Valerie's POV
The plan worked.
I almost burst out laughing when I first saw the look on his face. It was a combination of confusion and anger.
He is obviously an impatient man. I came late on purpose and I am dressed this way on purpose too.
I want to spite him. I am only here for a reason, not because I actually want to go ahead with the so-called silly betrothal and marriage preparations.
No matter how much I think of this, it irks me and I want to do something to defy my parents for taking a major decision like this on my behalf.
I have every right to go against them. I have every right to make decisions for myself. I am not a child.
Finding Brenda in Fred's apartment last night is the result of my decision to come here. I never intended to.
I was betrayed by my two best friends and I want to take my revenge on them.
Mother was right. Fred isn't good for me.
At first, I was giving him reasons to justify his actions but now it is clear to the eyes that he wants my friend too. He doesn't love me. If he loves me, he wouldn't cheat on me with my best friend.
That is the height of it.
"You know what? I am done here", the man before me stands up abruptly, dragging the chair back.
"Hey", I call back to him before he left.
He doesn't look bad. I didn't expect to meet a good-looking man like him to be my groom-to-be but that isn't the problem now.
We need to talk.
I don't want him to find me attractive which is why I came up with the only thing that came to my head.
Dressing up like a clown.
He must have reserved the whole place for us because we are the only ones here. It isn't evening yet and the CLOSED sign has been placed outside of the restaurant already.
I guess this is one of the powers of being a billionaire. Mother emphasized that. She said he was a billionaire and famous.
I guess I can take advantage of him and his status too, can't I?
"What do you think you are here for dressed this way?" He thunders at me angrily, his blue eyes glaring at me with ice.
I almost shudder but I keep my cool. If this is the man I have to contend with to get back at Fred and Brenda, then I have to be brave and not let him intimidate me.
"Do you think I have time for jokes and…"
"Why are we here, Mr man?" I cut him short, quickly, my gaze not leaving his. His broad shoulder is raised high up as his frown deepens and he continues to stare at me.
Now I feel stupid for putting on this ridiculous makeup. Maybe I should have dressed appropriately instead of this. Maybe he wouldn't be this angry.
He seems to be searching for answers to the kind of girl I am by merely looking at me. His stares are piercing and cold.
"Can you please sit?" I ask politely, forcing myself to keep calm and not become angry at him as well.
"Are you truly the woman I was betrothed to?" He asks me, doubts filled in his expression and his two arms going akimbo.
Slowly, I nod my head.
As I nod, the remorse intensifies and I wish I am my real self.
He shakes his head and finally sits down. I am thinking he will do the talking since he is the one responsible for this date. He asked for it but he didn't say a word.
He is still glaring at me coldly and I tilt my head up proudly.
"Why are we here, Mr man?" I repeat my question again, realizing that I can't remember the name.
He leans forward and taps his four fingers on the table without a word.
Before I can ask for his name, he speaks up, his deep husky voice resonating in my head. "Why are you dressed this way?"
I almost look down in embarrassment. I didn't think this through before going ahead with it. Is this what it means to be heartbroken?
Doing rational things.
Acting stupid.
Becoming shameless.
I would never have had the courage to dress this way a week ago. I care about my looks and appearance. I care about what I wear. I care about what people say but here I am sitting right in front of the man whose fate has been tied to mine, dressed like an idiot just because my heart was broken and I want revenge.
"I just feel like it", I answer him, careful not to show what and how I feel.
Tears are springing to my eyes but I am forcing them back, my eyes down.
"You just feel like ridiculing me?" I hear him ask again. "What if the paparazzis get a picture of us and this goes viral, what do you want them to think? How do you expect me to..."
"Is that what you care about?" I interrupt him again, looking up to meet his gaze.
"Yes", he answers firmly, almost gritting his teeth. His eyes are still blazing red in anger and his cheekbone is raised as he expressed his annoyance at my choice of appearance. "We all have what we care about. I care about my reputation and what people would say about everything that concerns me which includes you. If you care about what people will say, you won't be dressed this way just to spite me."
He knows.
"If this is really going to work, then you have to care about what people would say just like I care and you have to put my reputation first."
"Is that an order?!" I retort back as sharply as I can.
This should be an agreement between us. Marriage itself is an agreement but ours isn't the usual type of marriage. We are getting married because our parents want it and because I want to help my father and also to get my revenge back on Fred and Brenda.
He shouldn't be ordering me around. I can still decide to be the bad child and tell Father that I am not interested and will never be interested.
What made me think that this so-called decent man my Mother was on and on about would actually be decent, human, and down to earth?
This man here is nothing close to humble. He is an arrogant bastard.
"What if it is?" He is daring me to challenge him and I shake my head because he doesn't know me.
