Chapter 1 THE REPLACEMENT WIFE

Paula's POV

"I need you to pretend as my wife," my eyes widened upon hearing those words from him. He was serious, not even a tinge of sarcasm can be seen on his face. "W-What?" I asked again, making sure if heard it right.

He leaned on the swivel chair and crossed his arms while staring at me, "I'm willing to pay you any amount, you name it."

I gulped as my mouth went agape, "P-Pay m-me?"

"Yes, you can tell me any amount that you want to receive from me and I'll give it to you once you sign the contract of our agreement." He finally stood up and walked in my direction. "Based on the information that I got, you are a college student at Gosling University which is one of the schools that I own. And also, I heard that you are currently living with your grandmother who is now confined in the hospital."

I wrinkled my brows. How can he know such personal things about me?

"Miss Edwards, I know how badly you need this money. If I were you, I will do everything for my beloved grandmother and-

"All I need to do is to pretend as your missing wife, am I right?" I looked straight at him.

"Well, yes. You need to act like her, look exactly like her, take care of the kids, make them all believe that you are her until I finally find my wife."

"How long will I be pretending?" I asked again, my voice was shaking. The man gazed at me with his deep ocean blue eyes that could melt someone if he tries to stare at them. He suppressed a sigh before he spoke,

"Until I finally find my wife."

"What if you don't find her?" I nonchalantly asked.

The man then furrowed his thick black brows, his eyes were sharp, "I will find her, no matter what it takes. I will be able to find her."

I bit my lower lip as I nodded, "O-Okay."

"Are you saying that you're already agreeing to pretend as my wife?" he was almost smiling, though it didn't reach his eyes. I gulped again while my hands were trembling, slowly, I opened my mouth as I looked at him, "W-We should have an agreement first."

His brows rose up, then he nodded, "I understand, so, do you have any conditions?"

"You should give me half of the payment first, t-that is my first condition." I retorted. He nodded as approval and so I continue speaking, "No kissing between us, no touching, no mingling with my personal real life, and no-

"No sex." He suddenly said which made me look at him. "D-Definitely no sex," I repeated.

"So, those things are your only conditions?" he asked me again.

I thought for a while then I looked at him, "And one more thing, no one in my friends or anyone who knows me should know about our agreement. We're only going to act like a couple in front of your family and in front of your children."

"I understand. Anything else?"

"N-Nothing." I shook my head. I heard him let out a sigh of relief, "Then, shall we meet tomorrow to sign the agreement?"

"Okay."

He nodded, "Let's meet here at my office, I will also transfer the money in your bank account as soon as you sign the contract."

"Okay." That's the only word that escaped my mouth. The man lay his right hand in front of me, asking for a handshake. I looked at him, then to his hand, and grabbed it. "Thank you, Miss Edwards."

"Don't thank me too early, I haven't signed the contract yet," I replied.

"I see. So, see you tomorrow?"

"S-See you tomorrow."

He even walked me towards the huge steel door of his office and opened the door for me as I stepped outside. "Thanks," I said before finally walking away from him. I called a cab to ride my way home and as soon as I got inside it, tears came flowing down my cheeks. I tried to wipe it away using my palm but it just won't stop.

"Stop crying, Paula. You will be able to pay your debts and the hospital fees now." I said to myself.

I am Paula Edwards, a twenty-year-old girl who lives with my grandmother who is not really my grandmother. She just took me in and raised me after seeing me in front of a church back when I was still an infant. I didn't get the chance to know who my real parents are, I don't know what they look like or why they decided to leave me there. I'm no longer interested in finding them anyway because I don't see any point in doing that. They already threw me away, which only means that they didn't want me to be a part of their family so why would I even bother looking for them?

And yes, as you have read in the first part of this narrative, I just had an agreement with Mr. Voltaire Farusco, the Billionaire and the richest man here in New York who just lost his wife after a plane crash. I met him in a bar, that night when I decided to get drunk and be crazy after my boyfriend named Jake broke up with me. It was the same night when Mr. Farusco decided to get drunk too because of his wife. And because he thought that I was his wife, he grabbed me in the middle of the dance floor and kissed me passionately as if there was no tomorrow. And you know what happened after that.

A week has passed and four men in black suits suddenly arrived in front of the University I am studying at and told me that their boss wants to see me because he has something to talk about. I agreed with his plan, I agreed to pretend as his wife because I need the money. No strings attached.