Get Me Married

POV: VIVIENNE

The very next day, I made my return to the sterile, unforgiving corridors of the hospital. The sharp, rhythmic click of my designer heels against the polished linoleum floor echoed like a ticking clock, announcing my arrival to anyone paying attention. I pushed open the door to Chloe Hayes’s recovery room without bothering to knock. The heavy scent of antiseptic washed over me, but it did little to mask the underlying stench of desperation that always clung to this family.

I walked right in and cut straight to the point.

"I see your daughter is recovering quickly," I said, my gaze sweeping over the sleeping girl in the bed before settling on Gareth and Miriam Hayes. They looked just as exhausted as they had the night before, their shoulders slumped beneath the weight of their miserable existence. "Let’s talk, then."

Gareth scrambled to his feet, pulling his wife up with him. "Okay, ma’am," he replied, his voice laced with that pathetic, groveling respect poor people always reserved for those who held the purse strings.

My smile broadened. I reached into my designer handbag, pulled out a crisp copy of the morning newspaper, and handed it directly to Gareth.

He took it with trembling fingers, his eyes darting down to the front page. His wife leaned in, squinting at the bold black ink.

"WEDDING BELLS RINGS AS DECLAN VANCE, SON OF GIDEON VANCE IS SOON TO BE MARRIED."

It was a magnificent headline, dominating the front page alongside a striking, brooding photograph of my son. I watched the Hayes couple closely. They looked up at me, their faces twisted into a portrait of pure, unadulterated confusion. They clearly had no idea what the impending marriage of a billionaire heir had to do with them.

"My son will be getting married soon," I stated flatly, letting the silence stretch out to see how they would react. Their confusion only deepened, their brows furrowing as they tried to piece together a puzzle they didn't even know they were part of.

"Well... congratulations, ma’am," Gareth chipped in nervously, offering a weak, hesitant smile.

I stared intensely into his eyes, letting the pleasantries drop. The air in the room grew instantly heavy.

"I picked a bride two days ago," I declared, my voice smooth but carrying the undeniable weight of a command. "She is indeed beautiful. She actually doesn’t know yet."

Gareth blinked, processing the words slowly. Miriam let out a soft gasp as the realization hit her a fraction of a second before it hit her husband. The blood drained from their faces, leaving them pale and trembling. Understanding dawned on the couple instantly. They looked at the newspaper, then back at me, the horror blooming in their wide, frantic eyes.

"Celeste Hayes is his bride," I concluded with all seriousness, leaving no room for negotiation or misunderstanding.

The silence that followed was deafening. I could practically hear the desperate gears turning in Gareth’s head as he tried to figure a way out of the trap I had just snapped shut around his family.

"Ma'am, you can't do this," Gareth protested bitterly, his voice rising in volume as a sudden wave of protective anger washed over him. He stepped forward, placing himself between me and his wife. "We can't just push her off to marry your son. She is a person, not a piece of property!"

I didn't flinch. I simply grinned at him, amused by his sudden display of backbone. It was useless, and we both knew it.

"Oh, but you can," I countered, my tone dipping into a cold, hard register. "You must, in fact. That is the exact price you have to pay for your other daughter's life-saving hospital bills."

Gareth went dead quiet. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Beside him, Miriam broke down, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed, unable to speak. I rolled my eyes internally. Why were they acting like this was some kind of tragedy? This was a golden ticket. It was an opportunity any sane parents would grab with open arms. I was offering them the world on a silver platter, and they were crying over spilled milk.

"I am not selling her out," Gareth spat out angrily, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

"Don’t think of it that way," I advised, twisting the knife just a little deeper. "Celeste deserves better than this miserable life you provide. With Celeste as my daughter-in-law, your family will finally escape your wretched poverty. You will no longer struggle to put food on the table. Chloe will have a better life, a healthy life, and you know it."

I watched the fight drain out of him. His shoulders slumped in total defeat, the angry fire in his eyes extinguishing as the harsh reality of their situation settled over him. He knew I was right. I was almost there. I just needed to push a little harder.

"The clock is ticking, Gareth," I informed them coldly. "I don’t have much time. This marriage needs to take place in less than two weeks. Think fast."

