Chapter 5 - Finalizing the contract

Paige North and Cedric Brooks 

Paige was no longer feeling sore and humiliated like she had felt when Cedric had offered her the contract earlier. This was all for money, she wasn't going to let her feelings for Cedric ruin this opportunity for her, whatever she felt for Cedric was going to be buried and she is going to focus on this contract from now. 

As she skimmed her eyes through the contract, her eyes caught on something, the secrecy of their divorce, which was intriguing, "You don't want your grandmother or any of your relatives to know about our divorce?"

"Yes. Do you have an issue with that?" Cedric questioned, his face expressionless, voice hard and eyes cold and it made Paige wonder if this was a negotiation or an arrest warrant. 

But keeping their divorce a secret was something that confused Paige, clearly, the number one reason Cedric had divorced her was so he could be with Marlynn. If they hide the fact that they were divorced, then how would it be possible for both of them to be together?

It wouldn't have been an issue if Cedric had told her to keep it from Grandma Tonia, his grandmother who was the most precious and respected person to Cedric, but the rest of his family would be happy with the news of their divorce especially since none of them liked her anyways. 

"Why?" Paige asked, 

"So that they don't change the way they treat you and act around you in front of grandma, if they treat you differently, grandma will be suspicious, and I don't want that. I don't want to do anything to hurt my grandma or even arouse her suspicion,"

Paige was stunned by what she heard, her heart was already numbed with disappointment, or so she thought because tears were welling up in her eyes and she had to shut her eyes to keep them from falling. 

What more of this humiliation was she going to be able to take, she felt muddled. 

"So what happens to my freedom?" 

"You can ask for something you want in return for that condition," Cedric smiled evilly, "I knew there was a reason you suddenly became desperate to divorce me, did you find a lover already? Does he treat you right?"Cedric added with a sneer, his voice full of ridicule but Paige was just quiet and didn't say anything in response to him, instead, she continued to skim through the contract papers she was holding.

"The only thing I want in return is to be able to work and earn money for myself, the past three years I wasn't able to secure a job because your mother said it was unheard of for the wife of Cedric Brooks to be seen going to work, well, I'm no longer your wife, so I need a job…!" Paige was sad and desperate as she laid out her request, she couldn't help but worry if Cedric would accept her request, but…

"It's done. You'll get a call soon," Cedric declared,

Just like that? Paige wondered,

"But, I hope I don't have to repeat the rules of this contract out to you, especially the ones I marked as important…"

"You don't have to. I read through everything and I understand what you mean. I will not bring shame to your family name and I will cooperate with you whenever you want me to, it's not a problem. As a matter of fact, it's easy peasy, that's what our marriage has always been like to me anyway." She added and picked up a pen on the table to sign the contract. 

She missed the look of disappointment and surprise that Cedric gave her, maybe this is a bad idea,' Cedric thought, but he couldn't say it out, he kept quiet even though he couldn't help but wonder why Paige hated him so much when he was the victim. 

Paige handed the now-signed contract back to Cedric, "Here, signed and in agreement," Paige said,

"That's good. You are to move into my penthouse before the end of today, we would share the same room throughout the weekend since we would have my family visiting a lot, you can move out to your room after that, and you are going to prepare for Grandma's birthday," Cedric explained,

"Don't I have time to pack and fix myself?" Paige asked, she was worried about her mother in the hospital because she feared it might be hard to reach her mother in the hospital after moving into Cedric's penthouse, even though it had been her long-term dream. 

Paige had loved Cedric's penthouse and wanted to visit and spend even a weekend there but never had the opportunity, it was kind of cliche that she was asked to move there only after they were already divorced. 

***

Moving was easy for Paige because she didn't own a lot of things and she only took the things she needed, something told her, she wasn't going to be staying for long, so she did not see any need to pack a lot, but settling in was hard.

The good part was that she was called for a job just like Cedric had promised her, it was a good job and a good working environment, Paige already felt at home even though she just started.

Or maybe she was just so happy that she finally found a good job.

On one of the days back from work, Paige encountered one of her old senior colleagues, he was her senior when she was still working before getting married to Cedric, Paige was so happy to see him, just like the senior was so excited to see her thus inviting her for dinner which she accepted. 

While at dinner, the senior colleague, Mr. Rains discovered that Paige had started working again and invited her to come back and work for their company again, the offer was so tempting for Paige that she actually started to consider it.

"I would really love that, Mr. Rains but…"

"Just please call me Rains, we go way back, it's odd hearing you address me so formally," Rains said,

Paige blushed at the tiny flirting, but she nodded in agreement,  

"Okay, Rains, thank you for the offer but I already have a job and I like it there already," She explained sadly,

"Well, if that's the case, at least attend the competition, it doesn't matter if you are working in our company or not, you can compete, it would be a perfect opportunity for you, don't answer it yet and just think about it first, okay?" Rains insisted,

Paige said okay, and they clicked their glasses of drinks cheering to their new agreement.

While sipping from the glass, Paige noticed a movement in her peripheral view, so she turned around to look just to find Cedric glaring daggers at her, 

Oh no! Not that look, she wasn't doing anything wrong but who knows what was going on in Cedric's head and judging by the look in his eyes, it was nothing good.

"Cedric…?"