The Contract: My Hidden Billionaire Husband

Chapter 2

Prenuptial Contract

After sealing the deal, Alaric headed out for a small celebration with his teammates, only to find Candy Weber there. Supposed to be off on her honeymoon, she'd been boasting about her ring along the way, proudly declaring her newlywed status.

But the one who was at that bar looked like a broken woman. She seemed to have been in that place for a long time.

Where was your husband?

Alaric's attention wavered as he noticed a few men approaching her. He held his breath, half-expecting one of them to be her husband, but Candy swiftly dismissed the second one. Catching his gaze, she offered a faint smile.

His eyes stared at the beautiful Candy. Her name was appropriate for that face, because the woman was beautiful, with a sweet, but strong appearance.

He watched as she stood up to go towards him, but fell on the first try.

Alaric ran to help her, abandoning his friends, and meeting Candy. He grabbed her side and stood her up, the woman covered the entire space that separated them and she joined the man's body, dizzy, clinging to her arms to keep from falling. She laid her head on Alaric's chest and there, she pressed her nose to his clothes, sniffing him.

"Drink with me, Alaric Jackson. Or I'll do it with the first stranger that passes by. I will accept the next invitation they give me if you don't drink with me.”

Alaric gazed into the woman's eyes, sensing her sadness and longing for companionship.

"Perhaps you've had enough to drink, Candy," he suggested gently. He was about to inquire about her husband but thought better of it. "Shall I escort you back to your room? It's quite far from here to the hotel."

"I want to keep drinking!" Candy exclaimed, gripping his face and drawing close, causing Alaric to catch his breath. She met his gaze briefly before pressing her lips to his. "To hell with blue eyes! I prefer green ones right now," She left a quick kiss on his lips, took a step back, and held his hand, taking him with her to the bar. "Let's drink!"

Alaric couldn't fathom why he agreed, abandoning his friends. Perhaps it was because Candy seemed in such a sorry state, and getting her safely to the hotel seemed impossible without a few more drinks.

But how did Alaric end up drunk too? Candy had insisted on beers, and he obliged.

Their conversation veered from the past to family, work, and everything in between, except for what had transpired earlier that night in Candy's room. That topic remained untouched.

As dawn approached, they hailed a taxi back to the hotel.

"Which hotel are we going to, Mr. Taxi?" Alaric asked the driver.

The man understood that they both had no idea where they were going, he tried to ask them the name of the place, but they did not give a coherent answer. He had no choice but to search his pocket to find something, an address.

It was very common to see foreigners so drunk that they didn't even know their names.

The taxi driver gave Alaric's room key to the front desk and they took the two of them to Mr. Jackson's room.

There, Candy promptly took a shower, while he collapsed naked under the sheets, falling into a deep slumber.

Candy joined him in bed, initiating a passionate encounter, she started kissing his neck, provoking the man. She climbed on top of his naked body, and spread kisses all over his neck, bringing her hands to what bulged under his legs.

Alaric rested his hands on the bed to raise his body towards her, reaching Candy's lips.

What followed was a shared moment between two souls, albeit fueled by alcohol.

Nearly noon, Candy gathered her belongings and slipped out of the room, still intent on catching her flight.

Candy, nursing a headache and a bite mark on her neck, stumbled into the elevator, only to come face to face with Rick.

"Damn my luck," she muttered under her breath upon spotting him. Time was of the essence; she needed to get into the elevator. Dragging her suitcase down the stairs wasn't an option either.

"Good morning, Candy," Rick greeted, acting as if nothing had happened. She, however, was visibly distressed—not so much from seeing Rick, but from the realization of spending the night with that man. She vividly recalled initiating the encounter, sparking a night of raw passion and pleasure.

The bite mark on her neck was a reminder of Alaric Jackson.

With a tired sigh, Candy leaned against the elevator wall, her blouse riding up to reveal a portion of her belly. Rick's gaze lingered, his hand inching towards her, but she swiftly blocked his advance.

"Stay back, Rick."

