over? That I'm done with you just because that little weasel pulled a fast one on me? Oh no darling - your purpose isn't served yet."

He yanked me up out of the chair by my wrist with bruising force. Through my tears, I saw a terrifyingly familiar steely glint in his eyes that never failed to make my blood run cold.

"Daddy has arranged a little marriage for you with the disabled son of a billionaire associate of mine. At least whoring you out to be the little cripple's nursemaid might still earn me a decent return on investment. And you will go through with it or so help me God, I will pull every last cord and tube out of your comatose mother's ruined body. Understand?"

Every part of me wanted to scream and fight back. But the sincerity of his threat shone in his merciless eyes. So instead I wrenched my aching wrist away and fled to my room as he shouted after me. I had to escape this nightmare, if only for a few hours.

I frantically wiped off my ruined wedding makeup and threw on a skimpy dress. Tonight I just wanted to get drunk and pretend my life wasn't utterly destroyed. Slamming the door on my father's bellowing voice, I headed off into the night determined to lose myself in neon lights, alcohol, and throbbing music. Anything to mute this anguish, even if just temporarily.