Marriage of Convenience and nothing more

*Nelly's POV*

"Are you going to do it?" Emily asked.

"Do I have a choice?" I responded as if it didn't matter to me. But deep down, I understood my internal state. I twitched inside every time the thought crossed my mind.

I'm going to sleep with men for money just to pay for my grandma's hospital bills and raise funds for her surgery.

Doctors diagnosed my grandma with cancer two months ago. It has been a month and three weeks since I lost my grandpa in an accident.

As if the universe were playing a cruel trick on me, I'm left to foot my grandmother's bills with nobody to help. No uncle, no aunt, nobody at all. Why must life be this challenging and unjust?

"To what end?" Emily's question jolted me back to reality.

I looked at her and saw her eyes brimming with tears.

"I wish there was something I could do to help you, Nelly. I don't want you going down that path. You're not exposed to these things. How are you going to cope?"

Her words moved me.

Emily was my best friend. We've been inseparable for as long as I can remember, always supporting each other. She has been the one taking care of my grandma in the hospital since I started my job as a waitress.

She never complained and never left my side.

"I'm doing this for Grandma. If everything were as it used to be, I wouldn't even consider this, trust me."

My waitress job pays me less, and I'd have to save for a decade to gather such a large amount for the surgery. I winced at the thought of the cost-$70,000.

"I lack qualifications for alternative employment. I'm just a college dropout," I said, tears forming in my eyes.

I dropped out of college after everything started.

Emily moved closer and enveloped me in a hug.

"Everything will be okay," she said.

That was enough to make me burst into tears.

The tears I had been holding back since the day I rushed my grandma to the hospital after learning she had cancer-and even when I received the news of my grandpa's death-all seemed to pour out. I could hear my wails and even Emily's sobs.

I had never experienced such devastation. I didn't sense this brokenness, even when they bullied me in school for being an orphan. I had never cried to this extent-nor when I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me.

"When are you starting?" Emily pulled back, staring at me.

"This night. I'm attending with a coworker. She works there too."

"Once you get there, send me the location. I want nothing happening to you."

"Thank you," I choked out.

My grandparents and Emily are the only ones who have ever cared.

I disengaged from the hug and moved towards the picture frame of my grandparents and me.

"Grandma, I'm going to do everything I can to get you healthy again. You're the only one I have left, and you're not going to leave me," I said, moving my fingers over her picture while shedding tears.

"It's going to be okay," I reassured myself once again.

It's been a week since I started going to the brothel, getting paired with wealthy men while earning decent money.

Decent money-in just one week, I've made $5,000. I used it to pay my grandma's hospital bills until I could gather the full amount for her surgery.

I didn't want to get accustomed to this lifestyle, so I promised myself that once I had all the money I needed, I'd stop and take good care of my grandma.

Getting turned in all positions by these men-fat, slim, tall, short, pot-bellied-ugh, every type of man you could think of is not something I want to do for the rest of my life.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts of those disturbing images before stepping into the hospital.

I want to go see my grandma; it's been days since my last visit.

As I walked down the corridor towards her ward, I ran into our next-door neighbor.

"Good day, ma," I greeted her.

"Oh, Nelly, my dear! How have you been coping?" she replied. "I just finished seeing your grandma; she told me she needs a large amount for her surgery."

"I've been pushing through..." I started, but she interrupted.

"Oh, I wish I were in a better position to help, but you know how it is right now," she continued, not giving me a chance to respond. I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"I know how you're feeling right now, dear. It's tough. I felt even worse when I lost my husband to AIDS. It was as if the whole world was against me," she said, continuing to talk.

At this point, I didn't bother responding; this was just our talkative neighbor.

"Your grandpa-oh, his soul rest in peace-was a very kind man. He helped a lot back then," she added.

I nodded, staring at the tiles and forcing back my tears.

"Your parents were the talk of the town back in the day. It's such a shame about their business. You wouldn't have to suffer this much or even drop out of college," she said.

Surprised at her mentioning my deceased parents, I looked up. Then my gaze drifted to the wall clock.

"Aunty, I have to go see my grandma now, and after that, I need to head to the restaurant," I said, waving at her as I turned toward the passage to my grandma's ward.

"Your parents were the talk of the town back in the day. Such a shame about their business." Those words continued to ring in my head, leaving me wondering.

What exactly happened to their business-and to them? I guessed I wouldn't be getting an answer anytime soon.

