Doubt pervaded Sasha's mind on the day of the wedding. Even though she had never been one to care about marriage, her first wedding ever being a fake bothered her. Tatiana was the only one there to support her because she had decided against telling her mother. She had told her instead that she was going on a two-month work trip.

The only thing her mother hated more than her singleness was a divorce. If she knew about the marriage and learned that they were divorcing only two months later, she would never stop saying it was her lack of submissiveness that threatened men. Sometimes, Sasha was tempted to tell her that if she had divorced their father when she needed to, they wouldn't be in the situation they were in.

The wedding was held at the garden in Darnell's grandfather's estate. Apart from Tatiana, Grandfather, Joshua, and his wife, Maya, and the wedding officiant were at the wedding. Tatiana walked Sasha down the aisle to no music, and joined her with Darnell next to a floral arch and the officiant.

As the officiant read the wedding sermon, Sasha struggled to maintain eye contact with Darnell, who had no issue looking into her eyes with a smirk across his face. It was soon time for the vows and the officiant began with Darnell.

"Repeat after me. I, Darnell," he started.

"I, Darnell," Darnell repeated.

"Take you, Sasha."

"Take you, Sasha."

"To be my lawful wedded wife."

"To be my lawful wedded wife."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward."

"To have and to hold, from this day forward."

"And to love and cherish."

"And to love and cherish."

"For better for worse, in sickness and in health."

"For better for worse, in sickness and in health."

"To love and cherish, till death do us part."

"To love and cherish, till death do us part."

Even though they had practiced it, the vows felt too heavy to say to a fake husband, in a fake wedding, in front of their own families, but when the officiant turned to Sasha and said the words, she repeated the lies. After the exchange of rings, the officiant declared them husband and wife.

"You may kiss the bride," he said.

That was the part they never practiced. Darnell began to lean in, and Sasha closed her eyes. But he bent his neck so that the back of his head was facing the audience and pecked her on the edge of her lips.

He pulled away and smiled at her as everyone clapped.

"Welcome to the family, Mrs. King," he whispered.

When the ceremony was over, Grandfather hosted a lunch at his dining room. A large table that occupied almost the entire room was covered with food, with a whole roast suckling pig as the centerpiece. Sasha changed out of her wedding dress before she and Tatiana joined the rest of the family. Grandfather was wheeled to the head of the table while everyone else took the sides-Darnell, Sasha and Tatiana all on one side, and Joshua and Maya on the other side.

Grandfather was a frail man due to his illness, but still maintained some looks for his age. His coily white hair was full but trimmed. White stubbles appeared along his jaw and under his neck. Two guards stood behind him at the far end of the room, near a giant window.

"So, tell me about you," Grandfather said to Sasha as they began to eat.

She swallowed her food forcefully and coughed. Not once did she think she'd have to talk about herself.

"My name is Sasha..." She regretted the words as soon as they came out, but it was too late.

It felt odd introducing herself to her new family like a total stranger. What kind of family was this that didn't think only knowing their family-in-law on her wedding day was suspicious? How couldn't they see that the marriage was a total sham?

"I grew up here...where I've lived my whole life," she resumed. "I love to paint and..." her voice trailed off as she tried to avoid giving specific details, just as Darnell had warned her.

"And your parents?" Grandfather asked. "Oh, don't answer that. Darnell told me you are an orphan. Accept my apologies. I'm a very old man. My memories are failing me," he added in-between breaths.

"No apology needed, Mr. King," said Sasha.

"Please, call me Grandfather."

Sasha's chest tightened. Why had she agreed to deceive this poor man on his last phase of life?

"I have arranged for you and Darnell to have your honeymoon at my resort in Sacramento. Danny tells me you don't want to be far away from home. You can stay there for as long as you like." Grandfather smiled as he announced the news.

"Oh," Sasha breathed. She nudged Darnell. "You obviously wanted to surprise me about the honeymoon, didn't you?" she said with a fake smile.

"Don't worry, we're not going," he whispered in her ear.

