A foster mom. Marriage by contract

On his way back home after an exhausting flight, he cursed again and again because the business he thought was going to go great was a complete failure; someone beat him to the purchase before Noah arrived, causing him to lose a considerable amount of money.

However, Noah decided to overlook that moment, he would soon investigate the name of the person who did that and show them that no one messes with him; for now, the most important thing was to go see his wife. They would soon be celebrating their anniversary, and he wanted to give her the best, he had a surprise for her when she returned from work.

Noah's driver didn't take long to arrive; after a few minutes on the road, he looked out the window at his imposing house. For him, there is nothing better than arriving at the place where the woman he loves is. Noah checked the time and then told the driver to pick up his son after he finished studying.

Noah went up to his room, he deserved a bath. After Noah took off his tie in front of his room door, he could hear moans coming from inside; he furrowed his brow and without hesitation, he opened the door.

"What the hell is going on in here?" he said aloud, his skin turning red with anger.

Seeing that image, he was completely surprised and disappointed; the scene he was witnessing was slowly destroying him.

There was his wife, who was being intimate with someone else; seeing them there, in the place where he slept, left him completely bewildered. Noah was just trying to process what he was witnessing, she was the woman of his life, the mother of his child.

"Forgive me, love, it's not what it looks like, everything has an explanation," Isabel spoke, covering her body with a sheet and walking straight to him.

As for that man, he just stayed in bed, watching the pathetic scene.

"There's nothing to explain, don't take me for a fool, with what I just witnessed, it's more than clear what's happening here," he said, feeling disgusted.

Noah stretched out his hands in the direction, preventing her from touching him, he was disgusted by the thought of her hands touching him again.

"I don't want you to come near me, you're the worst person I've ever met in my life," she started crying while trying to hold onto his arm.

"I made a mistake, please listen to me..." she said.

The anger is so great that Noah turned and left the room.

Outside, Noah hit the wall a few times with his clenched hand, releasing the rage he felt at that moment.

"Forgive me, don't do it for me," she says.

Something inside Noah wanted to explode with every word that came out of her, she was being cynical.

"Think about our son, he doesn't deserve to grow up without his dad," she speaks very confidently.

"He's not going to grow up without his dad," he said angrily, shouting.

"Please, just listen to me, he's a mistake," she said, excusing herself.

"Now I understand your rush to go on a trip, that excuse was just a cover for deceiving me, while I stayed there like an idiot thinking you were the best woman in the world; I fell for your lies, but I assure you that you will pay for this," he said.

She hugs him, causing him to release her immediately.

"Listen to me, love, I made a mistake..." she pleads.

"Let me go, it's time for you to leave this house with your lover, but you will have to go without our son. I will do everything possible to make it very difficult for you to see him again," he says with a threat.

Noah tightens his hands, noticing the white of his knuckles. He loved her with all his strength.

"You can't keep me away from my son. Just because our relationship is over doesn't mean I should be kept away from him. He is my son, you can't separate me from him," Isabel speaks.

"How long have you been together?" he asks. She just looks at him without answering. "How long have you been together?" he shouts once more.

"Please, don't bring that up now. Our relationship was not good, it had ended a long time ago, you just wanted to keep pretending to have a happy family. You left me alone many times, always with your business affairs, forgetting that I exist," she says.

And with each word, she destroys Noah even more.

"It's not just that, you know very well that you are always avoiding me, and now I see the real reason. Always with excuses. I just want you to know that I no longer want anything to do with you, so I ask you to leave for good, and I hope to never see you again in my life, forget about my money, this house, everything... because that's all you care about from what I see," he speaks, in a strong tone and completely determined to go through with this betrayal.

At those words, she paces back and forth, her face showing complete desperation, but it's only because of the money she freely had access to, not to mention her position in the company.

"I am Liam's mother, I will not be separated from him. That's why I must stay with him in this house, you are the one who must go. After all, you are the one who is hurt and can't listen to reason," she says.

Noah can't help but contain his laughter, letting out a loud and painful chuckle.

