Chapter 6: “When the Past Meets the Contract
1062 Words
Emma
He was everywhere. I thought everyone's Boss was not to be seen at every turn. But he was everywhere.
The conference room, the lobby, the hallways, the freaking restroom, even the cafeteria.
He hasn't even said anything about the contract I signed. Which made me recall it.
That piece of paper where my signature held my life.
I could vividly remember the contents of the contract.
We would live together in the same house. Act as a married couple would in public. Even s*x wasn't left out. He had access to my body whenever he felt like it.
I wasn't allowed to be with anyone else during our time together and the same applied to him much to my relief.
The only exemption however, was I wasn't allowed to fall in love with him and I wasn't
allowed in the master bedroom.
The master bedroom part I clearly understood.
He was entering uncharted territory with a girl he had only met once and f****d in an hotel room though I couldn't help but wonder, 'What if he had met someone else entirely that night?
Would we be here?'
Shaking off the disturbing thought, I made my way to the water dispenser, hoping that
the water was chilled enough to my taste.
I had developed a habit of drinking cold water every time I was stressed. Maybe it was my imagination but it helped.
I walked back to my office and sat down there.
Allowing my mind to drift back to the memories that plagued me.
Ryan.
It hasn't been long since I walked out on him. And I won't lie, I missed him terribly.
And what made it hurt the most was Sophie.
The two most important people in my life,
gone.
I had no one to talk to. I never felt alone until now.
Overcome by nostalgia, I picked up my phone and went straight to my voicemail.
As expected, they were filled with voice records sent by Ryan.
Fighting the tears, I connected to my pods as I clicked the first one.
'Emma please. Just pick up. I promise there's an explanation for everything'
His voice sent tremors inside me. I hadn't heard his voice in so long that I missed it. I
missed him.
A harsh truth I couldn't get over.
'Emma please'
'You are the only one I truly love'
'Baby don't do this'
'Sophie was a mistake'
'I love you Emma'
'Please baby'
'Don't give up on me. On us'
I listened to each of his voicemails as I let the tears slip for the first time since then.
So he knew there was an 'us' before climbing into bed with the one person I trusted.
The one person who looked me in the eye and called me poor just for a d**k.
I had seen friends fight over a man but never did I imagine or think that I could
experience it.
To have your heart ripped out of its cage and squashed all because a friend of yours wished to have what you had.
I couldn't stop the tears as I wrapped myself up in a hug and let loose.
I cried to the point that I didn't even know that Alex opened the door and entered my
office.
"What's going on? Who hurt you?" I heard him growl. The tension underlying in his tone.
Anyone who looked at him would think he was calm. But somehow, I knew he was far from it.
"Answer me. Who hurt you?"
I glanced at him, teary eyed as I watched him make his way to me.
He knelt before me and brought out the handkerchief he kept in his pocket and slowly yet gently wiped off the tears that were streaking down my cheeks.
"Talk to me. Please"
I gazed at his face, the gentleness he exuded leaving me in a trance.
Alex hadn't said a word to me ever since I signed that contract and left it on his table.
He had more or less avoided having contact with me at all.
He only spoke to me when necessary and wouldn't even stand close to me for more than thirty minutes.
I thought that maybe he saw the same thing in me.
Or even worse.
A girl who was ready to sign away her life all for a measly amount of money.
But now…
I could tell he was a bit different. Not much but it was there.
"Come on, talk to me. How am I to fight for you when I don't even know what's wrong with my Fireball?
Fireball…
"You came up with a name for me?" I asked, the emotions choking me up.
I had asked Ryan for a name once. A name exclusive for just the both of us.
Let's say that chapter didn't end well.
And now, I was someone's Fireball. Albeit, I don't know why or what it means, but it was sweet.
"Oh yes, you are a fireball. Cause you literally have a comeback for every word said to you. More like a chaos queen"
What the actual f**k?....
He named me Fireball just cause we clashed once!!!
Scratch whatever I thought about him now. Alexander was a walking red flag. In fact, he only lacked horns that could make him a moveable fire truck.
"You haven't answered my question yet. Why were you crying?"
Hearing his question made me jolt. I at least owed him an answer since he bothered himself to care.
"I just had some unpleasant memories. That's all" "You may have tricked a random person with that excuse but it won't work on me."
"Why do you think I am tricking you? It's the truth"
"Okay then. Who is the face behind the memories?"
I felt embarrassed opening up to him. But then again, this was the same man who had f****d me so hard.
Who made sure I had a job.
He could have waved me off the minute he found out I was the same person that night.
The only person bothered about the reason behind my tears.
The man I was to marry. Even though we weren't allowed to fall in love with each other.
Keeping this in mind, I finally told him.
"Ryan. I was thinking of my ex boyfriend Ryan"
And with that, his gaze took a sharp turn.
- Writer