"I've also made arrangements for a jet to take you there," Grandfather added.

"Oh, thank you so much, Grandfather," said Sasha. "We're so excited for this." She turned to Darnell. "Aren't we, honey?"

Darnell pressed his lips together. "Yes, we are. Thank you, Grandfather"

Lunch was over in a few hours. Sasha and Darnell headed to his home after saying goodbye to the family. The drive was long, quiet and awkward. They soon made it to his estate and Sasha heaved a sigh of relief when the car ignition was turned off next to a fountain.

"Home sweet home," Darnell said as he opened his side of the car door.

The driver opened Sasha's side of the door. She'd never been to Darnell's home, so she took in the massive estate. As she turned around, her eyes met his.

"Ready to go inside?" he asked.

She nodded in the affirmative, and he gestured her ahead. At the entrance of his mansion, he pushed the door open to let her inside. His butler, Andrew, carried her luggage and led her to her room upstairs where Mary had arranged her new wardrobe. The room was twice the size of her room at home, with a king-sized bed and a walk-in closet. She strolled to the window and pulled the curtain open to scan the view of the compound.

"Are you comfortable?"

The voice startled her. She twirled to see Darnell standing at the door, occupying the entire frame.

"I'll fit in just fine," she responded.

"Good," he said. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we leave for our honeymoon," he added and walked away before she could protest.

*

Early the next morning, Sasha was woken up by a knock on the door and was informed by Andrew to pack up for her flight to Sacramento. By the time she got into Grandfather's jet, she didn't have to worry about any awkward silences between her and Darnell, as she'd slept off like a newborn as soon as the plane went into the air. About an hour later, she was woken up with a tap. She opened her eyes to see Darnell standing above her and staring down at her.

"Rise and shine." He smiled.

She propelled herself upward and followed him out of the plane to Grandfather's Kingdom Resort, taking in the luxurious view as they strolled down to the reception room. The place was surrounded by palm trees and a pool of water that meandered around it.

"Mr. King. Mrs. King, it's a pleasure to have you here," the receptionist said as she saw them. "Your honeymoon suite has been made ready for you." She turned to the porter that was carrying their luggage in a carrier. "Please, show Mr. and Mrs. King to their suite." She handed him a key card.

Sasha called to Darnell when the porter was ahead of them.

He turned to face her. "Yes?"

She leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Are we sharing the same room?"

"It's a honeymoon suite, what do you think?" He smirked.

"I want a separate room," she said.

"And raise suspicions? What if Grandfather has someone spying on us?" he joked.

She frowned.

"Fine." Darnell headed back to the receptionist and spoke to her. He waited for her response, then returned to Sasha. "Unfortunately, all the rooms are occupied until tomorrow. Looks like you're stuck with me for the night, mon amour."

The porter had kept their luggage in the corner of the room by the time they arrived. He handed Darnell the key card and Darnell squeezed a wad of cash into his hand before he left.

"I'll give you some space to freshen up," he said to Sasha and left.

Left alone, Sasha took in the aesthetic of the room. It was where Afrocentrism met modern architecture. The large window opened up to a view of the pool, and the huge bed's frame had a spiral pattern. At least, she wouldn't have to worry about sleeping too close to Darnell, she thought.

She decided she needed to cool off in the pool before taking a shower, so she changed into her bikini, smeared on some sunscreen, and opened her phone to text Tatiana when she saw a missed call. Her heart skipped a beat. Even though she had deleted the contact, she recognized the number. After ten years, it was impossible to forget. His text was also on her screen. She clicked it:

Hey, Sasha. It's me, Trey. I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I realized how much I miss you. I'm sorry for hurting you. Text me back?

She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to fall. Of course, now he wanted her back, just like Tatiana said he would. He wasn't sorry. He couldn't fathom the idea that he didn't mean so much to her after seeing her get married so quickly. Now, he knew exactly how he'd made her feel.

She texted Tatiana to update her on her arrival and headed toward the door. She pulled it open and nearly bumped into the familiar figure in front of her.

"Sorry," she uttered.

