Bound by Contract

A Marriage of Convenience

Sophia sat perched on the end of her mother’s bed, clammy hand in hers, as she slept. The only sound in the room was the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. The fluorescent lights overhead gave the sterile white walls an even more cold, crisp, and uninviting demeanor. Staring at her mother's tranquil face made her heart ache with the knowledge that she could not do more to ease her pain. The doctor said the treatments were going as expected, so now the bills were piling up, and Sophia was running out of options.

Her conversation with Alex Blackwood played on a loop in her mind. The suggestion he made was outlandish, almost offensive, yet she could not deny the pull of the offer; the chance to give her mother the care she needed without the worry of how she would pay. Of course, money was a part of it, but that wasn't all. Could she really marry the man who was interested in her merely as a means to an end?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her from thought. Sliding her hand into her pocket, Sophia fished for her phone, and opened with one thumb the message from Alex Inside read, "Dinner tonight. 7 PM, meet me at Blackwood Tower. We need to discuss the terms."

She stared down at the message. Her heart raced. This was truly it! If she were to read through the lines, she realized that if she accepted this dinner engagement, she was forever altering the two of their lives. But she really had no choice. She stole another glance at her mother. With that, she notices her decision is solidifying, "I will do whatever it takes," she whispers to herself.

----

Sophia arrived at Blackwood Tower before 7pm, fidgeting with her hands as she waited for the elevator to take her to the top floor. She was overwhelmed by the grandeur of the building, a stark contrast to the life she led. When the elevator doors slid open, she stepped out into a breathtaking penthouse-style apartment. The unit had glazed walls that displayed spectacular vistas of the city skyline.

Alex was seated on the sofa in the living room, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand. He was wearing tailored dress slacks with an unbuttoned shirt that looked casual but still somehow maintained the domineering presence she had witnessed earlier. "Sophia," he said as he held his glass up to her to acknowledge her presence. "Thanks for coming," he said. She merely nodded and felt out of place in her simple summer dress. "I'm here to discuss the terms Mr. Blackwood," she stated formally.

"Please, call me Alex," he said with a wave of his hand to sit on the plush sofa by him. Wanting to cheers her way into a brief friendship, he asked, "Can I get you something to drink?" "No, thank you," Sophia replied, uneasily taking a seat with her hands folded in her lap. She had a feeling that his eyes were still studying her, watching her every movement. "Alright then," Alex stated as he took a seat across from her with the whiskey in his hand. "I'll get straight to it. The marriage will last one year. You'll play the role of my wife in public, attend industry-related events with me, and convincingly portray an act of a committed couple. We'll keep our marriage professional," he stated.

Sophia nodded, confused and her mind racing at how much she will earn throughout the marriage. "And after a year, what do you expect will happen?" she responded.

"One year from now, we will get divorced," Alex responded, without inflection in his voice. "You will be amply compensated for your year of time and we will part ways with no obligations," he assured. Sophia's throat felt like it was closing. "And in exchange for that, you'll be responsible for paying off my mother's hospital bills," she questioned. "That's right. You will also feel financially secure during our marriage. You won't have to worry about money at any point during your contract," he affirmed to her. She took a moment to breathe deeply to compose herself. "And what about... us? What if people begin to ask questions?" she questioned curiously.

"We will create a story," Alex stated matter-of-fact. "It will be a whirlwind romance and then an impulsive decision to get married. People love a good story and we will give them one. As long as we both maintain our roles as per our contract, no one will ever suspect anything dishonest," he said confidently.

Sophia felt her heart beating quickly. This was happening. She was about to agree to a marriage of convenience to a man she hardly knew, who didn't seem nor want anything more than a legal obligation to her... But if it meant saving her mother's life... "Okay, I'll do it," she said nearly in a whisper. Alex's expression softened for an instance, yet stated in his same tone, "Great! I will have a contract typed up and we can sign it today. If everything goes well, we can be married by the end of he week." She nodded, feeling both frightened, yet brave. This was her decision! She was going through with this for her mother, and she would see it through to the end!

As Sophia departed the penthouse that night, she swore it would be the last time she saw it. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had made a deal with the devil, but she also couldn't shake the feeling that she would happily sign a contract that night, that she would actively run into the flames.

As she walked down the streets of the city, she could feel the weight of her decision settling over her like a heavy blanket: there was no turning back now.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Sophia mumbled to herself as she walked into the office of the lawyer the next day.

"Good morning, Sophia," Alex, the lawyer said, standing from his chair. "I'm glad you could make it!" "Of course," Sophia said, trying to sound confident, "I'm ready to sign the contract."

The lawyer, a middle-aged man with a kind face, beamed and handed her what seemed like a too thick stack of papers. "This is the agreement; I'll review it with you, but I want to stress!" (smile and point at stack of paper) "It has been highlighted, so read through it and take your time."

Sophia nodded and began to scan the documents, one by one her eyes rolled quickly to the top of the page to read through the familiar terms of the marriage, duration of the marriage, compensation, etc. All of it seemed standard, but then the word "maintain a certain public image" caught her eye.

"What is this?!" she pointed to the paragraph, "it says here that I have to 'maintain a certain public image'?!"

Alex leaned forward his arms resting on the table, and narrowed his eyes, "it means you behave in a manner that reflects well on me and my business" he said. "No scandals, no embarrassing behavior or any other public disgrace," he said.

Sophia raised her eyebrow, "and what on earth is considered 'embarrassing behavior?'" she asked.