Chapter 3
1275 Words
CELINE'S POV:
It suddenly dawned on me. This woman before me was a mastermind.
I remembered an article I read about her becoming a millionaire at the age 19 without her family's resources.
Nevertheless I wasn't going to be intimidated or willing to back down without giving her a piece of my mind.
"And what would you be suing me for? You don't know anything about me plus I've never crossed you before. My records are untainted. " I replied, unfazed by her cold eyes.
"Confident, are we?" Doris remarked, bursting into laughter.
"You clearly are dumber than I thought. You almost lost my life yesterday because of your poor concentration. And today? You accompanied those three doctors to revive me even though you were fired. What would you call that?” She said in mockery.
“ Doctor Celine, You won't be able to get employed at any hospital if this information gets out. Checkmate."
I was stunned and short of words. I clearly lost.
****
"How can I get married to someone I barely know, I mean…that makes no sense." I ranted to my bestie, Rose, who had travelled all the way from Paris to see me.
"...but looking at the bright side you get to associate and freely mingle with elites and aristocrats." Rose chimed in while taking a sip from her fruit punch.
"What stupid bright side are you talking about huh?” I asked, throwing my arms up in disappointment. “The one where I am caught up for a lifetime with a man I have no feelings for?"
"Oh, quit your emotional shenanigans, baby. Even if you were to be given a lifetime, I am a hundred percent sure that you would not fall in love." Rose interrupted, clearly fed up with my emotional tantrums.
"You'll probably end up single in an elderly home or worse still join the convent and become a nun." She teased which made me more angry.
Rose clearly knew how to get on my nerves.
"Exactly my point, just take a good look at yourself." Rose instructed, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror.
"Yeah and what's wrong?" I asked.
She facepalmed herself as if was both a lost cause and a hard nut to c***k.
"You are truly a dimwit. How did you even become a neurosurgeon? And how did we become best friends?" She sighed in disbelief.
"Heyyyyy !" I sulked.
"Yeah, you are beautiful, smart and intelligent." Rose complimented.
"Now let's get to the bad part; you are a perfectionist, you don't have a lover because you ended up chasing away 14 dates and also pissing off your boyfriend with that control freak and arrogant attitude of yours." She blurted out all at once.
"I did not!! James left because he was incapable and a coward." I huffed, stubbornly defending myself, earning a weird from her.
"And I am sure you will chase your last admirer and crush with that ego of yours. " She said as a matter of fact.
"How so?" I inquired with folded arms, standing akimbo.
"Oh you are so dumb, don't you know that Christian have a soft spot for you?" Rose asked face palming herself again.
"What? " I gasped in surprise.
"Yeah, that is why he was able to put up with your arrogance and massive ego although your kindness and beauty overshadowed all your flaws at times. " She teased.
"Hey, cut it out, that's not fair. I never knew he liked me." I replied, my cheeks turning crimson, still trying to put up a tough face.
"And if you knew, what would you have done? You would have started ignoring him, acting strange or worse, rejecting him." Rose said while throwing an empty canned drink at me.
"So what do I do?" I decided to ask humbly while taking a seat on the couch next to hers.
"I suggest you fulfill that dying woman's wish, maybe try to reach a compromise with your husband to be. " Rose teased, a wry smile crinkling at the side of her lips while twirling the glass in her hands.
"What kind of compromise?" I asked, my eyes keen in anticipation.
I needed solutions and who was better at that than Rose, who had men lying at her feet daily.
"Well you can offer a marriage without pleasure and divorce after the death of his mother, besides I'm sure you'll piss her billionaire son to the core that he'll throw you out himself."
I immediately recalled my one night stand. Did I piss him off or do something odd that was repulsive?
"Yeah that is a good idea but doesn't that count as lying?" I said totally not getting the joke.
"You're so old school. " Rose rolled her eyes like she was bored to death.
"How is it lying? You fulfilled your end of the bargain, you can't end up with someone you don't love for the rest of your life. As your bestie, I wouldn't want that for you." She said seriously.
"Okay but what if he refuses?" I asked, I couldn't help but feel anxious. My life's work was on the line.
"Come on babes, you know influential men like him do not like to be caged down by marriage, they love to explore, so trust me, he would agree." Rose reassured me with a warm smile.
"But are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, eyes fixed on mine.
"Yeah, besides that's the little I could do to help her and also forgive myself because I know she won't live long with that heart transplant, " I whispered sadly.
"I have worked so far as an orphan to come this far, I can't let it all go to waste. There's no harm in getting married but there's a tiny issue though... "
"What is that?" Rose asked, her full attention on me.
"Mother and son are not on good terms. You know... rich family chaos. " I revealed.
"Well you can also use that to your advantage and not get involved in this arranged marriage." Rose immediately suggested and we quickly made up a plan.
"Yeah but in case plan A fails, go for plan B and don't forget me in paradise cause I need 'em bucks to get that new Louis Vuitton bag and shoes. "
"You better mend your ways of spending extravagantly. " I cautioned her but I knew it fell on deaf ears like the last millionth time I said it.
"Yes mom. " Rose replied sarcastically and we burst into laughter.
"You weren't around yesterday when I showed up at your door, where did you go?"
"After being fired and dumped, I got in bed with some rich dude." I replied with an air of nonchalancy.
Rose paused and stared in disbelief. "Sister Mary, you wouldn't even let your boyfriend touch you! How did this happen?"
After I narrated my ordeal... Rose was shocked.
"He left a huge sum of ten thousand dollars, a cheque of twenty million, and a shameless note."
“Wow, that was coldly romantic. If that could come from him, imagine how much more you can milk out. " Rose chuckled.
"He used me!" I insisted angrily.
"But you admitted you kissed him back and even... offered him a drink," Rose countered gently, lifting her chin. "You were drunk, yes, but you consented, Celine. The problem isn't him, the problem is you broke your own rules. You feel violated because you lost control."
I looked away, the truth striking me hard. "He still could have acted like a gentleman.”
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