Marrying the Man in the Dark

Unfortunately, their shared history still eluded her. Steeling herself, Cherise took a deep breath and opened the email marked
‘Ian’s requests.’ The contents within made Cherise’s jaw drop in shock. The email starkly outlined Ian’s demands.
In addition to the initial two million, Ian had reconsidered his stance. He gathered that returning to Shawbury to help Cherise
recover her memory would be a prolonged endeavor. Hence, he requested an additional three million from Damien, bringing the
total to five million.
Another one of Ian’s requests conveyed his desire to procure a residence in Shawbury, expressing discomfort with the prospect
of an extended hotel stay upon his return to the town. He believed having a place to call home during his stay was equitable.
Ian also asserted that he couldn’t forget Damien’s past actions. Despite a prior verbal apology from post of no Damien, Ian
deemed it insufficient. He insisted that Damien compose a lengthy Twitter fewer than 500 words on his personal account,
affirming Ian’s virtuous character and acknowledging his past transgressions.
Perched in Damien’s chair, Cherise squinted at the words on the screen, her eyes burning as she rubbed them vigorously. Doubt
gnawed at her. She thought that she had misinterpreted the email.
Unaware of Damien’s past misdeeds that had provoked Ian’s demand for an apology, Cherise remained steadfast in her belief
that even if Damien had indeed wronged Ian... Damien had requested that Ian join her on the journey back to Shawbury to jog
her memory. Ian’s requests seemed utterly absurd. The Ian in the email appeared to be opportunistic and solely driven by self-
interest.
Yet, the Ian embedded in her memory was the epitome of nobility and integrity. He was the very pride of Shawbury High, the
embodiment of inspiration. Ian was a boy who had commanded the admiration of all the girls in school. Before her SATS, he had
generously provided her with old study materials, words of encouragement, and heartfelt smiles.
Despite her efforts, Cherise couldn’t reconcile the lan described in the email with the one etched in her memories. As she was
feeling perplexed, the ringing of Damien’s phone interrupted the silence again.
“Mr. Lenoir, lan is causing a scene at the hotel and insists on your immediate agreement to his terms.” It was a call from
someone named “Otto Walkins.” “Otherwise, he’s threatening to besmirch your reputation in Mrs. Lenoir’s presence.”
“Ian asserts that Mrs. Lenoir only recalls him now and will undeniably believe whatever he says.” There was a brief pause on the
other end of the line before Otto continued, “Should you reject his demands, he’ll approach Sebastian. Consequently, Mrs. Lenoir

will have a low regard for you. He maintains that someone as intelligent as him can concoct a detailed array of lies to sow
resentment and discord towards you in your wife.”
Cherise’s grip on the phone tightened as she struggled to absorb the shocking revelation. After a momentary pause to compose
herself, she steadied her voice. “Did... Ian really say that?” she inquired, her tone laced with disbelief.
Otto was momentarily silenced by Cherise’s gentle inquiry. After some time, his voice deepened. “Are you Mrs. Lenoir?” he
countered.
Cherise pursed her lips. “Yes, I am,” she answered firmly.
“Where’s Mr. Lenoir?” Otto pressed.
“He’s resting,” Cherise replied tersely.
“In that case, I shall wait for Mr. Lenoir to awaken before...” Otto’s sentence trailed off, leaving the remainder of his words
hanging in the air.
Cherise drew in a deep breath, her voice resolute. “I’ll take care of everything on his behalf today.”
On the other end of the line, Otto remained silent for a prolonged moment, visibly taken aback. “Um...”
“Has Damien agreed?” Before Otto could respond, another male voice boomed arrogantly on his end. “Haven’t you made the
stakes clear to Damien? That’s enough! Stop calling and instruct him to come speak with me in person!”
Otto hesitated, his lips pursed in uncertainty. “Uh...” he trailed off, his voice tinged with apprehension. “Did you hear that?”