The Blackmail® [Complete]

Chapter Five

"Well, if you are talking about the house, I don't expect much from a blackmailer."

I winced at the insult. "Then what are you doing here? "

He looked directly at me and said, "I have given your proposition much thought and decided to go along with it but with a few conditions.

What?! "What are the conditions?"

"In exchange for marriage, apart from keeping quiet about what happened the other night, you will have to assume a new identity."

I swallowed. Tania, this is getting real! Can you handle it!?! My mind was screaming. I was feeling a little faint so I sat down. "Why do I need to change my identity?"

"Do you think I can just marry anyone I so choose? I may be the prince but I don't have such luxury. If I can present someone worthy, my father will agree. I have someone who will make you look like the heiress of an estate or something, so as to avert suspicion. I will need to provide you with the necessary trappings to make you look like one, your friend can even be your lady in waiting."

That made sense. Much better than my poor background. And Taylor will be with me. "So what next?" I asked unsure of what was expected of me.

"After all is done, you will destroy everything you have about that night." His gaze was piercing. 

I nodded and swallowed. If only he knew that I had nothing.

"The next few days is going to be crazy, so get some sleep. Be ready by 9am tomorrow." He said and opened the door. As he was about to walk out, he called, "Miss Gregory?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful what you wish for," and he was gone.

What the hell did he mean by that?

"What the hell was that Tania?"

I groaned. I had forgotten that Taylor was the best eavesdropper in the whole world. "Taylor, let me explain."

She crossed her arms over her chest and said, "I'm waiting."

I sighed. "I kinda walked into the Prince while we were at the store earlier and I don't know what happened. I just found myself blackmailing him into marriage with the accident and that we had pictures."

"Oh my God Tania! How could you put us in danger like that? What if he had sent someone to kill us? What if-"

"I know! I know! I wasn't thinking!"

"No! You never think! All you do is scheme, scheme and scheme! You don't want to work, or make anything good for yourself! All you think about is building castles in the sky!"

"Stop right there Taylor! You are in no position to judge me! The fact that I don't want to slave away at some God forsaken job for the rest of my life doesn't mean I don't want to make anything good for myself. My mother did all of that and look at how she ended up. I have decided my life will not be like hers. I have brains and I'm beautiful and I'm going to use them to make something great of my life. Something good and worthy! Who do you think will marry a twenty-two year old in a myriad of eighteen year olds? If I don't get out there, I will end up like my mother! I don't want that especially when I can do something, anything to get me what I need! And if you think there's a prince charming out there for you, then you are the one building castles in the sky!"

"Well, you have snatched a prince charming alright." She said heatedly.

I reigned in my temper. "Look Taylor, I am doing this for us. We can't continue living like this. Look at how you were so drunk on shopping today. You were so happy!"

"But what if he ends up killing us as soon as we destroyed the so called scandalous pictures? Oh my God, what if he finds out there were no pictures? What if-"

"I know it's a lot of what ifs, but life is a risk. Look, we will cross that bridge when we get there. But I can't do this on my own, I need you with me Taylor. Think about all the new clothes, jewelry and stuff that you will have. Please," I drew her close and held her hands, "please Taylor."

She looked at our hands. "Just promise me that we will have each other's back no matter what."

"I promise."

And she nodded. "Then I agree."

"Yay!" I shouted. "You will be my maid of honour. You will wear something gold and shimmery."

"Urgh!" She stuck out her tongue and we both laughed. 

I am going to marry a prince! I screamed in my head. Oh my God!

Yay! Who says your dreams can't come true?

So far, what you guys think?