Chapter 3:Damage control
1253 Words
After the s*x tape leak and with the media going crazy on her, Noah's life was completely turned upside down. Her workplace sacked her claiming that she would give the company a bad reputation and as if all the social media hate and trolling within the last few hours weren't enough the boyfriend, Lucio, the same guy who had gotten her into this mess by persuading her to sell his fake drugs to those men broke up with her and chased her out of his house forcing her to stay with her best friend, Catherine.
She had cried her heart out, mourned her ill fate, and was ready to piece back the broken pieces of her life when on the morning of a sunny Wednesday, two days after the s*x tape leak Howard's lawyer who had tracked her down with the help of John showed up at Catherine's house looking for her.
“Who are you?”Catherine, who had heard the knock, asked, opening the door slightly.
“I'm Mrs.Elen, Howard Bane’s lawyer. Can I come in”
“Of course ”. Catherine answered, ushering her inside.
“ I believe Noah Sanders lives here”
“Am Noah and who are you?”Noah asked, making her way into the room. Mrs Ellen signalled Catherine to give them some privacy, and she excused herself and left.
“ I am Mrs Elen, Howard's lawyer and I think we need to talk”
“ About what exactly?”.Noah asked about the bitterness of everything she had suffered within the last forty-two hours thanks to this man coming back to the surface.
“ About you and Mr.Bane and the scandal you both are in right now. From what I know, you were sacked from your job because of it, and you don't leave the house casually for fear of harassment.” Barrister Elen said and when Noah didn't say anything she continued “ As a way of ending this scandal and creating a win-win scenario for everyone, my client is ready to pay you ten million dollars and a neat public walk away in exchange that you pretend to have been dating him before the incident, just for a month till he successfully quells the scandal ”.
“What about his actress fiancée, the one whose fans have been hell bent on having my head?” Noah asked with a sadistic smile on her face.
“ Miss Devante is aware of this plan and has agreed to publicly declare that she and Howard had broken up before the incident and that you two are actually a couple,” Elen explained, taking out some documents from her suitcase and handing them over to Noah.
“What is this for?” Noah asked.
“Oh, it's just a formality document that you have to sign before Howard pays you the ten million dollars. Also, it says in there that you agree to everything that I just told you and would adhere to it, or else refund Howard his money,” Elen explained, handing her a pen.
Noah took the pen, broke it into two pieces, and dumped them on top of the document in front of a shocked Elen.” Go tell your boss that I am not going to be his chess piece, okay?” Noah said and walked off like a satisfied tigress.
Disillusioned Elen picked up her gear and exited the house, as quietly as she had come.
When she had left Catherine approached Noah.
“What did she want?” she asked, sitting beside her on the sofa.
“She asked me to pretend that I am dating that cold-blooded animal of a man, Howard for a whole month as a way to get out of this scandal”
“ And…”
“ And I said no ?” Noah said with a predetermined face and Catherine nearly screamed.
“ Are you sick in the head? Do you know that you just rejected an offer that many girls would be dying to have, me included? Besides, I heard her say that you would receive ten million dollars. Do you not know what that could do for us? I won't have to go to that s**t company answering yes, sir, and yes, ma’am to some goons. I'm more educated than”. Catherine said ex-pragetedly.
“ Whatever?” Noah fired back dismissively walking to the bedroom.
After leaving Catherine’s apartment, Elen’s next stop was Howard's mansion.
“ So how did it go? When did she say she is ready to move in?” Howard asked, expecting a positive answer.
“ Apparently the young lady must have despised you more than you despise her. She said, " No, and let this be the last time you would ask me to go over to someone's house with some bunch of documents when you haven't sorted things out with them,” Elen said and stormed off.
“What now, sir? What are you going to do? The deadline from the company is fast approaching ” John asked as he poured Howard a cup of coffee.
“ Don't worry about me, John, soon the girl will be the one begging to sign the papers,” Howard said confidently and grinned sinisterly.
The next day, as Catherine left her apartment for work, a black limo pulled up while she was waiting for a ride at the bus station, and John stepped out wearing a black corporate suit that made him look like a secret service agent.
“Good morning Miss Catherine. Howard Bane requests a meeting with you immediately,” John said, and escorted the confused girl into the limo and drove off.
They arrived at the BANE ENTERPRISE headquarters after a thirty-minute drive, and John escorted her to Howard's office.
“Make yourself comfortable, Mr bane will attend to you shortly,” John said, handing her a glass of vodka wine, which she politely declined, and sat on one of the sofas in the office that looked more like a two-person apartment joined together.
As she admired the beautiful aesthetics of the building, Howard walked in, wearing a well-tailored three-piece suit that brought out his masculine, dominant physique.
“ You must be Catherine,” he said, extending a handshake which Catherine took rather timidly and nodded.
“Good. To go straight to the point I need your help convincing your friend to fake date me. Can you do that?”
“I am sorry, sir, but that choice is for Noah, not me. I have to leave now or else I'll be late for my work”. Catherine said and stood up to leave but Howard held her back.
“you see, I knew that you would need a bit of a push to reason with me and this is why I have prepared this surprise: before ten seconds you would receive a call from your managing director that you had been relieved of your job, secondly I know that you migrated into this country illegally and if you don't be a good girl and do as I say I will make your life and that of your friend a living hell”.
Just as Howard finished speaking Catherine received a call from her supervisor at the office that she had actually lost her job.
“What do you want”
“Simply convince your friend to marry me just for a month and
You both get your life back if not…”
- Writer
