After Betrayed, I Married My Boss

“Have you been waiting long?” Damian asked as he met Claire at a restaurant not far from the office.

“No.”

“Have you ordered food yet?” Damian inquired.

“Before we eat, I want to discuss my conditions,” Claire said, reaching into her bag to pull out an envelope and hand it to Damian.

Damian opened the envelope and read the draft contract inside.

“Conditions proposed by the Second Party: First, respect each party's personal decisions and private life. Second, the Second Party will not perform the duties of a wife in serving her husband. Third, once the Second Party becomes pregnant, the First Party has no right to touch her. Fourth, the Second Party will not resign from her job at the company. Fifth, maintain fidelity for the duration of the marriage. Sixth, file for divorce immediately after the baby is born. Seventh, the baby will remain with the Second Party until at least five years of age.”

“I don’t agree,” Damian said plainly after reading through the conditions.

“Which part don’t you agree with?” Claire asked.

“Point three, point six, and point seven. I’m the one making the offer, so I decide when this marriage ends,” Damian stated firmly.

“Why? I don’t agree to that.”

“Clair, this marriage will be legally binding in the eyes of both the state and religion. So, I expect us to act like a married couple until the divorce is filed,” Damian explained.

“I will take care of all your needs, whether you choose to work or not. I won’t make an issue of it. I will help you get revenge on Jeremi and Anna, but in return, do as I ask,” Damian added.

“Then when do you want our marriage to end?” Claire pressed.

“Definitely after the child I want is born into our lives. And the baby will be raised by me,” Damian replied stubbornly.

Claire let out a deep sigh. “Fine,” she conceded.

“Tomorrow, we’ll meet my lawyer to revise this agreement,” Damian said.

There was no turning back for Claire. She had already accepted the offer, and she couldn't retreat now. At the very least, her heartbreak would soon be avenged.

Claire stood between two graves covered in green grass. Her parents' names were neatly carved into the tombstones.

“Mom, Dad, Claire’s here,” she whispered softly. “At first, I didn’t know how to move forward. I had lost all direction in life. The person I trusted most betrayed and lied to me without second thoughts. Honestly, I didn't have the courage to continue living with another man because of this trauma. But after thinking it through, I need to avenge this heartache against those who hurt and ruined my life.”

“Mom, Dad, you once told me to forgive other people's mistakes, to be a good person so good karma would follow. But look at me now, my life was merely used, and my kindness was taken for granted by them.” Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, recalling how her aunt and uncle had pressured her to cancel the wedding without demanding anything from Jeremi.

They had even been cruel enough to reuse all the preparations Claire had arranged for her own wedding with Jeremi. From the makeup artist whose deposit had already been paid, they shamelessly went ahead with everything. Every single detail Claire had prepared was used—the only thing that changed was the bride, who was no longer Claire.

Yes, that was how heartless they were. The very people who claimed to love her, using their daily shelter and food as leverage over her.

“Just this once, please let me get revenge, Mom, Dad. Allow me to settle this pain, even if it might be wrong. Maybe this way, my heart won't hurt as much every time I see them,” Claire murmured.

Claire and Damian went to meet his lawyer. There, they agreed upon the refined terms of the contract and signed it.

“Alright, I’ll keep the original copy, and you each take a signed copy,” Jack, the lawyer, said as he handed the documents to both of them.

After handling the agreement, they walked out of Jack’s office.

“Have you eaten?” Damian asked.

“Not yet, I came straight here,” Claire replied.

“Let’s grab food then,” Damian said, extending his hand toward Claire.

Claire knit her brows in confusion. “W-what?” she asked innocently.

“You’re my fiancée now. Am I not allowed to hold my fiancée’s hand?” Damian asked calmly.

Claire reached out and took Damian’s hand.

“With me, you will never experience heartbreak again. I’ll treat you extremely well—especially in bed,” Damian whispered, making Claire’s eyes widen in shock.

Damian chuckled softly at her adorable expression.

They walked to the parking garage together. Damian opened the passenger door for Claire, which surprised her quite a bit.

“I didn’t think you were capable of acts of service. I thought you only knew how to get angry,” Claire teased.

“Like I told you, you don’t know me yet. You’ll be happy with me, and I’ll treat you very well, even if our marriage is just a contract,” Damian assured her, leaving Claire silent.

Before long, they arrived at a restaurant and ordered their meals.

“It’s the weekend—don’t you have any plans?” Damian asked.

“I do,” Claire replied.

“Oh really? With whom?”

“With my fierce boss,” Claire retorted. “Aren’t we out together right now? Thanks to you, I can’t even use my day off to rest.”

“You really are one of a kind, Turtle,” Damian remarked.

“Oh yeah? What makes me so different?” Claire asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re unique,” he said, making Claire laugh. “And turns out, you’re much more talkative than I thought.”

“Of course. I talk a lot when I’m with someone who actually listens to me well,” she replied with a light chuckle.

They chatted and enjoyed their meal, breaking into laughter every now and then. One thing Claire was beginning to realize about Damian was that he seemed to have two completely different personalities. His demeanor inside the office was starkly different from how he acted outside.

“How’s the food?” Damian asked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good,” Claire answered.

“Do women like eating messily so their man can wipe it for them?” Damian asked, making Claire frown in confusion—until Damian reached his hand across the table to wipe a smudge of food from the corner of her lips.

“Like this, I mean,” Damian murmured softly.

Claire froze in place. She felt her heart skip a beat, but she quickly brushed the feeling aside.

“Thank you,” Claire said softly, refocusing on her food. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your next move?” she asked, shifting the subject.

“My plan? Well, proposing to you, of course. What else? After that, I’ll introduce you to my family and we’ll prepare for the wedding. The sooner, the better, right?” Damian said casually.

“Um, yeah. I guess so,” Claire replied.

“Claire?” a voice suddenly called out, making her turn toward the sound. A man was standing near their table.

“Jeremi?” Claire murmured in surprise.

Damian turned his head toward Jeremi, whose face instantly fell into utter shock.

“Damian?” Jeremi stammered, completely stunned to see Damian standing there.

***