First Encounter
1089 Words
Henry
"Anders!" I bellowed, summoning my butler.
He hurried into the study. "Master Henry," he replied.
"Has she arrived?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
Anders shook his head, "No, sir."
My frustration boiled over. "Damn it!" I exploded, pacing the room in agitation. "I paid that woman to be my fake fiance, and now she's nowhere to be found!"
"I'm trapped! I've convinced my father that my fiance was already here, and now he's on his way. If I don't produce her, I'll face his wrath and disappointment."
I grasped my phone and dialed her number again, but the call went unanswered. "How could I have made such a big mistake - paying someone for a job when they haven't done it yet."
I turned to Anders. "What do I do now? He threatened to take the company away from me and give it to Austin."
Anders stood there uncertain of what to say.
I dismissed him with a wave of my hand, and he exited the room, leaving me to my thoughts.
My father's expectation is to have a successor who can build a family and secure his legacy. My little brother, Austin has already fulfilled that requirement by getting married.
I, on the other hand, was supposed to be the rightful heir, without any conditions or strings attached. But now, if I fail to produce a fiance, I'll lose everything.
I persisted in my agitated pacing, my thoughts in disarray.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hallway, and Anders swiftly announced my father's arrival. My anxiety spiked, and I struggled to collect myself.
My father, entered the room with an air of anticipation, his eyes scanning the space for the one person I had promised would be here - my fiance.
My forced smile faltered, and my gaze involuntarily darted to the empty space beside me.
My father's expression turned stern, his eyes boring into me. "Where is she, Henry?" He asked, with a commanding tone.
Time seemed to stand still as I frantically searched for a plausible excuse, but my mind was a blank slate. The silence was oppressive, and I knew I was running out of time to come up with a convincing explanation.
"Henry! Have you suddenly lost your sense of hearing?"
"Uhm.... Hi Dad," I stuttered.
He sighed, disappointment was evident on his face. "Did you lie to me when you said you had a fiance?"
I stumbled over my words, "She... I...."
Before I could finish, he turned to leave.
"She's in my room," I blurted out just as he was opening the door to leave.
My dad turned and ordered, "Get her then."
"She's sleeping, Dad." I replied trying to stall for time
He narrowed his eyes and demanded, "She's the reason i am here. Wake her up and bring her to me."
I hesitated, feeling a sense of dread. "But, dad..."
"No excuses, Henry! I want to meet this fiance of yours. Now!" He demanded.
I nodded and trudged up to my room. My heart racing with anxiety.
*******
Juliet
I looked around, disoriented, but there was nothing to see. No walls, no sky, I was surrounded by the eerie silence of the white void.
"Hello," I called out, my voice echoing off the nothingness. "Is anyone here?"
A blurry figure appeared, as i moved closer, it became clearer. A woman sat on a white chair, I moved closer to get a clearer view of her face.
"Mother!" I whispered, my voice trembling.
"Juliet, my babygirl." Her voice was soft.
It wasn't the first time I was seeing her, so I wasn't scared.
I moved closer, sat on the floor, and rested my head on her lap. "Mother, I miss you so much."
"I miss you too," She said, stroking my hair.
I lifted my head, "There is a lot going on mum. Stepmother wants to give me away to an old man. And the man I loved, cheated on me with Eva."
Tears streamed down my face, "Why did you leave me, Mother?"
"I didn't leave you, baby. I'm always with you in your heart." She said with a gentle voice.
"You are strong, baby. There are better things ahead for you."
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, looking for my mother.
I found myself in a strange unfamiliar place. I was in a room bigger than my entire house.
"Where am I?" I asked myself.
I rose from the bed, my eyes scanning the room as I moved to the door, and reached for the handle to pull it open.
The door clicked and opened. There stood the most handsome man I'd ever seen, with muscular built body. His piercing blue eyes sparkled like sapphires, I could get lost just by looking into it.
"You're finally awake". His voice was laced with relief.
"Ye.... yes" I stuttered. "Who are you? Where am I?"
"You don't remember what happened last night?"
"I remember walking.... and then...." My voice trailed off as my eyes locked onto his. "You hit me!" My eyes widened.
He shook his head with a calm expression. "No, I didn't. You fainted in front of my car, I helped you and brought you here".
"Here? Where is here?" I demanded.
"How would you like to earn some money?" He asked anxiously.
The question caught me off guard leaving me speechless. We had just met, he doesn't even know my name, and he is asking if I want to earn some money.
The look on his face felt like he was under pressure.
"I don't know who you are, but please, I would like to go home now."
He persisted, "It's just a small job and I'll pay you."
"I won't sleep with you!" I clarified.
He moved closer to me, a sly smile played on his lip, he gently placed his hand on my cheek.
As his warm hand tenderly traced my face, a shiver coursed through my body, and the scent of his cologne filled my nostrils.
His expression suddenly shifted as he dropped his hand. As if a forgotten thought had ruined his mood.
"I don't want to have s*x with you, I just want you to do a small thing for me and i'll reward you." His said with a cold voice.
Was this the better thing my mum spoke of in my dream? My curiosity stirred as I thought to myself.
"What is it you want me to do?"
He hesitated before responding,
"Be my fiance."
"What?!"
- Writer
