The Game To Get Engaged

It had been over a month since I signed the contract with Richard and to be honest there wasn't much to do. Yara wouldn't hear of me helping around the house, treating me like I'd break if I touched a sponge. And Remo; my assigned bodyguard wouldn’t accept my request to leave the house because ‘The boss’ disapproves of it.

I had gained a couple pounds and my bruises had healed, well, most of them.

“You're wearing this boring outfit again?” Yara sighed, as she walked into my room with a tray of smoothie and snacks. “I really like you, Mrs. Lenora but I hate your sense of style.”

“No one wears fancy dresses and jewelry at home," I retorted, snapping my journal shut.

“You're the lady of the house at least look the part, on some occasions.” She responded, leaving the tray on a stool, she went ahead to open the window drapes muttering under her breath. “And let some light in, this room looks as gloomy as your outfit.”

“Sometimes I wonder who is incharge of who.” I chuckled, taking a sip of my smoothie. “Mhm… this is delicious.” I moaned.

“Vanya suggests you take a swim today, the weather is nice and you've been cramped up in your room for days.” She grimaced, going through my laundry. “At least you'd wear something colorful.”

She was right, I had been in my room for way too long, mostly because I had nothing to do and nowhere to go. A swim in the pool didn't sound bad except for the fact that I can't swim.

“Remo told me there's a theater in the mansion.” I diverted the conversation, I wasn't going to tell her I couldn't swim, she was disappointed already with my fashion choices.

“Another dark room? absolutely not, I'll have your swimsuit ready.”

“About that… I'm allergic to chlorine.” I lied, giving her the sweetest fake smile I could muster.

Heading over to my walk-in closet, she announced, “There's no need to worry, we don't use that in the swimming pools, don't tell anyone I told you but Sir. Richard is also allergic, I mean you should know you're his wife.”

Truth to be told, in the month I have lived in this mansion I have no information whatsoever on Richard, the only thing I know about him is that he's wealthy and busy.

No one really talks about what he does for a living, which I do mind because, I sure as hell do not want to be married to a drug lord.

The only time I get to see him is occasionally at breakfast and most of the time at dinner. I mean if we were going to put up a marriage charade we should at least make it believable to the staff.

“I found a very beautiful, bathing suit.” Yara cried from the closet, “Oh wait, there's more!”

“There really is no escaping this” I whispered to myself.

*********

I stood at the edge of the pool, dreading the thought of going in it. The last time I tried to swim, I almost drowned and ended up in the emergency room. I haven't gone near a pool ever since that day but here I was standing at the edge of one in a sage green bathing suit.

“You're supposed to get in and swim, Ma’am!” Yara called, from the shades and I turned to glare at her. She laughed and walked back into the house, however, Remo, who had been watching me for a while, walked up to me, surprising me with a question, “You can’t swim, can you?”

“Who says I can't?” I responded, trying to defend myself.

“Your body language, it's too obvious, just lay down for a tan or something, there's really no one here to impress.” He stated, and turned to go back to where he had been sitting earlier. “You do know I'm telling the boss about it, right?” He said and when I didn’t respond he added, “Just letting you know.”

And while I was thankful to Remo for getting me out of that one, I somehow wished he wasn't so cold to me, he reminded me of a certain someone I know, a certain someone who owned this mansion.

*********

The clinking of utensils echoed through the room, amplifying the awkward silence between us. I poked at the broccoli on my plate, my thoughts drifted to my current life and I caught myself sighing.

Richard sat across from me savoring his meal, we usually had dinner together, mostly in silence but today's silence was overwhelmingly loud.

“You seem bothered, what's on your mind?” He asked, all of a sudden, surprising me.

“Nothing, I'm just pondering.” I responded, my gaze fixed on the plate rather than meeting his eye.

“Care to share?” He responded, with his mouth half full.

Do I care to share? It's not like if I told him, he'd grant it, just like he had refused to grant my other requests. Whether I cared or not didn’t matter, I'd tell him anyway and hope for the best outcome.

“I don't want to be a housewife.” I muttered, still avoiding his eyes.

“Be audible.” He ordered and I repeated my statement with more audibility.

“I said, I don't want to be a housewife.” Taking a deep breath, I lifted my gaze to meet him and continued, “It's tiring staying in this huge mansion, every day with absolutely nothing to do, it's boring as hell.”

“Isn't that the kind of life most women want?” He chuckled, cutting his last piece of steak.

“W-well…yes,” I stammered, I mean he did have a point. “But, I want a job, I want to go out everyday and live a normal life, even if it's tons and piles of office work.”

His lips formed a smirk and he said, “You're my wife, you can't live a normal life.”

“Like you put a ring on it.” I muttered to myself, stealing a glance at my bare ring finger. There were so many things wrong about this marriage, and the top of the list was this annoying black haired but rather handsome man sitting across from me.

“Vanya tells me your bruises are healed, after dinner get dressed we're making our first public appearance.” He announced, wiping his mouth with a napkin he got up to leave.

“Tonight! B-but isn't it like too soon and where are we going?” I exclaimed, clearly shocked.

He looked at me and replied, “To a jewelry store, we're going ring shopping.”