I gave them a sly, knowing smile and took a step back, giving them the illusion of privacy. They turned their backs to me and huddled together, conferring in desperate, frantic whispers.

"Celeste will never agree to this, you know," I heard Gareth hiss in defeat, his voice thick with unshed tears.

"She wouldn't, I guess," Miriam mumbled, her shoulders shaking. "Our daughter is hot-headed. She is a girl who prefers to make her own path. What will be her reaction? Will she hate us for doing this to her?"

"But it’s for her own good," Miriam whispered a second later, trying desperately to convince herself. "It’s for all of us."

"I guess so," Gareth sighed heavily, the sound of a man breaking. "Who wouldn’t want to be a Vance? We don't have a choice."

They turned back to face me. The resignation on their faces was palpable. They looked like they were walking to the gallows.

"I guess that’s a yes, then," I said, clapping my hands together with genuine excitement.

"Yes, ma’am," Gareth whispered, officially accepting my ruthless offer. "We accept."

"It's Vivienne," I said warmly, offering them a bright, victorious smile. "Call me Vivienne."

POV: CELESTE

"Can I leave now?" I nagged for what felt like the hundredth time.

I sat on the edge of the stiff hospital bed, kicking my legs in frustration. The smell of bleach and sickness was making my stomach turn. I hated hospitals with a burning passion. They always felt like waiting rooms for bad news.

My best friend Sloane rolled her eyes at me, tossing a magazine into her tote bag.

"Well, yes... the doctor said you can leave," my boyfriend, Cal, replied from his spot by the window.

The moment the words left his mouth, I jumped up from the bed, eager to shed the thin, scratchy hospital gown and get back to reality. I had been sick for a few days, and my amazing friends, Stella and Sloane, along with Cal, had taken great care of me. I was incredibly grateful, but I was done being a patient.

They finally started packing up my belongings. I was busy slipping into my jeans when Stella suddenly shrieked.

My heart skipped a beat. The sound pierced through the quiet room, sending a sudden spike of adrenaline through my veins. I instantly went into a panic, my mind jumping to the worst possible scenarios. Cal immediately moved to my side, rubbing my back in slow, gentle strides to calm me down.

"What? What is it?" Sloane demanded, running over to Stella. I hurried right behind her, my hands clutching my chest.

Stella stood near the bedside table, wielding a freshly delivered newspaper in her hand. Her eyes were wide, practically shining with excitement. She spread the paper apart and read the bold headline out loud for the whole room to hear.

"WEDDING BELLS RINGS AS DECLAN VANCE, SON OF GIDEON VANCE IS SOON TO BE MARRIED!"

Cal groaned, rolling his eyes in sheer annoyance. He stepped away from me, muttering something under his breath as he realized it was just a silly celebrity crush thing. He grabbed my duffel bag and headed toward the door, dismissing the drama.

"Oh no... He is getting married," Sloane cried out, throwing her hands in the air. She had harbored a massive, borderline obsessive crush on the billionaire heir for years.

I smirked, shaking my head at their theatrics.

"You both are nuts," I simply said, grabbing my phone from the nightstand.

"Uhmmm, hello! This is Declan Vance we are talking about!" Sloane fired back, gesturing wildly at the brooding photograph of the gorgeous man on the front page.

I shook my head lovingly at them. "The bride-to-be is so lucky," I could hear Stella mumbling as she stared longingly at the picture. They were acting like children, pining over some untouchable billionaire who would never even know they existed. I had more pressing things to worry about. I picked up my purse and headed for the door. It was time to go home. I needed to see my parents and check on Chloe.

Just as I reached for the handle, my phone rang. The screen flashed with my father's name.

"Dad!" I answered excitedly, pressing the phone to my ear.

"Pumpkin, your voice is exactly what I need right now," he sighed. "It soothes my troubled soul so much."

My cheeks warmed. He was always something of a poet, making these dramatic, loving remarks about me. I opened my mouth, ready to tease him about being so sappy, when his exact words echoed in my head.

*Troubled soul.*

The playful mood vanished instantly.

