The 14th Bride For Valentine

Charlie had invited her boyfriend, Fred over to her apartment for the first time, she had always gone visiting but this time she invited him so they could talk about the direction of their relationship, she was tired of forgiving his cheating escapades and waiting on him to make up his mind on if he wants to commit to her or not, she wanted something serious for a change. She remembered how they had met at a conference in Paris during the fall, where Fred’s charm and wit had swept her off her feet. He was everything she wanted in a Man.

“You’re a woman who knows what she wants,” Fred had said, his deep masculine voice a low rumble as they sat in a cozy café, the scent of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. “I like that.”

She had told him what she wanted in a Man, and what she wanted out of a relationship.

Charlie had felt a blush warm up her cheeks, her heart fluttering in her chest when his voice came to a pause. “And what do you want, Fred?” she had replied, her voice playful yet serious.

Fred had leaned in, his eyes locked onto hers. “I want to get to know you better, Charlie. Much, much better.”

Their relationship had bloomed over the next few months, filled with late-night phone calls, stolen glances, heated kisses, and hours of good sex that left them both breathless until Fred started acting up, cheating, making excuses for not returning her missed calls. She wondered what happened to the man she was in love with, the few times she caught him cheating; he had promised her he would change, but that was a lie, and she could not explain why she was stuck with him.

But tonight, Charlie had invited Fred over to her apartment. She had worn a dress that hugged her curves in all the right places to welcome him, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor as she poured them each a glass of wine.

As they sipped their wine, Fred had set his glass down and reached for Charlie, his fingers lightly tracing the curve of her jaw. “You’re even more beautiful up close,” he had murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

“No not tonight, Fred” she said softly, trying to avoid his lips.

“We have all night to discuss, but allow me have this moment” he mumbled gently, his touch setting fire to her being.

Charlie had felt a shiver run down her spine, her breath hitching in her throat. When his lips came close enough, She leaned in, her lips meeting his in a fiery kiss that quickly became heated and intense. Their tongues tangled, exploring the sweetness in each other’s mouths as their bodies pressed closer together.

Fred had broken the kiss, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” he said, his voice laced with sheer lust and passionate desire.

Charlie nodded even though she didn’t want to, her heart pounding in her chest. She led him to her bedroom, the soft glow of the electric bulb casting a sensual light over the room. Fred turned to her, his eyes dark with lust as he began to undress her, his fingers deftly unzipping her dress and letting it fall to the floor.

Charlie now stood before him in nothing but her lingerie, her breath coming in shallow gasps as Fred’s eyes roamed over her body. “You’re exquisite,” he had said, his voice a low growl.

The atmosphere in the room was beginning to feel intense, she reached for him, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. “Help me,” she had whispered, her voice barely audible.

Fred took over, his fingers quickly undoing the buttons and peeling the shirt off his shoulders while Charlie ran her hands over his muscular chest, her fingers tracing the lines of his abs. She leaned in, her lips finding one of his nipples, her tongue swirling around it before she gently bit down.

Fred voice had descended a pitch lower as he let out a low moan, his hands tangling in her hair as she continued to tease him. He quickly slipped out of the rest of his clothes, his penis already hard and ready. Charlie took a step back, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of him. The walls of her insides squeezing and rubbing together at the sight of this demigod.

“You’re so huge,” she whispered, her voice filled with a parallel feeling of awe and apprehension.

Fred smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make sure you’re ready for me.”

He pushed her gently onto the bed, his hands exploring her body as he kissed his way down her neck, her collarbone, her breasts. Charlie had arched her back to meet his mouth ministration, a soft moan escaping her lips as Fred’s mouth closed around one of her nipples, his tongue flicking against it aggressively.

Charlie reached down, her fingers wrapping around his penis as she began to stroke it. Fred simultaneously let out a low groan, his hips moving in time with her strokes. “That feels amazing, baby,” he said, his voice becoming huskier while he sucked harder on her breasts with relish.

“What are you doing to me” Charlie whispered as she tried to push his head off her breast but found her body betraying her, Fred had latched unto her nipples so firmly that all she could do was feed him more of her breast’s, she battled wanting him inside her and not wanting him at all, but deep down she knew she wanted more. She managed to push him onto his back, her body straddling his as she leaned down, her tongue finding the tip of his penis. Fred continued to moan whisperingly, his fingers tangling in her hair as she began to suck him off, her head bobbing up and down as she took him deeper and deeper into her mouth.

