The Silent Vow

Oliver Ferdinand’s fingers traced the words over the letter he had received. His grand office which was on the top floor of the Ferdinand Enterprises was sleek, had beautifully polished furniture and designed with an eye for details. He stood there, staring at the letter he just read, he felt the weight of the last command which his father had given to him pressing against him, as if to suffocate him. A will, a legacy, and a final chance to hold onto everything his father had built. His father’s voice echoed in his mind, “A wife, Oliver. A wife before you turn thirty, or you forfeit everything” Oliver was almost thirty now, and the deadline was so close. His fiercely ambitious nature could not bear the thought of losing everything he had worked so hard for, but the idea of getting attached to anyone, of letting loose of even a fraction of his control, was something he couldn’t comprehend easily. The power and influence he held onto was fragile, dependent on calculated decisions and the isolation he had been in over the years. Love, or any form of emotion in fact, he viewed as a weakness that could ruin it all. Yet, here he was, left without a choice, considering marriage as a lifeline. But not just any marriage... A CONTRACT. A binding agreement. His father was not specific on love; he just demanded that he got himself a wife to secure the business and protect it from those who would attempt to undermine it. Oliver glanced at the file before him. His personal assistant, Caleb Monroe, had given him a list of potential brides selected by a matchmaking agency. Each woman more suitable than the other, yet none of them were right. None of them were what he needed. He wanted someone with little to no expectations, someone who would not demand anything he wasn’t willing to give. He needed a pawn. Then he saw a name. Sophie Baker. A meek librarian from a small town with nothing to her name but a heart too big for her own good. She was an unexpected match, but in her simplicity, she fit the role Oliver needed—someone who would say yes without hesitation, someone with enough to gain but nothing to lose. Sophie stood by the window of her tiny apartment, gazing out in the streets. It was another boring afternoon as she had concluded her shift at the library, the sound of distant vehicle horns and indistinct chatter echoed up from the ever busy streets. She stared so hard that you would think she carried the weight of the world in her chest, but there it was, the growing concern of her family’s financial ruin. The bills kept piling up higher every day, and with each passing hour, she was faced with heavier burden of responsibilities on her shoulders. Her father’s once successful business had collapsed due to the weight of bad investments, now Sophie has found herself caught between trying to patch up the remains of his legacy and actually chasing her own dreams. As a librarian in a small-town library, Sophie found some peace in books and the quiet of the neatly arranged stacks. Yet, even the world of literature couldn’t block off the sad reality of her life. Every morning, she woke up with greater fear for what her family’s future would hold, wondering if there was any way to climb out of the debt that threatened them. Her sister, Emma, had always been so fierce and plain with decision making, she wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she wanted, when she wanted it. But Sophie? She was always so gentle, such a soft-spoken peacemaker trying to make everyone happy—even when it meant sacrificing her own happiness. Suddenly, her phone rang aloud and broke her thoughts. Sophie’s heart skipped a bit as she took a glance at the screen. It was her mother. She picked it up immediately. “Hi Mom, how are you?” Sophie asked, her voice laced with concern. “Not so good, Sophie.” She said, followed with a heavy sigh. Her voice shaking with fear “The bank sent us yet another reminder… they’re saying they would take the house if we can’t come up with something as soon as possible, I don’t know what else we can do.” Sophie closed her eyes in silence for a moment, pressing her fingers against each other. The burden she carried was becoming too unbearable for her. She had tried almost everything—working extra shifts at the library, taking other side jobs, but nothing seemed to be working. “Sophie, are you there?” Her mother asked, breaking the silence. “I’ll figure something out, Mom, I promise”, Sophie said, knowing she was lying. She didn’t have any solution. At least not one that seemed promising. It was at that moment that a thought hit her, one that she had ignored for so long ever since she had learned of the Ferdinand family’s proposal. Oliver Ferdinand. The name sent a chill down her spine. He was a young billionaire, a man of power, wealth, and so much influence. A man who had no business dealing with someone like her. And yet, Oliver’s life had taken an unexpected turn with the passing of his father. She had heard that his father’s will left him an almost impossible deadline: To find a wife within a year, or lose the inheritance that came with his father’s empire. The matchmaking agency had reached out to Sophie months ago, offering a proposal for a contract marriage to Oliver Ferdinand. It all seemed so absurd, surreal even. But as time went by and her family’s situation got worse, Sophie was left with no choice but to explore the possibilities of the proposal being real. She had nothing left to lose. She was desperate. Sophie’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at her door. She immediately turned to see Emma standing in the doorway, her arms folded. “I’ve been here a while, I heard your conversation,” Emma said, her voice as soft and calm as possible. “You don’t have to go through all this alone, Sophie. You need to put yourself first, think about what’s best for you for once. You can’t give up everything for the family without taking care of yourself.” Sophie turned back to the window, her eyes heavy with tears. “I know,” she said, under her breath. “But can I really help it? We can’t lose everything Dad worked hard for. I need to take care of Mom and Dad.” Emma came closer and held her hands, “Sophie, there are other ways. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself to save them.” She said, her voice gentle but firm. But Sophie was so sure there was no other way. She knew she had to make a decision as soon as possible. So she did. Very early the next day, Sophie walked into the matchmaking agency’s office, her hands shaking with fear. She was greeted with a smile by a lady behind the desk, smart-looking with dark hair. “You’re here about the proposal,” the woman said, as if Sophie was just another client on the list. “Very well then. You’ve made the right choice.” Sophie hesitated, but there was no turning back now. “I’m ready.” She said, though her voice faltered.