Who knew "I DO" came with a price tag? *** Charlene, or Charlie, was an orphan. She had lived jumping from one foster home to another, where people told her what to do, what she could be and not, and what she deserved, which was not much. At 18, she said enough. She pursued a career as a model, taking her life into her own hands. At 20, she met Collin, a wealthy CEO who promised to marry her. She thought her dreams were finally coming true. But like everything else in her life, her fiancée ended up being a disappointment as she caught him cheating, leaving her with a broken heart and a career in shambles. Desperate to get her life back on track, she accepted an unusual job proposal. She agreed to marry the son of the man she saved by accident. In exchange, she would receive substantial compensation. Yeah! Why not? Right? It was not as if she had to fall in love with him. It was a mere business transaction where she had to act as his wife. Besides, love was overrated anyway. Money was what made the world go round. It was the immediate solution to her problems. That was where Isaac Saunders came into the picture. He was her unwilling groom, forced by his father to marry her. He was the sole heir of his family's billion-dollar company. But he had to marry the woman of his father's choosing to inherit his father's legacy. So, how would this arrangement even work when he only saw her as another gold digger? On the other hand, she only looked at this marriage as a contractual transaction. What then? How would these two deal with their new living arrangement, staying in the same house and playing husband and wife?
View More"Ok, here we go..."
"Beautiful... Beautiful!"
"Turn around and then twist your head toward your right..."
Flashes of light flickered continuously, following her every move.
"It's fantastic. I love it. Just a few more..." He rapidly clicked the button in succession.
"That's it." The man behind the lens announced, finally resting his camera on the nearby table. "That's a wrap, everyone."
"Oh, great." She silently sighed, dropping her shoulders and relaxing her stance while wiping the tiny beads of sweat that broke on her forehead from the heat and exhaustion.
"You did amazing, Sweetheart." He finally patted her arms as she stepped out of the spotlight.
"Thanks, Jack." She appreciated the opportunity to work for one of the best and most respected photographers in the entertainment industry.
She had modeled for him several times in his previous projects, admiring his skill and creativity. She believed she was lucky he had picked her from the hundreds of other women who had auditioned for him for this shoot.
"What about a drink later?" Jack suggested as he walked her back to the makeup area, where she collected her things. "We are hitting the clubs tonight. Maybe you'd like to join us."
She thought it sounded like fun. She would have loved to join them. After all, she had become close to Jack and the rest of the staff.
However, she could not make it tonight since she already had something else planned.
"Thanks, Jack, but maybe some other time." She regrettably had to decline.
She quickly removed her excessive makeup, retied her hair into a neat ponytail, and changed into her clothes. Then, she rushed out of there.
"Are you already heading out?" Her friend, Anna, asked when she bumped into her on her way out. "Aren't you coming with us?"
She met Anna two years ago in another modeling photoshoot for an advertising campaign. Since then, they had considered each other as best friends.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. You know." She gave her friend a knowing look, reminding her about her special date. "I need to prepare for our anniversary."
She thought of giving her fiancée a surprise for their second year of being together. She believed it was the least she could do for him for everything he had done for her.
"Oh, yeah! Is that today?" She quizzically questioned. "But I thought Mr. Nice-guy was still out of town." Her friend raised her eyebrows, suddenly looking confused.
She amusingly smiled, hearing her friend referring to her fiancée with her made-up nickname. But with all the nice things he had done for her, she could not blame her friend for calling him that.
"It is today. And yeah! He hasn't returned yet. But I want to prepare something before he comes home." She explained to her friend.
Well, she knew he was still on his trip. But she heard from his assistant that he would be back early the next day. So, she planned to celebrate their anniversary with him by then.
"I promise I'll make it up to you next time." Her friend looked disappointed that she could not go with them.
"That's what you said the last time," Anna shouted behind her. But she only smiled and shook her head, knowing her friend understood her situation.
She could not blame her friend since she had stood her up many times before. She did not mean to, but her priorities had changed, and her friends had to take the backseat.
