As PUNISHMENT, a Father Forced His Son to Marry a LAME GIRL. But What He Saw on Their WEDDING NIGHT Left Him FROZEN in Shock…

James took a deep breath, walked toward his son’s room, and entered without knocking. Michael was lying on the couch, eyes glued to his phone. On the floor were a pair of sneakers, an empty pizza box, and a water bottle.

“We need to talk,” said James Anderson as he sat in the armchair across from him.

“Seriously?” Michael lazily put his phone aside. “I thought in this family we preferred monologues over dialogues.”

“Enough with the jokes, Michael,” his father said firmly. “Tomorrow, you’ll meet Emily, the daughter of Richard Barnes. I’ve arranged this meeting to discuss your future.”

“My future?” Michael raised an eyebrow. “Is that a new way of saying ‘an arranged marriage’?”

“Call it whatever you want,” his father replied calmly. “Richard and I have decided that merging our companies and uniting your destinies will benefit everyone.”

Michael smirked sarcastically, sat up, and looked at James with clear defiance. “Do you hear yourself? You make it sound like I’m some kind of merchandise you’re trying to trade.”

“Is she even okay with this?”

“Emily agreed,” James said.

“And she has her reasons.”

“What reasons?” Michael sensed something unsettling in his father’s tone.

James sighed and leaned back in his chair. “She has a slight limp. Uses a cane. A childhood accident.”

Michael froze, then suddenly leaned forward. “You’ve got to be kidding. A lame girl? And you expect me to go along with this?”

“Watch your words, Michael,” James’ voice turned cold. “Emily is a strong and intelligent woman. You haven’t even met her, yet you’re already judging her.”

“And I have to fix this, huh?” Michael crossed his arms. “What if I refuse?”

James paused, looking at his son intently. “If you refuse, forget about everything you have—your apartment, your car, your credit card. Everything you hold dear will disappear.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Michael muttered, but his voice lacked the confidence he had hoped for.

“You think I’m joking?” James rose from his chair. “You’ve had everything handed to you, but trust me, Michael, that won’t last forever. Tomorrow at seven, at the restaurant. If you’re not there, we’ll continue this conversation in a very different tone.”

He headed toward the door. Michael clenched his fists, barely containing his anger. Just before stepping out, his father turned and added,

“And don’t forget, Michael—this isn’t a request. It’s your last chance.”

Then he left, leaving his son alone in the room.

Michael collapsed back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. The situation felt absurd, but he understood he had no choice.

The restaurant was elegant but subdued. White tablecloths, the soft glow of the chandelier, and the muted hum of conversation created a warm atmosphere…

But what the young man saw on their WEDDING NIGHT left him completely frozen.

Michael arrived at the restaurant five minutes before the scheduled time. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, impeccably tailored, with the only touch of color being the burgundy tie he wore. Even so, he looked like a condemned man walking to the gallows. The waiter led him to a reserved table in the most discreet corner of the room, where Richard Barnes and his daughter were already waiting for him.

Emily was sitting with her back to the entrance, so Michael couldn’t see her face. He only noticed her dark hair, styled in an elegant bun, and an emerald green dress that accentuated her delicate shoulders. Leaning against her chair was a slender cane made of dark wood.

Richard stood up to greet him. He was a massive man with an intimidating presence, though he smiled cordially.

“Michael, I’m glad you made it. Emily, my dear, this is Michael, James’ son.”

When Emily turned around, Michael held his breath. He had expected a dull, perhaps even unattractive girl, but before him stood a young woman of remarkable beauty. She had intense green-gold eyes, a perfectly oval face, and full lips. For a moment, Michael completely forgot why he was there.

“Nice to meet you,” Emily said in a melodic voice, extending her hand.

Michael shook her delicate hand, feeling something indefinable shift inside him. He had been prepared to hate this meeting, to be distant and cold, but now he felt disarmed.

“The pleasure is mine,” he managed to reply.

Dinner went surprisingly well. Emily was not only beautiful but also intelligent and cultured, with a sense of humor that made Michael genuinely laugh several times. Throughout the evening, he almost forgot about the cane and the slight difficulty with which Emily moved.

“So, you work at your father’s company?” she asked at one point while they enjoyed dessert.

“Yes, in the development department. Though, to be honest, I didn’t have much of a choice.”

“I completely understand,” she smiled. “Our fathers like to have everything under control.”

“Do you like what you do at the company?” Michael asked, surprised by her honesty.

“I enjoy the client relations side, but sometimes…” Emily hesitated. “Sometimes I feel like people see me only as Richard Barnes’ daughter, not as Emily. Do you know what I mean?”

