Falling For Her contracted Husband

THIRD PERSON POV

"Sir, what did you say?" 

Sky blinked. She felt something drilling into her ears, making them tingle uncomfortably. 

It can't be. My ears don't feel right.

She raised her right hand, about to stick her index finger into her ear. 

"Marry me Sky," he repeated his words. 

"You don't have to worry about anything. It's just a contract wedding. I want you to be my contract wife."

She furrowed her eyebrows as she realized that what she heard him say was exactly what he said. He wanted her to marry him and not because he wanted her but because he wanted her to be his contract wife but the question was why? 

"Why… are you… asking me to marry you?" Sky stuttered, unable to contain her shock. Her pale face was tinted with pink blush. 

"I know this is a lot but I want you to be my contract wife for six months or a year depending on which you prefer," he replied.

She scoffed in disbelief. Was that all she was to him? She couldn't believe he was throwing the words like they meant nothing. 

When Ocean introduced her as his girlfriend, she understood that he was just trying to use her to boost his ego in front of Amanda. 

 Having to pretend to be his girlfriend and being his contract wife were two different things.

She was hurt by his words. She has always secretly liked Ocean, she even dreamt of them getting married too. Before Ocean became mean to her and started acting bad towards her, he was a sweet and loving person who understood her and listened to her. 

She felt hurt that he wanted to use her and pay her like it was nothing to him. 

Sky's mind swirled around in circles. Her emotions were so messed up that her eyes glazed over. 

"Why? I… " 

"I know it's sudden but it needs to be done. I'll give you some days to think about it. Three days to be precise, I'll be expecting your response."

Distraught and shocked, Sky got lost in her head. By the time she came back to her senses, Ocean's car was long gone. With shaking hands, she managed to insert her key into the door and opened it. 

He asked her to marry him. Ocean Woods had asked her to marry him. 

Sky started pacing around the room until her mind assimilated the situation. Slightly settled, she gradually remembered the other things Ocean said. 

Her mood became gloomy. She believed that marriage was a lifetime commitment, and it was hard for her to accept such an arrangement. 

She knew it wasn't what she wanted. He was not interested in her. She was just a pun in his game.

After managing a light sleep during the day, Sky's mind remained tumultuous throughout the night. By the next morning, her face was puffy and pale. She took some time to cover her dark eyebags with makeup, but there was nothing she could do for her dull-looking, dry skin. 

In the past three months, she approached her job with a hint of wariness due to Ocean's mood swings.

But this was the first time her courage nearly failed her. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't what she wanted, but it was harder than she thought.

When the taxi dropped her in front of her office, instead of going in, 

Sky walked over to the coffee shop by the side of the building. She was filled with dread.

She knew he had not yet arrived.

All sorts of contradicting emotions were swirling around in her mind, suffocating her. 

After a cup of chilled, plain coffee, she finally gathered the courage to enter the building. 

At exactly 10 AM, Ocean arrived. 

When he walked into the office, she attempted to follow him but was interrupted by a call.

She walked him into the office before bringing out her phone.

It was her mom. "Wrong timing, mom." She said, tapping the answer button.

"Hello?" The person from the other end said before Sky could say anything.

It wasn't her mother's voice, she was very aware of that. She took another glance at the caller's ID, and it was her mother.

"Is this Miss Sky Rivers?" The other person asked. It was a female voice. It sounded calm and soothing at the same time.

"Who is this and why are you with my mother's phone?" She asked, different thoughts swirling through her head.

"I'm calling from Arnold Hospital. You were the first number on her dial list. She's currently in the hospital. I needed to get in touch with a guardian of hers." She explained carefully.

"What?" The shock was evident in her voice.

"I'm guessing she's your mother. She slumped and is currently in the hospital We need …" 

Everything became blurred to her. She couldn't hear anything else the lady was saying over the phone.

She knew where her mother was and that was the only thing she needed to know.

She made her way out of the coffee shop, abandoning the mission that was planned.

Within minutes, she was at the hospital. 

She made her way to the receptionist who directed her to her mom's ward.

She met a doctor in the room along with her unconscious mother.

"Mom!" She cried, running to her.

"What happened to her?" She asked him, tears escaping from her eyes.

"If you could come to my office with me," the doctor said.

She took one last glance at her mom and followed the doctor into his office.

Gastric cancer. Her mother had gastric cancer which made her slump. She was stressing out a lot and wasn't eating properly.

Sky felt her whole world falling apart when she came out of the office. Her mom had been going through a lot, and she had no idea about it.

"Sadly it's in a state where if we don't perform the surgery early, then she won't survive it," The doctor said.

