Marrying My Father’s Enemy

Chapter 9: Are You Out Of Your Mind?

The car pulled up to a grand estate, its gates swung open as they approached. 

Eira felt a bit out of place as they drove past rows of expensive cars parked in the driveway. She glanced at Callian, who seemed unfazed.

"Are you sure we're at the right place?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she eyed their old, beaten-up car in comparison to the luxury surrounding them.

Callian smirked. "Definitely. Let's see how they react."

As they stepped out, a few heads turned. 

People whispered, glancing between the car and Callian, clearly surprised to see him arrive in such a low-class vehicle. 

They walked through the entrance and into the house, where the party was in full swing.

The moment they entered, a woman in an elegant dress, Callian's mother, Leina—spotted them. She smiled, though she was confused when she noticed the car parked outside.

"Callian, darling," she said, approaching them. "What on earth are you doing in that… car?"

"Just trying to keep things low-key, Mom," Callian replied. He placed a hand on Eira's back, guiding her forward. "This is Eira."

Leina's eyes quickly moved to Eira, giving her a once-over, though she smiled politely. "Lovely to meet you, dear," she said, though it was clear she was already sizing her up. "You look stunning. But… who are you to Callian?"

Before Eira could answer, Callian stepped in, and in a casual though loud enough tone for the surrounding guests to hear, he stated, "We actually got married two weeks ago."

A hush fell over the room. 

Everyone paused, staring at them in shock. 

Leina's smile froze on her face, and Callian's father, who had been chatting with some guests, suddenly stopped mid-conversation.

Leina quickly grabbed Callian by the arm and pulled him aside. "What were you thinking? Do you understand what you've done?"

Callian, not bothered, replied, "I know exactly what I've done."

"Do you even know which family she's from?" Leina hissed. "This… this is not how things are done. You can't just marry someone without—"

"Without what?" Callian interrupted, "Approval? Permission?"

Leina's eyes flashed like a fountain made of fire. "You're a fool. This will ruin everything."

Meanwhile, Callian's father, standing nearby, shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Unlucky girl… doesn't know what she's gotten herself into."

Eira stood awkwardly as the whispers in the room made her the centre of attention. 

Guests murmured among themselves, unsure of what to say. Then, from the crowd, a younger man that tall stepped forward. 

It was Callian's younger brother.

"Well, congratulations, big brother!" he said cheerfully, pulling Callian into a quick hug. "Welcome to the family, Eira."

Eira smiled gratefully, relieved to have at least one friendly face.

Callian grinned, patting his brother on the back. "Thanks, Rylan. I knew I could count on you."

Leina, still fuming, glanced at Rylan. "You're encouraging this?"

Rylan shrugged. "What's done is done. Might as well be happy about it."

Leina gave him a look but turned back to Callian. "This isn't over," she muttered before storming off, leaving a buzzing room.

Eira glanced at Callian, unsure of what to say. He simply smiled, pulling her close. "Welcome to the family," he whispered.

Eira leaned, "Your mother doesn't seem too happy," she whispered.

Callian sighed, glancing in the direction where his mother had stormed off. "She's always been controlling. She likes to think she knows what's best for me, but honestly, I stopped listening a long time ago."

Eira raised an eyebrow. "And your dad?"

 "Dad's more laid-back. He lets her handle everything, but deep down, he doesn't care about the drama. He just goes along with whatever keeps the peace. And Rylan… well, he supports whatever I do. He's probably the only one who truly gets me."

Eira nodded and sighed, "It's just… a lot to take in."

"I know," Callian said softly, squeezing her hand. "But you'll get used to it. I won't let them push you around."

Just then, one of the waiters approached Callian, whispering something in his ear. Callian frowned but nodded. "I'll be back in a minute, okay?" he said, giving Eira a quick peck on the cheek. "Stay here. I won't be long."

Eira smiled and watched him walk off. He's really taking this marriage contract too seriously…

She stood by herself for a few moments, glancing around at the unfamiliar faces in the room. Feeling a bit awkward, she decided to head toward the bathroom to freshen up.

As she neared the hallway leading to the restrooms, she suddenly noticed a group of women standing by the door. 

They were all wearing sharp smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes. Eira recognised one of them from earlier… she had been whispering with Callian's mother.

"Oh, look, it's Callian's little wife," one of them said.

Eira froze, unsure of how to respond. "Hi," she managed to reply silently.

Another woman stepped forward, crossing her arms. "So… when did you two get married? I didn't hear about any wedding invitations going out."

Eira swallowed, feeling the tension rise between them. "Two weeks ago," she said, trying to keep her tone polite.

"Two weeks ago?" a third woman sneered, flipping her hair back. "Wow, that's fast. What strings did you pull to make him marry you? You must've been really desperate."

Eira's face heated up, but she forced herself to stay calm. "We just… fell in love. That's all."

Contract… act natural, she thought to herself. 

The first woman laughed. "Fell in love? Honey, Callian doesn't fall in love with girls like you. You must've done something to get him."

"Did you trap him?" another woman joined in. "Or maybe you tricked him into it?"

Eira's chest tightened as the words stung. 

She opened her mouth to defend herself, but before she could, one of the women 'accidentally' bumped into her, her sharp heel dug deep into Eira's foot.

"Ow!" Eira gasped, stumbling back as pain felt like someone shot her leg.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the woman said with a fake apology. She could barely hide her smirk. "You should watch where you're standing."

Eira bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. 

Her foot throbbed, but she refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Excuse me," Eira said in a shaking voice as she pushed past them and hurried into the bathroom.

Once inside, she leaned against the sink, taking deep breaths to calm herself. 

The pain in her foot was sharp, but the words from those women hurt even more. 

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how she was supposed to handle all of this.

After calming herself down a little, and wrapping her toe with paper towels to prevent the bleeding, she came out. 

"Oooopsiee!" 

There was a man's voice. "You should've watched where you're going, Mrs. Reed."

She didn't respond but continued looking at the stained dress. "Wine?" she asked.

"You're lucky it's not an expensive kind or otherwise, you would be in debt."

"Debt…?" she repeated the statement. "Do you even realise how—"

"What's going on here?"