He didn't mean to, but Darnell's eyes landed on her breasts. They sat perfectly cupped in her red bikini bra. He forced his eyes away and looked into hers. She tilted her head to look up at him. The way her beautiful eyes shone and her lips parted tempted him to pull her face in. On the inside, he fought the urge to step back so he could see her full figure without so many clothes.

He wasn't sure how long they stood there staring at each other, but he eventually moved aside to let her walk past him. Perhaps, he had imagined it, but she almost looked disappointed. When she was a few steps away, he allowed himself to stare at her full body. Even with a scarf around her waist for modesty's sake, her rear moved in a way that lured him like a siren song to a pirate.

At the pool, Sasha unwrapped the scarf around her waist and lowered herself into the cold body of water. She rested her arms and the back of her head on the edge of the pool, so that her face was to the sun. She closed her eyes and relived the last few minutes between her and Darnell and began to regret playing hard to get in the first place. Maybe, he was a shitty man, but he wasn't worst off than most of them. At least he was hot. Very hot.

A few minutes later, she went back into their room. It smelled of male cologne, and she immediately thought Darnell must have freshened up and headed out somewhere. She couldn't help imagining how he'd taken off his clothes, headed into the shower, and let water run down his dark, muscular body.

She snapped out of it and headed into the shower herself. After a short bathe, she climbed on her bed and navigated her phone. When she got bored, she read a book. Someone rang her doorbell and she nervously opened it, but it was only the cook bringing her lunch.

As night grew closer, she grew more anxious. She began to pace around the room, wondering what it'll be like between her and Darnell when he returned. Another ring on her door made her jump. She opened the door, but her heart rate return to normal when she saw that it was the cook again bringing her dinner.

After dinner, she took another shower and brushed her teeth, applied her creams, and smeared on a scenting lotion. If Darnell returned and decided she was getting lucky, she needed to smell good.

That moment at the door between Darnell and Sasha made him realize there was something between them. Lust.

Every woman he’d ever been with had blurred the line between business and sex. Even though he ensured they knew they weren’t obligated to sleep with him, they all ended up in his bed by their own will. He thought Sasha was different, that she didn’t want him. But it was clear to him that she was only fighting the urge, and the resulting tension made him want her even more.

He had to be away from her. Thankfully, he still had some unfinished work with his businesses to distract him. He found a cozy gazebo outside where he sat and began checking his emails. There was one from Lubna Rahman, his peer in the wine business. She told him she was glad to have run into him the other day and would love to reconnect.

He and Lubna had met when he first moved to Paris to learn the wine business. She was the founder of the biggest wine company in the whole of Europe, and his mentor. Their relationship had started off on a professional note, before they realized there were more personal feelings between them that they wanted to explore.

He liked her because she was older and more mature. He never needed to tell her that there couldn’t be anything more than sex between them, she’d made that clear herself. He’d been with some women before her, but Lubna taught him the most he knew about pleasing a woman. He’d bonded with her and found himself wanting her more than he’d ever wanted another woman. It was lust on a different dimension.

Lubna kept her personal life private. Apart from a few information she’d shared with Darnell—like the fact that she had other lovers apart from him—she waved all his other curiosities away. And so, it was a shock to him when he found out she was married and had kids. He’d confronted her, but she was unfazed and insisted that her personal life had nothing to do with what they shared. He realized he’d met a woman who was just as snaky as men.

He'd eventually gotten away from her. It was one thing to be in a fruitless relationship for six years, but he couldn’t bring himself to sleep with a married woman anymore. Not after what happened to his mother.

On their last night together, he’d asked her why she slept with other men.

“I just love to,” was all she said.

It was the last time they ever met in person as he’d sworn to never see her again.

He’d bumped into her a few weeks before moving to America. They exchanged a few words, and he learned that she was divorced.

She emailed him again to clarify that her previous email was about needing his help for her company. Over the years, his company had become more successful than hers, overtaking in Europe and the rest of the world. It made sense that she wanted his guidance now, but he knew deep down it was more than work. Still, he told her he was in the US for two months, but could reconnect when he returned to Paris.

