Dirty Beginning (Dirty 0.50)

I just don’t know which choice to choose. One, marry Killian and be everything my family has always wanted. Two, refuse and be shamed by my family forever. Or, three, convince my grandfather that I can run the company—just like my father, just like my grandfather, and just like my great-grandfather. I’m just not sure which one to choose. The only one I’m sure I don’t want is the first option. I don’t want to marry Killian .

“R eally?” I ask into the phone .

“Yes. Your grades were high enough that you could graduate without making up your final exams. Of course, if you would like to make them up, your last semester grades would improve .”

“No. The grades can stay as they are.” I release a sigh of relief .

“Okay then. We will mail you your degree. Congratulations, Ms. Felton .”

I end the call as I hear the door open to my bedroom. I turn and smile at Scarlett .

“Hey, bitch,” Scarlett says as she makes herself at home on my bed .

“Hey,” I say, shaking my head at her words. “Are you all moved in ?”

Scarlett sighs. “No. The movers are impossible. They have been at my new house all day, and they’ve only moved in half of my stuff. They said it would take them another day to finish. So, I’m stuck at my parents’ house for another night .”

“I don’t know how you’ll survive,” I say sarcastically .

“You really have no idea how bad it is. All I hear about is how I don’t have any jobs lined up. I don’t have a serious boyfriend. What am I going to do with my life?” She sighs again. “It’s exhausting. I don’t know how you can stand to stay here. Why don’t you find a house or at least an apartment to move into ?”

I glance at Scarlett, who is now flipping through the papers Granddad gave me. I walk over and snatch them out of her hands .

“Those were boring anyway .”

I shake my head. “I’ll move out soon. I just haven’t put much thought as to where I want to live .”

“So, how did it go, meeting the future Mr. Felton ?”

I put the papers back on my desk. I spent all night reading every detail of my father’s and my granddad’s wills. I’m screwed. If I want any equity, any money, the only way is to marry Killian .

I bite my lip as I turn to face her. “It didn’t go so well .”

Scarlett sits up in my bed. “Why? Is he ugly? Or, no…is he, like, fifty years old or something? Does he have a disgusting mole on his face? Is he bald? Doesn’t speak English? Fat? What ?”

I pace my room, occasionally stopping to stare at Scarlett. “No .”

“What is it ?”

“Remember that guy I told you about? The one I met at the casino the other night ?”

Scarlett crawls forward on my bed until she is lying on her stomach. “You mean, the mysterious, sexy man who gave you the only orgasm of your life ?”

“Best, not only.” I pace. “And, yes. It was him .”

She scrunches her nose at me. “What ?”

“The man I’m supposed to marry is Killian, the same man who gave me the orgasm the other night .”

A sly smile spreads across her lips. “So, what’s the problem ?”

“He doesn’t want to marry me .”

“That’s crazy. Everybody wants to marry you. Why doesn’t he want to marry you ?”

I grab my forehead that is pounding from her insane questioning .

“I say, fuck him!” she says after a few minutes .