The Billionaire and His Fake Wife

Chapter Five

Mr. Williams continues staring at me, studying me, maybe trying to decide if I am worth his time and I want to look away, but I can't. The longer he stares at me with those cold, dark eyes, the more uncomfortable I feel. It feels almost impossible to breathe in this office, as if he is sucking all the air out of the room with his mere presence. Why is he just staring at me? He is the one that invited me here, without any kind of explanation as to why he wanted me here.

I am just about to ask him what I am doing here again when he finally speaks. “What do you need money for?” He asks very directly, getting straight to the point.

“For school.” I say, trying to keep a steady voice. He is very intimidating and I am not used to dealing with people who are so cold. Mr. Williams is the kind of person that can make a whole room go quiet just by walking in.

He nods his head slowly. “I saw your ad online. You need to be more careful posting things like that. There are a lot of perverts in the world, and you could get yourself into some serious trouble.”

Is that why I am here? He wants to warn me about perverts? If that’s so, I might as well go back home. I already know there are a lot of weirdos in the world, three hundred of them have emailed me asking for pictures and other weird things like washing their dogs while wearing a bikini. God only knows what else they have in mind.

“I am very aware of that. Thank you for your concern though.” I pause for a second. “Your response was actually the only one worth looking into out of all the emails I have received.” I say, fidgeting my fingers a little in my lap.

Mr. Williams nods again. “I have an offer that could benefit both of us. If you are interested in hearing me out.”

“Yes, please. I am very interested in hearing your offer.” I say, giving him a hopeful smile.

“We will get married. You will be my wife for one year. I have a contract ready detailing everything I would expect of you during the year.”

My eyes go wide and my mouth drops open slightly. “Are you kidding me?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief. He has to be joking right? He doesn’t know me or anything about me. For all he knows I could be a serial killer, looking for my next victim. What kind of crazy person asks some random girl to marry them?

“Do I look like I am kidding?” He says, voice even colder than before.

I scoff. “I can’t marry you. I don’t even know you. You don’t know me. Why would you even want to marry me?” I ask, not fully understanding what could possibly be going through his mind.

“It’s simple. I need a wife, you need money.” He says, acting like that explains everything.

“So, you want me to marry you for money? Is that what you are saying?” I say, trying to make sure I heard him correctly. Maybe I am hearing things, I had to have heard him wrong.

Mr. Williams looks at me with what I can only describe as an annoyed expression. “Yes. One million dollars for you to be my fake wife for exactly one year.”

Now I know I am going insane. I think he just said one million dollars. One million dollars. He wants to give me one million dollars just to be his fake wife for one year. Is this some kind of joke?

When I don’t say anything, because I don’t have a clue what to say to that he opens one of his desk drawers and grabs a folder. Mr. Williams sets the folder in front of me. “This is the contract, take it home with you. Make sure you read over it very carefully and if you agree with everything, we can talk again.” He says, dismissing me.

He turns his attention back to his computer, not even looking at me. It’s as if I am not even in the room at all. For whatever crazy reason, I grab the folder and walk out of the office. I already know I am not going to marry him. I would have to be just as crazy as he is to marry him. I am only twenty-one years old. I wouldn’t even marry someone right now if I was in love with them, let alone someone I just met.

When I walk out of Mr. Williams office the same young guy from earlier meets me by the door. “Have a good day Ms. Ashlyn.”

“Thank you, Mr. ?” I ask, giving him a friendly smile.

He smiles. “Benjamin. You can call me Ben though.”

“Mr. Ben, I like that.” I say, laughing a little.

Ben shakes his head, chuckling. “Just Ben. No Mr.”

I lean over close and whisper. “Then just call me Ashlyn, no Ms.”

Ben smiles. “Will do, Ashlyn.” He says, glancing down at the folder in my hand. “Will you be coming back soon?”

“I, umm. I don’t know.” I glance back at the office door, then lean in close again and whisper. “I’m not so sure Mr. Williams really wants me to come back.”

Ben’s smile falls. “Mr. Williams is just a little hard to read, but I can tell you he never does anything without thinking it through first.”

“Thank you, that’s actually helpful.” I say, giving him a smile.

“Ben.” Mr. Williams voice comes over the intercom and Ben makes a face.

“I have to go. It was nice to meet you, and I hope I see you again soon.” Ben says, as he turns and walks towards Mr. Williams office.

“Nice to meet you.” I say, watching as he opens the door to the office. Mr. Williams eyes meet mine and I freeze. It feels like he is looking straight through me. Neither one of us looks away, only breaking eye contact when the door shuts between us.

I make my way to the elevator, holding the folder tightly. I’m a little afraid to open it. Maybe I should though, I know the second I walk into my dorm room, Lena is going to want to know every single detail. I step onto the empty elevator, pressing the lobby button.

With each floor that passes, I become more curious about the folder and the mysterious contract it is holding. I can’t believe he already had a contract made. Did he just expect me to say yes and sign it right there in his office? I’m sure Mr. Williams is the kind of man that always gets what he wants. Never having to wait for anything. He is going to have to get used to hearing the word no, because there is no way I will be marrying him. Even if a million dollars would be extremely helpful, I can’t marry someone for money. That would make me a gold digger. I am not a gold digger and I never will be.

The elevator dings when it reaches the lobby, pulling me out of my thoughts. The same lady that greeted me earlier tells me to have a good day as I walk back out onto the street. I take a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. Flagging down a taxi, I get in and give the driver my address.

The entire ride back to my dorm, my mind keeps wandering back to those cold, dark, emotionless eyes. Those eyes that seem to look right through you, while also seeing exactly who you are.

I look down at the folder in my lap and sigh. I should at least look at it. What kind of business woman would I be if I rejected an offer without even getting all the details? I open the folder, looking over the first page and immediately regret my decision to look.