Anna couldn't believe where she was right now.

She was about to get married to a man she loved in a big freaking church that was filled with close to two-hundred and fifty people. Not to mention the other 150+ guests that were invited to come to the reception (there wasn't enough space in the church for 400 guests, though Daniel tried to make that happen.) Ooooh, now that she thought about the sheer number of people inside of the church, Anna really hoped she wasn't about to fall straight to her face the second she took a step inside. 

Anna let out a breath through her nose and tightened her hand around Daniel's bicep. Her future  father-in-law looked over at her and tilted his head in curiosity. "Okay?"

She nodded her head at first, then shook it quickly after. "No, not really... I'm trying not to think about falling straight to my face when I enter, but you know that thing that the more you try not to think about it, the more you do? That's what's happening right now."

Daniel squinted his eyes and slowly nodded, "I suppose I do understand..."

Anna smiled briefly and looked forward to the giant church doors.

The wedding ceremony was being held in the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. While searching through the many files Charlotte had laid out before her of various churches throughout North America, the pictures showing the inside of the Basilica always captured her attention. But now that she was thinking about it, maybe she should have chosen a smaller church, that way fewer people would be looking at her.

Anna was tempted to rub her sweaty hands down her dress, but resisted the urge. So, she sneakily rubbed her hands on Daniel's swanky, new suit. He glared at her but didn't say anything. Suddenly, a song started playing inside, and Charlotte, who was standing in front of her, squeaked. It was the song commonly played for when the bridesmaids were walking down the  aisle.

Charlotte, and a few of William's cousins, were her bridesmaids. Daniel was appalled when he heard that his daughter would be the only bridesmaid, so he made a few calls and now Anna had six bridesmaids, only one of which she knew. Charlotte patted her hair down and grabbed John's bicep. 

John was William's best man even though John severely disliked everything about Anna and would voice his opinions about her to him on multiple occasions. She's hiding something, man. Why else would she want a fast wedding? John would say. My father wanted the fast wedding, John. He's the one who came up with the idea. Anna was just the one who asked me first, William would reply back. I don't know, man. She's several years younger than you. That's fishy enough as it is. William would sigh and say, Would you stop it, John? I was barely in elementary school when she was born. Don't make me out to be some cradle robber.

Almost as if he sensed her thinking about him, John looked back to glare at Anna, and if looks could kill, she would've died twice over.

Anna's hands grew sticky again as she caught his gaze and glanced away quickly. She couldn't stand being near the man who might ruin everything for her.

Come on, Anna. It's okay. Just get pass this ceremony and then John won't be able to say anything anymore. He'll see that you actually love him because you won't leave or divorce William. You would never leave him, unless he wanted you to. Which, of course, will never happen because Will will never find out about the contract. Yep, that's what's going to happen. No fear.

The church doors opened and Charlotte and John stepped out into the aisle. After a few beats, the wedding party would slowly exit the doors until it came for Anna and Daniel to walk. The doors closed in front of her and Anna took a deep breath in. Daniel patted her hand and was about to say something when the red head suddenly spoke, exclaiming, "I want a small wedding."

The music was growing softer.

"What?"

She continued, "I want a small wedding. Outside. In a garden full of hydrangeas and orchids and baby's breath and roses and tulips. I want the color scheme to be lavender and light greens, I want not an inch of red in my sight. Why has everything been red this year? I want mason jars with little candles inside them and my venue to be outside where you can see the night sky and the wonderful flowers all around you and the fireflies. I want... I want..." Anna gasped as tears threatened to pour out of her eyes and wrenched her hand from Daniel's grip.

"I want...I just want...to go home right now. I don't want this giant elaborate wedding with hundreds of people I don't know staring at me. I don't want a seven teared cake and hundreds of presents filled with stuff we already have or with expensive items from India or China or Russia. I want small. Small...I want to know all the people at my wedding and be gifted things that came from the heart or even no presents at all. I want to dance with people who know and love me, not with people who barely know my name. I want...so much more than this, which is stupid because this wedding, right here and now, are the one's some little girls dream of having when they're older."

And softer still.

Daniel was shocked and took a second to compose himself before he cleared his throat. "Ah...well, this wedding is more for me than for you two, I suppose. I have potential business associates who would have been rather, uh, pissed off had I not invited them. They are the majority unfortunately, the others are family and family friends."

Anna tapped her fingers under her eyes to try and catch the tears they were slowly spilling over without ruining her makeup. Even though her makeup was waterproof, the bride-to-be wasn't taking any chances. 

"That doesn't make me feel better, Daniel."

The final crescendo until it was quiet.

