11
1091 Words
The first page of the document inside the envelope carried a standard legal header, but Elena barely noticed it. What caught her attention was the number printed beneath the payment clause.
$1,000,000.
To be transferred immediately upon signing.
For a moment, she thought she had read it wrong. Her eyes darted back to the figure, then again and again. The number remained the same.
A million dollars.
Her breath caught in her throat.
“One million dollars?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Alexander didn’t even blink. “Yes.”
The simple answer somehow made it even more shocking.
Elena looked down at the contract again, then back at him. Her hands trembled slightly as she stared at the figure.
“That has to be a mistake.” She said, trying to find her voice.
“It isn’t.” Alexander replied calmly.
“A million dollars just to marry you?” She asked.
“A million dollars as compensation for entering into a legally binding agreement that will affect your personal life for the next two years.”
His tone was calm and businesslike, as though they were discussing company paperwork instead of marriage.
Elena stared at him in disbelief.
Two years?
She quickly turned the page and continued reading. The contract was detailed—painfully detailed. Public appearances, corporate functions, charity galas, family gatherings, vacations when necessary, a shared residence, confidentiality clauses, and strict rules regarding public conduct. There would be no romantic involvement with anyone else during the duration of the agreement and no disclosure of private information to outsiders.
The more she read, the more she realized how carefully Alexander had planned everything. Every possibility seemed accounted for. Every loophole was closed.
Then she reached the compensation section.
Her breath stalled.
Medical expenses for Daniel. Covered completely.
And the one-million-dollar signing payment.
Her heart pounded painfully against her chest.
Daniel’s face immediately appeared in her mind. His tired smile. The way he always pretended everything was fine whenever she worried about money. The way he reassured her after every disappointing visit to the hospital.
“Don’t worry, sis. We’ll figure it out.”
But they hadn’t figured it out.
Because every treatment required money.
Money she didn’t have.
Money she had spent months desperately trying to find.
Money that never seemed enough.
Her vision blurred briefly before she forced herself to continue reading.
Then she reached the final pages.
Her eyes widened all over again.
The separation settlement.
$5,000,000.
Five million dollars.
Elena froze.
The number looked absurd.
Unreal.
Like something she would only ever see in movies.
She read it again.
Then once more.
Still five million.
One million upfront.
Five million at the end.
Enough to completely change her life.
Enough to guarantee she would never have to worry about Daniel’s medical bill again.
Enough to erase every debt she had accumulated over the years.
Enough to give them a future.
The numbers felt almost impossible.
Like a dream she wasn’t supposed to touch.
Across the desk, Alexander watched her quietly.
“You’re shaking.” He said.
A nervous laugh escaped her lips.
“Because this is insane.”
“It’s practical.”
“No, practical is offering someone a job.” She lifted the contract slightly. “This is offering someone a million dollars to become your wife.”
“A temporary wife.” He clarified.
“That doesn’t make it better.” She rebutted.
For the briefest moment, the corner of Alexander’s mouth twitched as though he was fighting a smile. The expression disappeared so quickly that Elena wasn’t sure she had actually seen it.
She lowered the contract and stared at the pages again.
The offer was too good.
Far too good.
And that was exactly what frightened her.
Life had never given her anything without demanding something painful in return. Nothing came this easily. Nothing.
There had to be a catch.
There was always a catch.
Yet no matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find one.
Everything was laid out clearly in black and white.
No hidden conditions.
No outrageous demands.
Just a contract.
A business arrangement.
At least on paper.
“You still have a few days to give me your answer,” Alexander said, interrupting her thoughts.
She looked up.
His expression remained calm and unreadable.
“But like I said, this arrangement benefits both of us.”
Elena swallowed before asking, “Why two years?” She asked, trying to regain her composure.
Alexander leaned back slightly in his chair.
“That’s a tentative timeline.” He answered.
“Tentative?”
“If my grandfather doesn’t become suspicious, we can maintain the marriage for that period before ending it under mutually acceptable circumstances.” He said coolly.
“A divorce?”
“Yes.”
The matter-of-fact way he spoke about marriage and divorce made her head spin.
For him, this wasn’t emotional.
It wasn’t personal.
It was strategy.
Planning.
A business solution to a family problem.
The office fell silent once more.
Elena lowered her gaze to the contract resting in her lap.
She could tell him she needed more time.
She could tell him she would think about it.
But what exactly was there to think about?
Daniel needed surgery urgently.
Every day they delayed increased the risk.
Every day mattered.
And she knew it.
The doctors knew it.
Daniel knew it.
This contract solved that problem instantly.
Not next year.
Not next month.
Now.
Her fingers tightened around the pages.
She had spent years fighting alone. Working herself to exhaustion. Accepting humiliation. Sacrificing everything she could sacrifice.
And still it wasn’t enough.
This was the first genuine opportunity she had been given.
The first real way out.
Then there was Ryan.
The thought brought a sharp ache to her chest.
She had loved him and he broke her in the worst way possible. He shattered her heart and made her question whether she had ever been enough.
Perhaps this arrangement would help her move on.
Perhaps becoming someone else’s wife—even temporarily—would finally force her to stop looking backward and reliving the betrayal.
Slowly, Elena lifted her gaze toward Alexander.
He simply waited.
No pressure.
No persuasion.
Just patience.
As though he would accept whatever decision she made.
The silence stretched between them.
It was long and heavy. Then Elena took a deep breath and made her choice.
“Fine,” she said quietly.
Alexander’s attention sharpened.
Elena swallowed hard before meeting his eyes.
“I’ll sign the contract.”
- Writer
