The Arrangement

Chapter 17

AnnaLeigh

I pull up to the office building where the Cartwright company was housed and Mr. Cartwright was there waiting outside. He saw me in the car and slid in beside me immediately so we can talk in private.

"Darling," He said, engulfing me in a hug. I thought I had a handle on my emotions by then, but the tears just kept coming. "It's okay. It's okay. Let it out." He said, rubbing my back.

"Im...Im sorry," I cry into his shoulder.

"It's okay. We're on it. It's all being fixed as we speak."

"Fixed?"

"We have the best of the best PR team, AnnaLeigh and you better believe you are number one priority. The next person, online or print, who shares that photo or so much mentions your name will be sued and sued again. Do you understand?"

I nodded. But the weight on my shoulders was still there, reminding me how hard it was to stand tall when I was standing with the Cartwrights.

"Mr. Cartwright. I have to...talk to you." I sniffled and he haned me a handkerchief.

"What is it?" He looked at me with such kindness, such genuine worry, that I felt bad saying what I was about to say. But I had to get it off my chest. I wiped my eyes and then started.

"I cant be a part of this arrangement anymore." I say. "It's too much. It's too hard. Christain thinks so little of me, I know he does. I feel like a foreignet in my own home. I dont know how to speak, or how to act, and eyes are always on me. There is so much pressure. And now, this..."

I exhaled, surprised I had gotten all of it out. But relieved that it was done.

Mr. Cartwright took my hand in his. "Sweet girl, there is something so honest about your heart." He says. "Thank you for being so open with me. But there are a million girls who would kill to be in your position. You have the access to the wealth and status that most only dream of."

"But I dont...I dont want any of it."

"But you will. And you will adapt. You will learn that people are after you because you have what they want. But you have an army of people to protect you. And as for Christain..." He says, looking out the window for a moment before finishing.

"There is alot you dont know about him. Quite alot."

"Im not trying to insult your son..." I say softly. "I just really dont see how we could ever work. We are so very different..."

"Ah," He interupts me. "But that is where you are wrong. Just let me assure you that his heart is present. It is just hiding at the moment."

I didnt say anything, I was still unsure that he really knew his son at all.

"Let me tell you a story. A story about a man so in love with a woman that he offered her anything her heart desired. The whole world. And they were going to be married. He was the happiest he had ever been. And then the day before the wedding that very woman took off. And she disappeared with that man's oldest friend."

I let his words sink in, shocked.

Christain had his heart broken. And had been betrayed. Now all of his partying, his yelling, his inability to trust, it was all starting to add up.

"Please sweet girl," He says. "Give my son another chance. Give this marriage a chance. He is in there somewhere. And I know you can help bring him out."

I looked at this selfless billionaire before me, who wanted so much to see his son become the man he knew he could be. And I saw my own dad, lying in the hospital bed, proud of his daughter and about to start a trial treatment that could save his life. Maybe the weight was still on my shoulders and maybe I had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but suddenly I at least felt like I had some purpose. Like there was something I could do. And it dawned on me that I wasnt just there to help my dad. I was there to help my husband, the man with the broken heart. So I finally agreed to give it another chance, how could I not. And after saying good bye to Mr. Carwright I went back home. The penthouse was empty so I picked up my phone and reached out to my best friend. I dialed her number nervously, it had been a few weeks since we had last spoken. Not because I hadnt been trying to reach her but because she had no interest in responding to me.

After a few rings she finally answers, "Hello."

"Hi Sarah."

It wasnt like we hadnt been in fights before when one of us had gotton mad but then we made up the next day and would laugh about it. But this was different. This didnt feel like Sarah was mad. It felt like she was...over it. Over me. She was waiting for me to say something. To prove there was a point for me to be calling, even after her clear avoidance of my earlier attempts. I wished I was better at this stuff. My mind was swimming in circles. Where could I even begin? How could I verbalize how much I wanted my best friend back, without explaining anything else?

"Sarah, listen..." I start but then pause. "Sarah, dad is sick" I finally say, thinking that was a good place to start.

"I know, AnnaLeigh." She said, her voice softer. "Micheal has been updating me." Micheal? But that slipped out of my mind as fast as it entered because I was already preparing for what I was going to say next.

"His bills, his treatments...there was no way." I say, choking back tears. Surprised at how disgusting the whole thing sounded when I said it aloud. "There was no way we would be able to afford it."

"But you are married to a Cartwright for christ's sake," She ssys and then halts immediately. Like she was getting it.

I took a deep breath.

"I met Mr. Cartwright without knowing who he was. He looked so...sad. He was all by himself on a park bench the day I found out I had made it to the next round of interviews and I was handing out those lilies in the park. I asked if he was okay. We talked, very briefly, and I kind of forgot about him. But he tracked me down Sarah, after dad had his first stroke. And he...he proposed this.....arrangement."

"Arrangement?"

"If I helped him fix his son's heart, he would help me fix my dad's health."

I heard a sharp inhale of breath through the phone.

"I know. I know. But there is dad, Sarah and he is all alone in the hospital. There are all these tubes....sticking out of him. And he us so frail." I started to sob.

"Shh, AnnaLeigh, shh. It's okay." And I could almost feel her stroking my hair.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I hate him, Sarah."

"Who?"

"Christain. He is awful. He is so cruel to me. He thinks I married him for his money or to be a Cartwright. He has no idea about his dad."

"Why dont you tell him?"

"It's against the rules. I signed a contract."

"A contract?"

"He is a billionaire. He probably makes everyone sign a contract."

"Thats true." Sarah laughs. And I feel relief flood through my body. Maybe she was finally really understanding. "So if you cant tell him, you also cant..."

"Tell you." I finish. "But I had to. I couldnt keep lying about it. And I have been so miserable Sarah, so lonely. Then the pictures on the internet...."

"Yeah, can I ask about that?"

"Mr. Landon." I say and again she gasps.

"No!"

"Yes."

"That bastard. But how?" She asks.

"I have no idea." I sigh. "It was taken in the locker room at the gym. But thats all I can figure out."

"You went to the cops, right?"

"The Cartwrights already handled it."

I heard her sigh. "AnnaLeigh, be ready. I will be there in thirty minutes, okay?"

"What?"

"You heard me. And dress cute." She says.

"Sarah, Im not sure if that is a good idea..."

"It is AnnaLeigh. See you soon."

When she picked me up in a cab I was waiting outside for her. She wouldnt tell me where we were going and I watched as the cab drove us into the downtown area. Suddenly she instructed the cab driver to stop and we got out near one of the newest clubs. The line outside was a mile long of scantily dressed and beautiful people. As we approached I turn to Sarah and grab her arm.

"We cant go in there." I whisper to her.

"Not only can we..." She smiles at me wickedly. "But we are."

"But Sarah, look at them." I look at them then down at my oufit.

"AnnaLeigh, use your new last name to get us into this club."

I gave her a swift nod and grabbed her hand. I walk us past all the beautiful people, up to the front of the line. And smile at the man guarding the front door, "AnnaLeigh Cartwright plus one." I say.