A CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH MY BILLIONAIRE

Five: Unfakingly real we are

Days later after the ballroom, Lawrence and I maintained our boundaries in private while still portraying our 'union' in public.

On weekdays he was always out to be in his office while I remained in this enormous mansion with the maids.

But I never felt bored in anyway as Hilda was always there, I was in a way beginning to have some kind of bound with her.

"You know you should start cooking for your husband," Hilda said, as she made omelette for me for breakfast.

If only the marriage thing between me and Lawrence were anything true I could have agreed with her, but instead of saying the truth to her I lied. "Well you see, its not that I don't want or I don't know I should, but I'm very terrible at cooking. Once I almost burnt down my home while trying." Thinking this would make her to drop any further conversation about me cooking for Lawrence, she persisted saying. "Well you won't now as I will be hear to guide and teach you. That's if you like?"

Of course there was no way I would like this because nothing of me being here as Lawrence wife is real, but then again who was I to let such truth out. So I just went on with the pretence. "Sure I would love that," I said in an exciting high pitched voice. " Great then, I would teach you his favourite dish tonight, for dinner of course.

Now eating my omelette, I almost throwed the spoonful I had sent down my throat. I coughed profusely as I almost choked, but saving myself I drank from the glass of water close to omelette I was eating on the kitchen table. " Are you okay?" Hilda asked with worried eyes.

"Yes I am," I said laughing nervously. It's just that I didn't expect the cooking lesson to take on so fast already."

Staring at me with her motherly eyes she said. " Well I don't know if I should speak very freely to you, but I just thought the earlier you showcase your wife skills like cooking to your husband the better. Because not that I'm implying anything but I don't quite see the love bondness with you both especially when you both are in in doors you know."

I had almost choked earlier but hearing her almost gradually decoding the truth about my union with Lawrence being fake made my breathing to seize for some moments. "Come on, of course we bond well as the couple that we are," I said laughing it off nervously, " You don't just see us. And you know how my husband, your boss is, he likes to keep most things proper and private. That's why you see it like that."

I couldn't really tell if Hilda believed this lie as her expression didn't quite change, but saving my skipping nervous heart from pounding out from my chest, she said. " I suppose that is very true. Forgive from prying and insinuating anything, I'm deeply sorry."

Smiling in relief I fanned it off, trying to seem cool and not quite offended even though a real wife should have. " Oh it nothing that bad, I understand you were just expressing your concern that's all."

Smiling in relief as well, she took my omelette to wash along with other dishes in the sink, as she supposed I was done eating it as I didn't quite touch it again after almost chocking.

"So which one of his favourite dish would you be making for him tonight, with my guidance of course."

His favourite dish? I didn't even know he had any not to even mention multiple. Who goes about having multiple favourite dish anyway? I thought, shouldn't it normally be only one? I pondered to myself. There was a lot of things I didn't know about Lawrence, and we never quite thought of exchanging some simple personal information that I real couple should be aware of in each other.

"we should make some Italian dish for him. They are definitely one of his favourite dish for sure, that I know," I responded lying. I didn't know at all, but I guess I said the correct thing as Hilda gave out a big smile in approval. I was his real wife after all, so she would think now, of she had any doubt earlier.

But no I wasn't and I only guessed that right, all thanks to Italian nicely built kitchen and overall house which showed Lawrence love for Italian things including the house furnitures.

Few hours later, after laying and being around doing nothing tangible in particular than talking with Hilda and exploring some part of the house, Lawrence came back finally from work than the usual time he does. And by then I had already showered after getting all sweaty with Hilda in the kitchen, and the dinning table had already been set by the two of us.

"Did you have a great day at work?" I asked, pecking him on the check as I stood to where he was, advancing to his sit adjacent to mine. I couldn't tell if he despised or was taken aback by this my gesture, but I wouldn't have done or think of doing that if Hilda did not stood close watching.

Not reciprocating my gesture as a real husband should, because he obviously wasn't, he took his sit, adjusting poisely to get into eating mode, he replied. " Work was good." As Hilda proceeded to serve us our dinner, he surprisingly asked, "And how was your day?"

"Well it wasn't bad either," I said, smiling genuinely.

Taking a bite of his food, I saw profound delight in his eyes."Wow Hilda, this is really good today," he said taking another bite." Did you any separate special ingredients than before, cause this is really good."

"Actually sir, I wasn't the one who entirely made it, it was done by your wife here, ma'am Alicia," Hilda said giving me a playful wink.

Now, I don't know what I did wrong but at the mention of my name having a hand in the cooking made his light up face to darken to his almost normal everyday face disposition.

"Can you go get us more wine, Hilda?" he asked with his gaze glued at me. "Sure sir," Hilda said, bowing as she left.

Lowering his enough for no one but us to hear, he asked looking angry. "Just what do you think you are playing out, huh? Cooking for me like a real wife? This adds no money to what I will be paying you at the end of the year okay?"

Getting angry myself as he taught I was doing this for more money, I said in a hush voice as well. "You think I like getting all sweaty in the name of cooking anything for you? Do you even think I would think of doing such because of money? Well trust me I wouldn't if there weren't suspicion building about us actually being fake."

"What do you mean by su..." he was midway asking before Hilda came I with the wine.

As we are in silence after that, midway through finishing our meal, he beckoned at Hilda and whispered something to her ear. But now being furious all through the course of eating with him I didn't raise my head to see or bother about what he sent her out for, maybe perhaps to scold me again in hushed tones but I was ready to respond in like manner and angry feeling if it was that.

But then as I raised my head from my food I saw Hilda with a small shopping bag in hand.

"Give to her," Lawrence said to her .

"What's this?," I said looking confused as I took hold of them small bag.

"That will be all Hilda," he said to Hilda signalling her to leave us.

"Just open it and see," he urged me looking all normal as if he wasn't angry a few minutes ago with him.

Staring at him suspiciously unsure of what could be inside the bag with his sudden hot and cold attitude to me, I opened the content of the bag which had a black box.

"That's a new phone I got for you as I noticed you didn't quite had any," he said revealing the content of the black box as I did, it was a brand new phone.

"Thanks but you shouldn't have," I said bluntly, as I found this a little unsettling within me.

"If it would make you feel better I bought it so I can reach out to you whenever I need to," he said looking cold and indifferent. "My mom wanted you and to go for a tea party event tomorrow which could have been today if I could have been able to call through to you."

I knew it! he didn't suddenly remembered I had no phone and just stopped by the shop to grab one for me, it was because he had his own gains to it.

Clutching the small bag tightly showing my anger, I stood up taking the so called phone he got for me, as I said."I have to retire for the night now. Good night." But as I made an attempt to step forward to leave his firm hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me back. Standing up close looking at me, he said to my ears "I thought you said suspicion were building about us being fake. What would Hilda think if she sees storming off the way you want to now?"

Well she would know I married a jackass as a husband, this I wanted to badly say but I bit my lower lip from saying it and instead I said. " I don't care at all. Now let go of my wrist." But instead of letting go as I said, he gripped me firmly more but in a way that caused pain.

Taking me up suddenly to my surprise in his hands. "What do you think you are doing?" I asked sounding furious as if I didn't silently like his warm hands on my skin.

"What else do you think? Let's go prove how unfakingly real we are."