CHAPTER SIX

Alan straightened himself walking back slowly to get seated on the sofa opposite the one Ashely sat on despite the urge to taste those luscious lips. He sat for a few seconds staring at her as she clutched the sofa tightly, her face looking flushed.

"I haven't even started with you and you are looking like a mess," Alan said, chuckling.

Ashely opened her eyes facing down in embarrassment because she knew she looked like a mess, she wondered how she would spend two years living with him.

"I have sent for my lawyer. He will be here anytime soon with the marriage certificates and the rings," He said, saving her from embarrassment.

"These conditions apply to you as well, right?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Alan stared at her in surprise and amusement at the same time.

"What do you think?" He asked her with a lopsided grin.

"Since I can't date other men, you shouldn't date or sleep with other women as well" She declared.

"Don't worry about it, I am all yours baby" Alan gushed, while she stared at him in disdain.

"I have one more request " She mumbled.

"Go on, let's hear it," Alan encouraged her.

"Ca….Can we have a real wedding after my Mom's treatment?" She babbled.

"What are you playing at?" Alan asked in a calm voice that exudes danger.

"My mom will become very inquisitive and suspicious if I don't have a wedding ceremony, I have to make it look real and it's going to be only her and Andrea for the wedding nobody will know" She replied hurriedly clearing any form of misunderstanding.

Alan thought about it for a while before nodding his head in agreement.

Ding dong!! The sound of the bell interrupted them.

"I will get the door, it must be the lawyer," He said, strolling towards the door.

"Good afternoon Sir" Ashely greeted the middle-aged man in a black and white tuxedo.

He mumbled a reply fishing out the marriage certificates and the rings like he was only here for business and not pleasantries.

Ashely and Alan signed the documents and exchanged rings. Alan also signed the cheque for her mother's treatment immediately while the lawyer left.

"Don't you think this ring is too expensive for a marriage that is not real?" She queried, staring down at the ring and the marriage certificate in her hand, still in disbelief at the fact that she was now a married woman.

"This marriage is a real one just that it ends in Two years and I am a very influential Man, my wife needs to live up to the standards," He said his eyes flashing in excitement.

"Come on we need to head to the hospital wifey" Alan called out teasing her.

"Am not your wife!!" She sneered at him knowing fully well that she couldn't escape the truth.

At the hospital

Ashely and Alan sat inside Dr.Ray's office as they waited for him to come as he had gone to attend to a patient.

"I'm sorry for the delay" Dr.Ray apologized immediately after he stepped into the office.

"I want to pay for my Mom's treatment, what needs to be done?" Ashely asked

"I am going to need your signature on some documents since you are her guardian and you would have a referee signature as well, your Mom will be undergoing a series of surgeries and chemotherapy, we can only trust the process and hope that she gets better" He explained in detail.

"For the referee signature, My husband would be signing it," She said motioning at Alex.

"Alright, I will quickly prepare the documents because the earlier the better" The doctor exclaimed.

After they had signed the documents and made the payment, as they walked down to her mother's ward Ashely could only reflect on all that had happened in a short while she breathed a sigh of relief at the burden that was lifted off her, in all things she was grateful that her Mom was finally going to receive her treatment.

But on the other hand, she was married to a man she knew nothing about, she was very certain that things would never be the way they were. All she could hope for was good tidings.

"Ash, I have searched everywhere for you. I even called your line but you didn't pick up," Drea lamented immediately after she saw Ashely.

"I am sorry, I have been carried away by a lot of things and my phone was on silent as well. How is my Mom?" Ashely asked.

"She has been asking of you for a while now and she was saying something about you leaving the ward with a handsome stranger Man….hold up is that a wedding ring?" Drea blurted out while staring at Ashely's hand.

"Let me go and see her then" She bit her lips trying to avoid the question.

"Ashely Greenwood!!! If you are trying to avoid my question, I won't let you" Drea cautioned her.

"Alan" Ashely called out to him because he had been standing quietly the whole time, while Drea stared at the dashing young Man in a three-fitted tux looking like he had fallen from heaven.

"Andrea this is Alan, my husband, and Alan this is Andrea, my friend more like my sister" She sighed forcing a smile.

"I need to speak to you in private" Drea snapped, dragging Ashely with her while Ashely turned to Alex mouthing " I will be right back" as he watched the two of them leave in amusement.

"You are being serious right now? Married? How? When? Where? I saw you this morning and then I blinked my eyes all of a sudden you are married" Drea half yelled with a lot of emotions passing down her face.

"I can explain," Ashely replied defensively.

"Of course, you should start explaining," Drea bellowed.

"It happened fast, he came to the hospital, I don't know how he figured out that Mom was here then he said we should sign the contract immediately of course I hesitated and brought up excuses but he mentioned the treatment being delayed if I wasted more time which was true according to what Dr.Ray told us. I didn't have a choice, You and I know that I am jobless, and if I decided to raise the money on my own, my mom would be dead before it was complete, I did what I had to do and I have no regrets" She replied hurriedly holding back the tears that are struggling to force their way down her chin.

Andrea pulled her in a tight hug as the tears streamed down her face while she shaked uncontrollably like she was going to have a mental breakdown.

"I wish there was something I could do to help Ash, I am sorry you are going through this alone" Drea mumbled patting Ash on her back.

"You don't have to be sorry, this is a cross I have to carry alone regardless I am thankful that you are here with me, the moral support means a lot to me. I couldn't ask for a better sister," Ashely said with sincerity.

"My married friend, but this ring is expensive, '' Andrea giggled, staring down at Ashely's finger.

"Stop," Ashely said, feigning anger.

"This Man is a sin you shouldn't commit Ash, are you sure about this?" She asked seriously.

"The deed is done, there is no turning back" Ashely chuckled at her misery.

"How will you tell your Mom about this marriage?" Drea asked her.

"Who is getting Married?" A stern voice sounded from behind.