Contract Marriage with Mr. CEO

Chapter 1 Claire's POV “Angel, I can't believe it!” I gasped into the phone, pacing around my small apartment as I stared at the glittering ring on my finger. My heart pounded with excitement. “I just found it outside my door, in a velvet box. Do you think it's from Jasper? Oh my god! Do you think he's finally proposing?” “Claire, calm down. You are spinning.” Angel chuckled at the other end of the line. I could hear the excitement in her voice. I sank into my chair, clutching the phone like my life depended on it. “It has to be from him. Who else would send a ring? This could be the moment,” Angel continued. My eyes darted to the ring again, its flawless diamond catching the sunlight. “Should I call him, or should I wait for him to say something first? And what if it was not from him?” Angel laughed, her voice playful. “Why are you overthinking this? Go and see him. Maybe he has planned a big surprise for you. Imagine if he's waiting to propose in some romantic setting.” “You think so?” I whispered, my chest tightening with hope. “Of course. Go, and make sure to tell me what happened.” She urged, while the call was disconnected. I took a deep breath, grabbing my coat and hurried out, my heart racing as I made my way to Jasper's house. The ring sparkling on my finger, the air felt electric, every step adding to the anticipation building inside of me. Finally, I was going to get married to the love of my life, the man I've been dating for eight years now. I couldn't believe it. When I reached Jasper's house, I met his sister, Bianca, leaning casually against the door frame. She raised her eyebrows, a smirk playing on her lips, as soon as she saw me. “Hey, Bianca,” I gritted, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is Jasper here?” Bianca tilted her head, studying me like she was piecing together a puzzle. “He's not here right now,” she said, somewhat unusually cryptic. “But if I were you, I'd check the fountain, fountain beauty. You might find him there.” Bianca didn't offer any more information. “Typical of her,” I muttered under my breath. I don’t mind though, at least not at the moment. With a sinking feeling and a heart full of questions, I immediately hurried out to the location that she mentioned. The fountain was breathtaking, filled with twinkling lights, hung up beautifully, soft music played in the background, and flower petals were scattered around the ground. It seemed like someone wanted to propose to the love of his life here. My breath caught as I took in the scene. This is it. He's proposing. He's really doing it. Soon I spotted Jasper standing near the fountain, looking sharp in a cute white shirt and blazer. But something was off. His expression wasn't the calm, loving one that I expected. His expression seemed distant and distracted, like he was shocked to see me there. “Jasper,” I called softly, rushing towards him. He looked at me like he wasn't expecting me. “Claire,” he said, his voice neutral. Before I could ask anything, the surrounding crowd started cheering. Jasper suddenly dropped to his knees. My heart stopped. This is it. But then he looked past me. Who was he looking at? I didn't care, I stretched my hands ready to get the ring on my finger. But the ring was with me, “wait-” I said while searching my little bag for the ring. But my heart broke as I heard what he said next. “Angel,” he began. His voice filled with tenderness that I'd never heard before. My voice immediately ran cold, and I stopped what I was doing. “What th…?” I choked out, but the voice wouldn't come up. Angel stepped forward from the crowd, and I could see a smile on her face. Jasper held out the ring, and I saw it. It was not the one that I had found, but another one. It looks almost identical. “Will you marry me?” He asked, his voice very soft and tender. The world around me blurred, my chest tightened, my ears ringing as Angel started laughing. “Yes,” she threw her arms around him, kissing him as the crowd clapped. The whisper began almost immediately. Wasn't Jasper dating Claire? Poor girl thought he was going to propose to her. I stood frozen, my mind racing. This can't be real; this has to be a nightmare. I looked at Angel, expecting to see guilt in her, but her smile was broad and unapologetic, like they'd been doing this behind my back. I couldn't believe that. Jasper avoided my gaze entirely, his hand resting on Angel's waist. My blood boiled while I stared at them. How could they do this to me? My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I dashed towards them, my heart shattering with every step that I took. “Jasper, what the heck are you doing? What the heck is this?” Jasper turned to me, his expression cold and distant. “Claire, stop this! Please don't make a scene here. You're not needed here. I don't know what you came to do here. Who even told you I was here?” I smirked, my eyes flaring with fire “Like seriously, I'm making a scene here. Who told me you were here?” I chuckled, but I was feeling bitter, I wanted to tear both of them apart right now, I was only controlling myself. “You proposed to my friend, not just my friend, my best friend in front of me.” My voice cracked, raw and filled with betrayal. “So you've been seeing her behind my back, haven't you? How long has it been going on?” I sighed, scattering my hair frantically. “For four years now. Claire, let's not do this here.” He said without any remorse. I couldn't imagine I'd been with this man for eight years. “Four years,” I laughed bitterly, tears streaming down my face. “And you didn't have the decency to let go of me. You let me believe……. Oh my goodness.” “Believe what?” Jasper snapped, his voice colder than before. “I never loved you, Claire. Angel and I, we are a real deal. It's Angel I love, not you.” His voice hit me like a slap. My chest felt like it was being split open. The weight of his betrayal caught deep down in me. I turned to Angel, my so-called best friend. “And you, you didn't even think twice before stabbing me in the back.” She struggled, unapologetic. “So you expected me to turn this kind of handsome man down? No way! He came to me and asked me to date him. I couldn't say no.” She said, and the murmurs of the crowd grew louder. Everyone stared at me with pity and curiosity, which was suffocating me. I couldn't take it any longer. “You both disgust me!” I spat in a trembling voice. “I hope you are happy together.” I said, and then I turned, walking away. Tears streamed from my eyes as I left the venue. By the time I reached the bar, I was a mess. Tears streamed down my face. My makeup is in a mess now. More tears streamed down my face as I ordered a bottle of wine. I drowned glass after glass. The alcohol I drank didn't seem to numb the pain that was in my chest. My mind was swirling with anger. I checked my bag and the ring I saw again seemed like a cruel joke. Who could have sent it, if it was not Jasper? I wondered. Is someone playing pranks on me? The night flowed into a haze of wine and tears. At some point, I must have stumbled into a car because the next thing I saw when I woke up was that I was in a strange room, not just a room, but a hotel room. I ran to stream down the curtain, intensifying the pounding in my head. Then I saw a note on the nightstand, written in unique unfamiliar handwriting. “I enjoyed last night with you.” My breath itched, my stomach dropped. What the heck happened last night?