"Troubled? What's wrong?" I asked rapidly, the words tumbling out in a rush. Worry suddenly clouded my mind, suffocating my previous joy. "Is everything alright? How is Chloe? Where are you guys right now?"

"Celeste..." His voice broke. It sounded deeply troubled, heavy with a sorrow I couldn't comprehend. "Come to the hospital. We are at Mount Kensington hospital."

A sudden wave of intense dizziness crashed over me. The room tilted. I gripped the doorframe to keep myself upright. I could see it happening all over again. Chloe was in terrible danger. My little sister was fighting for her life again.

I didn't say another word. I hung up the phone and bolted out the door. I needed to see them. I headed for the exit with hurried, frantic steps, dodging nurses and orderlies. My friends scrambled to pick up the rest of my things, rushing down the hallway to keep up with me.

"I can’t believe we were in the same hospital all this time and I didn’t know a thing," I muttered to myself as we flagged down a taxi outside.

The ride to Mount Kensington felt like a blur. My hands were sweating profusely, and my heart beat loudly against my ribs. I feared it was all going bad. The stinging sensation of unshed tears burned the back of my eyes.

"This is a huge hospital, Celeste. Don’t blame yourself," Stella soothed from the back seat, placing a comforting hand on my knee.

The moment the cab stopped, I scrambled out and ran through the grand, imposing lobby of Mount Kensington. I demanded the room number from the front desk and sprinted toward the elevator.

I finally reached their ward. I shoved the door open, bracing myself for the tragedy awaiting me on the other side.

"Hazel eyes!"

My little sister’s joyful yell echoed through the room. I froze dead in my tracks. My breath hitched in my throat. I wasn’t expecting to see an energized, glowing child when I walked in.

"Finally, you came!" Chloe shrieked, sitting up in her lavish hospital bed and opening her arms for a hug.

I stumbled forward and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight with pure, overwhelming relief. I buried my face in her shoulder before pulling back to look at her. I was incredibly confused. Spread out on the rolling tray in front of her was a massive pile of junk food—candies, expensive chocolates, hamburgers, hot dogs, and a ridiculous amount of cheese.

"Sweetheart, you came rather quick," my mom said, stepping out from the corner of the sprawling VIP suite. She spread her arms, and my dad stepped up beside her.

I abandoned the junk food mystery and ran straight into their arms, holding them tight like I hadn't seen them in years.

"We were close by," Sloane chimed in tactfully from the doorway, covering for the fact that I had just been discharged myself. Stella and Sloane knew my parents well, though Cal hovered awkwardly in the hallway. I was supposed to introduce him soon, but this was terrible timing.

I pulled away from my parents and looked back at my sister.

"What's going on?" I asked, the questions firing out in rapid succession. "How is she? How long has she been here? Why are there so many sweets? She shouldn't be having all this food!"

"I am fine!" Chloe replied, a massive, wide smile stretching across her face. "I got a new kidney!"

I stared at her in utter awe. My brain struggled to process the magnitude of her words. A new kidney? How? We didn't have that kind of money. We didn't even have insurance that covered this specific procedure.

"A rich lady paid for my new kidney and got me all this food," Chloe babbled happily, popping a piece of chocolate into her mouth. "She said she would take care of us all and that you are her daughter-in-law."

The room spun.

"Wait... what?"

I stared at my little sister, completely dumbfounded. I slowly turned my head toward my father, praying this was some bizarre medication-induced hallucination.

"Dad, did you hear your daughter speaking?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"Sweetheart," my dad called out, his face etched with deep, agonizing worry.

My shoulders tensed up instantly. The heavy, suffocating silence in the room confirmed my worst fears. Something was terribly wrong.

"Celeste... we are going to be leaving now," Sloane said softly from the doorway. She had felt the massive shift in the room's tension. I turned to my friends, offering them a faint, strained smile as they quickly backed out of the room, taking Cal with them.

"I will miss you," I murmured, watching the door click shut.

The moment we were alone, I spun back to face my parents.

"Dad, Mom, talk to me," I pleaded, keeping my voice as gentle as I could manage through the rising panic.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, my father refused to meet my eyes. He stared firmly at the polished floorboards.