He laughed and nodded, "I know, I'm sorry. How about this? Next year, or maybe in two, this very day, we'll get you the wedding you've always wanted; all the pretty flowers and fireflies and mason jars and candles. Everything. You just have to get through this wedding first. Deal?"

Anna sniffled and shyly smiled. "Deal. Now this contract I like."

An instrumental version of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri began to play. After a few seconds, the doors in front of her opened.

The butterflies in Anna's tummy fluttered around nervously.

 Daniel gripped her hand in his arm and they began to walk forward.

~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyrYgCvxBUg

Anna

William and I slow danced together, letting the wonderful word's of "I See the Light" roll over us. He pulled away from me and kissed my forehead before spinning me around. He caught me in his arms and pulled me close again. I looked into his eyes and smiled brightly.

Standing here it's all so clear

I'm where I'm meant to be.

He gave me eskimo kisses and then pecked my nose. I giggled and placed my head on Will's chest, hearing his heart give a reassuring thump-thump-thump. 

William

I placed my head on hers, even though I had to bend down a little to reach. The crown on her head poked my nose so I pushed it a little away. Anna whined and poked her head up. I swiftly moved out of the way or else her crown would have down more damage than a slight poke. 

"Hey," she growled, pushing her crown back in its place, "You're going to mess up my hair! Do you know how long I sat in that dang chair while they pulled and scratched at my hair? Humph."

I gave a breathy laugh and pecked her forehead again, "Oh, I'm so sorry, my love, my wife. I should've taken your torture into consideration when I tried to stop your crown from piercing my nose."

Anna stuck her tongue out at me and I was tempted to bite it just to see what she would do.

I winked and whispered, "I love you."

She wrinkled her nose and gave a puffy sigh, murmuring, "Love you too."

Now she's here shining in the starlight

Now she's here suddenly I know

If she's here it's crystal clear

I'm where I'm meant to go.

And at last I see the light.

And it's like the fog has lifted.

I spun her around and dipped her, this time kissing her with a passion that left her breathless. Anna brought her hands up to my face and kissed me back just as passionately.

The crowd all around us gave hoots and cheers. 

And it's warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything is different

Now that I see you

Now that I see you.

I pulled us straight and gave her one last kiss before I turned to the rooting crowd and grinned, shouting, "My bride! Mrs. Anna Winters!"

~

Anna

I rested my head on Will's shoulder as we watched people dancing. I released a yawn and snuggled closer, pulling some layers from my dress to cover my shoulder. Will slapped my hands down and removed his jacket, placing it around me. I thanked him and covered another yawn with my hand.

It was nearing 3 am and I was dead tired. I had kicked off my heels long ago and traded them for some soft flats. My dress though was the one weighing me down now. It was more layers than I'd ever worn in my life so I was definitely not used to it.

I leaned over to Will and whispered, "When is this party over?"

He obviously took it the dirty way because he smirked and leaned close as well. "You know, we don't have to wait till all the guests leave...You and I can leave whenever we want."

Though he said it with a sexual innuendo, the only thing I wanted was sleep. "Great! Then lets leave now!"

William rose his eyebrows and smiled in disbelief. "You sure? I mean...you only get one wedding. When are we ever going to get a sight like this? Where people are celebrating our love and union as a married couple?"

I looked out into the crowd and saw not one face I knew. Daniel was who knows where, and Charlotte had to take Charlie home early because he started to have a panic attack when some of the female guests tried to get him to take them home.

As I was glancing over people's faces, I though I saw a familiar, unwelcome face smirking at me from within the crowd, but when I looked back for a closer look, I saw no one.

I took a shuddered breath and nodded back at Will. "Yeah, I'm ready to go now. There will always be better sights to see."

~

When we arrived at the hotel, the first thing I did was collapse on the bed. Will groaned behind me and then I heard what sounded like shoes falling on the floor. He collapsed next to me and threw an arm around my waist.

"I know..." He said, "I know I was hinting at something earlier, but... I think sleep is good for now. Sleep is nice, and this bed...is nice...and..."

I don't know if I fell asleep while Will was talking or if he fell asleep while talking, but I could not remember the ending of his sentence as sleep overtook me.

~

When I woke up, Will was still by my side. He had shed all but hid dress shirt and pants.

I let out a weird noise as I stretched my arms and back. I yawned and got off the bed, heading towards the bathroom. I could feel a sort of stickiness on the back of my neck and on my arms. I was not liking how I smelled either.

I gave one last look to my peacefully sleeping husband before I closed the bathroom door. I quickly shed off my gown, glad to be rid of it. It was a beautiful dress, but I was happy to finally be free from its tight hold. I took in a deep breath because I finally could.

