Becoming Mrs.Terry

Chapter One: The Proposal No One Saw Coming The office was too quiet for a Tuesday night. The soft hum of Tinah Perry’s computer filled the space like background music to her exhaustion. It was nearly 11 PM, and she was still working—again. Not that she had much of a choice. As Rowland Terry’s personal secretary, “off the clock” didn’t really exist. She clicked the last file closed and leaned back, rubbing the stiffness from her neck. The quarterly report sat perfectly stacked on her boss’s desk, even though she wasn’t the one who had messed it up in the first place. But that was her job: to fix what others couldn’t, wouldn’t, or didn’t dare touch. Especially when it came to Rowland. She gathered her bag and turned off her screen, eager to escape into the night and whatever leftover noodles waited for her at home. Then she heard footsteps. Tinah froze. The executive floor should’ve been empty. Her heart thudded in her chest as the footsteps grew louder… closer… until they stopped at the doorway. And there he was. Rowland Terry. Impeccably dressed. Calm. Cold. Completely unreadable. “You’re still here,” he said. She straightened instinctively. “Just finished your report, sir. I was about to head out.” He glanced at the file but didn’t move toward it. Instead, he said, “Sit down, Miss Perry.” She blinked. “Sir?” “I won’t repeat myself.” Unease trickled down her spine. She sat. Rowland walked to the window and stood there, staring out at the city like he owned it. In a way, he did. His family’s business empire stretched across continents. Money and power followed him like a shadow. But tonight, he seemed… different. Not softer, just more distant. “I need a wife,” he said abruptly. Tinah stared at him, confused. “Excuse me?” “I need a wife,” he repeated, turning to face her. “And I want it to be you.” She laughed—a short, breathless sound. “You’re joking.” “I don’t joke.” “But… I’m your secretary.” “And the only person I trust not to destroy my life.” His voice was even, but his eyes held something she’d never seen before. Weariness? Desperation? “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “I need to be married. For legal reasons. Personal reasons. Timing isn’t on my side. I need someone loyal. Smart. Discreet. And most of all, temporary.” He paused. “This wouldn’t be love or romance. It would be a contract. You help me, I help you.” Tinah’s mind spun. “So you want me to marry you—for convenience?” “Yes. And you’ll be well compensated. A signed contract. Six months. No strings.” She swallowed hard. “Why me?” He hesitated. “Because you’re the only person in this building who doesn’t pretend around me. You do your job. You stay quiet. You don’t ask for anything.” “I didn’t think you noticed.” “I notice everything.” Her thoughts flashed to her younger foster sister and the hospital bills waiting at home. She’d been barely scraping by. And here he was—offering her a solution. A lifeline. A cage. “I’ll need time to think,” she said quietly. “You have twenty-four hours.” His voice was final, but as she stood to leave, his next words caught her off guard. “Tinah,” he said. She looked back. “If you say yes… you’ll be walking into something bigger than both of us. Think carefully.” Her fingers curled around her bag strap. “I always do.” And with that, she stepped out of his office, her world already shifting beneath her feet.