I Married To My Murderer

Parents

"Hold your hands." She gave stern instructions.

We stare at her in shock and bewilderment. We both yelled at once. "No!"

We detest and are repulsed by each other.

"Director Leo and you are meeting tomorrow." She presses her palms together and crosses one leg over the other. "It is my responsibility to make amends. You're not in a good place right now, Miss Martha. You need to be familiar with his body for your fake girlfriend's job. First, we'll practice holding hands."

He needs to get used to the physical closeness between us. I know that I will conceive his child, even though I don't want to think about it. I would rather not be killed in cold blood than end up in that future. I'm not going to do it with my killer. This fake girlfriend job is already pushing me beyond my limits.

"Avoid interpreting this incorrectly." She lets out a loud sigh as soon as she sees my flushed face. "I honestly don't give a damn if you end up having s*x with him. I won't cause you any trouble as long as you don't become pregnant. You're not old. He's not old. A man and a woman are bound to have interactions."

"Manager Daisy, I'm afraid of you." Noah wraps his arms around himself in a protective gesture. "Me cuddling up to her? You are aware that I hold women to a particular standard."

This person!

I yelled at them both, "I have standards too. I'm not going to sleep with him. My preference is to pass away."

"You have to act like you're in a loving relationship with her, whether you like her or not." She sounds casual, as though she's discussing the weather. "Miss Martha, you will go to jail if you fail or reveal that you aren't his girlfriend. Choose now between jail and holding hands."

I am aware that my actions have led to this challenging situation. I had the notion of making him feel a stronger bond with me. I dug a hole for him to fall into, but I got stuck in it instead.

"All right." I caved in. I need to figure out how to live. "Just a hand grasp. Not a kiss.

She looks at Noah, ignoring me.

"Noah." The voice of Manager Daisy was deep and menacing. Would you like to play a part in that film?

At first, Noah remains silent. His eyes darted to my hand and then to hers. Seeing her glare, he swallows the words and slowly takes hold of my hands. He mumbles, "I have to make this sacrifice for my goals," and looks away.

hefty. Not his hand's weight. However, the intensity of the feeling. The warmth of his hand unnerves me. This is the same hand that stabbed me in the stomach while grasping the dagger. My assassin. I'd like to cut off his hand.

He looks away from me. I gave Manager Daisy a quick glance. What she will gain from this is beyond me. We need to sit together and hold hands. I feel like I'm being punished for not doing my homework right now, and I'm back in kindergarten.

"Hold it for the remainder of the day." She appeared to be happy that we are here. "You and Noah should look like a couple of inseparable lovers before tomorrow comes."

I want to throw up. Unbreakable lovebirds? My foot! "I must return home."

"Now, proceed." She gave me a menacing smile. "Who's holding you back? To complete the task, simply hold his hand continuously throughout the day."

"No." Noah gave a headshake. "My tolerance isn't that great."

I inhaled deeply. "I am unable to bring him along. My folks are visiting."

"That's excellent." Daisy, the manager, nods. "Noah, accompany her to her parents."

"Whoa!" He holds on to his hand, even though I try to shake it off. "I refuse to allow him to see my parents."

"Why?" Supervisor Daisy furrows her brow. You never told anyone about the contract, Miss Martha. Even if it's a fake relationship, you will be in the press when you are with him. Your relatives will become aware of it. The media will also get to them. They have to give accurate answers to them. To make it seem plausible, it would be better if he met them now. Future complications are not something I want."

My relatives won't believe it.

***

Noah had no idea that he would be seeing the parents of his pretend girlfriend.

Not that he hasn't dated before. That being said, he has only been in a relationship for five months. He had never even met the parents of his ex-girlfriend.

He now has to meet the parents of his pretend girlfriend. She became his contract girlfriend not even a day ago. Forget about that! Only three days had passed since he first saw her.

Manager Daisy has good reasons for her current actions, but Noah disagrees with her strategy. He is not at all fond of this plan, to start. Second, she's behaving as though she's cancerous toward him.

"He can't come to my family," I said. She gives a headshake. "I'll give them an explanation. I'll keep the contract a secret from them. Now, just let me go. They're holding out for me."

"I understand." Daisy, the manager, raised her hand. "However, you must hold my hand for the remainder of the day. You have until tomorrow to get to know each other. You have to act as though he is your lover. Do you understand it?"

"No." He holds onto her hand even though she tries to yank it away. If he did, he knew Manager Daisy would hurl daggers at him. She is still trembling. He grips her hands tightly and maintains his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "I'll treat him like a boyfriend, but first I need him to release my hand. What happens if I need to use the restroom? He can't leave with me."

Noah let go of her very quickly. "I will not go there with you in any way."