Michael nodded. For the first time in his life, he felt like someone truly understood him.

Over the next few weeks, Michael and Emily met several times without their parents’ presence. They discovered they had a lot in common: they both loved old movies, preferred long walks in the park over crowded clubs, and dreamed of traveling to Japan someday.

One evening, while walking by the lake, Emily told him about the accident that changed her life.

“I was nine years old. I was in the car with my mother when a drunk driver crashed into us. My mom died instantly, and I was left with my left leg crushed. The doctors worked miracles, but they couldn’t fix everything.”

Michael took her hand, feeling a lump in his throat.

“My father became overly protective after that. I think that’s why he arranged this… situation. He’s afraid no one will accept me as I am.”

“Your father is wrong,” Michael said, looking into her eyes, which reflected the moonlight. “Anyone who would reject you because of that would be an idiot.”

When James announced that the wedding would take place in two months, Michael didn’t protest. Although everything was moving at a dizzying speed, he felt that Emily might be the right person for him. It wasn’t love yet, but it was a promising beginning.

The wedding day came sooner than expected. It was a grand event with hundreds of guests, most of them business partners of the two families. Emily looked stunning in a traditional wedding gown, the designer having tailored it to subtly conceal the slight asymmetry in her walk.

After the ceremony and reception, when they were finally alone in the bridal suite of a luxury hotel, Emily seemed nervous.

“Would you mind if I took a shower first?” she asked, avoiding Michael’s gaze.

“Of course, take your time,” he replied, feeling a bit awkward himself.

As he heard the water running, Michael sat on the edge of the bed, trying to organize his thoughts. The situation was strange: it was his wedding night with a woman he had only known for two months, an arranged marriage that, surprisingly, seemed to be heading in a good direction.

When the bathroom door opened, Michael looked up and froze. Emily stood in the doorway, wearing a white silk robe. But what made him freeze was the fact that she stood perfectly straight, without any sign of limping, without the cane.

“Emily… what…?”

She walked toward him with sure, graceful steps, without any difficulty. She sat next to him on the bed and sighed deeply.

“You owe me an explanation,” Michael said, completely bewildered.

“I don’t limp, Michael. I don’t need a cane. I never have.”

“But the accident…”

“The accident was real. My mother really died, and I was injured. But I fully recovered within a few years.” Emily clasped her hands in her lap. “It was my father who insisted that I continue using the cane.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Control. It was his way of limiting my independence, of keeping me close. He became obsessed with the idea that the world was too dangerous for me after losing my mother. He believed that if I appeared vulnerable, people would be less inclined to hurt me.”

Michael stood up abruptly, running his hands through his hair.

“And my father knew about this?”

“No,” Emily said, shaking her head. “No one knows except me and my father. Not even our household staff.”

“Then why are you telling me?”

Emily looked him straight in the eyes, with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.

“Because I don’t want our marriage to start with a lie. I know this marriage was arranged, that you didn’t have a choice. But I want you to know who I really am.”

Michael turned to the window, looking at the city lights. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions: shock, confusion, anger at Richard.

“Your father used you like a chess piece,” he said finally. “Just like my father used me.”

Emily stood up and came beside him.

“I am not a chess piece, Michael. And neither are you. We can turn this situation into something real if we want to.”

He turned to her, studying her face. She was so beautiful, so sincere in that moment.

“Why did you go along with this charade? Why did you keep pretending in front of me?”

“At first, I did it for my father. Then…” she hesitated. “Then I got to know you, and I started to fear that if you found out the truth, you’d see it as a betrayal and wouldn’t give me a chance.”

“And now you don’t care if I give you a chance or not?”

Emily gave a sad smile. “Now I know I deserve someone who accepts me for who I truly am. If you want to annul everything, I’ll understand.”

Michael looked at her for a long moment, processing everything. Then, slowly, he started to laugh. It began as a chuckle and turned into a full laugh so intense that he had to sit down.

“What’s so funny?” Emily asked, confused.

“Everything,” he replied, wiping his tears. “Our fathers tried to control us, but in the midst of their madness… we found each other.”

Emily hesitated. “And is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

Michael took her hands. “I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I want to make this marriage work—on our terms, not theirs.”

“And what do we do about my father? About the lie?”

“For now, nothing. We’ll leave things as they are until we decide together what’s best for us.”

Alexandra hugged him, letting out a relieved sigh. “Thank you for not judging me.”

“How could I?” he whispered, pulling her closer. “You just gave me the most precious thing: the truth. And the freedom to choose.”

As their lips met, Michael knew that despite the chaotic beginning, their story was only just starting. And for the first time in his life, he was excited to see what the future held.

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