Chapter 2 A Slave Contract for a Life

"My offer... it's simple. You just marry me for one year," Phupha reiterated, as if to make sure I understood this wasn't a dream. "Just one year. After that, we go our separate ways. Five million baht will be transferred to the hospital account as soon as you sign the contract."

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. My father... his life was hanging by a thread. I truly had no other choice. Though my heart completely rejected the man before me, my mind commanded me to agree.

"I... I accept," my voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of my throat.

A cold smile appeared on Phupha's face. "Very well."

He took a pen and a confidential contract document from his suit jacket pocket. It was a simple-looking document, yet every word within it held deep meaning and bound me tightly.

"Read it carefully before you sign," Phupha extended the document. I took it with trembling hands.

The terms in the contract were clear:

'The marriage is merely in name. Neither party shall interfere in the other's personal affairs. And most importantly... this relationship must absolutely not be revealed to any outside parties.'

I scanned the content, my mind blurred with worry for my father, but I tried to understand every clause. I saw the blank space for the amount: five million baht exactly, for Mr. Thana's... my father's... surgery and medical expenses.

My biggest secret was 'Nong Time', my four-year-old son. The boy born to me and Phupha, whom I had kept hidden all this time. I knew that if Phupha found out about him, everything would collapse. There was no way he would accept it, and I would lose both my father and my son.

"Sign here," Phupha pointed to the signature line. I bit my lip hard before putting the pen to the blank space.

The moment the blue ink touched the clean white paper, my heart felt as though it was bound by unseen chains. It was a bond that tied me to the man I both loved and loathed, and to the past I had always tried to escape.

"Good," Phupha smiled again. It wasn't a happy smile, but one filled with a feeling I couldn't decipher. "This evening... my people will pick you up at your home."

I looked up at him, startled. "What? Where to?"

"To my mansion, Linin," Phupha replied calmly. "We will begin our contractual marriage life from today onwards."

Marriage... a word that should signify happiness, love, and new beginnings. But for me now, it felt like a curse, exchanged for my freedom and my entire heart.

I returned to my rental room in a daze, packing just a few belongings into a single suitcase. Nong Time's face floated into my thoughts. He was the only reason I had to be strong.

But taking him to live in Phupha's mansion was impossible. Nong Time's secret had to remain a secret. I had to find the best way to take care of my son without Phupha ever knowing of his existence.

When the luxurious black car pulled up to my old rental room, I knew my life was about to change completely. I had to step into the golden cage Phupha had conjured up, to repay a life debt I could never fully settle... and to protect my greatest secret with all my might.