"Chloe collapsed a few days ago," he started, his voice cracking. "The doctor said she needed a new kidney immediately, or she would die. We were so desperate, pumpkin. We didn't know what to do."

"What she said earlier was the truth," my mom chimed in nervously, ringing her hands together. "She got a new kidney. Vivienne Vance paid her hospital bills."

My eyes widened in shock. Vivienne Vance? I had heard the name before. Everyone in the state knew about the family of the former head of state. But they existed in a separate stratosphere. Poor people like us stayed far away from the rich. Getting involved with families like the Vances meant becoming their puppet, or worse, finding yourself in irreversible trouble.

"Her bills came with a heavy price," my father whispered, his sad voice cutting through my thoughts.

Nervousness crept through my body, turning my blood to ice. He stayed silent for a long time, his hands dropping uselessly to his sides. He looked away, clearly terrified of speaking the words into existence.

"You are to marry her son in less than two weeks," he finally confessed, still refusing to look at me.

I stumbled back. My heels caught on the edge of the rug, and I barely caught my balance. The sheer horror of the statement paralyzed me. I tried to comprehend the sentence. It was the exact same thing Chloe had babbled about earlier.

*Daughter-in-law.*

I shook my head frantically, denial rising thick and fast in my throat. It couldn't be. How could it be?

"You sold me out?" I shrieked, the betrayal hitting me like a physical blow to the chest. "You sold me out to a family I know absolutely nothing of? Didn’t you ever care about my dreams? My opinions? My life?!"

"Calm down, Celeste," my dad pleaded, taking a hesitant step toward me. "It’s not all that bad. The family has massive wealth. It's a life-changing opportunity for you and for us. We will permanently escape this poverty."

I glared viciously at him, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, burning my skin.

"Money!" I snapped, my voice echoing off the walls. "This is all you care about! You got tired of being poor and you used me as collateral for your new rich life!"

My dad flinched back as if I had struck him. His shoulders slumped further, and he turned his face away. I knew my harsh words were tearing him apart, but I was bleeding too much to care. I was suffocating under the weight of their impossible decision.

I couldn't stand the sight of them for another second. I spun on my heel, took to a sprint, and fled the hospital room. I ran through the corridors, ignoring the strange looks from the nursing staff. Tears blurred my vision as I burst through the front doors, gasping for air in the warm afternoon sun. I hailed the very first cab I saw, throwing myself into the backseat.

I needed to go to the only place that felt safe. I gave the driver the address to Stella and Sloane's apartment.

The moment the cab stopped, I rushed up the stairs and barged through their front door, chest heaving and face stained with tears.

"What is it? What happened?" Sloane asked, rushing over to me with a deeply worried expression. Stella dropped the magazine she was reading and hurried over, making me her sole priority.

The tears wouldn't stop flowing. I pulled Sloane into a desperate hug and sobbed into her shoulder, letting the raw agony out. They guided me to the couch, holding my hands while I struggled to breathe. Once I finally found my voice, I told them everything. Every devastating detail of the hospital room.

"You are going to be married into the richest family in the state," Sloane stated calmly, speaking slowly and deliberately as if trying to reason with a frightened child.

"You are so lucky," Stella interjected hastily, her eyes wide with shock.

I pulled away, glaring at her.

"What do you mean by luck?" I snapped, fresh anger flaring up. "I have dreams! I have plans for my future! Should I just throw them all away like they mean nothing just so I can get married to some dangerous billionaire I don't even know?"

"Whoa... calm down," Stella said, holding her hands up in surrender, backing away slightly.

"Celeste..." Sloane reached out, placing her hands gently on my thighs. Her calm demeanor forced me to pause. "Think about this logically. Those dreams and plans you talk about... they were always centered around making life better for your parents and taking care of Chloe's health issues, right?"

I swallowed hard, the fight draining out of me. "Yes..."

"And a chance has just been handed to you on a silver platter," Sloane reasoned softly. "Can't you see it? Your sister's hospital bills have been paid. She actually has a chance to live a full life now. Your parents will live comfortably, and you can achieve whatever dreams you want much easier by being a Vance daughter-in-law."

