Oops! I Married His Nemesis

Being the sole heir to Montclair Industries meant absolutely nothing in a world that refused to see a woman as anything more than a placeholder.

The whispers followed me everywhere—everyone knew the three boys raised to be my future husbands were the real heirs in their eyes. Yet none of them could spare me so much as a glance.

I'd lost count of how many times I'd tried to catch Jasper Callahan's attention, only to be met with that icy, indifferent stare.

I'd assumed that was just how he treated women—until I stumbled upon him on his knees in front of Doria Gallet, our driver's daughter, pouring his heart out like some lovesick fool.

"I'm only agreeing to marry Charlotte to repay the Montclairs for taking me in. Once I'm running the company, I'll marry you properly—with all the bells and whistles. And as long as Charlotte stays out of your way, I'll cut her a few million to disappear overseas."

"You're the only woman I want to call my wife."

The night before the shareholders' meeting, Dad finally asked for my decision.

Remembering every dismissive glance, every cold shoulder, I smiled and said, "I am a Montclair, after all. Marriage is about maximizing advantages."

"I choose Hextor Harrington from Washington."

Dad's brows furrowed. "Hextor's been paralyzed since that car crash five years ago. He's not just confined to a wheelchair—he's incapable of performing as a husband. Are you sure about this?"

My voice stayed soft but unshaken. "People like us don't get fairy tales, Dad. It's all business. And if we're talking advantages, the Harringtons offer the most."

His expression darkened. "That's all well and good, but out of the three boys I raised for you, not one of them caught your eye?"

Dad had loved my mother with everything he had, but she died from a brain hemorrhage the year I was born. He never remarried, yet he couldn't stomach the idea of leaving Montclair Industries entirely in a woman's hands.

So, following his best friend's advice, he'd adopted three orphaned boys. His will was clear—whoever I chose would help me run the company and keep the board in line.

He loved me, but that didn't change his belief that a woman couldn't handle the Montclair empire alone.

I held his gaze. "Hextor may be paralyzed, but we can have children through IVF. He's the only Harrington heir. Why settle for an orphan propping up the Montclairs when we could secure a powerful ally?"

Dad nodded slowly. "If those three couldn't win you over, they have no place at Montclair Industries."

If I'd simply whined that Jasper didn't love me, Dad would've forced him to his knees and demanded to know what right an adopted nobody had to reject his daughter.

But I didn't want that.

I didn't want Dad using years of charity to manipulate Jasper. I didn't want a loveless marriage. I didn't want us both drowning in resentment.

And honestly? Jasper's words had shattered something inside me that couldn't be repaired.

A clean break was the kindest thing I could offer.

As I left the office, Dad shot Jasper a sideways glance.