The CEO's Betrayed Bride

CHAPTER TWO: THE CONTRACT

CHAPTER TWO: THE CONTRACT

Judith's POV

For several seconds, I just stared at this beautiful stranger who had just asked me to marry him. I thought maybe I had hit my head when I crashed into him and was imagining things.

But he looked completely serious. His gray eyes watched me carefully, waiting for my response like he had just offered me a business deal instead of a marriage proposal. I opened my mouth but no sound came out at first.

Finally, I managed to ask him if he was joking, because what kind of person proposes to someone they just met in a hotel lobby? He told me his name was Benjamin Sinclair, and he needed a wife quickly for business reasons.

I recognized his name immediately, everyone in New York knew about Benjamin Sinclair, the billionaire CEO whose hotel chain was famous across the country. I had actually catered some events at his hotels, though I had never seen him in person before.

He explained that his grandfather's will required him to be married within six months or he would lose control of his company. He had been looking for a suitable wife but didn't trust anyone after his ex-fiancée betrayed him. Then he saw me crash into him, running from my own wedding disaster, and realized we could help each other.

My head felt fuzzy as I tried to process this insane offer. Benjamin wanted to pay me two million dollars to be his wife for one year. After that, we would divorce quietly and go our separate ways. He would keep his company, and I would have enough money to start over somewhere far from Beatrice and her poison.

Part of me knew this was absolutely crazy. You don't marry strangers, even rich handsome ones who smell amazing and have strong arms. But another part of me, the part that was still hurting and angry and humiliated, wanted to say yes just to prove I wasn't broken.

Benjamin must have seen me hesitating because he added that he would also hire lawyers to help me reclaim my father's stolen inheritance. He said Beatrice wouldn't be able to hide what she did once his legal team started investigating, and he had the resources to make sure justice was served.

That sealed it for me. I thought about going back to my apartment where all my wedding decorations still hung on the walls, I thought about facing Matthew and Mirabel and Beatrice tomorrow and the day after that. I thought about everyone at the wedding talking about how I got left at the altar.

Or I could walk away from all of it right now. I could become someone new, someone who didn't let people walk all over her anymore. Maybe this was the universe giving me a chance to take control of my own life.

I looked at Benjamin right in his intense gray eyes and said yes.

His expression didn't change much, but I saw something flash across his face that might have been relief or satisfaction. He pulled out his phone and made a call to someone named Solomon, telling them to draw up a marriage contract immediately and arrange a city hall ceremony for as soon as possible.

Everything happened so fast after that. Benjamin's driver took us to his lawyer's office where Solomon, a kind elderly man with glasses, explained the contract terms. Separate bedrooms, no emotional involvement, public appearances as a loving couple when necessary, complete discretion about the arrangement, and a clean divorce after one year.

I signed my name at the bottom even though my hand shook, this was really happening. In three days, I will be Mrs. Judith Sinclair.

Benjamin arranged for his assistant to pack up my apartment while I stayed at a hotel he owned. I didn't want to face my things or risk running into anyone I knew. The hotel room was bigger than my entire apartment, with a king-sized bed and a bathroom that had heated floors.

I took a long shower and cried until I had no tears left. Then I ordered room service and ate chocolate cake while sitting on the enormous bed in a fluffy robe. It felt strange to be taken care of after spending so long taking care of everyone else.

Three days later, I stood in front of a judge at city hall wearing a simple cream-colored dress that Benjamin's assistant had bought for me. Benjamin wore another perfect suit and held my hand while we said our vows. The words felt heavy in my mouth, but I said them clearly.

When the judge told Benjamin he could kiss his bride, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine softly. It was brief and formal, but my heart still skipped a beat. I told myself it was just nerves, nothing more.

Solomon was our witness and took a few photos for official purposes. In them, Benjamin and I looked like a real couple, standing close with small smiles. Nobody would guess we had just signed a business contract instead of starting a love story.

Benjamin's driver took us to his penthouse after the ceremony. I had never been anywhere so fancy in my entire life. The ceilings were tall and the windows showed the whole city spread out below us. Everything was decorated in gray and white and chrome, beautiful but cold somehow.

My new husband showed me to my bedroom, which was bigger than any place I had ever lived. It had its own bathroom and a walk-in closet already filled with new clothes in my size. Benjamin explained that his assistant had ordered a complete wardrobe for me since I would need to look the part of a billionaire's wife.

He told me to rest and settle in, then disappeared into another part of the enormous penthouse. I sat on my new bed and looked around at my new life, feeling disconnected from everything. Just four days ago, I woke up excited to marry Matthew. Now I was married to a stranger in a business arrangement.

I should have felt scared or regretful, but instead, I felt something like hope stirring in my chest. Maybe this would turn out okay. Maybe I could actually start over and become someone stronger.

That night, I couldn't sleep in the too-soft bed in the too-quiet room. I wandered into the kitchen around midnight and found Benjamin there, still wearing his dress shirt but with the sleeves rolled up, drinking whiskey and looking at his laptop.

He glanced up when I entered and raised an eyebrow. I apologized for disturbing him and said I just wanted some water. He nodded and went back to his work without saying anything else.

I got my water and started to leave, but then I turned back and thanked him. For helping me, for the contract, for giving me a way out of my nightmare. Benjamin looked at me for a long moment with an expression I couldn't read.

Then he told me not to thank him yet, because being married to him wouldn't be easy. People would judge me and question me and try to tear me down. I would have to attend boring events and smile for the cameras and pretend to be happy. He wanted me to understand what I had signed up for.

I straightened my shoulders and told him I wasn't afraid of hard work or mean people. I had dealt with Beatrice and her cruelty for seven years. I could handle whatever came next.

Something that might have been respect flickered in Benjamin's eyes, and he nodded once. Then he told me to get some rest because tomorrow we would start our public life as husband and wife.

I went back to my room and climbed into bed, hugging a pillow to my chest. My wedding day had been a disaster, but somehow I had ended up married anyway. Just not to the man I expected, and maybe that was okay.

Maybe Benjamin Sinclair would turn out to be exactly what I needed, e

ven if neither of us knew it yet.