"Liam stays with me. You don't deserve the company of a heart as sweet as his; please pack your things and leave of your own accord, don't make me do it forcefully. So don't think for a second that you will stay in this house either," Noah warns.

Noah turns his head as that man leaves as if nothing happened. Isabel huffs, then goes upstairs to get dressed.

Noah sits down, his deep and cold gaze showing everything that has broken within him today. He uncorks a bottle and pours his favorite drink into a glass to the brim, taking a single sip to get through this tough moment, while his heart breaks completely.

After a few minutes, he watches his wife leave as if nothing happened, pouring another drink and drinking it as if it were water, then throwing the glass against the wall.

Noah is left alone and completely shattered, while she has left behind a marriage and the love of her son to go with that man.

Weeks later, Noah seeks a way to get out of his unfortunate situation. He often drowns himself in alcohol and sometimes at work, but fortunately, Isabel has not returned to work there.

The absence of the only woman he has loved starts to reflect in the behavior of his little son, Liam. No matter how much he tries to make him understand that his mother won't come back, it has only triggered a rebellious and controversial attitude in the child.

The nannies have not worked out, as they all quit after just a few days, claiming the boy is quite mischievous or has tried to escape. The worst part for Noah is that he cannot neglect his business, as it means losses for him.

Once again, there's a knock on the office door. The secretary enters because it's time to interview a few more candidates for the nanny position. He just hopes that this time there's at least one who can win over this little boy.

With Isabel's deception, he can't help but think and deduce that everyone around him is only close because of self-interest, clearly for his money, just like his ex-wife.

Before heading to the interviews, Noah receives a message from his friend, informing him that the divorce papers have reached Isabel.

The candidates come in one by one, but they all resemble those who have quit. While trying to impress him with inappropriate comments, his patience runs thin, and by the end of the day, he's left to continue the daily hiring of nannies, which is not good for the child. However, there's no other option.

Meanwhile, Emily was smiling as she finished helping her grandparents. Today, she would have to look for a job again; the expenses at home, not to mention monthly payments, overwhelm her more each day. She looks at her computer and realizes that she must postpone her studies again due to a lack of money.

Emily picks up her phone; her friend has sent her the location for a nanny interview. Emily smiles because this is a great opportunity to stay afloat a little longer, as waiting tables haven't worked well for her.

She quickly gets ready while mentally reviewing some points her friend mentioned. She kisses her grandparents and then steps out with her biggest smile. She takes the bus, but it stops far from the indicated address.

When Emily gets off, all she does is run to try to make it there. Upon arrival, she sees the huge building with large windows she needs to enter.

She lowered her head as she exhaled heavily, feeling quite excited about the opportunity to get a job again, one that was full-time, so she wouldn't have to think about working the next day.

Emily gathered everything in her hands, realizing she was running quite late, but staying optimistic about being able to achieve something; the elevator doors opened, revealing the presidential reception area. A woman, seeing her, pressed her lips together and with a disdainful look told her to go on.

"You've arrived too late, and what Mr. Davis hates the most is tardiness," she said.

That small chance of getting the job appeared to have ended for Emily upon hearing those words.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't arrive earlier. Please let me go to the interview, just one opportunity, I need the job. Something came up on my way, please," Emily spoke, pleading with her hands clasped together.

As Emily was explaining to the receptionist, Noah came out of the conference room and headed toward his office, but as he passed, he noticed Emily. He grimaced and continued walking until he heard that she didn't intend to move from there. He stepped back slightly; she was a slim woman with flawless features, very beautiful-something he noticed easily.

Emily, on her part, caught a glimpse of a man standing to the side; just his gaze made her uncomfortable, so she preferred to ignore him.

"From what I just heard, you're here for the interview," he spoke with a piercing look that felt unsettling at first glance. "Leave your resume with the receptionist and move on; I don't have much time to waste," he said. His tone was strong and dominant, causing Emily's skin to prickle entirely.

She obeyed him, walking ahead with a smile for at least making it to the first step. She walked confidently, feeling the man's gaze on her; he was quite tall and very attractive-something she certainly didn't overlook.

