His contracted wife

Chapter Five

Chapter five.

“Unexpected good or unexpected bad?” Amy asked with more eagerness entering her voice.

Emilia hesitated. “I am still unsure of its results…I just don't know how to take it….”

“Hmm, the mysterious Emilia, mind telling me more? Did something happen In the meeting or did something go wrong or what?”

“Not exactly sideways,” Emilia said, remembering the words Julian had said to her just a few moments ago and winced at them.

How was she going to start explaining such? “It is as simple as that. … I require some time to think it over. It was not just an employment opportunity.

Amy laughed. “Girl, don’t do this to me with all that mystery! But if you are still a work in progress with the concept, you have time, take it. I believed in you.”

“I wish it were so,” replied Emilia. She simply said bye on her phone and placed it back into her pocket, before getting off the call. She was queuing, and her heart was pounding.

Emilia was lost in her thoughts as she went on walking further

She started walking with no direction and unwittingly ended up in the neighbourhood she used to pass by, heading straight to the park she often went to whenever she wanted to ease her mind.

The rest was just a small piece of greenery.

Bench near the children’s playground with the joyous laughter of kids far away in the distance was the scene.

Emilia was trying to watch while feeling the storm in her. She should be angry, wasn't she? She should be insulted, I daresay horrified, that a man such as Julian Blackwood believed that all his human problems could be erased by money and authority.

But the truth? A very small and rather disgraceful part of her felt aroused. We start wondering about what this particular type of setup might yield.

Those were important to her. She wouldn’t need to think about bills and struggling to get by every single day.

But at what cost?

She had to be with him for one year. A fake arriage. A year of lying and make-believe. Could she do it? Could she endure such a lie for that long?

Even more important, could she trust Julian Blackwood?

The man was a mystery to her. They could speak for hours on end, yet she still knew little about him.

He was cold. She had no clue who he was deep down; what made him go beyond the corporate mask he was so good at putting up.

Thus, her thoughts started to circle, and she found herself in complete indecision again. She got up and began to walk close to the bench, her breathing ragged. They suddenly felt that what matters most is whether she says ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

Would he let her go from the gala project? Would he fire her from that project? Would she have to face the total crumbling of her quite delicate financial stead?

What if I proposed to say, ‘Yes’? *

It played a horrific tune in her head…But was not an option to be ignored, no matter how tempting. She could imagine the kind of relief that comes with not burdening one’s mind with the ability to pay for the rent or waking up each morning with a cushion to call her own.

And yet. .. the strings attached were far too complex to skip and they were as follows.

Alone, she walked slowly home to look for understanding. She arrived at her apartment when the sun was setting, and its rays were coming through the windowpane.

She was in her living room, standing in front of the small table on which lay the stack of unpaid bills, immobile and seemingly in a daze.

"What if I say yes?’ *

The thought began to resurface in her head. For the first time in her life, she could visualise a future where she wouldn’t have to worry about her rent and where she would have a safety net to fall back on.

A gentle ping of an email came in, interrupting Emilia’s daydream. Deciding not to take any risks, She went to type on her laptop but first opened the lid slowly.

Her heart sank when she saw the subject line: a proposal that was forwarded by Julian Blackwood for the granting of a contract.

He could not even give her the time to breathe.

Her hand was slightly shaky as she moved the cursor and clicked on the email to read whatever was inside it.

It was officially a legal contract on paper; she was being paid legal money for her services, to be his wife for one year.

These parameters were all termed outdiscretion, public appearances, and no direct interaction beyond that which is required for appearances. It was all as clear as if it had been planned with military-like efficiency.

Emilia closed her laptop in frustration and started thinking about something in her head. This was real now. This was not some made-up scenario that she could just ignore easily. Julian Blackwood had placed the offer on the table and she had the chance to make a decision.

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a text message from Amy. “ I hope you got it. You got this, girl. “

Emilia passed on the ghost of a smile at the words, but all she had to hold onto now was scepticism.

“Do I want this? “

She sat there in silence, watching the screen of the closed laptop, when she was interrupted by the question, which felt like a weighted dagger in her chest.

She realized that she could not escape it forever. Soon, Julian would expect an answer, and she hadn’t the faintest idea what answer she would give.

She stood from the table and paced to the window, looking out at the gradual night outside her house. The city lights were turning on one by one while the advertisement was a signal of a world she cared not to be a part of.

And then, she received a ring on her phone yet again. This time the number flashing on my phone screen was unknown.

In the message ‘Dear Miss Gray, I hope that you have gone through the contract that you are to sign with me. I await your response tomorrow morning. Julian Blackwood.’