Trapped In Contract Marriage

Chapter 2

This situation changed my entire life. Everyone in that cockpit was toast except for me. The airline company put all the blame on me to save insurance money for passengers even though there was a fault in their engine. They dug through my training records, found some loopholes, and slapped the blame on me for causing the damn crash. And that flight path? They're saying I'm the one who flew it right into the disaster. Talk about a royal screw-over. Been busting my ass the past couple of days trying to clear my name and prove I'm innocent.

Can you believe it? My past two lawyers turned out to be completely compromised – they were basically puppets for the airline company. Even my mom had hired them, and yet they got swayed by the airline's influence. In fact, my last lawyer didn't even bother showing up for the trial. But then along came Mr Nathan Chambers, who did show up. It was then that he handed me this contract.

Natasha’s bloodstain started degrading, leaving a pungent smell behind. My cellmates were all holding their noses and making disgusted faces. Me? I shoved my head between my knees and shuffled to the other side, as far away from that damn basin as I could get. The air in here was thick and heavy, each inhale carrying that nasty metallic tang.

If I am proven guilty in the plane crash, I'll be sentenced to life imprisonment. There's even talk that they might transfer me to a more dreadful cell than this one. My body trembled with fear; this shouldn't be my fate. It's only been twenty days since I got here, and the thought of spending forty years behind bars is overwhelming. I doubt I can endure more than forty days.

I would be glad if they gave me punishment for execution, but this place. No way!

Back in the day, I was a ray of sunshine. I was crazy about roses and sunflowers. My mom and I always had clashes if she didn’t swap out the flowers in my vase. I wanted that space to be a burst of positivity and colour, but this cell is like a black hole.

I rolled my gaze over the contract that the lawyer had just handed me. It was a contract of marriage. The day I signed this contract, George Dewsbury’s personal lawyer’s team would fight for me. I don't even know who sent him, what the connection was between that person and me.

But this place became unbearable. But the contract condition was terrific. I mean apart from number one, I didn’t like any of them.

Party A: Ms Crystal Harding, Age 23, Loire Valley, France.

Party B: Mr George Dewsbury, Age 30, Avenue Foch, France.

Number 1: The marriage between Party A and Party B is purely based on a contract, with no emotions involved from either party. It would be advisable for both parties to refrain from investing in any form of emotion, love, care, etc.

Number 2: Party A is not allowed to meet any other person after marriage. If she does, Party B should be present there. He holds the power to isolate Party A from her friends and family, cutting her off from any support or comfort that may challenge his power, in case of threat to his privacy and security.

Number 3: Party B would have the right to demand intimacy at any time, and Party A must comply without hesitation. In order to make this marriage seem more reliable. He can claim her body anytime, anywhere, without resistance.

Number 4: Party A would be obligated to follow Party B’s every command, no matter how harsh or inhumane they may be. Party A should not obey anyone except from Party B.

Number 5: Party A is forbidden from seeking help or disclosing the true nature of their marriage to anyone. If she does this, and party B incurs any kind of damage, then party A will be liable to compensate party B.

Number 6: The contract is binding for eternity, with no possibility of termination or escape. If Party A's actions cause harm to Party B's reputation, it will be up to Party B to decide how they wish to repair the damage to their reputation.

Number 7: In the event that Party A and Party B have children, custody will be granted to Party B, and Party A may leave the country with some financial arrangement.

What the hell!

Enough! I stopped damn reading it. I couldn't read further through these f*****g rules; I couldn't imagine thrusting my life into such a hell. Yes, I understand that Dewsbury is not an ordinary person, someone I can just enter a contract marriage with today and back off tomorrow. Seems he must be such a powerful person who could deviate from the evidence, which is all against me. He can bribe the officials, and even send a lawyer to my cell when no one is allowed to meet me until the next trial. He is more than anything I thought him to be. But why did he want to marry me in the first place?

After reading all of this, nobody would want to marry under such conditions, and I don't want to either. Getting married to him means giving away my freedom to him. And getting married right after coming out of jail? I still have feelings for Kai.

My heart pounded when I considered the consequences of signing. When I was suffering from extreme hatred of the entire country, this person suddenly appeared, not exactly appeared. Today I talked with him for the first time, and we had our conversation through his lawyer. He was willing to help me and wanted to take me out of this devastating place, but in return he wanted me to marry him.

****

Heaven’s Mansion, France.

In the opulent drawing room of Heaven's Mansion, George's fingers drummed an anxious rhythm on the polished mahogany table.

“This is an update of our new security software. The manager was demonstrating the operation of the new software to George, but George's gaze remained fixed on the resume lying on the table in front of him. He stared at it with an intensity that could have set the paper ablaze, his piercing eyes fixated on the photograph embedded within it. As if he could incinerate not just the paper, but the person in that photograph. The smiling face in the picture gave him a sharp ache.

His lawyer, Nathan Chambers, went inside and sat across from him. He was looking through the contract that George asked him to prepare. He stared at George's face, wondering what he could think of all these terms. If the devil had a father, perhaps it would be George.

“Nat,” George's voice sliced through the charged atmosphere. His expression held a gravity that could move mountains. "Did she... did Crystal sign the contract?" the question hung in the air, with a demand of an unwavering response.

Nathan glanced up from the document, a faint frown etched on his brow. If someone had closely observed George, it was Nathan. As George's best friend, he knew all of George's pros and cons, and unfortunately, there were very few pros and a multitude of cons. He was well aware that his best friend had a narcissistic, self-centered, and arrogant personality. He knows that George isn't accustomed to hearing "no." He had witnessed all of George's ups and downs with his own eyes. Even now, he was hesitating to say no. He cleared his throat, tried to twist the words as he always does.

"George, I guess… those conditions are quite extraordinary. How could she possibly agree to them? I mean, marrying you and her for staying in the prison won't be the same thing, don’t you think?" He asked, knowing he was just walking on the edge of a knife. One wrong move and he’s dead.

“Answer me what I have asked. Did she sign it or not?” His eyes blazed like twin fires, his hand slammed on the table with echoing thud.

“No.” Nathan replied, holding his tie. George crushed his teeth,

"So, what were you f*****g doing there? Being such a kickass lawyer of the country, you couldn't even convince that f*****g twenty-year-old girl?" George's voice was as cold as ice, his face revealing a glint of anger.

“You need to change the terms. Be a little easy on her. Why would she accept the contract if it’s offering the same thing?” Nathan tried to advise him, but he knew George would never listen to anyone else. He does what he wants to do.

“The terms will remain the same, and she will sign this contract soon.” George crushed her biodata in his hand and threw it in the dustbin.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by George's certainty. "And what made you so sure?” His question sharpened George’s eyes, trembling the seat of Nathan.

“Because that f*****g b***h had no other option.”

“I mean she looked stubborn if anyone else had been in her place. She must have begged my knees to take her out. She just got confused. She is strong.”

As soon as Nathan said this, George got up from his chair. His shoes tapped on the wooden floor of the drawing room. Each tap was cold, enough to send chills down the spine. He stopped in front of Nathan. Grabbing the arms of his chair. Nathan turned pale to see George’s cold face. He started sweating on his forehead.

“If she is f*****g strong, then make her damn weak. That b***h should have been on your feet. I know you can do it, Nat.” He smirked and left. Nathan just wiped his forehead and went to follow his orders.