Chap_5. Only Fair Thing

It was a long back Damien had left the cabin but Eden was still in her chair. She didn't even seem to be in a hurry to leave the cabin as she tried to brace herself.

But no matter how much she tried to come up with a way out, she couldn't reach a conclusion.

She didn't know why Clarke didn't come to the office today. But she couldn't reach the conclusion that Clarke was well aware of Damien asking her to do this.

She didn't know if it was a good idea, she called Clarke but much to her disappointment, the voicemail response came to her hearing for her every attempt.

Destiny seemed to be playing a prank on her. A very frightening one to be specific that would cost her so well planned life of hers meeting a dead end in no moment.

How come her life reached this point? Eden wondered for a moment.

What should she do?

It wasn't a marriage that Damien was looking forward to but a game. A game that she never thought of taking a part in. Not even in her worst dream.

The shopping bag from Nicci was staring at her mockingly. She didn't dare to reach for it. Instead, leaving it untouched, she exited the cabin as well as the office building.

The guards at the entrance got confused seeing her like this. Normally, on her way in and out, Eden used to spend a few minutes with them, talking about normal stuff or getting updated about her unknown happenings in the office. But today with her mind roaming far away, she couldn't get herself to do it.

Flashing a forced smile wordlessly, she walked past them and made her way on the sideway by the road. Her phone rang off, pulling her out of her gloomy thoughts. She took out the phone and the caller ID got her even more worried. It was Brenda. For some reason, she couldn't get herself to answer the call.

Brenda was one of her best friends who was included in her plan. She was supposed to be a partner and work with her parents in the bakery. Baking cake and eating it were her favorite things.

The things she was supposed to ensure to make happen this time. From childhood Brenda had always helped her, be it in part time jobs or studying, or spending nights in the hospital with her when her father was admitted there.

Walking thoughtlessly for how long Eden didn't know, she got on the bus. She scanned the bus all around. No seat was left unoccupied today and no one seemed to be in a hurry to get down from the bus. Just thirty minutes of the ride and standing all the way. Eden thought in mind. It wasn't the first time for her to do it and it wasn't a problem after all.

As soon as she stood holding support, her mind again diverted to her earlier thoughts. For a moment, Eden considered being a cook like her mother and start the business of a restaurant with whatever she had in savings till now.

But she knew it wasn't going to work. In the case of cooking, Eden had made it to know the basic just. With the expert in her place, she never got the chance of learning more let alone handle the kitchen.

Besides, her mother would never agree to it she knew for sure. Rather she would start looking for a job from the very next moment.

And honestly, she wasn't even ready to opt for this new thing as a passion in her life and go through a midlife crisis. Damien didn't have to go through this type of thing for sure, but she had lived her all life like this until Clarke offered her the job and she wasn't ready to relive it again.

But still, she wasn't going to agree with Damien. She would surely think of a way real quick and sort it out. Maybe Clarke would be in the office the next day and she would be able to cut this crap short real quick.

If this got to happen, then it would be the best. But then Damien's words rang in her mind only to get her to face the cruel reality once more.

~~

A worried Brenda reached her as soon as she made an appearance at the entrance of her house, "Edie, you are late. Where were you? I was calling you since long back."

"When?" Eden lied and rummaged through her bag to take out the phone.

"Oh, it's on silent mode." Eden said as she turned to Brenda, "Sorry, I didn't know." and forced an apologetic smile.

Brenda nodded at her and then spoke up, "Okay. Come. We have prepared a new recipe for our soon to be an opening bakery, you know. Take a bite and give your review."

Eden took a glance at her mother who got near smilingly. Evangeline was no exception here. Excitement was all over the place.

She spoke up otherwise though, "Go, get freshen up first. Then come downstairs."

Nodding at her mother, Eden made her way to her room. Slumming the bag on the table, she walked to the washroom.

Though it was the same face, she saw every day in the mirror, she stood for some extra time facing herself, staring at her reflection.

Her all life flashed in front of her eyes and her determination to keep her family happy got even firmer. But..

~~

It was late at night.

Eden turned to her left and there was Brenda, peacefully sleeping. With Cassandra out of town, she had decided to stay over here, not willing to go back to the apartment alone that she and Cassandra shared.

Eden had woken up after having a nightmare of getting thrown out of their apartment because she was unable to pay the rent, her father getting ill being out of medicine and whatnot.

And if she dare not listen to Damien, there was a real possibility, that it would be turned into reality. It was getting her scared like never before.

There and then she realized, it was a one way direction for her thoughts. Because marrying Damien Etheridge, the billionaire heir wasn't going to cost her anything except morality to some extent but the thought of doing otherwise was a dare.

A dare she wouldn't even dare to think.

At least not now when she got a hold of her family. Her mother was so happy after a long time, and so was Brenda.

Not when the monthly expenditure like the medicinal bill for her father and their apartment rent would be due soon.

~~

The next day when she waited at the door of the cabin for Clarke, praying desperately for only him to reach the office, Damien showed up instead and with that, her little thought of doing otherwise faded in the thin air.

Taking a glance at her, Damien walked into the cabin with no word uttered. Eden was thinking about what to do when she heard Damien's authoritative voice, "Come in."

Shrugging other thoughts, Eden pulled the door open and got in. But before she could say something, Damien spoke up, "I see you forgot your stuff here." and gestured at the shopping bag on the desk.

Damien didn’t expect her to leave it here. He would have thought Eden had left the job here itself and declined his offer as well but her standing at the door said otherwise.

"What will I have to do actually?" Eden said shrugging off his question.

Damien leaned back on his chair, happy to see his plan working, and spoke up with a not so warm smirk, "For now, make me a coffee and then tell me how my day looks Iike today?"

Eden thought of a smart comeback but stopped her from spilling it out. What’s the point when she would have nothing to do but oblige anyway?

As Eden stepped out of the cabin, she sighed. Nothing was going as per her anticipation. When she took up the offer of working as the PA for Clarke, she didn’t know she was signing up for this actually but now she knew this was going to be her life.

If the game of their marriage came to light, her family would be distraught beyond imagination but only if she could make it remain a secret, her life would go on smoothly like now. Her parents and Brenda dreaming of the soon to be opened bakery.

With a steamy hot coffee and her notepad, Eden got into the cabin within minutes after knocking and getting permission.

Placing the coffee cup on the desk in front of Damien, she enlightened him about his schedule.

For the time being Eden was talking, Damien was staring at her.

She wasn’t the type of girl with whom Damien had been until now. Where his choice of girls was concerned, he never just settled for any girl. His choice was way far from just average girls. High class models, celebrities, actresses, announcers, and far from just average girls who wore tailored office suits, thick frame glasses, and make a ponytail.

Eden was an average girl but it didn’t irritate him. What irritated him was being so out of his league still, not falling for his charms was bad enough. Because he didn’t meet a girl who hadn’t spent time gawking at him and trying to get his attention to her using any means.

Eden was a bright exception in this matter. She seemed to be very desperate for getting him out of her way which triggered and intrigued him to get her on the board when he was pretty sure some other girls from his acquaintances would suit the role perfectly and match his taste as well.

The day got passed maintaining the hectic schedule and at the end of the day when Eden informed Damien that she was leaving, he asked her to talk to Clarke about her consent to marry him.

Eden gave him a confused look, "I have to talk to Mr. Etheridge?"

Damien spoke up with a smile, "Since you are so eager to marry me, it’s only fair for you to talk to my Dad. Don’t you think?"

Eden was so tempted to work on his handsome face with her clenched fist and wipe off the stupid smile, but she found herself nodding at him instead, "Of course. It’s the only fair thing to do."