Quickly, she drove her old but reliable car, hoping to get everything she needed for her party for two. She knew it was nothing compared to her fiancé's gifts, but she believed it was the thought that counted.
"Mmm?" Her eyes moved from one display cabinet to another. She wanted to pick the perfect gift for this special occasion.
But what could she give a man who seemed to have everything?
Collin Harper, her fiancé, belonged to a wealthy family that came from old money. On the other hand, she was a nobody, an orphan who could barely afford to survive with her meager salary.
"Excuse me, can I look at this?" She called the attention of the woman behind the counter, pointing to the item that had caught her interest.
The woman moved toward her, but the sour expression on her face told her that she did not appreciate her interruption.
Still, the sales attendant complied and showed her the object she wanted. But upon seeing the price, her eyes widened, pondering if she could even afford it.
"Mmm!" She disheartenedly sighed as she returned the item.
She truly wanted to buy it for her fiancé. But it was too expensive. She could withdraw all her savings from her bank account, but it would still not be enough.
"Can I see this one instead?" She pointed again to the item next to her first choice.
Again, the woman obliged, but not without showing her displeasure at attending to her. She immediately checked the price, afraid it might cost more than her pocket could afford.
"Excuse me, if you are not buying anything, you should leave." The woman finally lost her patience with her as she confronted her.
The saleswoman stared at her from head to toe, sizing her up and concluding that she was unworthy of her service.
"Besides, I don't think someone like you could afford to buy anything from this store." The mean woman waved her hand to the door, indicating that she should go.
Honestly, as much as she wanted to argue with her, the other woman might be right. After seeing the price of the watch she initially liked, she knew she could never afford it.
She might have to use almost all the money she had saved to buy a gift from this store. But she guessed it was worth it since she meant to give it to the man she loved. And he deserved every penny.
"You know what." She stood tall against the other woman. "You don't need to be mean. I'm still a paying customer."
She hated it when people thought they could bully someone just because they felt superior to the other.
"You are just wasting my time." The woman contradicted. "You better leave before our security drags you out of our store." She said threateningly.
"Who said I can't afford it?" She disputed, hating how the woman unfairly judged and treated her.
"Security..." The woman shouted. "Please, escort this woman out of the premises." She instructed when the man in his black uniform stood behind her.
"What are you doing?" She fought back when the man grabbed her arm. "Let me go."
She pulled and pushed against the burly man, struggling to get herself free from his tight hold.
"Hey, what's going on in here?" Then, another voice disrupted the commotion as a man in an impeccable gray suit strode into the showroom.
"Mr. Saunders... I..." The woman stammered, appearing shocked as she faced the newcomer. "Sir, it is this woman..." She continued, blaming her for the ruckus.
However, the man cut her short when he waved his hand before her, effectively silencing her. Then, the man turned to face her.
"Wait!" The unknown gentleman stood before her and stared at her, appearing to study her face.
"It's you." Then, the man brilliantly smiled and appeared to recognize her. "Don't you remember me?"
Ha! Was he talking to her?
56 - xxx - James"Please, Charlie, come and join me." He urged his daughter-in-law to sit next to him.He had asked her to meet him on the balcony where they could have a private conversation. It had been a while since they had a chat, just the two of them.He would also love her company while enjoying the cool breeze and the lovely view of the magnificent blue sky under this radiating sunlight."How is he?" He asked, still slightly worried about his son's condition. Although Isaac was a grown man, he feared that his son would end up like him. He believed his son was too much like him. Eventually, the younger version of himself would make stupid decisions like neglecting the things that should matter the most, like his health, family, and love."He is currently sleeping. But don't worry, the doctor said that his medications could cause drowsiness." She immediately explained, not wanting the older man to be overly anxious. "Anyway, you should not have bothered coming, Mr. Saunders.