Nelly's POV

I had just finished my shift at the restaurant, wiping down tables when the manager walked in, looking serious.

"Listen up!" he called out. "Tomorrow is an important day, so I need you all to pay attention."

We all stopped what we were doing and turned to him.

"The CEO of this restaurant, Jason Wilson, will be visiting. I need everyone to be on their best behavior." With that, he turned and walked back to his office.

Excited whispers filled the air.

"Wow, this will be my first time seeing him!" one of the waitresses gushed.

"I've been working here forever and have only seen him once," another added. "He's cold but damn handsome."

I glanced at my wristwatch-it was getting late. My other job was waiting. Without another word, I grabbed my bag and slipped out of the restaurant.

As soon as I walked into the dressing room of the brothel, Agnes whistled.

"Damn, Nelly, where have you been? You look stunning tonight."

"Got held up at work."

She smirked. "The boss wants to see you."

That made me pause. The boss never called for anyone unless it was something important. I quickly dropped my bag and went to her office.

Boss-our madam-was a tough woman, built from fire and steel. People said her father sold her off as a teenager to pay his debts, but she clawed her way out and built this place from scratch. Now, she ran one of the most high-end brothels in the city.

She had been good to me since the day she found me crying in the bathroom. Ever since I told her about my situation, she made sure to send high-paying clients my way.

"Sit, Nelly," she said, gesturing to the chair in front of her.

I obeyed, waiting as she finished a phone call.

"There's a client willing to pay big," she said finally, locking eyes with me. "You up for it?"

I grinned. "Of course, Boss."

"Room 401. He's waiting. Be good."

I nodded and walked out.

---

In a short time, I had learned a lot about men. They were easy to handle-give them the right touch, and they melted. With my body? They never stood a chance.

I stepped into Room 401, my movements slow, calculated.

A deep voice broke the silence. "Are you the girl they sent?"

The tone alone sent a chill down my spine. I turned, and-damn.

A tall, dangerously handsome man sat on the couch, legs crossed, watching me with unreadable eyes.

I smirked, stepping closer, my voice sultry. "Are we doing this on the couch?"

He didn't react. Just watched me.

I trailed my fingers down his chest, lower... The slight twitch beneath my touch made me smirk. Got him.

Leaning in, I whispered, "Come on, you don't want to keep the big guy waiting." I flicked my tongue over his earlobe, expecting him to finally give in.

Nothing.

He just sat there, staring.

A sliver of doubt crept in. Every other man would have been all over me by now.

Finally, he spoke. "I want to take a shower first."

I blinked. "What?"

"Then you will take one too."

I frowned. In all my time here, no man had ever asked for that. But I nodded and sat on the couch as he disappeared into the bathroom.

This was going to be a long night.

---

"You're joking!" Sugar cackled, nearly splashing water out of the bathtub as we washed up the next morning.

"I swear, I was so confused," I groaned. "He even made me shower too, like I was some dirty street girl."

Sugar shook her head, still laughing. "Some clients are just weird. You've just never had one like that before."

"Well, whatever. At least he paid well."

After our bath, we got dressed and headed to the restaurant for our shift. I made a mental note to visit Grandma after work and make a deposit at the hospital.

---

The restaurant was packed, orders flying in, trays clattering, customers shouting. I was rushing from table to table when I noticed our manager heading to the entrance in a hurry.

Then came the whispers.

"That's him."

"The CEO."

"Mr. Wilson, this way, please," the manager said, leading a tall, powerful-looking man toward his office.

I barely glanced up until Sugar nudged me.

"Damn, he's smoky hot," she whispered. "Wouldn't mind a night with him."

I rolled my eyes. "You sleep with men every night, Sugar. What kind haven't you had?"

She grinned. "That's why they call me Sugar, baby."

I chuckled, shaking my head-then stopped.

Something about the CEO's presence made my skin prickle. His posture, his physique... something felt familiar.

I frowned, trying to place him.

Then he turned.

And my heart stopped.

"It's him," I whispered, eyes widening.

At the same moment, his gaze swept across the room-

And landed right on me.

**Jason's POV**

What is she doing here? I questioned in my head as I stepped into my mansion.

The woman I had a one-night stand with is my employee. It's indeed a small world.

Come to think of it, what would make a woman who has a job as a waitress turn to something as desperate as prostitution for her end-of-month paycheck?

