THE CONTRACT WITH MY DEMON

THE FIVE RULES

Dave POV

I arrived home with the contract.

I couldn’t wait to put her in her place.

Then my two sons rushed toward me and hugged me.

“Dad! Thank you!”

I was shocked.

I hadn’t done anything.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“For the cake,” Adam said.

I stared at him.

“Forget what?”

“Our birthday,” he said with a smile.

“Birthday is today?”

Really?

It was their birthday.

I had completely forgotten.

And what were they thanking me for?

I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Angelina brought the cake. You brought it, so it seems just like how I love it.”

“Oh, she brought a cake?” I asked.

“Yes. She said you told her to do it, but she didn’t do it well. She just sang for us and left like it was trash,” Adam said, pouting.

“Huh?”

I patted his head.

“Did you like it?”

He smiled.

“This is the best birthday ever.”

I nodded and looked at Adrian.

“What about you?”

“I love it.”

He smiled.

“Where is Angelina?”

“I am here, Dad.”

My daughter raised her hand.

“Oh, I mean Angelina,” I said.

“She is in her room sleeping,” they replied.

“Good day, boss,” Kate greeted.

“Oh, Kate. How are you doing?”

I didn’t wait for her reply as I headed toward Angelina’s room.

Just as I expected, she was sleeping peacefully on her bed.

Then her words echoed in my mind.

I hope when I become a mom, you can give me a black card.

She was talking about spending.

She must be trying to get the kids on her side.

I thought as I held the contract.

I tapped her.

She ignored me and continued sleeping.

I couldn’t help but smile.

No one had told me she looked this shabby when sleeping.

“Angelina.”

“Can you get out?” she said sternly.

“Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Did I need to know? Can you get out? Can’t you see someone is trying to get some sleep?”

She sounded genuinely irritated.

What was I thinking?

I stood up, about to leave.

Then I noticed her swollen leg.

It must hurt.

I stared toward the ballet room as I pictured my daughter, Angelina, dancing.

After all, she loved it.

Until something happened.

Anny POV

I woke up the following morning.

As usual, I walked downstairs to the annoying children in the house whom I supposedly didn’t care about.

I went to my usual spot.

After all, he still hadn’t given me any contract.

The kids’ eyes were fixed on me, then on their dad.

“Hmm.”

One of them cleared his throat.

I ignored him.

If he couldn’t call me by my name, there was no reason for me to talk to him.

“Miss Angelina,” he called.

I raised my head.

I was trying to figure out whether he was Adam or Adrian.

I gave him a questioning look.

“Huh? I just want to say thank you for yesterday, Dad.”

I continued eating.

“He was grateful, and that is your reaction?” Dave asked with an unreadable expression.

“Then what should I do? Be grateful?”

I handed Kate the receipt.

“And please make sure you refund the money for the cake. As you know, the condition of my family…”

I stood up to go for my morning jog.

“Going out to meet a man?” he asked.

“Oh, he’s not a man. His name is Kent. I hope you address him properly next time.”

I headed outside.

Then he stopped in front of me, almost making my heart jump out of my chest.

“This is the contract. Sign it. And from now on, stop messing around.”

I took the contract and returned to my seat.

There were only five sentences.

One: Never be around men.

I smiled.

I looked at him.

“Excuse me. What does this mean?”

“Can’t you read?” he asked, looking uninterested.

“I’m a ballerina. I dance, and my partner is male. I’m working in a bakery company, and my boss is a male. When I go for a morning jog, I’m sometimes talked to by a man.”

I looked at him.

“You’re a man, so can you please explain who the man is that I shouldn’t be around?”

He looked at me.

“You know what I meant.”

“No. I don’t.”

I shook my head.

“Not at all. Because if you’re going to use this sick thing called a contract to limit me, you can at least call my parents and tell them you want to back out because I’m here for the kids, not you. And whoever I meet is none of your business. Understand?”

I raised my voice because I knew exactly why that sentence was there.

He stared at me in astonishment.

“Did you just raise your voice at me?”

“If you don’t want me to, then act well. If you are… and if you are not, please use your brain.”

I continued reading.

The second sentence said I should be home before seven p.m.

I bit my lip.

I thought I could cope.

Three: Never spend my money on yourself to get yourself anything.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

I looked at him.

“Huh? I don’t need your money. And if you think I’ll be a spendthrift using money I didn’t work for, you can give the card to the maid.”

I continued.

“I’ll always write down what I need, and for my feeding, I hope you can cover it. And I hope sentence two is also applicable to you. You get home by seven p.m. I hate people disturbing my beauty sleep.”

I said it with a smile.

Then I moved to the fourth one.

“You have the children with everything they need.”

I looked at him.

“I get to decide what I will do for the kids. If I’m their mother, then give me that benefit of the doubt. Whatever I do, you don’t get involved. Understood?”

“They are my kids too.”

“I’m employed as a mother, so I do what a mother does. I scold them.”

I looked at each of them.

“I ignore them if they are annoying. If you’re not okay with it, call your Grammy to cancel the deal.”

He scoffed.

“Seems like you don’t care about your parents at all.”

I stood up.

“My parents wouldn’t want me to sell myself to someone who doesn’t respect me or my parents. Someone who sees me as a toy. Someone who is heartless and bloodthirsty like you.”

I stared directly at him.

“A monster.”

A gasp escaped everyone’s mouth.

“And don’t worry about the last one.”

I placed the contract down.

“Immediately I’m done here, I can’t even remember anyone because the memory I’ll have here won’t be worth holding on to.”

I stared at him.

“And I’m one hundred percent sure I can’t love you. I’m not a fool who will lay down my life fo

r you.”

I placed the contract against his chest.

“I hope you correct it. After all, they are resuming in two days.”

Then I walked away.