"Thanks, Rachel. I'll take it from here." Charlene dismissed the sweet and kind housekeeper as soon as she had her husband settled on the couch.She quickly fussed over her husband, thinking she owed it to take care of him. After all, he was in this screwed up situation because of her. She grabbed a blanket and covered it on her husband's body as he sat comfortably on the couch. Then, she asked if he wanted something to eat."You must be hungry." She remembered it had been hours since he had had a light meal at the hospital. Her husband must be starving. She was as her stomach growled for the third time. Quickly, she asked Rachel to prepare something for them."Charlie, have you seen my phone?" Isaac asked when his wife returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray of food.He was not particularly concerned about eating, but he needed to contact his assistant. He had an important meeting scheduled that morning. He required an update."What are you doing?" She hurriedly put the tray of
"All done." The woman at the desk gathered the papers she had signed. "You can take your husband home, Mrs. Saunders."She nodded at the kind woman, but she still felt odd hearing people call her by her new surname. It still felt surreal to think she was the wife of a billionaire.Mrs. Charlene Saunders.However, she knew she should not get used to it since it would not last long. Eventually, this show would end. Then, she would go back to her regular life.Ms. Charlene PrestonAdmittedly, she thought it did not have the same effect. It did not sound as prestigious as her husband's name. Nonetheless, she did not care.She would not let her name or status define who she was."Thanks." She turned away from the woman, glad that she could finally take her husband home and get out of there.She always found the place dreary and suffocating, despite its bright hallways, white walls, and ample air conditioning and ventilation. "I hope I won't be back here anytime soon." She mumbled as she w
"Son of a bitch! That fucking hurt." He grabbed the back of his skull as the headache persisted. It was as if his head was splitting in two.Next, he gradually forced his eyes open, confused by the bright light and the strong antiseptic smell that bombarded his nose.Damn! What just happened?The last thing he remembered was inviting his wife to dinner. Then, everything went black."Isaac, do you remember anything?" Finally, he heard a familiar voice.Not much.He thought.Wait! What was his friend doing here?It did not make sense, as his muddled brain tried to piece together the missing puzzle."Where am I, man?" He asked, ignoring the other man's question as he sought answers.He rubbed his eyes, blinking twice until he removed the cobwebs that seemed to blur his vision. Then, he squinted his eyes one more time, ensuring that this was not just an elaborate dream."You're in the hospital, my friend. You had an accident and hit your head." The man in a white coat notified him of his c
Three days!"How much of this could she still take?" She closed her eyes, held her breath, and tried very hard not to shout her frustration.It had been three days since she had started working on her new project. Usually, she worked well with her colleagues. But she guessed this was the exception."Uughh!" Sadly, a girl had her limits, and she had just reached hers.She remembered coming to the shoot thirty minutes early that morning. Of course, she did not want to be late again, not after what happened to her on her first day.But damn! Just her bad luck!She just had to bump into her, Ms. Famous Star Lauren Fucking Quinn, as she entered the dressing area. Then, just as her famous name suggested, the darn witch started acting like she was the freakin queen."Can you get me a coffee, dear?" Although it sounded like a request, she knew the woman was barking orders as if she owned the place and everyone else was at her beck and call."Charlotte, could you be a dear and pick up this mess
"Hey, Matt, what's with the long face?" His friend asked as he drove off the Saunders main office building after meeting with his number one competitor. First of all, he wanted to see who he was competing against, to put a face on the name. Second, he had to meet the man who had taken the person who mattered to him the most. "It's nothing, Easton. It has just been a long day." But it was clear, it was not nothing. If he was being honest, it bothered him to learn that Charlie was already married. To make it worse, she married his biggest rival and the man he hated the most. "I don't know, man. You had been off since we arrived in the States." Easton looked at him with narrowed eyes. It was as if his friend was studying him, trying to decipher what was wrong with him. He could not deny that his friend had hit a spot. He had waited for this moment for so long that now that he was here, he could not help but think he might blow it up. He had been distracted from his plans since he ha
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