Chapter 5 Fifth Chapter

David's POV

David Luther is pissed. He throws his phone behind him and it lands roughly on the backseat of

his car. He just argued with his mom. It's a good thing he parked before he began

speaking with her or he is sure he'd have killed someone on the road. His mom keeps bugging

him about getting a wife and although he's tried hard to postpone the inevitable decision, it seems

she's gotten tired of his excuses. He's not ready to settle down with Cynthia. He's happy with the

nights they share and the fun of having her around even though it's all pretense but marrying her.

That's something he wouldn't wish on anyone.

The thought keeps plaguing him when he turns to see a woman being hit by an older man. The

man follows on to her even as she's on the ground and pulls her hair. David hates a lot of things

but what he hates most is a woman being beaten. Without thinking, he gets out of his car and

pounces on the man, holding his hands before the third slap lands on her face.

Vivian's POV

Mr David stands before me, holding my dad's hands and a disgusted look on his face. "How dare

you treat a woman like that?" I can feel the anger in those words.

My Stepdad tries to pull his hands free but he isn't strong enough. "Get away from here and let

me go. This is family business."

Mr. David looks at me as if to confirm if what he says is true but I am tired of letting him claim

to be a part of our family when he isn't. I shake my head and the next thing I know, Mr

Heights pulls my Stepdad with so much force, he lands a few feet away from me.

The crowds gathered and let out a sound but they wouldn't interfere. I hear the sound of my father's

cries for help but he doesn't have good friends to help him. All just watch as he is trashed.

I suddenly see my mother run into view, surprise on her face.

" Please leave him, he is my husband. He was just angry." She cries out and falls on her knees.

The look in his eyes is nothing short of angry.

"He was about to beat you and your daughter to death," he says.

"He would have stopped eventually" my mother replies and I almost facepalm. How blind can

my mother get?

Mr David gives my Stepdad a last look before leaving him to squirm on the ground.

He walks up to me and stretches his hand forth and I hold on to it, pulling myself from the

ground.

"My car's over there, let's go get you cleaned up." I don't object. I follow him without saying a

word.

As I get in the car, the plush leather almost makes me melt into the chair as I breathe in the

artificial air that somehow does beautiful things to my insides. The entire interior is a dark red,

perhaps wine, every single chair coated in a velvety gold one-stripe coat. I managed to form

words in my mouth.

"Mr David, I'm sorry but what are you doing here?" I ask.

My words are incoherent from the beating and I find it hard to place my sentences well without

wincing in pain.

"What were you doing in front of my house?" I ask him slowly.

He doesn't answer, just keeps on driving till we get to the front of a clinic. Mr David turns off the

ignition and unbuckles his seat belt.

"Come with me." I do what he asks with a blank mind. What have I suddenly gotten myself into?

The inside of the clinic isn't big at all. Like a room with just a bed and a wardrobe that seems to

have drugs and tools rather than clothes. A woman is sitting on a chair when we get in and she

immediately stands up when she sees Mr David.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, surprise on her face and I raise my brows a little high at

the lack of formalities.

"Nice to see you too, Bianca. I need you to help me clean her up while I go get something for her

to eat." Mr David replies as the woman finally turns to me, acknowledging my presence.

She looks at me from head to toe then back at Mr David with a scrutinized gaze. He only

smiles-the only smile I've ever seen on him.

Bianca gently moves me to the bed, telling me to sit while she opens the wardrobe and pulling

out a few things from it.

No one says a word as she cleans up my wounds. Only a few muttered sorry whenever I wince

in pain.

The moment she places the last plaster on my face, Mr David walks in with a pack of food in his

hands.

Bianca gives him another look, causing me to be curious as to what exactly is going on between

the both of them before she walks out. Leaving me alone with my boss.

He pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat. He held out the pack in his hand, giving it to me.

"Eat." He said.

Maybe it is because of the drugs or maybe I am just too famished to say no, I opened the pack to

see a burger with fries in it. I groan internally as I wolf it down.

"Explain what happened." Mr David's voice snapped me out of my daze.

He has just helped me and gotten me food. I can't possibly lie about the whole situation so I tell

him everything.

About my mom, my sister, why my mom had to marry my stepdad just because he promised

he'd help us, my work. Everything.

When I finally finish, he is still staring at me with a blank look.

What I wouldn't give to see him smile again.

"Am I still fired?" The question floods out of my mouth before I can control myself.

"That should be the least of your worries. And it all depends on how you look at it. I want to

propose an offer." he says.

I sit up straight now, my interest already piqued as I look at him. "What do I have to do?" I ask.

He sighs, as though he is trying to contemplate how to put his words.

"The girl you met today in the office, Cynthia. She is being forced on me. Her parents want her

to be my bride. I told them that I already have a woman that I love and will be getting married to

in the next two days" he says.

I can still not see how that concerns me but I listen.

"And what am I supposed to do? Do you need me to help clean up after her?" I ask.

"No, I'm asking that you pretend to be my bride." I pause, thoughts frozen as I try to see if he

will burst out laughing anytime soon. Maybe it's some sort of prank

"How is that even possible?" I ask, bemused.

"I'm proposing a contract marriage. I get married to you and you get married to me, for two years, enough to get her parents off of my back. And then, you can go where you want.

I will pay you 10 million dollars" he says.

It is almost fishy, almost as though he has other plans that I do not know about.

"Just that? I don't have to do anything?" He shakes his head in affirmation.

"I am going to draft a contract for you, all you have to do is sign the contract. You can state what

you want and what you don't want and that will be fully followed for the duration of the two

years you will spend with me. And we will get married in two days. So what do you say?"

My sister. My deteriorated house needs to be changed. My mother's business is suffering. I clenched

my jaw and unclenched it as my heart raced.

"Yes. I will marry you."