Inside The Car
1006 Words
Claire’s POV
Claire was holding her bag in her right hand while walking towards the exit of Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
Vladimir is walking in front of her.
She looked at him and saw how he walked confidently.
Claire wants to ask Vladimir if he is sure that he wants to meet her parents, but she can’t because of how unbothered he is.
She sighed and looked down while she was walking.
I hope mama and papa will understand.
Claire bumped her head on something, so she decided to look in front of her.
It was Vladimir.
He is now looking at her.
“What do you think you’re doing not looking in front of you? What if you hit your head on the wall instead of me? Why are you following me instead of being beside me? Think about our child, Claire. Think about the baby inside of you.”
She stared at him and just nodded.
“Are you hungry? Why are you not speaking?”
She shook her head.
Vladimir looked at her as if calculating the things he would do, then he took her hand and gently grabbed her.
They walked towards the exit while holding each others’ hands.
Claire just followed wherever Vladimir went.
Then, Vladimir stopped walking.
She almost hit her head again, but she stopped herself.
Then, Vladimir opened the black car’s door.
“Go inside,”
She followed what he said.
Then, Vladimir got in the car.
Vladimir and Claire are in the back seat, while a driver is in the driver’s seat.
Claire is still silently thinking about what she will tell her family when Vladimir closes the door aggressively.
She looked at him.
Claire saw that Vladimir was mad, but she didn’t mind it.
She looked at her hands instead and saw the ring Vladimir gave her.
“Drive to the nearest restaurant,” Vladimir commanded.
I know that they will understand. They will understand…
She leaned on the seat and closed her eyes.
I already told them that I would come today. Should I not tell them the reason why I came? He said that we would live together for only 365 days, so they didn’t need to know that I would get married and get annulled afterward.
She sighed once again.
“How many times will I hear you sigh today?”
Claire was surprised by Vladimir‘s voice. She looked at him, and she saw Vladimir looking straight at her.
“And, when will you answer me? I’ve been talking to you since we got on the plane, and up until now, but I still haven’t heard your voice. I still haven’t heard you speak,”
“I’m sorry,” Claire said.
“Finally! You get to find your voice!” Vladimir exaggeratedly said.
“Don’t exaggerate things, will you?” Claire then rolled her eyes and looked in front of her again.
“You’re not going to talk to me again?”
“Just let me be. I am thinking, you know.” Claire said.
Then a long silence.
They both did not talk to each other.
Ten minutes passed when Vladimir spoke again.
“Do you want to eat?”
She did not answer.
Then the driver cleared his throat and spoke.
“We are here, Sir.”
“Don’t stop. Just continue the drive,” Vladimir said coldly.
She sighed once again.
“Will you stop that!” Vladimir said furiously
Claire was shocked by Vladimir’s voice.
She faced him and glared at him.
“Why are you shouting at me?”
“I have been patient with you, Claire, but I can’t take how we are not talking properly since the moment we saw each other earlier,” Vladimir said with a controlled voice.
“What’s wrong with you?” Vladimir continued.
“I also told you that I am busy, didn’t I?”
“Busy with what? Thinking? Thinking about what? Why don’t you elaborate on it? How am I supposed to help you if you’re not vocal with what you’re thinking?”
“I don’t want to tell my family that I will get married,” Claire said.
Vladimir was stunned.
“Why?”
“You told me that we will just get married for three hundred and sixty-five days, and we will get annulled afterward, so why bother telling them that we will get married?” Claire said while looking at his eyes.
“On second thought, why do you want to get married?”
“Are you sure that you don’t want to tell them? And for your second question, I will answer you once we get married.”
She looked down and looked at the ring on her finger.
She touched it.
“I don’t know how to tell them that I am pregnant and got pregnant with someone I barely know. I don’t even know how I can tell them that it's a contract marriage, that I will give full custody to you in exchange for money.” Claire looked at Vladimir again.
They stared at each other.
“I don’t even know how to tell them that our marriage will just last for a year.”
“I told you I will do the talking. I will convince them. I will get their complete trust. I will assure them that I will take care of you and our baby. I will also---”
“We both know that it will be full of lies. We both know that you have hidden motives. You can’t even tell me the reason why you want to marry me. I don’t want to lie to my family, especially to my parents.”
“We will both benefit from this contract marriage, Claire.”
She looked outside the window and spoke again.
“This is the reason why I don’t want to voice out my opinion because it will just lead to what you want. There’s no point in talking. We will just waste our time.”
- Writer
