The Accidental Wife by Sara Islam

No matter how much I tried, I failed to understand all that happened. One moment, I was engaged to Fiona, the next I was engaged to Emily. To be honest, I was furious because I was starting to like Fiona. I was starting to get used to her. It wasn't like I was madly in love with her because I was aware from a very young age that I was destined to have an arranged marriage. I just didn't want to relive the whole experience of getting to know my future wife again, especially with Emily since I knew how awful she was. I also hated how my family treated me like a puppet. They expected me to be a robot that would fulfill their wishes without questions or objections. I despised how Emily was being shoved into my life.

Fiona told me how terrible Emily was and I didn't want that girl to be my future wife. God only knows what she had in store for me. I couldn't even comprehend how she managed to have my parents wrapped around her fingers like that. I couldn't believe how my dad offered to house her until the wedding. Fiona was never allowed to stay over even in a separate room. The way my dad jumped to her defense was jaw-dropping. It was like she had practiced some sort of black magic on him.

When I woke up beside her in bed, I was in disbelief because I simply couldn't remember going to bed with her. Hell, I didn't even remember getting drunk because I wasn't fond of getting drunk at social events and my birthday party was one of those events.

Could that possibly be one of Emily's schemes? Fiona told me that Emily had always been jealous of her and one time, she stole her boyfriend. I didn't know how deep her evilness ran and honestly, I was scared of finding out. For the events of today, not once had I seen anything bad from her, yet bad people didn't walk around with a badge on their chest.

"Why aren't you mad?" I couldn't help but ask my parents when I was finally alone with them. I wanted to understand that sort of acceptance.

"Listen, Julian. From the very beginning, I wanted you to marry Emily, but her father said that Fiona would be a better match. I didn't understand at that time why he chose her over Emily, but over time, I was able to detect the favoritism game he played. I think you're smart enough to have seen that yourself," Dad spoke calmly. Honestly, he was right. It was obvious that Jeffrey favored Fiona, but I thought that was attributed to Emily's maliciousness. "I saw you happy with Fiona, so I said nothing. I didn't even speak to you about the whole matter."

"And you thought what happened today was an opportunity?" I failed to understand his logic.

"I wouldn't call it an opportunity." Then what was it to him if it wasn't an opportunity to make me marry the girl he wanted from the very start? "I would actually call it fate. A chance to correct a mistake that was about to happen. I also wouldn't want you to marry a woman who dared to disrespect you."

"What makes you think that Emily didn't plan all of that?" I didn't understand the way he trusted that girl. How did she manage to dig her claws into my father's head?

"Same reason I didn't think that you might have been the one who planned all of this. Just like I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'm also giving it to her. And it seems like you've forgotten that the blood test proved that she was also drugged." That was enough to shut me up. Whether I liked to admit it or not, he had a point that I could not argue with. Without any evidence, I could not prove to them that Emily did it.

that she is way better than her

was only required to stay married to her for two years. I could make it work. I was going to bury myself in work

about Emily's games, but Fiona had put me in the know a long time ago

of something, it would be incredibly hard to change his point of view, so I

to my parents. I needed to show them that she

wanted her to know that just because she managed to fool

place, lost in her own world. Had I not known how terrible she was, I would

up and met

she was very

had to be cautious. I

chairs and she did the same. "Aren't you going to ask me what I want to talk to you

question and I'm waiting for you to

have any proof against you, but let me make one thing clear, Emily. I will never ever like you." Surprise took over her features for a

won't find me doodling your name with hearts around it." I wasn't aware that Emily was sassy. "There are rules that you must follow if you want those two years to pass by peacefully."

would love to hear them." She crossed one leg over the other. Her confidence had

expect loyalty," I started, keeping my eyes fixated on