"We're still married, you know," Rick retorted, advancing despite Candy's protest. He pinned her against the elevator wall, his hands wandering towards her, only to be halted by the sight of the hickey on her neck.

"What in the world, Candy?!" Rick exclaimed, his hands tearing the fabric of her blouse slightly. "Who did this to you?"

Before Candy could respond, the elevator halted, but Rick was just getting started with his accusations.

"You were with another man last night," Rick accused, his voice seething with anger.

"You were with my sister for eight months, Rick!" Candy retorted, her words cut short by Rick's violent actions. With a swift motion, he slapped her across the face, sending a surge of pain and tears coursing down her cheeks.

Rick pressed the button to return to her floor, but Candy refused to be confined with him. She kicked her suitcase, blocking the elevator door, and cried out for help to a passing woman, who hurried to seek assistance from the reception.

"Candy..." Rick's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the marks on her body. Ignoring her protests, he attempted to undress her, but Candy fought back, kicking him away.

The receptionists arrived at the elevator, halting Rick's actions.

"Mr. Johnson?" The receptionist entered, removing Candy's suitcase. "I don't think this is the place for a scene, especially with people gathering to watch. Could you please stop?"

Rick glanced back, noticing the many curious onlookers awaiting more drama.

Meanwhile, Candy inspected her torn blouse and grabbed her suitcase and bag, eager to leave the elevator, but Rick gripped her arm.

"Let her go!" shouted the woman who had summoned help earlier. "He hit her. Look at her face and neck. Get away from her, or I'll call the police!"

Faced with the growing hostility and the threat of police involvement, Rick released Candy. But before retreating, he leaned in to deliver a final threat.

"Your divorce papers are worthless. I won't sign them. I'll make you swallow them. I'll keep your sister as my mistress and you as my wife. We'll have three kids with your pretty blue eyes and your cute freckles, Candy... I won't divorce you. And I'll find the man you slept with. I'll search every damn room until I find him."

With his threat uttered, Rick ejected Candy from the elevator, the doors closing behind him, granting her a moment of relief.

"Are you okay?" Several concerned women approached, sensing her distress.

"I'm fine, thank you for your help. I need to catch a taxi to the airport before my flight leaves."

One of the women, with a car, offered to give her a ride, and thus, Candy escaped the hotel's turmoil.

She made it to the airport just in time for her flight, but a heavy worry gnawed at her. Rick was her husband, and now, he seemed intent on tormenting her rather than divorcing her. How could she stay with him or have children under such conditions?

And how could her sister allow herself to be manipulated by him?

Searching her phone, Candy found the prenuptial agreement she had signed with Rick, realizing she was at a disadvantage if she sought a divorce and he refused to comply with its terms. Because several clauses left her with nothing if she automatically asked for a divorce and one of the parties refused.

She adored contracts, but love had blinded her when she drafted that one, urged on by her husband, Rick Johnson.

The first clause stipulated that if the marriage ended within the first year, the party seeking divorce must compensate the other if the latter did not wish to end the marriage.

The second clause declared that if either party was proven to have been unfaithful during the marriage, the injured party was entitled to half of the other party's assets.

The third clause mandated that both parties must attend therapy at least ten times before a divorce could be granted.

Currently, the contract only seemed to disadvantage her. Rick had discovered her affair, and it was unlikely that her sister, Lexi, would admit to her own infidelity with Rick during those months.

Yet, as a seasoned professional, Candy knew she had a lifeline buried within the document, one that could potentially save her.

The fourth clause stipulated that if both parties were separated but had not agreed to divorce, the one who entered into a stable and demonstrable relationship within a year of separation could obtain a divorce without compensation.

This prenuptial agreement was both her downfall and her salvation.

Rick needed to grasp the full implications of the contract and take swift action to disrupt Candy's life. He was far from pleased to discover that she had spent the night with another man mere hours after learning of his own infidelity.

Had she replaced him so easily?

It fell upon him to unearth the identity of the man who dared to touch his wife within the very confines of their shared hotel.