Chapter 3:The other woman
1691 Words
I stared at him.
This man standing in front of me…
Cold.
Controlled.
Strategic.
Was about to become my husband.
And somehow…
That terrified me more than anything.
Raymond stood in front of me like a man discussing a business merger.
Not a marriage.
“This marriage isn’t real,” he said calmly.
I stared at him, still trying to process everything that had happened in the last ten minutes.
The announcement.
The applause.
The cameras.
The trap our fathers had set.
And now this.
“A contract marriage,” he continued. “Simple.”
I folded my arms tightly. “Simple?”
“Yes.”
“You just announced to half the most powerful people in New York that we’re getting married.”
“My father did.”
“And now you’re telling me it’s fake.”
“It will be.”
I shook my head slowly. “You can’t be serious.”
Raymond leaned casually against the wall, like this entire situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
“Think about it,” he said. “Our fathers want a powerful alliance. Fine. We give them one.”
“And what about us?”
“There is no ‘us’.”
The words stung more than I expected.
I looked away.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“No,” he replied calmly. “I’m practical.”
I scoffed. “You’re cold.”
“Cold keeps things simple.”
“Marriage isn’t supposed to be simple.”
Raymond’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“This one will be.”
I studied him for a moment.
His expression was completely calm. Controlled.
Like nothing about tonight had shaken him.
“How exactly does this contract marriage work?” I asked finally.
He straightened.
“Publicly, we’re the perfect couple.”
I waited.
“Privately,” he continued, “we live separate lives.”
“Separate lives?”
“Yes.”
“You mean like roommates?”
“More like strangers.”
My stomach twisted.
“And what about… expectations?”
“There won’t be any.”
His tone was firm.
“No emotional obligations. No interference in each other’s personal lives.”
“So we pretend to be married?”
“Yes.”
“And then what?”
“When the business alliance stabilizes,” he said calmly, “we divorce.”
Just like that.
Like it meant nothing.
I stared at him.
“You really think it’s that simple.”
“Yes.”
“And if I say no?”
Raymond didn’t hesitate.
“Then both our families go to war.”
The words hung heavily between us.
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Our companies are connected in more ways than you realize,” he said. “This alliance protects both of them.”
“And if we refuse?”
“Investors panic. Partnerships collapse.”
I swallowed.
“And our fathers?”
“They will blame each other.”
I exhaled slowly.
“This is insane.”
“Maybe.”
“But it’s also the cleanest solution.”
I rubbed my temples.
“So your solution is to trap ourselves in a fake marriage.”
Raymond shrugged slightly.
“It’s temporary.”
“How temporary?”
“Two years. Maybe three.”
“Three years?”
His gaze remained steady.
“That’s nothing.”
I laughed softly.
“Nothing?”
“It’s a business arrangement.”
“This is my life.”
“And mine.”
Silence filled the hallway.
I studied his face again.
There was no emotion there.
No hesitation.
Just strategy.
Finally I sighed.
“You’re really serious about this.”
“Yes.”
“And you think this is the best option.”
“Yes.”
I looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Music and laughter drifted through the doors.
Hundreds of people celebrating something that wasn’t even real.
Then I looked back at Raymond.
“Fine.”
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
“Fine?”
“I’ll do it.”
“Just like that?”
“Not because I want to.”
“Why then?”
“Because I’m not going to destroy my father’s company.”
For the first time, Raymond’s expression softened slightly.
“Good.”
I glared at him.
“Don’t look so pleased.”
“I’m not pleased.”
“You look like you just closed a business deal.”
“In a way, I did.”
I shook my head in disbelief.
“Unbelievable.”
Raymond pushed away from the wall.
“Let’s go.”
“Back into that circus?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone inside thinks we’re in love.”
I groaned quietly.
“This is going to be exhausting.”
Raymond looked at me calmly.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I doubt that.”
But I followed him anyway.
As soon as we stepped back into the ballroom, several people rushed toward us.
“Congratulations!”
“What a beautiful couple!”
“This alliance will shake the entire market!”
Flashes from cameras filled the room.
Raymond placed a hand lightly on my waist.
