Marriage With The New CEO

Chapter Three

“Hello? Is this Andrew?” Samantha stammered into her battered, scratched-up Nokia which she had used since high school.

“Hello, you got me at the right time,” Andrew muttered positively as he extended the phone, “Yes, this is Andrew. Samantha, is that you?”

Samantha did a deep inhale. “It’s me, yes, I’ve… I’ve decided about your offer. ”

God knows what went through her mind, for there was a brief moment of silence on the other end. "And?"

“I'll do it,” Samantha said with cheeks red from blushing. "I'll marry you. "

Andrew was relieved even when she spoke to him over the phone. “That’s good news Samantha, can you come to my office today? We have to discuss some things. ”

Samantha looked at her old sneakers and old clothes and thought that she was just like them. “Yeah, sure But I do not have transportation money.”

“No problem,” Andrew said smoothly. “I will order an Uber for you, you should be ready in an hour. ”

An hour later, Samantha was already inside a black shiny car going to the central business district of the city. She looked at the buildings becoming taller and more glamorous as they got nearer to Quantum Tech’s office.

The car reached a huge glass structure that appeared to be almost touching the sky. Samantha emerged from the building feeling rather intimidated and too young to be handling such a position.

“Miss Thompson?” A smartly dressed woman walked up to her. “I am the assistant of Mr. Caldwell, are you ready to follow me?”

Samantha followed the assistant and did not want to turn her head around and look at the magnificent lobby. They entered an elevator that had mirrors on all sides and Samantha saw herself in the mirror. She appeared to be frightened and ill-kempt beside the neater assistant.

The elevator bell rang, and when the doors swished apart, the floor said power and money. Samantha was led by the assistant down a long hall, the sound of her shoes sinking into the carpet.

“Mr. Caldwell is waiting for you,” the assistant said, pulling a thick wooden door with large golden handles.

The minute entering the office, Samantha exclaimed. Large windows from the floor to the ceiling provided an excellent view of the city. Andrew was leaning on the big oak desk, which made him look like a real CEO in his elegant business suit.

"Samantha," he said, smiling. “We are Quantum Tech. ”

Samantha forced a small smile on her face. “Thank you. This place is… amazing. ”

Andrew pointed at the chair. “We still have a lot to talk, sit down. ”

Samantha sat down on the soft leather chair and she was even more lost than before.

Andrew sat across from her then he leaned back in his chair fixing her with a stern face. Let me just clarify one thing – this is not a real marriage, Samantha, this is a business partnership.

Samantha nodded. “I understand that You need a wife for Your image, and I need money for my family. ”

"Exactly," Andrew said. He took out a thick file from the drawer of his desk. “This is the contract. It contains all the provisions of this deal.”

Samantha grabbed the contract paper with both hands but they were trembling.

Andrew put his hands on the arms of the chair and sank back into the seat. “Of course. In other words, you will become my wife in the two years that we will be together. You will reside in my home, go out with me to various functions, and pretend to be one with me in front of the public and my family. ”

“And in return?’ Samantha asked.

“You’ll be paid twenty thousand dollars on the spot plus a monthly stipend,” said Andrew, “All your living expenses will be taken care of, and your mother will have the best medical attention.”

Samantha's eyes widened. This had the ring of a fairy tale to it. "What's the catch?"

Andrew's expression hardened slightly. “The catch is that this is strictly business. We won’t be friends, there is no s*x, no emotions involved. After two years, we went our separate ways, no strings attached. ”

Samantha nodded slowly. “I can cope with that, but what about…Sexual intercourse?”

Andrew raised an eyebrow. “You mean like intimate relations? No, I don’t think so, separate beds and any touching will be restricted to hand-holding at functions and the occasional peck on the cheek for the photographers. ”

Relief washed over Samantha. It’s okay, that doesn’t sound too bad.

“But, there is something more,” Andrew said and his voice sounded serious. “Secrecy is non-negotiable. Nobody can know about our affair. Not your parents, not your friends. To the outside world, we are happily married. Are you ready for that?”

Samantha hesitated. It would not be easy to lie to her family. But when she had to be reminded of her mother’s bills and her siblings’ hunger, she realised that she had no other option.

“I can do it,” she said firmly.

Andrew nodded, satisfied. “Good. Now, let me show you all the terms and conditions of the contract. If you have any questions, you can ask. Remember this is a legal contract and once signed, cannot be reversed. ”

Samantha took the thick document, her life was written on it. When she started to read, she was shocked. The contract was written in legal language and contained many provisions.

“Oh, Andrew?” she asked rather uncertainly. “I do not comprehend most of this. ”

Andrew's face softened slightly. “That is alright, I can clear whatever that you did not understand. ”

The next hour was spent on going over the contract with him. Andrew then proceeded to describe each section to Samantha and took time to answer her questions.

Last of all, Andrew gave her a pen. “Shall we go for the signing now?”

Samantha looked at the pen and she shivered with excitement. This was it. The time that would turn her life around.

She reached for the pen, her hand trembling slightly. Just as she was about to sign, a commotion outside the office caught their attention.

The door burst open, and a stunning woman in designer clothes stormed in. Her eyes blazed with fury as she looked from Andrew to Samantha.