I listen to no one. No one can order me around, not even my parents. If I don't want to marry him, nobody can force me to.
I am here because I want to. I am thinking of our stupid marriage because I need to.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" I find myself voicing out, my attempt to keep cool gone, my anger rising to the highest point.
He smirks, as though he has succeeded in seeing the true me. My angry side.
"You think I am here because I fancy you?" I point an accusing finger at myself. Before I can continue with my ranting, a waitress appears from nowhere and the scowl directed at the man before me is thrown towards the waitress's way.
She is smiling.
"Good day, what would you like to order?" She asks.
I wonder if she is oblivious to the tension between us or if she chooses to pay a deaf ear and an eye to it.
Her smile is adding to my rage.
"I want…"
"Nothing," I say in a raised voice, stopping him from ordering. We are not here on a real date. We are here to talk.
He raises a brow at me and I drop my finger.
"We are here to talk, aren't we?" I flash him one of my cutest smiles, quickly replacing it with the scowl on my face.
What is the use of letting the waitress know about my anger?
"Yes, we are…"
"We should talk, then."
As quickly as she came, the waitress leaves but not before flashing him a seductive smile.
Silly!
Without wasting any more of my time, even though I don't have a job and I don't intend to get one anytime soon, I lean forward so we can get this done and I can go home.
Writing is the only thing I do. It is not a job but a hobby but ever since that night I caught Fred creating on me, I have been creating more time for writing.
I never had time before now because I was either waiting for Fred to come to take me out or I was in his house, waiting for his arrival from work.
"About our marriage…"
"This is…" we both say at the same time but I am not here to listen to whatever trash he has to say.
He is a man and can decide to get one of his numerous bitches to be married to. He must have a tangible reason for wanting to marry me and that is what I want to use it to my advantage.
"Go on", he urges me like a gentleman will do but I can't fall for that. No matter how gentle he is from now on, he will remain an arrogant bastard to me till the very end.
"This thing between us is unusual and it is not the exact type of marriage that I want for myself", I state with full confidence and he watches me intensely. "Therefore, I am proposing that we sign a contract for our marriage."
He doesn't blink for a while. He doesn't say anything either and I am thinking he doesn't understand my point until he furrows his brow at me and exclaims. "What?!"
Don't you understand English? I ask inwardly, wishing so desperately to spill that out.
"Let's sign a marriage contract. I do not like you and you do not like me. Let's get married for a few years and according to the contract, we will be divorced. That way, our parents will be satisfied and we will be too, especially me because I don't have to be stuck with you forever."
He does not say anything again.
Why is he hesitating? Does he want a forever-deal marriage? Even if he wants, that would never be with me. I am way beyond his league. He might be a billionaire but I am beyond his league.
"Is that a deal?" I ask with impatience.
He continues to study with me for a while. Just when I am thinking he is about to say something because he slightly opens his mouth, all that comes out is laughter.
His deep husky voice produces deep, rich laughter and I watch in awe, wondering if this laughter is directed at my appearance or the idea of a contract marriage
Ryan's POVIt sounds ridiculous.A contract marriage? What for?I laugh for a very long time, wishing it will piss her off but the lady in front of me isn't ready to be mad at anything I do at the moment.She is smiling with a determined look on her face. That sort of I- know-what-I-am-doing look makes me sober up immediately."Are you done laughing?" She leans forward, her stupid makeup in clear view.I do not reply to her. I just wish I didn't propose this meeting. I hope this will just end soon.Is it this psycho I am getting married to? Why will she even propose a contract marriage?As if hearing my thoughts, she comments. "The last time I checked, I had a boyfriend and I was asked to break up with him simply because I have been betrothed to some man. The last time I checked, we don't like each other a bit, so tell me what the hell you are thinking about? What the hell is stopping you from agreeing to this? You want us to be married forever?"I am tempted to let out a loud NO. I a
A MONTH LATERValerie's POVLife is about turning on different roads and choosing to either face the rock of reality or not.This is reality.That was the word I wrote down in the dressing room before coming out here to face my reality.This isn't what I have always dreamt of. This is the opposite of what I want for myself and my future.I am a strong believer in love, probably because I have experienced love in beautiful souls. I never believed in getting married out of love but here I am doing that one thing I never believed in or never knew existed.Dazed, I let the sound of applause get drowned in my head as I approach the arbor where the groom of the day is awaiting me.His name is Ryan and I am going to be his bride today. Not because we love each other but for different reasons and goals.I want my father to be back on his feet. I want him to return to that confident, strong man he used to be and I also want my revenge on Fred and Brenda.I am not doing this because I want our
