Dylan's parents were hosting a small dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday. Neither Rosalie, nor Dylan was interested in going, but they didn't really have that much of a choice. Meeting their parents was always the hardest. Even though they were the only ones that knew the truth behind their forced marriage, their parents were the ones that expected them to get along the most.

Rosalie's mother had given her an hour-long lecture when they had visited her house for dinner. Things had gotten a bit passive-aggressive between Dylan and her on the dinner table in a conversation about work and her mother had noticed. She went on and on about how Rosalie had to accept this marriage sooner or later. Her parents were a little religious and divorce wasn't a term in their dictionary. They took the 'till death do us part' part of their wedding vows a bit too seriously. Even though both Dylan and Rosalie's fathers had reluctantly agreed on the one year contract, the women were conveniently left in the dark.

Rosalie picked out a blood red, designer dress to wear for the dinner. It had spaghetti straps and reached a few inches above her knees. The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her body tightly. She put on nude, high heels and applied light makeup with lipstick that matched the colour of her dress. Her hair was set in loose waves. She didn't want to think very highly of herself when she looked in the mirror, but had to admit that she looked hot. Maybe, she went a bit overboard for a small dinner but in the Pierce's vocabulary, even small meant at least fifty people.

The moment she left her room, Dylan also got out of his, bringing them to face each other. His gaze travelled all over her body while Rosalie stared at him in return. He was wearing blue pants with a white dress shirt and a beige blazer.

"Great, you're ready. Let's go," Dylan said and turned to walk out.

Rosalie followed him but was unable to keep up with his long strides. He had already reached the car parked in the porch in front of the house entrance while she was still at the door. Her tight dress and high heels made it a little difficult to walk fast.

"Hurry the fuck up, we don't have all night," Dylan yelled as he waited for her in front of the car.

Rosalie just rolled her eyes and sat down in the passenger seat. Dylan got in and started the car.

"Don't wear the shoes if you can't walk in them," he mumbled as he started driving.

"What the fuck is your problem," Rosalie snapped.

"We're late," he retorted.

"If I remember correctly, you got ready at the same time I did," she said, trying to stay calm.

"Whatever," he replied and concentrated on the road.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence and soon they arrived at Dylan's parents' house. As expected, there were more than twenty cars parked outside. They entered the house and someone from the staff directed them to the backyard where the dinner was supposed to take place. A number of dining tables filled the large lawn. They were covered in white cloth and decorated with rustic centrepieces and candles. Small lights on the trees all around lit up the place. Waiters roamed between the guests serving drinks.

After meeting Dylan's parents, Rosalie walked off to her own parents and hung out with them until it was time to eat. She was sat next to Dylan during dinner but they avoided speaking to each other. The only time Rosalie spoke was when someone directly asked her a question. Once the meal was over, most of the people got up to leave and only a few close guests were left behind.

Rosalie was busy in a conversation with Cole Thompson, the head of engineering department at Dylan's company and also the man Dylan had chosen to send in his place any time there needed to be a meeting between the two companies. Dylan saw her talking to him and they seemed a bit too close for his liking. He made a mental note to stop sending him for meetings with her and send another replacement instead.

After saying goodbye to Cole, Rosalie decided to look for Dylan so they could finally head home. Everyone had left by now, including her parents. Dylan's parents were sitting inside with a couple of people. Rosalie passed them on her search for Dylan. She could hear his voice coming from the upstairs foyer. She made her way onto the stairs, careful not to spill the glass of red wine in her hand. Dylan's voice was getting closer. It seemed he had made his way into the hallway leading from the foyer.

"I can't come tonight. I told you, I'm busy," he spoke on the phone.

Curiosity got the best of Rosalie and she stopped in her tracks, eavesdropping on his conversation.

"I swear, I'll make it up to you later," he said and hung up.

"Who were you talking to," Rosalie inquired as Dylan returned from the hallway.

"Why the fuck are you listening to my conversations," he scolded.

"Have you already started whoring around," she chided. Dylan tried to walk away but Rosalie blocked his way by standing in front of the stairs.

"It was Matt, you psycho," he answered, annoyed.

Dylan aggressively bumped his shoulder against Rosalie as he made his way around her and down the stairs. Rosalie felt herself lose her balance and fell backwards. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she felt the ground beneath her disappear.

"Dylannn," she shrieked as her foot left the floor.

Dylan quickly extended his arm under her, preventing her fall. Unfortunately, in that instant, his jacket got the brunt of it, as all the wine in Rosalie's glass spilled onto it while she tried to grab his arm to steady herself.

"What the fuck, you disgusting slob," Dylan called out as he pulled his arm back.

Rosalie finally managed to steady herself and get back to her feet. "You fucking pushed me, asshole. I could have died," she yelled back.

Before Dylan could reply, both his parents showed up at the bottom of the stairs.

"Rosalie, are you okay? We heard you scream," Lydia asked, looking concerned.

"She's fine," Dylan answered for her. Rosalie just smiled at her. "My jacket, however, is not," he added.

Rosalie's smiled quickly turned upside down as she stared at him with fury. "I almost fell down the stairs," she said through gritted teeth as they both made their way down.

"Stop it, Dylan. You can always get a new jacket. Can't get a new wife," Lydia added while smiling softly at Rosalie. She knew of her son's behaviour which is why she only wanted things to settle down between him and Rosalie. She had always believed, Rosalie would be good for him. If only he'd let her.

"Can't I?" Dylan scoffed.

"Dylan," his father growled and he finally shut up.

"We should get going now," Rosalie interrupted, trying to end the conversation.

Both his parents nodded and after saying their goodbyes, they made their way to the car.