Accidentally Married to the Billionaire 3(50)
“Well, I don’t want everyone sad. And I hate dark colors at a funeral. It’s so depressing.”
“I agree, dear. But nothing too loud, and no splashy colors.”
“Good thing I didn’t die.” Marj retorted. “Who know what kind of funeral I would’ve gotten?”
“Good thing we have plenty of time for planning.”
Lena turned toward Marj. “When you crashed and were instantly cremated, I thought that was your last chance for hot, smoking body.”
Marj’s jaw dropped. “You bitch!” She looked at Brandon. “Can I please take down the Wicked Queen right now?”
“Now, darling. That’s not how the fairytale is supposed to play out.”
“I say we change the fairytale. Snow White lunges across the room and takes out the Wicked Queen in one roundhouse kick.”
“Now, now,” Brandon said. “We’ll take the Wicked Queen out the legal way…by staying madly in love.”
“Is this some kind of game to you?” Lena asked.
“No, Mom,” Brandon said. “It’s more like a twisted fairytale.”
“I hate you two,” she screamed. “You deserve each other!”
“Well, as you can see my lovely bride is alive and kicking. So we’re going to go make love for hours on top of a million rose petals at the fanciest hotel around.”
He dipped Marj in a deep passionate kiss.
“Uhhhhhhh!” Lena muttered.
Brandon put his arm around Marj and they left smiling.
Marj gazed up into his gleaming eyes. “That rose thing you proposed, well, it did sound very romantic.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“At the fanciest hotel around?”
“That’s what I said.”
“And you’ll make love to me for hours?”
“Indeed, I will.”
“I’m in heaven! Boy, I should die more often.”
Chapter 16
A few days later, Marj made pancakes for Brandon.
“How are they?” she asked.
“Delicious.”
She smiled.
“I think we need to fire the cook,” he said.
“Ha, ha.”
He chuckled.
Marj then handed him the newspaper. “Looks like we’re the talk of the town in the celebrity section. And boy, do we look adorable. I’ve always dreamed of kissing my Prince Charming in the rain like that.”
There was a picture of them kissing in the rain and a story about how Brandon Cates learned Marj was dead, then about fainted when his dead wife pulled into the driveway. It was a positive article proving to all those doubters that they were actually in love. They said emotion like that couldn’t be faked. They painted Marj and Brandon as some kind of love story triumphing past all the bad press because love conquers all. A Prince Charming who never gave up on the love of his life.
“I’ll never forget that intense moment,” he said. “It’s etched into my mind forever.”
“Good stuff, huh?” Marj asked.
“I would love to have seen the Wicked Queen’s face when she saw this article.”
“She’d probably shit bricks.”
“She thought she won. Even had the nerve to come over and tell me, rub it in my face, when I was grieving and had been blindsided.”
“I know. That was rotten.”
Marj sipped her juice. “She’s after the money. And she tried telling me it was about revenge.”
“In her own sick, demented way, she did love my dad. But staying rich and having it all is on the top of her list. She treats this like a sick game or something. She’ll do anything to beat me. And she doesn’t even need the money.”
“You are entitled to your dad’s company. It’s like your baby. And I’m not letting her have it. She told me she just wants to destroy it and dismantle it. That would put lots of people out of jobs.”
“Exactly. So we’re not letting that happen.”
Marj opened a thank you letter from the airline. “What’s this?”
“Oh. I gave a huge donation to all the families who were left behind after that terrible tragedy.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “That was so sweet.”
“My thoughts go to all the victims. I want to help all the people affected by the crash. I know I can’t take away their pain, but I hope this can help just a little bit.”
“It’s very generous. You have a giving heart. It’s what I love about you.”
He gazed into her eyes. “If I would’ve lost you…”
She reached over and grabbed his hand. “You didn’t.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “But I thought I did. I felt their pain firsthand.”