Emily sat down in front of a huge desk, while he perched himself on the edge of the table. Noah's scent quickly filled Emily's nostrils. For a few seconds, before starting a conversation, she got lost in his brown eyes, his toned body perfectly defined without a jacket or tie.

Noah, for his part, shook his head a couple of times, trying to clear the thoughts swirling in his mind; she had left him completely restless. He crossed his arms and began to speak.

"What's your name?" he asked.

Emily moistened her lips to respond, which made Noah clear his throat.

"Emily Wilson. I'm very sorry for being late; what happened was..." she began to explain.

Noah raised his hand, placing it open in front of Emily's face to prevent her from continuing.

"I'm not interested in your problems; I already have enough of my own to fill my office with complaints. The only thing I care about is finding the right woman to take care of my son, someone who can make him feel as good as if he were with his mother, who treats him well and provides the time he needs. Someone who can be his best friend, because otherwise, your job will only last a couple of days or, in the best-case scenario, just a few hours," he stated firmly.

As she listened, all Emily could wonder was what could be so difficult about that little boy that babysitters didn't last.

Noah grabbed the phone on the desk and called his secretary, then asked without the slightest care, "Is there any problem with her?" Emily's eyes widened at the expression on his face while he spoke into the phone; after a few minutes, he hung up and turned directly to her. Despite everything, he saw Emily as a good option; she bore a slight resemblance to Isabel, and that could help his son react positively.

"Well then, it's settled. We'll go right now for my son to meet you, and you can start tomorrow. Do you have any problem with that?" he asked, again locking his challenging gaze directly on her, making her feel completely intimidated. In response to his question, she merely shook her head. "Perfect, then we'll go immediately," he spoke again.

"Really?" she questioned, surprised and joyfully. Noah rolled his eyes at her attitude.

"Yes, your salary will be very good, so you don't have to worry about that," he affirmed.

"Thank you, Mr. Davis," she expressed her gratitude and looked at him.

He stood up, indicating that they should leave.

Emily was somewhat surprised to see that the employees of that man only lowered their heads when he exited. Her astonishment grew when she saw the car they got into. A man was driving while the two of them maintained a considerable distance, without exchanging a word.

She was worried; she wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, but knowing that she could lose her grandparents' house if she didn't pay was the best motivation to do things right.

The car stopped, and soon the driver was opening the door on the side where Noah was seated.

When she got out, the first thing she noticed was the kind of property he lived in. It was even more impressive when they entered; inside, an unimaginable amount of luxury shone everywhere. There were several service staff; while she was dazzled by one thing after another, a throat clearing from him caught her attention.

"I hope you've had a chance to see the whole house. I mention it because of that indiscreet way you are looking at one place and another. Please follow me to the dining room, so you can meet my son during dinner," he said arrogantly.

"I don't want to be a bother," she replied.

"He's here now, so we're doing this today. I'm not going to waste another day on this," he said haughtily. "My son's name is Liam; you don't need to know mine, just calling me 'sir' will be enough," he added. She nodded in acknowledgment.

She was just starting her job and was already feeling uncomfortable, but what really mattered was paying that mortgage; she exhaled while lowering her head and taking short steps behind him. When they arrived at the grand and luxurious dining room, he stretched out his hand, signaling for her to take a seat, and then he sat down across from her.

After a short while, the table was served; there was food everywhere, but her attention was stolen by a young boy who approached, dressed very well, his brown eyes and chestnut hair resembling the cold, arrogant man. Seeing him there made her nervous, as she felt she wasn't able to fulfill her duties properly.

"The only woman I want to see in the dining room is my mom; otherwise, I'd rather eat alone in my room," the boy spoke loudly and without hesitation, then turned away before she could introduce herself.

Noah clenched his fist, looked at Emily, and then watched as his son ran off.

"Leave. I'll talk to him, and I hope he can be more open to all of this tomorrow," he said, his jaw completely tense.

Emily left, feeling somewhat confused about the whole situation, while Noah could only think that everything was getting out of control because of Isabel.

Emily is only clear about one thing: she will win that boy over, no matter what it takes.

When she arrives home, the first thing she sees is Luna, her only friend, sitting on the sofa quite impatiently. Luna has to leave and can't leave Emily's grandparents alone.