I stared at her, the heavy realization beginning to set in. She was right. My ultimate goal had always been saving my family.

"Your parents had no other option, Celeste," Sloane continued, her voice gentle but firm. "You know deep down they would never just sell you out for fun."

My shoulders slumped. A sharp pang of guilt pierced my heart as I remembered the vicious accusations I had screamed at my father.

"But... I don't know this man," I whispered, desperately searching for another excuse to reject this terrifying reality. "He might be old, or haggard, or wicked. What happened to marrying for love?"

"Shut up," Stella shrieked playfully. She jumped up from the armchair and rummaged through her tote bag. She pulled out the very same newspaper from the hospital and thrust it onto my lap.

"Declan Vance is the only son of the former head of state," Stella pointed to the brooding, handsome face on the cover. "And gosh, look at him. He definitely isn't old."

"Ohh..." I murmured, staring at the sharp jawline and intense eyes staring back at me from the page.

"But what about Cal?" I tried again, clinging to the familiar safety of my normal life.

Sloane rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.

"Cal would understand that you had no choice in this," Sloane said bluntly. "Moreover, let's be honest. You don't actually love him. He is just an amazing, comfortable companion to you. Your relationship deeply lacks true passion."

"What? He is my boyfriend!" I defended weakly. "He respects me! He..."

"Girl, you are still a virgin with that hot body," Stella interrupted ruthlessly, crossing her arms. "What kind of boyfriend is he? He's safe. But you need more than safe."

I gaped at her, unable to form a rebuttal. Yes, I didn't love Cal passionately. We were just the perfect match on paper. The hottest couple in college. He respected my boundaries and never pushed when I said I wasn't ready for sex. He was a good man. But was he my future?

"Don't overthink it. Just do it," Sloane urged, squeezing my knee. "Honestly, I envy you."

"Cheer up, Celeste," Stella added, her voice softening. "It's not like you can escape from this deal anyway. So why not accept it with open arms? Do it for your parents. Save them from any more suffering."

That last sentence struck me right in the chest. How could I have been so incredibly selfish? I had only thought about my own fear, my own disrupted plans. Chloe was finally going to be fine. My parents would never have to cry over unpaid bills again. This was the ultimate salvation for my family.

I let out a long, shuddering sigh in total defeat.

"I am getting married then," I murmured, the weight of the sacrifice settling heavy on my shoulders.

Stella and Sloane shrieked wildly, jumping up and hugging me, seemingly more excited about my impending billionaire wedding than I was.

I didn't waste another minute. I grabbed my bag and hurried back to Mount Kensington hospital, fiercely steeling my resolve with every step I took.

*It is for Chloe,* I kept repeating in my head as I marched down the sterile corridors. *It is for my parents. It is for my family. It is for my dreams. This is the best thing for me.*

I finally reached the VIP wing. I paused just outside the door to Chloe's room, raising my hand to push it open.

Through the slight crack in the door, I heard my father’s desperate voice.

"Ma'am, she refused the proposal," Gareth pleaded, his tone thick with sorrow but laced with a firm determination. "And I cannot force her to do this. Give us time. We promise to pay back every cent of your money."

I froze, my hand hovering over the wood.

"It might take a while, but we will pay the debt," my father continued, his voice trembling but resolute. "Her happiness is more important to us than anything else, and she isn't happy about any of this. I can't even give her the assurance that she will be safe or happy being married to your son. I am sorry, but we can't do this to her."

Tears pricked my eyes all over again. Hearing my father prioritize my happiness over their desperate, life-or-death financial ruin instantly erased any lingering doubts in my heart. He loved me. He truly loved me.

I pushed firmly through the heavy door.

Everyone in the room turned to face me. My parents looked shocked. Sitting gracefully in the corner armchair was an intimidating woman I had never seen before. A delicate silk scarf was tied elegantly around her face, veiling her features as if she were hiding from the world, but her posture screamed absolute power. Vivienne Vance.

I stepped into the center of the room, standing tall. I didn't let a single moment of hesitation show on my face.

"Don't worry about it," I declared, my voice ringing clear and strong in the quiet room. I looked right at the veiled woman. "I accept the proposal. Get me married."