Page 90 of Pucking the Enemy

For a brief moment, I wondered why she was pushing me toward the larger reception room instead of the main living room, but that was answered when I saw the sheer number of people milling around the room.

Several staff members wearing black and white were walking around the room, carrying trays of appetizers and glasses of champagne. My parents had pulled out all the stops.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hosting?” I asked.

“I did! Now, smile, people are watching,” she insisted, looping her arm with mine.

“What’s the occasion?”

“Well, we can discuss that later.” She waved me off, dragging me into the room. It was decorated with multiple bouquets of fresh flowers, and there was a gift table on the far side of the room.

Why on earth was there a gift table? We weren’t celebrating anything.

My father appeared, a glass of champagne in hand, a broad grin on his face. Business must have been going well, since he wasn’t usually a smiler.

“Hazel! My darling,” he greeted warmly, pulling me in for an embrace, kissing my cheek. It was difficult to hide my shock. I could count on one hand the number of times my father had hugged me.

Something was up, but I had no idea what.

Pulling away from me, my father started tapping on his glass, getting everyone’s attention. My mother stood on the other side of me, once again looping her arm with mine, beaming.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up, my heart rate increasing. My fight-or-flight instinct was screaming, danger, run fast, run far!

“Hello, all! Thank you so much for joining us tonight,” my mother said in a simpering voice.

The possibilities started running through my mind. They were opening a new charitable foundation—I used the word charitable loosely there. Maybe my father had finally decided to run for office, and they expected me to be the perfect Stepford daughter while he did that. Another family I didn’t recognize stood next to my father, a set of parents and their son, who looked slimy. He was giving me a look I think he genuinely believed was seductive, but honestly just looked creepy.

My mother continued. “We are so happy you could all come and celebrate the joining of our families!”

A business merger?

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

Please let it be a business merger.

I knew they wanted to marry me off one day, but I at least expected to have a conversation about it first. I also thought they would introduce me to the guy they were going to marry off to before they announced it publicly.

My stomach dropped and my throat tightened. That was why there was a gift table.

“We are so pleased that so many of our nearest and dearest could come and celebrate our daughter’s engagement,” my father said.

They were engagement gifts.

Because, apparently, I was engaged.

Would have been nice if someone had told me.

“With the joining of our families, we will also be incorporating our businesses as families, and we are looking forward to a bright and happy future together.” My father continued raising his glass of champagne toward the other family with a shit-eating grin.

My mother’s grip on my arm was so tight, it had started to cut off my circulation. I needed to get the hell out of there, but I had no idea how.

“What the fuck?” I snarled out of the corner of my mouth as people applauded for a moment before going back to their mingling. My father went over to my apparent fiancé’s family and started talking animatedly with them, they were walking over to us.

I needed to escape.

Now.

“Manners, Hazel. Your father has found you an appropriate suitor whose business interests align with ours. It is the best you’re going to get. Now, do not embarrass us,” she snarled.

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