After that, I remember Charlotte had told me to look under the sink because she had hid some 'supplies' we might need until Will and I left for our honeymoon in a few hours. I immediately blushed when I looked inside the storage box. I carefully but quickly removed the long, wiggly object out of the way before searching through the rest of the box. 

I paused at a pale pink box with a sticky note attached to it and pulled it out to get a better look. As I did so, I heard a knock on the hotel room door. I briefly glanced away from the object in my hands, about to get out to answer when I heard Will grumble and get out from bed. I heard words but couldn't make out what was being said.

Instead, I read the note on the little box:

I gasped and brought the box up to my chest. Oh my gosh. Oh no no no. How could I have forgotten?

I glanced toward the door just to make sure Will wasn't going to walk in any time soon. It had gone quiet outside, so perhaps he had gone back to sleep. I ripped open the box, took out three of the little sticks that were inside, and sat down on the toilet.

~

I was having a tough time looking into the sink where the pregnancy tests lay. More than three minutes had passed and I was worried that the longer I took to confirm the results, the sooner William would come in here. I released a breath and shook my hands before I peaked in the sink.

Deja vu flashed through me as I stared at the three positive tests. I was suddenly transported back to when I was eighteen and crying by the bathtub because I was scared of the future, scared of what a baby might mean to me; an eighteen year old still in high school with my whole life in front of me. Hard to imagine that it was only five years ago. The difference now though...was that I was married to a man I loved, a man who would love the child inside of me, his child. The difference was that I had a family that would support me through every change, and I didn't have to worry about how I was going to support the child in the long run because I could afford all of its needs and wants now.

I was finally able to cherish and love and support the child growing inside of me, unlike the last time when I could not. I regretted having to give up my first child to a couple who could take the time to raise a child and give him everything he needed, but what I could not do for the first, I can and will do for the second.

Nothing would be able to stop me.

And maybe some day, I would be able to meet my first child. Maybe one day, my two children would grow close despite being raised by different people. Maybe in the near future, we could become one big, happy family.

If only I had known what would happen next.

~

I had finally gathered up the courage to tell Will. Holding the pregnancy tests in my hand, wrapped in toilet paper, I opened the door to the bathroom.

"Will, I have something to---" I stopped short after noticing I was talking to the air. 

Will was no longer in the room and everything of his had been removed except for a medium sized box that had not been there before. 

My heart shuddered fearfully as I crept toward the box. It had been ripped open. There were numerous pieces of confetti scattered around the room and carpet as if it had been thrown about.

I peaked inside the box, but found only more confetti and tissue paper, shaped like little scrolls, hearts, wedding rings, and dollar bills.

I closed my eyes tight in trepidation, scared at what might have been in the box. When I opened my eyes, I looked around the room once more for clues. There, on the nightstand by the bed, a bow, one that belonged on the box I held, was placed on a piece of paper and something that looked suspiciously like a wedding ring, Will's wedding ring.

I left the box on the floor and ghosted over, feeling as if my heart had been thrown to the floor. Pushing the silk, gold bow off the note, I read over Will's sleek, neat handwriting.

That's it. It was over. 

It was over before it had even begun.

It was over before I could even tell Will that he was going to be a father, and before we even enjoyed being a married couple. I'm not sure how he's going to take the news now. He probably wouldn't believe it was his, that it was a mechanic meant to tie him down to me further.

All my hopes and dreams for a happy family crushed with a single note.

I was too shocked to cry. Too shocked to feel any sort of emotion or let out any reaction really. In a span of thirty minutes, my entire world had been flipped upside down and spit out through a grinder.

For the first time since I signed that contract, I regretted being hired for the billionaire.

I would do anything to never feel the pain I felt at this very moment.

Author's Note:

Wow. What an ending, huh? You all don't know how amazing it is to finally finish this book. For four years, I've been writing Anna and William's journey. I started HFTB when I was in eighth grade, guys! I'm a senior in high school now! Time sure flies, right?

Anyways, I just want to say thank you to all the fans that have stuck with me throughout the years and my awful updating schedule (or lack thereof.) I'm sorry for all that, but we've finally come to the point where you don't have to wait anxiously for the next update because this story will finally be listed as Complete! YAY. 

So, for the time being, THANK YOU FOR READING Hired for the Billionaire. Please give this chapter and this book lots of love. Vote and comment and tell me what you think. Did this chapter go the way you thought or did I totally blindside you? What did you think would happen? Please tell me. I love reading through your comments and I'll even answer occasionally.

THANK YOU AND GOODBYE.

- V   ❤