CHAPTER 6: THE BOARD'S DEMAND
1154 Words
91 days left.
The board doesn't believe us.
And tomorrow, they want proof.
---
The message came at 7 AM.
Rina forwarded it to both of us.
*Board Meeting. 10 AM. Voss Tower, 40th Floor. Attendance: Mr. Damian Voss and Mrs. Maya Voss. Agenda: Verification of Marital Status.*
Verification.
My stomach dropped.
Damian read it once, then put his phone down. "Eat your breakfast."
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say?" He looked up. "That I'm scared? That I've fought them for 3 years and now a fake marriage is what will bring me down?"
I froze. "You are scared?"
He didn't answer.
We arrived at Voss Tower at 9:50.
The boardroom was glass and steel. Cold. 12 people sat around a long table. Victoria was at the head, smiling.
"Damian," she said. "And the wife."
"Mrs. Voss," one board member corrected.
"Right." Victoria gestured to two empty chairs. "Please. Sit."
We sat. Side by side. Our hands weren't touching.
"Let's get to the point," said Mr. Tan, the oldest board member. "The company stock dropped 4% after news of your marriage. Investors are nervous. We need reassurance."
"Reassurance?" Damian's voice was ice. "Of what?"
"That this marriage is real," Victoria said sweetly. "That you didn't marry a stranger for... reasons."
The room went silent.
Damian leaned forward. "My personal life is not board business."
"When it affects shareholders, it is," Mr. Tan replied. "So. Proof."
"Proof?" I spoke before I could stop myself. "Of our marriage?"
"Yes." Victoria smiled. "Photos. Joint accounts. Witnesses. Or... a more convincing demonstration."
"What kind of demonstration?" My voice was small.
Victoria looked at me. "Affection. The way a real married couple acts."
Damian's jaw clenched. "No."
"Then give us documents," she shrugged. "Bank statements. Lease agreements. Something."
"We have a prenup," Damian said. "That's all you need."
"A prenup proves it's fake," Victoria countered. "We want proof it's real."
The meeting ended with an ultimatum. 48 hours. Provide proof, or the board calls a vote of no confidence.
In the elevator down, I couldn't breathe.
"Are you okay?" Damian asked.
"No. Are you?"
He didn't answer.
---
Back at the penthouse, we stared at each other.
"Options," Damian said, pacing. "We can fake photos. Transfer money to a joint account. Get Mrs. Lim to lie."
"Or?"
"Or we give them what they want." He stopped. Looked at me. "For 48 hours. We act like a real married couple."
"Define real."
"No separate rooms. No separate schedules. We go to events together. We touch. We..." He trailed off. "We kiss if we have to."
I swallowed. "For the board."
"For the company." He corrected. "For my sister's company."
I nodded. "Okay. 48 hours."
---
The first 12 hours were awkward.
Rule 1: Sleep in the same bed. No floor.
That night, we lay stiff. 3 feet apart.
At 3 AM, I rolled over and accidentally touched his arm.
We both pulled back like we were burned.
Rule 2: Eat together.
Breakfast was silent. Lunch was silent.
Dinner was at a restaurant. For photos.
A "friend" of Victoria's just happened to be there with a camera.
Damian put his arm around me. "Smile," he whispered.
I did.
The photo was on gossip blogs by 9 PM. *Voss Couple Spotted. Looking Happy.*
Rule 3: Go to work together.
I sat in his office again. But this time, he asked my opinion.
"What do you think of this proposal?"
I read it. "The numbers don't add up. They're hiding costs in section 4."
He stared at me. "How did you--"
"I used to do accounting for my sister's medical bills." I shrugged. "I got good at finding hidden fees."
He nodded slowly. "Good catch."
At 6 PM, he took me home. But instead of going to his study, he came to the living room.
"Movie?" he asked. Like it was a question.
"Okay."
We watched a rom-com. Terrible.
Halfway through, I fell asleep on the sofa.
I woke up to a blanket over me. And Damian gone.
---
Hour 24.
Victoria texted me directly.
*Dinner tonight. My house. Just you and Damian. No staff. Let's see how "in love" you really are.*
We went.
It was just us three. Candlelight. Wine.
"So," Victoria said. "How did you two meet? Again. But with details this time."
Damian answered. "Hospital. Aira was sick. Maya was there every day."
"And you fell in love?" Victoria asked me.
I looked at Damian. He gave me a tiny nod.
"Yes," I said. "He was always there for Aira too. He paid for her last treatment."
It wasn't a lie. Not completely.
Victoria watched us. "Hold hands."
We did. Under the table. His hand was warm. His thumb brushed over my knuckles.
Victoria frowned. "Dessert."
After dinner, on the way home, neither of us spoke.
Until Damian said, "You did good."
"Thanks."
"Did it bother you? Lying?"
I thought about it. "No. Because part of it is true."
He glanced at me. "What part?"
"That you were there for Aira."
He didn't answer.
---
Hour 36.
We had to attend a charity event. Photo op.
The rule was: act natural.
So when a reporter asked, "How’s married life?" Damian pulled me closer.
"It's good," he said. "She steals the blankets."
The reporter laughed. "And you, Mrs. Voss?"
"He works too much," I said, and it came out easier than I thought. "I'm trying to make him take breaks."
"Is that so?" Damian looked down at me. Surprised. "Since when?"
"Since now."
Click. Another photo.
Back in the car, he was quiet.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing." He paused. "It's just... no one has said that to me before. That I work too much."
"Well. You do."
A small smile. "I know."
---
Hour 47.
The last test.
We were home. In the bedroom.
Tomorrow we had to submit proof to the board.
Damian was on his side. I was on mine.
"Do you regret this?" he asked suddenly.
"The contract?"
"Any of it."
I thought about it. The rules. The lies. The moments.
"No," I whispered. "Not all of it."
Silence.
Then I felt the bed shift.
Damian was closer now. Not touching. But closer.
"Maya," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For doing this."
"You're welcome."
We fell asleep like that. 1 foot apart.
---
The next morning, we sent the board a folder.
Photos. Joint account statement. A video of us at the event.
And a letter from Damian: *My marriage is real. My wife is real. Question it again and I resign.*
By noon, Rina texted: *Board withdrew the motion. 10-2 vote.*
We won.
That night, I went to bed expecting him to go back to the sofa.
He didn't.
He stayed on his side. I stayed on mine.
But the distance felt different now.
91 days left.
And for the first time, I wasn't counting down.
- Writer
