Chapter 5

Ben and Thomas met in front of the cafeteria. Thomas is holding a folder and Ben seems his normal cheerful self. We get our food and sit at a table in the corner. We make small talk while we eat. Everything feels light until Ben says, “My grandson has been getting into trouble lately. We think it might be beneficial for him to have someone help him.”

“Like a mentor?” I ask.

“No, like a wife,” Ben says matter-of-factly.

The look of shock and horror must be evident on my face, because Thomas is quick to intervene. “My son, Max has already agreed to the marriage. He believes this will give him a reason to stop going out to clubs.”

I blink a few times, then ask, “Why me?”

“Because you will be a good influence on him. You are capable of giving him a good tongue lashing and you know when he may need compassion,” Ben explains.

Thomas then says, “I hired a private investigator to look into your background. I know you are currently without a job and you were denied unemployment. What I plan to offer you is, your school will be paid for, your dad’s medical bills are covered, along with his mortgage and utility bills, and I will set up trust funds for your nieces. I plan on getting him the best care available.”

“I don’t understand. You want to pay me to marry your son?” I ask.

Thomas shrugs, “In a way, yes.”

“What if he doesn’t like me or I don’t like him?” I ask.

Thomas pulls some papers out of the folder, “I have the contract here. As you can see, Maxwell signed his. The contract explains that in the case of abuse or infidelity that you are allowed to file without penalties. In two years, if you have no feelings for my son, you are welcome to divorce him without penalties and I will continue to fund your father’s care. If you divorce him before the two-year mark, then you pay back everything that was invested plus penalty fees. You won’t be entitled to any assets until five years of marriage. If he files for divorce before the two years, then you are not liable.”

My mind is racing with different thoughts. I pick up the contract and begin to scan through it. I found a section stating I will preform “wifely duties”. “What are wifely duties?” I ask.

Thomas looks unbothered by my question, “They are the physical aspect of the marriage. You are to be his wife by every definition of the word. You should show physical affection to one another, especially in a public setting. This will help the outside world believe Maxwell has settled down with a woman. You will attend galas and charity events. Most of these are formal. Maxwell will provide anything you need. You will get a car with a driver. Maxwell has a maid and a personal chef. We expect you to finish school and help with charity or community work.”

“Is there anything I should know about Maxwell? Likes, dislikes, or allergies?” I ask. I’m not sure if I should run away or continue listening to what they have to say.

Ben says, “Maxwell, he is a little rough around the edges. I think he needs someone to hold him accountable, but also show him that he doesn’t need to be everything all the time. There is more to being successful than a job.”

“Can I have a couple of days to consider this?” I ask.

Ben and Thomas nod. Thomas says, “Please give us your answer in the next few days. I ask for discretion. Maxwell is not to know the reason you enter the marriage, and no one is to know this marriage is arranged. This is two people that met and fell in love.”

“Can I meet Maxwell first?” I ask.

Thomas shakes his head, “Maxwell cannot meet until the day of the wedding. He is out of town on business.”

Concerned I ask, “When will this wedding take place?”

“In two weeks. The press will be told that only close family and friends are invited.” Thomas replies.

“Two weeks isn’t a lot of time….and what do you mean by the press? Is your family famous?” I ask nervously.

“We are a fortune 500 company. Any way our competitors can destroy us or hurt our name, they will.” Thomas explains.

Ben nods, “You will be interviewed by the press, and you will rub elbows with some rich snobs, but don’t lose yourself. I think you and Maxwell will work well together.”

I pause for a moment, then say, “Maxwell is okay with marrying a woman that he has never met, supporting her financially, and living with her for two years?”

Ben and Thomas nod. Letting out a sigh, I tell them, “Give me until Monday morning to think.”

“Here is my phone number. My cell is on the back. I look forward to hearing from you, Ms. Davidson.”

I tell them goodbye and go back upstairs to my dad’s room. He is sitting up watching television, but he still looks pale. “How did it go Ellie?” he asks with excitement.

I pause for a moment not knowing what to say. Taking a deep breath, I say, “It wasn’t what I expected. I asked for some time.”

“Will the job allow you to make enough that you can support yourself? You need to start taking care of you, Ellie. You’re twenty-four. I know you said that you still need me, but I need to know that when I pass, you will be okay. I want you to have someone in your life that makes you happy. And before you say that you have Kendra, know that I love Kendra, but you need someone that can care for you the way you do them. You don’t need to get married, but I would like to see you with someone that will take care of you when you’re sick.”

After thinking about my dad’s words, I say, “What if I get married in two weeks? Would you be upset?”

My dad shakes his head, “No, as long as you’re happy. Though I will be a little disappointed if I can’t walk you down the aisle.”

I stare at my dad a moment, then say, “It’s getting late. Visiting hours will be over soon. I will see you tomorrow.”

I run downstairs as fast as I can hoping to catch Thomas or Ben. I see Thomas waiting outside for a car. I look at his card to see his last name is Sturgis. “Mr. Sturgis?” I call.

He turns towards me, “Yes Ellie, do you have a question?”

I nod, “I’ll marry your son if my father can escort me down the aisle.”

Thomas smiles, “That will be arranged. It might be good publicity if we had the wedding at the chapel here so your father and my mother can attend, then we will do a big party somewhere else.” His car pulls up and Thomas says, “Come with me. I will give you a ride home. The subway is no place to be after dark.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sturgis.”

“It’s just Thomas or Tom. You will be my daughter in law, there is no reason for us to be so formal.”

  After getting into the car, I ask, “Will Mrs. Sturgis approve of me?”

Thomas shakes his head, “Mrs. Sturgis passed away fourteen years ago.”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard for you and Maxwell.”

Thomas nods, “I lost her and my daughter the same day.” Thomas takes a deep breath, “We were on vacation. Janet took Megan to a show. Max hadn’t wanted to go since he was fourteen and wanted to hangout near the pool with his friends. I stayed behind to keep an eye on him. They were in an accident after the show.” Thomas smiles, “Janet was an amazing woman. I messed up after she died. I spent all my free time at work. Max was struggling. Instead of spending time with him, I gave him a physically demanding job at the company. I was hard on him. I think that is why he believes success is only what you can buy. He sees little value in anything else.”

“I hope I can help,” I tell him honestly.

Thomas nods, “My father believes you will and I trust him. Just don’t let Maxwell push you away. He has gone through a lot and isn’t trusting of anyone.”

Before getting out of the car, I handed Thomas the signed contract. After telling him goodbye I go inside and question if I made the right decision.