He went back to the suite later at night when he was sure that Sasha was asleep. She was lying on the left side of the bed, tucked under the duvet, with her thick hair wrapped in a scarf, and her face exposed. He quietly freshened up and slid into the other side of the bed.

*

Four hours after tucking herself in bed, Sasha started to think that Darnell wasn’t coming back. She checked her phone. It was midnight. With heavy eyes, she sank her head into her pillow and allowed herself drift into sleep.

Trey was in her dream. Except, he didn’t look like Trey. He had the physical appearance of Darnell and was lying next to her in their home. She turned her head to face him, and his eyes met hers. In her dream, he never actually left, but he was guilty of something she could only feel. He said he was sorry, and she told him she forgave him. He pulled her close and she could feel his breath. Their noses touched, even though their lips couldn’t, and the tension between them made her moist between her legs. She began rubbing her body against his as she tried to get their lips to touch.

She was woken up by two strong hands shaking her. Her eyes slowly parted. Her memory was hazy at first, then everything came back to her in a flash.

“Were you dreaming?” Darnell asked.

“What?”

“You were dreaming and you…came on to me,” he said.

It dawned on her that her dream hadn’t been just a dream. Her nightdress had pulled down on one arm and almost revealed her breast, and she could still feel moistness in her center. She screamed and jumped out of bed.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Sasha raced into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She covered her face with her palms and slid against the door until her head rested on her knees.

“No, no, no,” she whispered.

Darnell said something, but she ignored the muffled sound of his voice behind the door.

Nothing like this had ever happened to her before, not even with Trey. How could she ever face Darnell again? How could she pretend she didn’t want him, when it was obvious that she did, even in her sleep?

She slept on the bathroom floor and woke up moments later to see the sun peeking through the window. She wondered what time it was since Darnell hadn’t tried to come into the bathroom. Curiously, she unlocked the bathroom door, pulled it slightly open, and peeked through the slit. Empty room.

Relieved, she opened the rest of the door and entered the room. That was when she realized that Darnell didn’t just leave, he took his belongings with him.

*

Darnell woke up in the middle of the night to find Sasha on his side of the bed, nuzzling his neck with her lips. At first, he thought how juvenile of her to make her move like that. He’d cupped her face to look her in the eyes and tell her that if she wanted him, she had to use her words, but her tired eyes only half-opened and closed as she babbled.

He realized she was in a trance and tried to shake her awake. When her eyes fully opened, she screamed like she’d seen a ghost and dashed into the bathroom. He worried that she had gotten the wrong idea and tried to explain the situation, but she stayed in the bathroom all night. When morning came, he checked with the receptionist and was glad to learn there was a vacant suite he could move into.

*

They barely saw each other after that night. When they crossed each other’s path, they didn’t say more than greetings. Sasha decided it was time to grow a pair and face Darnell, so she went out in search for him. Sometimes, he was at the bar making friends with other rich folks. Other times, he sat at a particular gazebo. Today was one of those days.

She marched to the gazebo and sat in the chair opposite him. He looked up from his laptop. He was wearing a white khaki shirt with the arms folded up. It exposed his watch and some dark curly hair.

“So?” she said, looking him daringly in the eyes.

He shrugged, as if to say, “So, what?”

“We’ve been avoiding each other since our first night together. We return to Los Angeles tomorrow. So much for a honeymoon, huh?” she said, in her effort to strike up a conversation.

“I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he said.

“How thoughtful.”

“Just so we’re clear, you came on to me,” he clarified.

“Sorry,” she said. “I was dreaming about my ex-boyfriend.”

“Huh.”

“He called me. He wants me back.” She placed her elbows on the table. “I guess I thought and bit too much about him.”

“So, why did you break up?” he asked, his eyes darted between her and his computer.

“He broke up with me because he thought I didn’t make him feel needed,” she explained. “We met in college. We were perfect for years, until I started making more money. You know how the story goes.”

“Mm,” he said.