Women, I thought aloud, do they ever get satisfied? I reflected on my ex and my past relationship with a woman I loved deeply and committed so much to.

What didn't I do for her? What did she ask for that I didn't fulfill?

I would go to any length to make sure she was satisfied and happy.

Was it sex? I gave her that.

Was it money? I had plenty and gave her direct access to my bank card.

Was it attention? Darn it, I gave her all of that. She was my first love-the only person in the world I've ever shown my vulnerability to.

I guess she saw all of me and then took advantage of my weakness.

Tears fell from my eyes at the thought of her betrayal.

It's not like I was the first person to get betrayed, and I won't be the last.

After all, Samson in the Bible was betrayed by Delilah and handed over to his enemies, powerless and defeated.

That's exactly what happened to me. I promised myself never to be that foolish and open with any woman again.

My phone rang out loud, pulling me from my thoughts.

Speak of the devil. Diana was calling. For the past few days, she had been calling incessantly. I wouldn't be surprised if it was about rekindling our relationship and getting married.

That's the only thing my parents have talked about every time we meet. They don't seem to understand my point or care about my feelings.

For goodness' sake, this woman cheated on me-not with just anyone but with my business rival. As if that wasn't ruthless enough, she even divulged my company's trade secrets. All for what?

This is the same woman they want...

The ring of my phone interrupted my train of thought. Oh come on, Diana, this is not the time.

I picked up my phone and stared at the screen. It was my best friend Dave calling.

"Yo, Jason! I heard from your assistant that you've arrived. You didn't bother calling or even texting," he whined over the phone.

"You're not my girlfriend or wife. Why should I call or text?" I replied coldly.

"Speaking of wifey, we met two nights ago over a couple of drinks, and you didn't tell me the conditions your parents gave you."

"What conditions?" I asked, sitting up in my chair, confused about what he was driving at.

"I wasn't given any conditions the last time I visited. I went there solely to tell them about my trip but ended up storming out in anger when the topic of getting married to Diana came up."

"So, you weren't told about the conditions?" Dave asked uncertainly.

"No, I wasn't," I replied. Then I heard a beep; the call was disconnected.

I slumped back into the chair, gathering my thoughts. What conditions is he talking about? Did I hear him say "wifey"? This must be important, I concluded, deciding to call back.

I picked up my phone, only to realize it had died. I had no choice but to wait until I could charge it.

______

**Nelly's POV**

How could it be him? Jason Wilson, CEO of the restaurant where I work as a waitress, and not just that.

He owns a multinational company. The cold, alluring man is a freaking billionaire with whom I ended up having a one-night stand.

"Are you okay?" I heard my grandma's weak voice beside me. I turned my head toward her, and in that instant, the reality of my situation came crashing down.

"Grandma, you're awake," I said, trying to sound cheerful, but who was I kidding? Grandma saw through my façade.

"I know it's overwhelming and hard for you this whole time," she said with a croaky voice. I handed her a glass of water.

"I see the efforts you're putting in to make sure I get through the surgery, and I'm sure your grandpa and parents see it, too," she said, raising her frail hands to the heavens. "And one day, you will smile, and everything will go back to normal. Everything will be okay, Nelly," she said, reaching out her hands toward me. I held her hands in mine, doing my best not to break down in front of her.

"Nelly, always remember that I love you, and I'm praying for you every single day."

I nodded, smiling at her. Her words brought tears and happiness. Memories of when we were all together flooded my mind, and I couldn't help but hug her, missing the warmth I had grown accustomed to while growing up.

Trying my best not to squeeze her too tightly, I pulled back and stared at her. She had fallen back asleep.

"I love you too, Grandma, and we're going to pull through this together and live happily once again."

______

**Jason's POV**

I just finished going through some paperwork I had brought with me. I checked my phone-fully charged. Time to have that discussion.

Scrolling through my contacts, my mom's call came in.

"Mom," I called out.

"What happened to your phone? We've been trying to reach you!"

"It was flat, so I left it charging."

"Your dad and I have decided that you must meet a condition," she said impatiently.

"Our word still stands: you're to marry Diana. If you refuse to do so, you must bring your bride and introduce us to the woman you want to marry. And you have just one month to do that."

I was wide-eyed at what I had just heard. To them, this felt like a business deal.

Where am I supposed to find a bride in a month?