Mrs. Vale by Contract

EPISODE 2: The Contract

At 1:45 P.M., the taxi stopped in front of a quiet glass building. Lydia stepped inside.

A receptionist looked up. “Miss Hayes?”

She nodded.

“This way, please.”

The receptionist led her to an office, knocked once before opening the door.

Louis didn't look up when she entered. He signed the final page of a document and slid it towards Carter.

“Handle it.”

Only then did Louis raise his eyes.

“Sit.”

He placed a black folder on the desk and slid it toward her. “I need a wife.”

Lydia frowned. “Are you joking?”

“For one year.”

She stared at him. “I won’t marry you.”

Louis leaned back. “Don’t be in a rush”

He gestured towards the folder. “Read.”

She hesitated but opened it. The first page was a marriage contract. Her eyes moved across the terms.

One-year legal marriage. Shared residence. Separate bedrooms. Public appearances together when required. Travel and event attendance when necessary. All personal expenses covered by Louis Vale. Monthly financial compensation. A final settlement upon completion of the agreement.

Lydia turned the pages. There were clauses covering privacy and public conduct.

She looked up. “You really expect someone to sign this?”

“Yes.”

“You don't even know me.”

“I know enough.”

Lydia closed the folder. “I have no interest in becoming your wife.” She pushed it back across the desk.

“State your price?” He reached for a second folder. He slid it towards her. “This one deserves more attention.”

Lydia frowned.

“Read.”

She opened it. The first page contained photographs. Carter helping her into Louis's suite, a picture of her asleep on the bed. Another showed her leaving the following morning.

Lydia's stomach tightened. She turned the page. A report about her father's misconduct within Vale Group. Then another document.

Grace Hayes. Hospital records. Treatment history. Payment schedules.

The paper crinkled under her grip as her fingers locked. She turned another page. The hospital's discounted patient care programme. Her mother's eligibility. The cost of treatment, and a clause explaining how the subsidy could be withdrawn if her eligibility changed.

Lydia looked up sharply. “How did you get these?”

“I own the hospital.”

Her chest tightened.

“Keep reading.”

Lydia's eyes moved to another page. Family profile. Second wife. She stopped.

Louis's voice remained quiet. “I've never had much patience for a woman who interfered in another woman’s marriage.”

Lydia snapped the folder shut. “My mother isn't one of them.”

Louis met her glare. “That's your opinion.”

“You have no right to judge her.”

“Whether your mother deserves my judgment is irrelevant.” His fingers tapped the medical records once. “What matters is that I can make her ineligible for the discount.”

Lydia stared at him.

“I can make it completely free and also assign a private nurse to her care for as long as medically necessary.”

Lydia's breath caught.

“But only if you become my wife.”

He stood. Buttoned his jacket. Then walked towards the door.

“You're using my mother?”

“I'm offering you a chance to take better care of her.”

“You have two hours.”

Then he left.

Silence settled over the office. One folder lay open to the contract. The other remained open to her mother's medical records. She looked from one to the other.

Then shut both.

She couldn't marry a man who looked at her mother with contempt.

Her hand reached for the contract again.

Disgust rose in her throat, but she read every page once more. Freedom to pursue her own interests. Everything she needed would be provided, and a generous payment too.

Her eyes moved to her mother's file. Severe rheumatoid arthritis. Discounted treatment programme.

She remembered the nights her mother struggled to grip a spoon. She remembered Victoria's voice whenever another payment came due. “Why waste money on someone who'll never get better?”

Her father had always remained silent.

Lydia closed her eyes.

If she lost the discount eligibility, her mother's care would once again depend on Victoria. She couldn't hand her mother back to that woman.

Then another thought came. The money. She could finally build something of her own. A business. Something she had dreamed about since university but had never been allowed to pursue.

If she was giving Louis one year of her life, perhaps she could make something out of it.

Lydia looked at the contract. “It's only a year.”

One signature stood between her freedom and her mother's care.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts and Louis walked in. “Decided yet?”

Lydia looked up. “If you decide you want…” The words caught in her throat. She forced herself to continue. “ a real marriage. Can you force me to…”

She couldn't finish.

“Just don’t behave like last night”

Heat rushed into Lydia's face. If only she had gone straight home that night, this wouldn’t be happening.

She picked up the pen, and signed her name.

“Carter.”

The door opened immediately. “Yes, sir.”

“Prepare the registry.”

Lydia's head snapped up. “The registry?”

Louis placed the signed contract inside a folder. “The marriage will be registered today.”

“My family isn’t aware.”

He looked at his watch. “You can tell them later.”

“My family should at least consent.”

“Do they?” His gaze held hers. “Your father values his position more than you. I don’t care about your stepmother.”

He paused.

“Your mom isn’t the one making decisions in that house either.

Lydia's heart sank. “I still need my documents.”

“Call your mother. Five minutes.”

Lydia dialled her mother's number.

“Lydia?”

She swallowed. “Mom, I need my birth certificate and every document required for marriage registration.”

“Wasn’t it cancelled?” Grace sounded bewildered. “What’s going on?”

“I'm getting married today.”

“To whom?”

Lydia closed her eyes. “Louis Vale.”

Grace gasped. “What?”

"I'll call your father."

The line ended.

Richard barely had time to settle into his chair before his phone rang. “What is it?”

“Richard…” Her voice trembled. “Lydia says she's getting married today.”

He frowned. “What nonsense?”

“She asked me to send her documents. She said the groom is…”

Grace hesitated. “Louis Vale.”

Richard shot to his feet. “Louis Vale?”

His surprise quickly turned into excitement.

“You're going to talk her out of it?”

“Richard…”

“Are you out of your mind?” His voice hardened. “Lydia is marrying the future CEO of Vale Group. Send every document they need immediately.”

Grace was silent. “What if she is pushing herself because of the betrayal?”

“That's her choice. This is the best thing that has happened to our family.”

The line went dead.

Grace stared at her phone for a moment before lowering it. She wasn’t expecting that from Richard.

A voice came from behind her. “Louis Vale?”

Victoria stood at the entrance, Vanessa beside her.

Victoria folded her arms. "So… when exactly did Lydia become acquainted with him?"

Vanessa's eyes narrowed.

The marriage registry took less than fifteen minutes. Carter stood as witness. The registrar slid the certificate across the desk.”

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Vale.”

Lydia stared at the paper. Yesterday, she had imagined walking down an aisle in a white dress. Today, she walked out of a government office with a marriage certificate.

Louis accepted Carter's congratulations with a brief nod. Then turned to Lydia.

“Carter will pick you up tomorrow morning.”

Before she could answer, he stepped into the waiting car.

When Lydia reached home, Richard met her in the sitting room. Pride lit his face.

“You've done well.”

Victoria's eyes swept over Lydia “So you really managed to marry into the Vale family.” Grace quietly followed Lydia to her room and closed the door.

“Lydia.” Her voice remained gentle. “Tell me the truth.”

She stepped closer. “Were you forced into this or is it because of Ryan?”

“I just moved on, Mom. I'm happy.”

Grace searched her face for several seconds. Then she pulled Lydia into a hug.

"If you're happy…" She stroked her hair. "…then that's enough for me."

Later, when the house had gone quiet, Lydia sat alone on the edge of her bed. The marriage certificate and contract rested beside her.

She looked at the gold band on her finger. It felt more like a chain than a ring.

She thought about Louis' cold eyes. His quiet insults. If he could make her feel this powerless in a single day, what would one year with him do to her?