I Married To My Murderer

Faking It!

"The director of the film believes that our love story is similar to the plot of his film, so you have to date me. Additionally, your fans believe that our love story is the basis for the film. Everyone is now anticipating that tragic film." I reiterate their justifications for clarity. "I have to play your girlfriend until the movie comes out. The director will remove you from the film if I don't."

"You're going to be a phony contract partner. You have to act like a real girlfriend in front of everyone." Manager Daisy corrected me. "Your services will be paid for by us."

I quickly scanned the documents she was holding. "I'm not up for it."

With a smile, Manager Daisy jots down a note on the paper. She moved it in my direction. I see the dollar sign and the numbers. "What's this?"

She smiles and says, "The money you have to pay for breaking the contract. Martha, you are the one who made this mess. You would not be here if you had not taken the actions that you did. Everything could have been settled amicably. Noah will lose the movie to someone else if you don't take this action. Leo, the director, is very talented. Being able to work with him is an honor. Noah put in a lot of effort to get this position. Don't you have to make up for his missed opportunity?"

There are just three digits in my bank balance. I can't pay him this much, not even if I sell my body organs on the black market. "I can report that you intimidated me into signing this to the police,"

"I anticipated that remark from you." She took out the final sheet of paper from the file. "You acknowledged in your confession that you approached Noah in the store with the intention of seducing him. Noah has had feelings for you. Even if the world ended, he would never attempt to hurt you."

"Well, I signed that kind of thing." That explains why no one would suspect him of killing me in the future. I have been attributing my low IQ to my future self. Naturally, I'm already evolving into the person I want to be. Who the hell signs such a thing without reading it?

I'm destined to fail. My doomed future is entirely my own fault.

When my father learned that I could travel through time, he told me, 'Time itself is the biggest conspirator.' He wasn't shocked to learn that I was a time traveler, just like his oldest sister, who had vanished. He claimed to have had a sneaking suspicion that I would end up like her. He gave me a hundred warnings about not abusing my power. Time manipulation has serious repercussions. My ancestors once paid a heavy price for playing fast and loose with the times. When my aunt was a high school student, she vanished. Nearly thirty years have passed. She hasn't returned yet.

Time itself uses time-travelers as pawns. An ant altering the course of a massive river is analogous to a time-traveler altering the future or defying time itself. There are unintended consequences of every new choice or action. The entire chess board shifts, and the squares are rearranged if I make a new move against the clock. I will lose the upper hand if that takes place. The same responses follow the same course of action.

I was in control and I considered using this as an opportunity to get close to him. I wanted to take it away and find out why. After that, I was thrown into the future and discovered some new details about Noah and me. Now that I'm back, I have made changes. I don't want to be anywhere close to him this time. There wouldn't have been a contract if I had returned to the present and continued acting as though I wanted to date him. After speaking with the director, Manager Daisy would have gladly accepted.

The law would not bind me. Later, I could get away. However, I was ignorant of the new future.

I have to be familiar with all the chess pieces' movements in order to play this game. I refuse to be treated like a pig and killed. My goal is to survive.

***

Ever since she signed the papers, Noah has been watching her. He's glad to see her dejected look, even though he's in this mess.

She had earlier admitted to him that she was a fan. She then caused a scene in front of the police and journalists. She informed him that she possessed unique knowledge about him. Everything was planned by her. She pretended to be unconscious. She then encouraged him to announce their relationship. She wants to leave and throw him into this mess right now.

She lies for a living. She is a cunning manipulator who seizes opportunities, but she has fallen short in her own game.

He detests people who are similar to her.

"I'm not for you to touch." She pauses for a moment, then looks at him with an odd calm. "In this fictitious partnership."

"Pfft." He scans her entire body, from head to toe. Brown eyes, unkempt brown hair. Her nose had freckled skin. Her forehead had a couple of small pimples, lacking in style sense. She doesn't give her appearance any thought. She is just one of those lazy people. "You seem to be fairly confident."

She shuts her eyes and inhales deeply. "It doesn't matter what you think of the way I look. However, I'm not interested in touching you physically in any way. I don't want to hang out with you unless it's absolutely necessary."

"This is something I should be saying." Noah gave her a furious look. "It is you who is at fault."

"Shut up." Daisy, the manager, narrows her eyes. "You two are at fault."

"What action did I take?" He scowls profoundly. "My only mistake is that when I'm anxious, I get a craving for chocolate. Before meeting Director Leo, I was anxious. She is the reason I am frustrated right now."

Without opening her eyes, Martha says, "I doubt that anyone in this room is more frustrated than me." She reclines, putting her elbows on his mattress.

Manager Daisy sternly tells him, "I don't let you eat chocolates because of your addiction." "And you too, Martha, Miss. To convince people that you are dating, you must be very touched. Noah is able to pretend that you are his partner. I firmly believe that he is an accomplished actor. However, I have no faith in you or your skills. You have to try to look presentable first. Second, you need to control your expressions and be aware of his touch. It shouldn't appear as though you're pushing yourself. Third, you need to meet Director Leo with Noah."

"You do realize that I'm kidding?" Noah snatches his hair. "Why is he interested in meeting her?"

"Why must I be acquainted with his touches?" Martha gets to her feet fast. "Alright, it sounds twisted. There's no touching this guy. That is not appropriate."

"You will give me a hug, a kiss, and any other necessary gestures to make it seem real, as stated in the contract." Daisy, the manager, shakes her head. It seems like she is managing two children in this situation. Every time she looks at their faces, her blood pressure rises.

"That is excessive." She receives a grimace from Martha. "I am a woman of convention. I dislike giving hugs and kisses prior to marriage."

"That day in the store, weren't you suggesting a one-night stand?" Noah laughed.

"You don't speak sarcasm well, do you?" Her eyes rolled. "What makes you comfortable touching?"

"We have to touch and pretend if we have to be in a fake relationship." He says it like it is. "Else, we wouldn't get credibility. In addition, I don't want to touch you. But circumstances demand it."

"These two!" Supervisor Daisy furrows her brow. This is how things are going to go, and no one would ever think they were lovers. Director Leo is a seasoned professional. It will be difficult to trick him. How about love? They exchanged looks as though they wanted to tear each other to pieces.