“Fuck, Charlie,” Fred had groaned, his body tensing as she continued to suck him off. “I’m close, baby. I don’t want to come in your mouth.”

Charlie released him, nothing was going through her mind as she badly wanted him to cum so they can talk. “Then what do you want, Fred?” she asked, her voice trailed trailing off.

Fred reached for her, his fingers finding her wet vagina as he began to rub her clit. She did not like it but played along just to make Fred happy, she threw her head back, a low moan escaping her lips as she rode his fingers, her body moving in time with his rhythm.

“I want to fuck you, Charlie,” Fred said, “I want to feel your tight pussy wrapped around my dick.”

Charlie climbed on top of him, her vagina finding the tip of his penis. She slowly lowered herself onto him, her body adjusting to his size as she began to move.

“Slow down, Fred,” she had gasped when he tried to thrust from beneath her, her body still getting used to his size. “You’re too big.”

Fred groaned, his body tensing as he began to move, his penis sliding in and out of her. “I can’t, baby,” he had said, his voice filled with desire. “I need to fuck you hard.”

And in one flip, she was laying on her back with Fred on top of her, in one hard stroke, he drove into her.

Charlie tried to push him off, her body still not ready for his size. “Fred, please,” she gasped with air escaping out of her mouth. “You’re hurting me.”

But Fred had been far too lost in his desire to listen, his body moving faster and harder as he began to pound into her. Charlie cried out, her body writhing in pain and pleasure as Fred continued to fuck her with a ferocity that left her breathless.

“Fred, please,” she had gasped, her body betraying her as she began to meet his thrusts.

One mistake she made that had her regretting the next minute was when she told him to fuck her harder,

Fred complied, his body moving with a force that left Charlie feeling like she was being split in two. She screamed out, her body convulsing as she came, her vagina clenching around his penis as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

Fred let out a loud groan, his body tensing as he came, his penis pulsing as he filled her with his cum and then collapsed her chest, Charlie lay beneath him, her body exhausted and sated as she tried to catch her breath.

But as she lay there, she had felt a pang of unease. She had down at the sight of his cum flowing out of her vagina, and then looked up at Fred, her eyes searching his. “Fred,” she said “What just happened?”

Fred had looked down at her, “I’m sorry I came in you, Charlie,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I couldn’t control myself. I wanted you too much.”

She did not say anything.

“So, what did you want us to talk about?” Fred asked.

“When are you going to marry me” she asked, “I mean, I have been patient and putting up with your excuses but I’m done, I want something serious”

“Oh here we go again, why won’t you give this topic a rest, didn’t we just have a good time?” Fred asked, his voice mildly irritated.

“Fucking me like a slut every time we met wasn’t what I told you I wanted at the beginning of whatever this is” Charlie said.

“Do I need to hard fuck you again to make you give up this topic?” Fred asked, trying to part her legs again.

“You are not listening to me!” Charlie yelled softly, clasping her legs shut, “ I know about your current side piece, I have been loyal to you, at least I deserve to be your woman”

“Wow! So now you are investigating me? Madam Journalist?” He said, slipping out of the bed.

Charlie pushed herself up, her body still aching from the intensity of their encounter. “I think you should go, Fred,” she had said, her voice choked with emotions of sadness and anger.

“I’m sorry, Charlie,” he said, “I never meant to hurt you.”

“Just geddifok out of my house, we’re done!” she yelled loudly.

“Listen to me, Charlie” He digressed

“Leave before I call the police” she managed to say.

There was pitch silence in the air while Fred dressed and few minutes later, left her apartment, Charlie was alone with her thoughts, her body still aching from the intensity of Fred’s thrusts. She knew she would never forget this night, and the several nights before this night, but she had also known that she would never be able to look at Fred the same way again. And now, she hated him more passionately than she had loved him earlier.

The morning after had been a blur of regret and exhaustion. Charlie had barely slept. She’d spent the night tangled in sheets that still smelled of Fred. She wished she had not invited him over and also wished that nothing had happened. She hated the taste of him on her tongue, the vivid image of his thrusts inside her kept replaying in her mind, the gaslighting and deflections that followed when she tried to talk to him had her stomach rumbling. The ride to her office that morning had been a quiet one and she needed time to herself to reflect on everything that happened.

