The Secret Wife of the CEO

Marie had always been ambitious when it came to her career, but she lacked the backing and attitude to get very far in a corporate world. Being the punching bag for your family would do that a person. She was the legitimate child of the Austin family, but was treated as the child of the mistress, while her half brother and sister got all the praise and attention.

When her mother got sick after giving birth to her, her father went out and found himself between another woman's legs. Marie was sure her mother died of heart ache more than her illness. But in the wake of her passing, Marie was left with a father who treated her like less than a servant, and a step mother who saw her as the scum of the earth.

Her half siblings were raised to hate her, she was alone in the world, and only her nanny, Patricia, ever truly cared for her, so when Marie was arranged to marry a man she never met, she was both sad and excited to be leaving the house that never felt like home to her.

Darius Sydney was a powerful man. The only reason she was made to marry him and not her sister, is the rumors that he was a cold man and also the fact that he refused to marry an illegitimate child. Everyone knew the story of the Austin family, no matter how much her father and step mother tried to change the story.

So now, here Marie stood, in a simple white dress at the court house to sign the papers with Darius. He barely glanced at her, took one look, nodded and signed. Marie was confused, but also signed her name, making her the lady of the Sydney family if only in name.