Page 25 of Inconveniently Matched

“I didn’t expect anything to come from it.But he asked for a dinner meeting last night.Since losing everything, I only have time on my hands and took him up on his offer.That investment I made a few years ago was the best thing I could have done.Suffice to say, the check he left on the table is more than enough to pay off my debts, keep Jensen House, and have enough to live out a comfortable retirement.This is big.Huge.”My father doesn’t take a breath.I wonder where I got that from.

He reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, withdraws a folded sheet of paper, and then spreads it out on the coffee table.Next, he gets his pen.

I glance at the writing and read the title: Annulment Proceedings.It's clearly a privately drafted document.

My gaze darts to Wesley, Dean, and Camden.They've read the heading too.Their expressions give nothing away as their attention lands on my face before they exchange looks among themselves.

“All Haley has to do is sign the papers, and we can start the annulment process.I’m sure all four of you would be relieved to end this.I’ll take Haley home with me, and your lives can go back to normal.”

I bite my lip, trembling all over.My father thrusts his favorite pen into my hand.

Why aren’t they stopping me from signing a document that would end our marriage?

Oh god.Their silence says it all.They want me to sign it.Right.

I bring the pen to the sheet of paper.They can't wait to get rid of me.Well, fine.I need a break from them anyway.A forever break.I plan never to see their stupid, handsome faces ever again.They’re dead to me.And you know what?Now that I’m not so intimidated by my body when it comes to sex, I’ll go out and find a new boyfriend, maybe even three.I’m a standing contradiction of chaos.

I’m doing the right thing.I’m freeing them.I know they married me only out of obligation to a contract their great-grandparents signed with my great-grandmother.It’s not like they love me or even like me.

The tip of my father’s pen is a breath away from making contact with the stationery.I hesitate for a split second, and in that moment, my life changes forever.Again.

Chapter Sixteen

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Wesley

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What is it about thiswoman that keeps testing our control?Seeing her father in our house is one thing, but it’s quite another when he talks about coming into some money and now wants to take his daughter back from us with an annulment.

Does this man have no idea who we are?

Yes, we exercised great restraint by not throwing him out the moment he mentioned annulment, but we kept our options open.No one is taking Haley away from us.

Silently and unanimously, we held ourselves back while searching for something from her instead.We had to know what her next move would be.

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