Dragging herself into the office, she shoved her way through the revolving doors of the building, the electronic sign board with The Newyork Chronicle boldly written on it hanging above, the fluorescent lights overhead doing nothing to soften the pounding in her skull. Her heels knocked against the tiled floor as she sailed through the busy newsroom, heads turning in her direction, some whispering. She could feel their eyes lingering a little too long and it made her dizzy.

“Charlie!” Susan’s voice cut through the hum of ringing phones and clattering keyboards. Her colleague and closest friend hurried towards her, her curly brown hair bouncing with each step. Susan’s facial expression was tight with concern.

“Where have you been?” Susan demanded, gripping Charlie’s arm. “I’ve been calling you since last night. Didn’t you see my messages?”

Charlie blinked, her tired brain struggling to keep up. “I…had a long night. My phone was on silent. What’s going on?”

Susan glanced around, lowering her voice. “Have you read the news this morning?”

“No, there’s always something on the news” Charlie said, frowning. “Why?”

Before Susan could answer, a sharp voice interrupted. “Miss Charlotte!”

Charlie turned to see Richard Morrison, the editor-in-chief, standing at the door of his office. His silver-rimmed glasses gleamed under the harsh lights, and his expression was unreadable.

“My office. Now.”

Charlie’s stomach sank. She casted a sharp glance at Susan as if to ask what was really going on, but got a nervous shrug as a response. She followed Mr Richard into his office. The door clicked shut behind her, muffling the newsroom’s noise.

Mr Richard’s office smelt of high esteem, Tom Ford oud perfume and old newspapers, it was stark and intimidating to an extent. Shelves lined with glassy award plaques and books framed the room, and the large oak desk in the middle bore little clutter and a mini-laptop beeping. Mr Richard sat down, gesturing for Charlie to do the same.

“Do you know why you’re here?” he began, his voice calm but cold. So cold that it sounded as though it was on reverb.

Charlie swallowed hard. “I… I’m not sure.”

Richard pushed a folded newspaper across the desk.

The headline screamed at her: Tech Mogul Vickers Cleared of Embezzlement Allegations; New York Chronicle’s Star Journalist Under Fire.

Her heart sank further, she swallowed even harder. A wave of shock washing over her. “I can explain…”

“Explain what, exactly?” Mr Richard cut her off, his tone sharp. “That you published a story accusing one of the most powerful men in the industry without verifying your sources? That you’ve put this publication in the middle of a defamation lawsuit?”

Charlie’s voice faltered. “The source was credible… they had documents…”

“Did you verify them?” Richard’s gaze dug deep into her.

It felt as though the earth should open and swallow her.

She hesitated. “Not personally, but -”

“Not personally,” he repeated, leaning back in his chair. “Do you understand the gravity of this situation? The Newyork Chronicle’s reputation is on the line. My reputation is on the line.”

Charlie felt a lump forming in her throat. “I made a mistake. I can fix this. Please let me…”

“No,” Mr Richard said firmly. “You’ve already done enough damage. Effective immediately, you’re fired.”

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. “Fired?” she whispered, as though saying it aloud would make it less real.

Mr Richard’s expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. “You’re a talented writer, Charlotte. But journalism isn’t just about telling stories. It’s about integrity, responsibility. Maybe one day, you’ll understand that.”

“I’ve devoted 8 years of my life to The New York chronicle, I deserve to clear my name, you know me…You are not going to do this to me” Charlie tried to digress.

He stood, signalling that the conversation was over. Charlie rose on shaky legs, her feet had become sweaty in her shoes, her mind spinning in circles, confusion and surprise hanging by the thread of lines on her forehead. She left the office, the newsroom suddenly feeling suffocating. Susan caught her arm as she passed.

“Charlie, what happened?”

“I’m done,” Charlie said hollowly. “I’ve been fired me.”

Susan’s eyes widened. “What? You can’t be serious.”

Charlie shook her head, her throat tightened and felt like it was going to snap in halves. She grabbed her bag, voice recorder, gathered a few things into her cardboard box and headed for the exit, ignoring the curious stares from her colleagues. Once outside, the cold air hit her like a slap, but she welcomed it. Anything was better than the humiliation and confusion burning inside her. She wished she could close her eyes and open them in her apartment, on her bed.

“I’ll fix this,” she whispered to herself, clutching the straps of her bag. “I just have to.”

“One mistake, and they’ve written me off, Madness” she muttered under her breath as she walked away.