Her tears fell harder when she remembered the amount she was meant to pay for the surgery to take place.

Suddenly feeling pressed, Sky broke out in a cold sweat. She stood up and wobbled on shaky legs.

"To continue with the process, you will have to deposit at least fifty thousand dollars for the process to start," the doctor said to her. 

She didn't even have up to ten thousand dollars saved up in her account and that was a huge amount. 

"Alright," she said to the doctor who later stood up and left the office, leaving her to think. 

She went back into her mother's ward. Tears kept on falling as she thought about how she would get such an amount of money.

She sat gingerly on the edge of the chair and tucked her hands in between her knees. 

Just then, her boss came into her mind.

The marriage contract. She remembered that he said he was going to pay her handsomely.

She felt the pit of her stomach sink as she thought about the Ocean offer. It didn't sit well with her thinking about it and wanting to agree for money. It went against her principles. 

She ran her finger through her hair in frustration. Her mother was all that she had left in this world. After her father died who was the breadwinner of the family, things became hard for them. 

Two months later she got the job at Ocean company then which was still a growing small company compared to what it is now. She couldn't lose her mom either. She would go crazy. She had only become very close with her mom after her dad passed as she was a daddy's girl. 

The sound of Sky phone ringing shook her off her deep thoughts. She took her phone to see that it was Ocean calling. She had left the office without permission. 

"Where the fuck are you?" Ocean asked.

————-

"I accept to be your contract wife."

Sky couldn't believe that those words came out of her own mouth but she had said it and there was no going back. 

"I didn't expect your response this soon," Ocean said, sitting across from the sky.

He gave her three days and she was there on the first day. It came as a surprise to him.

"Neither did I." She answered.

He didn't fail to notice the difference in her attitude. Something was going on but he decided not to speak on it. 

"What have you concluded?" 

Taking a deep breath. "I'll do it."

Her breathing picked up and her back became sweaty.

All sorts of thoughts ran through her head. But her mother was first and she needed this for her.

Noticing her almost panicking face, Ocean cleared his throat, and she snapped back to her senses. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yes. Sorry." She said, coming back to her senses.

"Alright then, I will get the documents ready," he said. 

Before the end of that day, Ocean called her to his office. He handed over the documents of their contract to her. She was surprised to see the preparations moving so fast. 

"Here," he said, handing it over to her.

She picked up the contract and started going through it. It was blurry at first, but she kept staring at it until the fog cleared.

It was straightforward. 

The marriage will last for a year, and they will live under the same roof. There will be no consummation of the marriage, and both parties will only have to act their roles outside the house. Both parties will not influence the other party's private life as long as it doesn't conflict with the contract.

"It's blank?" She said referring to the fact that there was no stated amount of money that she'd be paid. 

"Yes. I wanted you to tell me how much it is that you will charge to be my wife," he replied. 

She hated that word as it made her feel like she was nothing but a tool. 

She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she thought of the amount that she wanted from him. 

"Five million dollars," she uttered to her own surprise. 

"Alright, you can insert the amount and my lawyer will adjust it later," he replied." 

"As soon as the wedding is done, I will be transferring the money into your account." 

She nodded in response as she continued to read the contract. She will also have a monthly allowance of a hundred thousand dollars. 

"Is the allowance necessary? You are already paying me five million dollars," she stated.

"That's for your upkeep and miscellaneous as you won't work for me anymore. You will have to look for someone that is as good as you to take your place as my secretary and personal assistant," he informed her. 

She didn't say anything in return and continued to read. 

Third parties mustn't know about the terms of their union.

There will be an act of affection only when necessary and in public. 

By the time Sky finished reading the contract, her heart we're no longer beating as fast as they were. 

Subconsciously she sighed with relief. The context of the contract was what she wanted.

The payment was just enough to pay for the surgery. The rules were also simple and unassuming. She was already acting as his emergency contact, always at his beck and call like a domestic staff. All that would change was the title. She got this. 

"Immediately we get married, I would receive the payment, right?" She confirmed.

"Of course." He answered.

It was as if he was trying to read her. A day ago, she acted strange about the whole proposal and now she was at his office begging for the contract.

Realizing she had no pen, she looked around only to see him handing her a pen. 

She looked at the paper in front of her, took a deep, long breath, and then signed the contract.

They closed it and handed it over. "Alright. That's done." Ocean said.

"Yes," she answered him.

He wanted to say something about it, but she stood up.

 "I'll be taking your leave." She said. 

Without waiting for his response, she dashed out of the office not wanting to regret her actions.