Chapter 2 Our Marriage Contract

Ringgg Ringgg!!!

The loud phone ring abruptly interrupted my train of thought. As I glanced at the caller ID on the screen, I saw that it was him – the man who had recently married, my former fiancé, Richard Guetta.

I hastily picked up the phone, unable to resist the bad habit I had developed whenever Richard called. There was a time when Richard's friends used to mock me a lot, saying that I was infatuated with him to the point of losing all self-respect. They claimed that I acted like a dog wagging its tail, yearning for his attention.

I used to hope that his gentle and kind-hearted nature would shield me from hurtful words, but Richard had never done so. I would hope, only to be disappointed, over and over again. This cycle persisted endlessly, and at times, I even wondered if I deserved the cruel words.

Much like my mother's frequent berating during her fits of rage, she would label me as a mistake, a flawed existence. Perhaps it was for this very reason that I was suffering the consequences.

Thinking of this, my heart felt as though a thousand arrows were piercing it, and blood surged. Nevertheless, I maintained a composed expression. There was a stranger beside me, and Richard was calling. I needed to convey that I was fine and not allow anyone to see my vulnerability.

After gathering my composure, I spoke, "Hi!"

"Alice, when did you return home yesterday? Why didn't you let us know? I called your home, and your younger brother said you hadn't returned. Is everything alright?" Richard inquired rapidly, his concerned tone causing a slight disturbance within me. However, I didn't dare harbor any illusions about the man; after all, he was already a married man. Above all, Richard saw me as a little sister.

It was a pitiable and sinister thought.

I couldn't speak up, couldn't muster the courage to hold on.

"I'm fine, thank you..."

"Darling, come over for breakfast soon," a woman's sweet voice echoed on the phone, and my already fragile heart shattered further. Then, I heard Richard's voice, filled with affection, speaking to the woman:

"Wait for me a little, I'm looking out for Alice."

"Alice? Oh, is that the neighbor's little sister you mentioned?"

Ha ha, the neighbor's little sister. This was nothing more than a sarcastic remark directed at her. There was no way the woman didn't know about her past relationship with Richard, so this comment was undoubtedly a taunt and a warning. It was only natural – which wife would remain silent when she found out that her husband had a close relationship with another woman, especially if that woman happened to be his former fiancée?

"Yes, that's Alice. She didn't come home last night, so I was a bit worried," Richard said, as if he had completely forgotten my existence. He spoke tenderly to his wife. Just hearing his voice allowed me to imagine how doting he must be towards her.

I bit my lip to suppress any sound from escaping. But all my restraint was shattered by the woman's next words:

"Oh my, Alice didn't come home for a night? I've heard you say Alice is such a good girl, never going out late at night! Is she facing some problem?"

Ah, he had shared everything about me with her, because to him, I was just a little sister, nothing more. Was I a good girl? Did I never go out at night? Was this some sort of satisfaction at having transformed me into this for their wedding?

I could even sense her sweet, smiling face and the triumphant glint in her eyes as she circled me in her thoughts.

In this moment, I felt an overwhelming rush to my head, and my mouth uttered a sentence that even I couldn't believe.

"I'm fine, just preparing for my own wedding!"

"What did you say?!"

Immediately, Richard's exclamation brought me back to my senses. What...what did I just say?

"Who are you marrying?"

Richard's question left me flustered. How would I know? I didn't even have a boyfriend yet!

"Little sister, why didn't you tell us earlier? Or maybe tonight, you can bring your future husband over to our place. I'll prepare a grand celebration to congratulate both of you!"

The cheerful voice of Richard's wife echoed in my ear, making me truly uncomfortable. I could feel her happiness, and she probably thought I was just speaking nonsense and wanted to use the celebration to reveal the truth, making me embarrassed in front of Richard.

"I will bring him to meet everyone tonight!"

Immediately, I ended the call and sat on the floor. My two hands clasped my head, overwhelmed with confusion.

What had I just done?

Why did I blurt that out like that?

And where on earth was I supposed to find a future husband for tonight???

I anxiously scanned the room, hoping that this futile eye movement would somehow lead my mind to find the best solution, even though I knew there was no science to support such a belief. I was well aware that I was acting out of desperation!

However, when my gaze fell on the man sprawled on the bed, a crazy thought suddenly sparked in my mind.

"Hey, you, be my husband!"

That's right, we had already slept together, so getting married was the logical next step, wasn't it?

While today's youth may love and have sex at an earlier age, even sooner in some cases, for them, marriage is still a distant concept. Some even believe that marriage is the tombstone of love. However, I couldn't be like them. I was a loner, someone shunned by society. Normal people had a few friends, while I could count them with a single hand. With my personality, finding a boyfriend was next to impossible. So, last night was technically my first time!

But the wandering man probably had no clue about that. I assumed as much because he spoke in a confused tone, his words lacking comprehension.

"What are you talking about?"

Since I couldn't see his face clearly, I had to gauge the man's emotions solely from the tone of his voice. I thought for a moment, and my audacious idea flowed like a river, appearing one after another, providing me with a solution to salvage tonight's embarrassing situation.

I said, "Let's enter into a marriage contract! After all, you don't have a home, do you?"

I paused briefly, observing the man's reaction. He was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. I sighed in relief and continued,

"I don't have a home either, but I have a rented room I can share with you. I also have a stable job, though not as generous as a sugar mommy, but for a wanderer like you, having enough to eat every day is already good, isn't it?"

I deliberately tried to belittle him, wanting to show that I was assisting this man, not out of fear and not on the same level with him.

The wandering man remained silent for a long time, so long that I thought my tough façade had been exposed. Then, he spoke up:

"My organs aren't enough for you to sell."

"What?"

What was he talking about? Why was he mentioning organs? Then, I thought for a moment, and I froze. Please don't tell me he's suspecting that I'm involved in illegal organ trafficking!

This is so unfair! I'm a law-abiding citizen, okay???

I slapped my forehead and began to explain, "I have no interest in stealing other people's organs! Of course, in this transaction, both you and I benefit."

I glanced at the wandering man, but I decided to give up. I couldn't see any facial expressions on him at all!

"I need you to introduce to my family and friends. Just for five years, and then you and I can divorce. After that, I'll provide you with some money to help you get by for a while."

I stood tall, staring directly at the man. However, at this very moment, I didn't realize that my gaze had changed, and the man could see it clearly.

He remained silent as if contemplating something, then chuckled, as if mocking something. His actions made me somewhat uncomfortable. Was he looking down on me?

My suspicions went unanswered because the wandering man responded in a light tone:

"Okay."