CHAPTER 4 Marriage Proposal

I got to work a few minutes past resumption time because I slept through my alarm— it must be my body’s way of resting after my terrific weekend. My morning was rushed, I had to prepare hurriedly for work and still ended up arriving late. I rushed in, scared of the consequences of my boss arriving before me. 

While I was about to rush into my work desk, I saw Xavier standing beside my desk tapping his right foot on the ground, as if waiting for me. I was instantly filled with fear. He is going to be so furious. I entered meekly, my head bowed.

“Good morning Mr Crest” I said, my voice sounding very small. “Is there really anything good about the morning?” He shoots at me, frowning. He looked down at his wristwatch. 

“This is 9:45am and here you are walking majestically like you own the place. I don’t pay you to come to my company late” he says harshly, glaring at me. 

“I’m so sorry sir, it won’t happen again” I apologized. He walked to his office after my apology without even saying anything else. I quickly stepped into my desk and started work for the day. 

I had been working and lost track of time so I almost missed lunch. It took my stomach rumbling for me to stop and check the time. I saw that I had sat through half of the day working. I was about to go grab lunch when I heard my boss’s phone ringing, he picked and I could hear his conversation clearly. 

He sounded very respectful which was surprising because it is well known that Xavier is a very rude and unlikeable person. He must be talking to someone he holds in high regard, I concluded.

“Dad, I don’t need a wife. I don’t need someone entitled to half of my wealth” There was a pause, which must have been his dad responding but he was inaudible from my end. Then Xavier responds “But we can find another way around it, it doesn’t have to end with me marrying against my wish” 

“No I don’t need a woman, I have lots of women on my beck and call and I don’t need to be tied to just one dad” he whined. The back and forth went on and on till he sighed in defeat.

“Okay okay, fine, but I get to choose— I’ll let you know my decision” he says defeated “Yes I heard you the first time, and tell mom I can literally hear her rejoicing over my predicament. Bye dad” 

I cannot believe I just heard all that. I was laughing quietly in amusement. I can’t believe the big, scary boss is being forced to get married. I stood up to go grab lunch, I had had enough entertainment for the day. 

******

XAVIER’S POV 

The day is almost gone and mom and dad keep suggesting unsuitable women to be my fake wife. Mom even subtly suggested Bianca— Bianca of all women! I would rather die than marry Bianca even if it’s fake, I thought to myself angrily. Once this business deal is sealed, our wealth would also be permanently sealed–not like it wasn’t before, but who says no to more wealth? It changes everything and I am the one to actualize it by settling down against my wish— at least for three years. 

The truth was simple: the partnership hinged on one thing I didn’t have. A wife. The European investors were old-school, obsessed with family values and stability. They wanted a CEO who looked grounded, settled, and dependable. Not a bachelor who lived out of hotel rooms and changed ladies like underwear— at least that was how dad put it. 

Their board had asked—subtly at first, then directly—about my marital status. And when I  saw the hesitation in their eyes, he knew it was a dealbreaker. Three years. That was the length of the partnership, and the length of time I needed to look like a married man with a stable life. I need a wife—not for love, not for companionship, but for business and I need to think and act fast before this deal slips off our hands. Dad wouldn’t forgive it. I was majorly agreeing to do it because of him. He built this company from nothing and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that for him even after he retired and left me in charge. 

I started to shuffle through the girls I had but none of them seemed suitable. I mostly went after whores, who couldn’t even play pretend wife—they would get too greedy and run off with my wealth. While I was lost in my thoughts, I saw my PA walk into her cubicle and for a moment I imagined her being my wife. After all, she has been my staff for years now so she should be loyal to me. She seemed really quiet and nice, I didn't think she should be seeing someone, I thought. Suddenly, I had a crazy idea to ask her. 

“Sydney!” I called out to her. She came rushing to my office. “Are you seeing someone?” I asked her authoritatively. I saw her shift awkwardly from foot to foot, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. “Erm no sir” she said quietly. “Okay good” I said dismissing her. 

She is good looking, curvy, and full in appropriate places, she fears me and she wouldn’t say no to me since she isn’t seeing anyone I thought. The plan is perfect. She would be my fake wife, I smile at the resolution I have come to. 

Picking up my phone, I called my lawyer to draft me a three-year marriage contract. While I was still on a call with my lawyer, I heard my phone beeping, another call from an unknown number was coming in. I picked irritatedly 

“Hello baby” Bianca's voice filled my ear. I regretted picking up the call instantly. I had almost forgotten the lengths to which Bianca would go just to have my attention. I had blocked her everywhere and even several unknown numbers she used to reach me but still, she found a way to reach me. 

“What the hell do you want from me, Bianca?” I said angrily. 

“That’s no way to talk to the love of your life Xavier” she reprimanded me. “I am familiar with this hard-to-get game of yours, you’d pretend for a while that you don’t want me until you see me without panties on” she said adding an extra ring to her voice trying to sound seductive, but it just aggravated me. 

“Bianca, I’m saying this for the last time, I want nothing to do with you, whatever we had is over and I don’t want you anymore. As a matter of fact, I’m actually getting married. Move on and leave me the hell alone” I said curtly and without waiting for her reply I hung up and blocked her number for the umpteenth time. 

I let out a frustrated groan because that’s how I always feel whenever it comes to Bianca. I have let her seduce me in the past but not anymore. It’s funny how I once genuinely loved the pathetic woman until I caught her numerous times sleeping with every man who breathed her way. Everything I felt for her after was lust, I just wanted to keep sleeping with her, that's why I didn’t end this sooner but I am now bored and couldn’t be bothered with a psycho like her. 

My lawyer sent a hard copy of the marriage contract and I proceeded to drop it on Sydney’s desk. Her cubicle was empty when I got there so I dropped it on her desk and went back to my office to round up for the day. I had a steamy hot stripper waiting for me in my loft. I can’t wait to do incredible things to her as soon as I leave this place. 

Just as I was clearing up my desk, Sydney entered my office, the marriage contract in her hands. 

“With all due respect sir, I hereby reject your offer. I can’t do it” she says trying to appear confident but I hear the shakiness in her voice and I can see how she looks down without looking at me when she says it. Before I could respond, she ran out of my office. I stood there stunned. 

“Did she just say no to me?— who does she think she is? How dare she refuse me?” I said loudly to myself, extremely furious.