Chapter 4 LEFT WITH NO CHOICE

"Are you listening to yourself, Ruby. I can't believe you'd actually support that jerk," Autumn said, starting to get pissed at her best friend.

"Autumn, that jerk can frustrate your chances of getting a job in New York. Are you not listening to me?" Ruby said.

"Then I'll leave New York and go somewhere else to get a job," Autumn replied.

"Oh, I see you have some money saved up somewhere to do that, huh," Ruby answered sarcastically.

Autumn kept shut as she thought of it. She actually didn't have the money to move to a new city but even if she did, she didn't have the money to start up a new life. Seeing that Autumn had come to the realisation of things, Ruby got up from her seat and went to sit beside Autumn.

"Autumn, the best way to see this is like a business proposal. The marriage is just a façade for anyone else; it's not like you are going to sleep with him or kiss him except probably in public. At the end of 6 months or at least one year, you go your separate ways and you baby girl will come out of that fake marriage a Millionaire. It's simply a business deal. Think about all the times you've had to Suffer because you weren't from a wealthy family. Think about it friend," Ruby said.

Autumn went to bed that night thinking about the whole thing. She could hardly even sleep because all she could think of was the proposal and Ruby's advice.

"Ruby could be right. I could see this as just a business deal or something," Autumn said to herself.

"But after the divorce, I could end up being a laughing stock to people," a contradicting thought came to her mind.

By Morning, she had come up with a decision. She told her friend about it.

"I'll do it; it's going to be hard and humiliating after the divorce but like you said it's a business deal and nothing more," Autumn said.

"You've made the right choice, bestie," Ruby encouraged her

Autumn got ready that made and made her way back to the office. When she got there, the receptionist and secretary told her that Jaxon was already waiting for her. She was surprised as to how he knew she was going to come back. She asked him and he said that she knew she'd come back because he knew she had no choice.

"I've decided to sign the contract because I only see it as a business deal and a way of you compensating me for making me lose my job," Autumn said.

"Very good; you've made the right choice. Now I'll give you the contract, read it and sign at the bottom," Jaxon said, handing her the contract.

Autumn took the contract and read it. The terms and conditions were as follows:

1. You and Mr. Wellington are to act like real couples in front of people, that includes kissing and affectionate touches in public.

2. You will have to move into Mr. Wellington's home to make the act more realistic.

3. You and Mr. Wellington will have separate bedrooms.

4. You are not allowed to develop any feelings for Mr. Wellington during the period of this contract marriage.

5. After the divorce and payment, you are to move far away to another city or country if possible.

6. If there are any more terms and conditions to be added, we'll let you know.

Autumn chuckled at number 4 because she knew that there was no way she was ever going to fall in love with a jerk like Jaxon.

"I accept every other term except Number one. Do we really have to kiss and touch each other in public. I don't want to kiss a jerk like you," Autumn said.

Jaxon scoffed and replied,

"Trust me I don't want to kiss you or even stand beside you too but we have to do it for people to believe that we're truly a couple. So will you sign the contract or not?" Jaxon asked, handing her a pen.

Autumn took a deep breath. She knew that she had come to far to turn back around now. She had no choice but to do this and bear with it for at least a year. She took the pen from Jaxon and signed it.

"That's good. Now the first thing is to get you an engagement ring and take you to my parents to show them my fiancée," Jaxon said.

"What if they ask us how we meet and all those other stuffs?" Autumn asked.

"I've got that covered; I have a file that contains everything you need to know and possibly questions people might actually ask about us. Read it tonight and we'll go see my parents tomorrow," Jaxon answered.

"What about me? Don't you think they're ask you some stuffs about me?" Autumn said.

"Well I highly doubt that they'd do that. Everyone would probably be too focused on my "fiancée" to find time to ask me any questions about her," Jaxon replied.

Autumn went back home with the file Jaxon gave her and began to study it like she was preparing for an international exam. She spent the whole day studying the file that she knew almost everything about Jaxon in just one day. The next evening, Jaxon came to her home to pick her up so he could take her to his parents. He had already gotten a ring that he gave her to slip into her finger.

Jaxon's parents were surprised but happy to see him bring a girl home but they were more elated when he introduced her as his fiancée. They asked Autumn lots of questions and she answered them perfectly, as most of them were from the study Jaxon had given her. Suddenly his mother asked,

"Jaxon honey, what's your fiancée's favorite thing to do? I want to make sure you know how to make your woman happy."

Suddenly everywhere became quiet as all eyes were on Jaxon.