“What about you?” she asked. “Any ex-girlfriends you’re particularly fond of?”

“No.”

“You’re so great at conversations.” She nodded sarcastically.

Darnell exhaled and looked at her. “No ex-girlfriends. No future girlfriends either.” He turned back to his laptop.

“How come?” she asked with genuine surprise. “Let me guess, wealthy billionaire who doesn’t believe in love?”

“Cliché, huh?”

“I take it you’re never getting married?” she asked.

He shook his head, no. “I take it you want to get married someday?”

Sasha raised her ring finger. “I am married, can’t you see?” she joked, then added with a serious tone, “I don’t think so.”

“Let me guess, middle-class woman who lost the love of her life and doesn’t believe she’ll ever love again?” He smirked. “You see where this is going, don’t you? Typical romance plot.”

She leaned back. “You’re not my type.” She liked ordinary men she could feel equal to, not men like him who had everyone bending to their will.

He grinned and she thought, there it was again, his excessive confidence. But, how could she blame him after the other night?

“I have to pack.” She got up. “Can I keep this?” she asked, raising her ring finger again. “Might be the only one I ever get.”

“It’s a fake,” Darnell said.

“How symbolic.”

Sasha exhaled with relief as she walked away. Finally, their first real conversation since their first date. Even though it wasn’t much, at least it had reduced the tension between them.

Sasha tucked a big bundle of cash in an envelope, then a smaller one in another envelope. She placed both inside her purse, put on a pair of joggers and a hoodie, then made her way downstairs. In the three weeks she’d lived with Darnell, she’d learned his schedule. On weekdays like this, he stayed out until 8pm. At the garage, she unlocked one of his cars, got in and turned the ignition on. She had two hours.

She drove until she neared a familiar street, then she stopped and alighted. She carried her purse past a corner that led to a diner. It was front meant to hide what the place truly was. She took a seat on one of the tables and waited for someone to approach her.

A waiter in his 20s spotted her and walked over with a note and a pen in his hand. “Hi, I’m Chu. What can I get you?” he said, smiling welcomely.

He was a new face. She knew what to do. “I want to see the chef,” she said.

“Wrong order?” Chu asked.

“No. I want to personally thank him for a good meal.” She tapped her purse.

“Alright. Follow me.”

Sasha followed Chu through a narrow space that led to the kitchen and then past it to another room where some men in aprons mixed powders.

“Yo, Biggy! Come get your compliment,” Chu yelled.

A bald, fair-skinned, six-foot-nine, muscular man emerged from a corner and made his way to Sasha. “I was starting to think I’d have to pay you a visit,” his deep bellowed.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy…”

“I don’t care, Shortcakes. Where’s the money? And you better have my late fee or I’m not taking it to Lucious.”

“Yes, of course.” Sasha dipped her hand in her purse and thrusted the envelopes forward. “Twenty thousand for two months, plus an extra four for you.”

“Nice,” Biggy said as he looked inside the envelopes.

“My next visit will be the last. I’ll be bringing the rest of the money. Bring a bag,” Sasha said.

“Four million?” Biggy asked.

“Yeah.”

Biggy bent his neck sideway. “What have you gotten your hands into, Shortcake?” He smirked lifted an eyebrow.

“See you later, Biggy,” Sasha said as she turned around to leave.

Outside, she got back into the car and exhaled. A huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and in a few weeks, she’d be even lighter. Five years of been tied to this place was coming to an end.

The first time she met Lucious was a few months after her father’s death. He’d paid them a visit to let them know that her father had borrowed some money from him to fuel his gambling addiction. He wanted his money back. Sasha and Tatiana had paid a percentage of their salaries for the past five years, but the interest had only extended.

Tatiana couldn’t make the payment for the past two months, and without her job, neither could Sasha, so she’d done the only thing she could think of.

She turned the ignition on and the car revved to life. As she drove off, she said a little prayer in her heart that Darnell wouldn’t notice the money she had taken from his account.