Ryan's POVThe door is locked.My hand is on the doorknob still. Then I turn it again but it won't budge.It has been locked from the inside. Without thinking of a single reason why the woman I just got married to a few hours ago is locking me outside my own bedroom, I raise my hand to knock.The knock is loud enough to wake the dead. She can't possibly tell me that she locked the door and slept off. I only spent thirty minutes outside trying to let everything sink into my head and also to think of what to do after this damn thing is over.I have been trying to get over how she ridiculed me at the church wedding. She didn't let me kiss her on the lips. Isn't that part of the pretense? We are to make believe that we are real and beginning to like each other, isn't this what she said?I felt humiliated. What if someone had seen that?Fortunately, no one was quick to observe anything between us. Not even the tension and despise we feel for each other.There is no answer."Valerie, open t
Valerie's POVDetermined to get on his nerves tonight, I lay sprawled on the bed fully clothed. The moment the shower goes off, I close my eyes to pretend that I am asleep.I can't let him sleep with me on the same bed. We can't share the same bed.I love my privacy and space. I never had any reason to share a bed with anyone, except Fred and I am not ready to get to that stage with Ryan.I know we are supposed to sign the contract tonight but I am seriously not going to give him the chance to sweet-talk me into letting him sleep here tonight.The bathroom door opens and I imagine him coming out of the bathroom with a bare chest trailing with water from his wet hair and a towel wrapped around his waist.I imagine the glare he will throw my way when he notices I'm already asleep on the bed, sprawled with my legs apart to prevent him from getting into bed with me.Today is our first night as a couple and I want us to stick to the rules of the contract to ease the whole period we will be
Ryan's POVShe practically jumps on me, scaring the shit out of me. I sit up immediately, letting her slide down with a big grin on her face."What was that for?"She shrugs nonchalantly like she hasn't done anything wrong."I need to sleep", I almost add, please. I am already tired of arguing back and forth with her. It is obvious she isn't going to let me be."Please?" She demands, raising her brow. This is when I notice her hand on mine. I yank my hand off immediately.Turning back to the bed, I comment. "Please."Then, I lay down, hoping she will let me be now."I didn't ask you to sleep yet", she jumps down from the bed and drags me up. Now I am more than convinced that she jumps for a living. Why the hell is she jumping like a monkey all over the place? What does she even do for a living?I know I married a stranger but I should have asked her if she had a job so she won't be a complete liability. Having to help her parents is enough."We need to sign the contract first of all…
Valerie's POV My nose twitches and my eyes flick open, the rays of the sun setting on my skin. I sit up and glance around as the memories of yesterday's event come rushing as well as last night. I turn to the curtains to see them open. Did Ryan open them? I look towards the door and it is still locked. Maybe the curtains were drawled to their sides last night. I get out of bed and move towards the door, rubbing my two hands on my eyes to rub off the sleep. I am damn hungry and I could eat a horse right now. I unlock the door and get out. Finding my way to the kitchen, I get to the living room and my eyes fall on Ryan sleeping on the floor with his blanket hanging on his leg, half of it on the couch. Did he fall from the couch or he purposely slept on the floor? I almost chuckle at the sight of him sleeping with his legs apart. I know he might want to go to work since there is no talk of a honeymoon and I really don't want him around for the whole day. Maybe I should wake him
Ryan's POVLike an erupting volcano, I burst into my parent's mansion with anger coursing through me and stormy red eyes.I stalk towards the second living room when no one is in sight the moment I enter, except for the maids whom I do not feel like talking to.The person I want to see is my mother. And dad.They both caused this. If only they didn't try to force me or blackmail me into marrying that crazy woman in the penthouse, maybe I won't be this frustrated, angry, and sad, and I would probably be on my way to work, excited for a new day's challenge.They caused this so they should answer for this.During the wedding yesterday, I realized mother was the one behind it all. She was the one who reminded my dad about it and pushed him to force me into this.This is just unfair. This is unfair.This is sheer wickedness.Just before I get to the living room, Nita appears. When she spots me, she smiles and waves her hand but I shove her away and enter to see mom sitting on her usual cha
Valerie's POVFrederick is the type of man who loves a woman with everything he possesses. He was the exact type of man I wanted; one who loves fiercely and passionately. One who loves me for who I am. One who doesn't criticize my shortcomings but accepts and loves them as well.A man who looks at me and smiles for no reason. A man who loves even my dirtiest moment.That is Fred.This is the exact definition of Fred. He is that man. And it was so hard not to fall deeply in love with him.The way he loves me, the way he smiles at me, and the way he shuts me up with a kiss whenever I am in the mood for an argument always gets me weak in the legs.I keep loving him every single day for loving me despite everything.But one thing is an obstacle.His cheating nature.I doubt if Fred would ever stop doing that. Being with Brenda is what broke the camel's back and I don't ever want to be with him again, even though it hurts.It hurts so much.My heart hurts. It feels like a fire is in my hea