My body stiffened.
He leaned closer and murmured quietly,
“Smile. They’re watching.”
I forced a polite smile.
A reporter stepped forward.
“Mr. Anderson, when did the relationship begin?”
Raymond answered smoothly.
“Our families have known each other for years.”
“Miss Gerald, how did he propose?”
I nearly choked.
Raymond answered before I could.
“Privately.”
The crowd laughed warmly.
Someone shouted,
“You two look perfect together!”
Raymond smiled for the cameras.
His arm remained around my waist.
Warm.
Steady.
Convincing.
But the moment the cameras turned away, his hand dropped.
Just like that.
Like it had never been there.
The sudden absence felt strange.
Cold.
I folded my arms.
“This acting thing is going to be harder than I thought.”
Raymond took a sip of champagne.
“You did fine.”
“That was terrifying.”
“You’ll improve.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Thank you for the encouragement.”
He checked his watch.
“I need to leave.”
“Already?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“Personal business.”
Something about his tone made it clear the conversation was over.
I frowned slightly.
“Well… goodnight then.”
“Goodnight.”
Without another word, Raymond walked toward the exit.
I watched him disappear through the doors.
The ballroom suddenly felt louder.
More crowded.
More fake.
After another twenty minutes of smiling politely at strangers, I finally slipped outside for some air.
The night was cool and quiet compared to the chaos inside.
I walked slowly along the pathway near the parking area.
Then I saw Raymond’s car.
And Raymond standing beside it.
But he wasn’t alone.
A woman ran toward him.
Beautiful.
Tall.
Confident.
She threw her arms around him like she belonged there.
I froze instantly behind a nearby pillar.
“I missed you,” she said breathlessly.
Raymond sighed softly.
“Camilla…”
My chest tightened.
Camilla.
The woman pulled back slightly, looking upset.
“Raymond, what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“People are saying you’re engaged now. It's all over the news now."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated?” she repeated sharply.
“You promised me something different.”
Raymond stayed silent.
Camilla stepped closer.
“You told me we would get married.”
My stomach twisted painfully.
Raymond exhaled slowly.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our families arranged it.”
“Arranged it?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
She laughed bitterly.
“So you’re just going to marry some random woman because your father said so?”
“It’s temporary.”
“Temporary?”
“A contract marriage.”
I felt my chest tighten.
The exact same words he had used with me.
Camilla looked furious.
“And what about me?”
Raymond didn’t answer immediately.
“Raymond,” she pressed.
“I’m still with you.”
The words felt like a knife sliding into my chest.
Camilla studied him carefully.
“Then why does it feel like I’m losing you?”
“You’re not.”
“You’re marrying another woman.”
“For business.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
Raymond ran a hand through his hair.
“It’s complicated.”
“You keep saying that.”
“It’s the truth.”
Camilla crossed her arms.
“And the woman?”
“What about her?”
“Does she know?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She agreed.”
My breath caught.
Agreed.
Like it meant nothing.
Like I meant nothing.
Camilla shook her head.
“This is insane.”
“It’s temporary.”
“You keep saying that, like it fixes everything.”
Raymond sighed.
“It’s the only option.”
Silence fell between them.
My heart pounded loudly in my chest.
I needed to leave.
Now.
Carefully, I stepped backward.
My heel made a faint sound against the pavement.
Camilla’s head shifted away from Raymond's shoulder suddenly.
“Wait.”
I quickly turned and walked toward the building.
Fast.
But not running.
I could feel her eyes on my back.
“Someone was there,” Camilla said behind me.
Raymond’s voice followed.
“Where?”
“Over there.”
I pushed open the glass do
or and stepped inside.
“Probably a guest,” Raymond said.
“I think she was watching us.”
I pressed my back against the wall just inside the entrance.
My heart was beating so hard it hurt.
“Who?” Raymond asked.
“I don’t know,” Camilla replied slowly.
“But whoever she was…”
She paused.
“…she heard everything.”
I closed my eyes.
Because now I knew something that could destroy everything.
Raymond Anderson, the man who was about to become my husband, was already in love with someone else.
And I was about to marry him anyway.
- Writer