*

Darnell needed to confront Sasha about her withdrawal after he was notified by the bank on suspicion of fraud. He found her at the gym, where she was running on a treadmill. A pair of headphones covered her ears, so he pointed to his ears when she looked at him. She stopped the machine and pulled her headphones down to her neck.

“What’s up?” she asked, dabbing off sweat from her forehead with a towel.

“Did you make a withdrawal of 25k two days ago?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied in between breaths. “Is that a problem?”

“What was the money for?”

“Clothes, shoes…stuff,” she replied. Her eyes darted around like she was trying to avoid looking at his.

His eyes narrowed. “And you needed cash for that?

“I wanted some cash for a change. It won’t happen again if it’s a problem.” She bit her lower lip.

“Okay.” His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

He had no reason to trust her, he thought as he left. If she was doing something behind his back, he had to find out. He had to get someone to watch her.

*

Grandfather was in his bedroom when Sasha and Darnell arrived at his home. An oxygen tank at his bedside was connected to the mask over his face. His doctor checked his vitals and wrote something in a note before exiting the room, leaving Darnell and Sasha alone with him.

“How long?” Darnell asked.

He and Sasha were standing near the edge of Grandfather’s bed.

“Two weeks,” Grandfather said, raising two fingers. Hot air filled his transparent mask as he mouthed the words.

It was almost unreal seeing what an illness could make of a man like Grandfather. Darnell still had vivid memories of how his younger self feared him. From the age of ten, he’d started hiding his toys whenever Grandfather visited, because he got angry at his childishness.

At fifteen, Grandfather had scolded him for crying about his dead dog. “I didn’t realize your mother had a daughter,” he said. “If you wish to be a girl, then be prepared for your brother to take your place as your father’s heir. Because, I’ll make sure that happens.”

Grandfather was a patriarch and a competitor who took down anyone who was a threat to him. He wasn’t the same man lying in bed now, barely able to form a full word and needing help to get out of bed. Though, it was like him to have survived pulmonary disease for three years ago. But even a man as powerful as him couldn’t cheat death.

“Did you sign off your shares yet?”

Sasha’s eyes widened in shock. She looked at Grandfather, and then at Darnell? How could that be his concern at that moment? How could he be so cruel?”

Grandfather laughed and it turned into a cough. He lifted his mask to speak. “What’s the point if you’re going to get it after I’m gone? Have some patience, my boy. Besides, God might just decide to extend my life again.”

“I just wanted to make sure that it’s still mine. You told me if I didn’t do what you asked, you’d give it to my brother.”

So, this is what it’s all about, Sasha thought. Darnell had faked a marriage for his dying Grandfather over an inheritance. He was worse than she thought, and she couldn’t wait to get away from him for good.

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Grandfather said. He started coughing again.

Sashe moved closer to the bed. “Can I get you anything, Grandfather?”

“No,” Grandfather said nonchalantly and put his mask back on.

“We should go,” Darnell said to Sasha. He needed to get her out of there before she offered to do anything else and saw a side of Grandfather she didn’t deserve to see.

In the car ride back home, Sasha throat burned to let out the words she couldn’t hold back. She glanced at Darnell—who was looking ahead—over and over, trying to find the right way to say them, but couldn’t bring herself to.

“What?” he asked without looking in her direction.

“I know it’s none of my business but…I think your grandfather deserved better than your main concern at his deathbed being shares,” she said. “He’s dying. You thought it was the right time to ask him about your inheritance? How could you be so…cold?” She frowned and looked out the window.

Darnell’s eyes remained on the road. If only she knew that he was exactly the kind of man Grandfather had raised him to be. That if he’d showed a bit of emotion, Grandfather would have been irritated. Death was a natural part of life that a man should face with courage, not cowardice. That was his belief. Even when his father died, Grandfather didn’t cry. Neither did he.

She had no idea, so it was easy for her to judge. He didn’t care to explain himself to her either. In a few weeks, she’d be out of his life and he’d be back to his.

He made the driver stop at King Hotel. When the car came to a halt, he looked at Sasha, and, before alighting, said, “Like you said, it’s none of your business.”