"Thank goodness you're back! You know that I have to go finish a very important project for college; I care about you a lot, but I can't overlook my commitments," she says, grabbing her handbag and giving Emily a kiss on the cheek. "I'll call you later and you can tell me how it went. Your grandparents are fine; they ate and should be asleep by now." Emily smiles at her friend once she finishes speaking.

"Thank you so much, I wouldn't know what to do without you," Emily said, feeling quite grateful.

"I hope your financial situation improves, so you can hire someone to take care of them. I'm starting my internship and I can't do it anymore," she says. Emily nods in agreement.

"I love you, my friend; I'll see you early tomorrow." Emily replies. Luna hurriedly leaves and takes the first taxi that comes by.

It was a very difficult day for Emily, and she felt quite exhausted. All she wanted was to go to sleep. She dropped her things off and went straight to see her grandparents. When she entered her room, she noticed they were sleeping peacefully. She approached slowly and gave each of them a kiss on the forehead before stepping away.

When she reached her room, she threw herself onto a chair and then closed her eyes. Despite everything, she felt happy to have found this job. The memory of that strong, dominant man flashed in her mind; she couldn't deny that he was very attractive, and she laughed at the thought.

The first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, and Emily jumped up hurriedly. When she saw the time, she realized she was running just as late again. She rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower and then dressed in the first thing she found.

Before heading out, she went to her grandparents' room; they were still sleeping. She left them a note and sent a message to her friend so that she wouldn't take long to arrive. When she got to the house, she hurried down and ran as quickly as possible to ring the doorbell until a woman from the service answered.

She entered the house but didn't know what she should do or where to start with her tasks. She stood in the middle of the living room, glancing around, until a hand on her shoulder startled her. One of the service women was there, and Emily decided to smile and ask.

"Good morning, ma'am. I hope I'm not late. Can you please tell me what I need to do?" Emily pleaded as she spoke. The woman raised her eyebrows at the same time.

"Good morning. Young Liam is still in bed; he doesn't want to have breakfast or go to school. I suggest you try to convince him; the only person capable of changing his mind is his dad, but he left earlier than usual today," the woman said.

It was time to show that Emily could take care of the child.

"Please tell me where your room is," Emily asked. The woman nodded and they went there.

Upon entering, the little boy was lying under the blankets, completely determined to stay there. Emily took a deep breath, gathered her hair, and approached him.

Liam had a sad look on his face, hugging a picture of them both; he just wanted to see his mom. Even though she often yelled at him or didn't pay attention to him, he wanted to hug her and see her.

"Hi sweetheart, I'm Emily. I'll be here to help you with whatever you need. I'd like to know, why haven't you gotten up?" she said. He closed his eyes, ignoring her. "How about we play a little while we get ready for school?" she asked.

"Play? My dad doesn't play with me... and my mom doesn't answer my calls," Liam said.

Emily placed her index finger under Liam's chin and then stretched out her hands.

"That's why I'm here, to play and take care of you. Do you want to get up?" she asked with a smile.

Those words meant a lot to the boy because the other nannies only demanded obedience, while Emily wanted to fill the void he felt.

She took a couple of toys and made some funny imitations that made him laugh.

Liam started breathing heavily, his tender face was captivating. He stood up and hugged her.

In just a few minutes, he was ready to leave for school, and the best part was that he had eaten his entire breakfast.

They left the house hand in hand; Emily arrived at a vulnerable moment, making the most of it.

A driver took them to school, and along the way, they didn't waste any time. Emily kept her promise to play, which made the little boy laugh a few more times. It was clear he wanted to take the day off just to play with her. Emily promised him she would come back to get him, something that excited him because she brought him peace.

When they arrived at school, Liam said goodbye with a huge hug and a sweet kiss on the cheek, smiling as he took small steps backward while walking away.

"Emily! I can't wait for the afternoon to keep playing with you," Liam said, raising his hand to wave goodbye.

Emily stayed there until he was gone. He was a good boy; he just hadn't had an easy life with his mom absent and, in a way, his dad too. Emily's curiosity increased as she wondered why that beautiful boy's parents had separated.

She exhaled deeply while returning to Liam's house; there was much to do in his absence so that when he came back, he would feel better than he had before.

Meanwhile, Noah was in the office, finishing up a meeting. The day had completely slipped away from him, and despite the pressing business in the company, he couldn't help but think about what was happening at home. He wondered if his son had come out of his room, as he usually did with previous nannies. He had doubts; even though he called home, he didn't entirely believe what he had been told.

The anxiety of not knowing what to do to make that boy understand that he needs to behave and let go of his whim of wanting his mother by his side kept him on edge. A woman like Isabel would never be aware that her son should come first before traveling and enjoying life with her lover. The worst part is that Liam thinks Noah is the reason his mom left; at such a young age, he can't explain to him what really happened with his mother.

Noah poured himself one more drink before gathering his things to go home, but he was interrupted by his secretary who knocked on his door.

"Come in," Noah said in a loud tone.

"Excuse me, Mr. Davis, the new nanny for your son is looking for you," she said.

Noah gestured for her to continue, sitting back and waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, sir," Emily said in a weak voice.

"Where is my son? Who have you left him with?" Noah asked as he saw her enter alone.

The radiant look on Emily's face turned pale, and her eyes widened in shock.

Emily had no choice but to come looking for Noah because deep down, she thought he didn't fully trust her and would prefer to fetch his son himself... how wrong she was.

"I thought he was with you," she whispered.

Noah stood up and took a few steps toward her with an intense look.

"What are you saying?" he demanded. "Speak, but do it quickly because I can't stand incompetence," he repeated. She swallowed hard while her hands trembled.

"When I went to pick up your son at school, they told me he had already been picked up. I assumed it was you who did it," she explained.

Noah felt a strong wave of anger consuming him.

Is she stupid? No one but you could have picked him up; listen very carefully, if anything happens to my son, you'll pay dearly for it... As of today, you have a job; don't you dare come back here again," he said with rage.

Noah went straight to the chair and grabbed his jacket to leave in a hurry.

His chest heaved as he breathed heavily, and Emily was in shock.

As he exited the office, his body brushed against hers, noticing how his words made tears roll down Emily's pale cheeks.

"Please let me go with you to find your son," she pleaded. He stopped and turned to face her in the middle of the hallway.

"Get out!" he shouted with such disdain that she simply closed her eyes. "I don't want a woman like you around; don't doubt that I will take legal action for your negligence. I'm sure you'll regret it for the rest of your life," he spoke to her in a despotic manner.

As he turned, he realized that everyone was watching them.

"Don't you have anything better to do, or do you want me to assign you more work?" he said to the employees.

Noah continued on his way while everyone there lowered their gazes to their screens.

Emily wiped her tears and left the area, hearing the murmurs of the people around her. All she wanted was for Liam to be okay.

Upon reaching the main door, Noah got into the car and ordered the driver to take him straight to the school. There, they would have to give him an exact answer about who picked up his son. "No one makes a fool of me," Noah thought.

After a few minutes, Noah found himself in front of the school entrance, entering without permission from the guard. The intense anger he felt was pouring out of him from every pore; naturally, the guard tried to stop him, but it was inevitable that he would go in search of the teacher.

"Stop right there, Mr. Davis; I don't understand the abrupt way you have just entered," the teacher said with complete calm.

"Don't pretend to be innocent. Where is my son, and who did you give him to?" he demanded. She looked at him, bewildered.

"Your wife came for him; I don't understand what the problem is," the teacher explained, trying to excuse herself. Upon hearing her response, Noah cursed under his breath.

"I'm sorry; it was my fault for not letting you know that she couldn't pick him up again. Goodbye," he said.

Noah left there heading home; there was nowhere else she could have taken his son.

On the way, Noah clenched his hands, furious that she wanted to keep his little boy, and he wasn't going to tolerate that; as he glanced around through the window, the intense urge to confront that unpleasant woman grew.

Arriving home, the scene was worse than he had expected; she was leaving with his son in one hand and a suitcase in the other. Noah watched her with disdain and rage.