Perfect Lie

The Müller family lawyer says goodbye with a "see you soon," leaving businessman Adal Müller filled with fury because the inheritance his grandfather left in the will is unjust. It's now the 21st century, and the family no longer has to force their children to marry. Adal's parents try to encourage him with wise words, telling him to look on the bright side and consider himself lucky to be the heir to the entire Müller fortune. It's not easy to find a girl who wants to marry him, so he should be grateful that his grandfather only put that condition in his will instead of requiring a son.

His parents keep talking about the matter, and the last straw was when they told him he had to get married, but the lawyer couldn't find out about it, or else it would be a complete fraud and the inheritance would go to the animal foundation.

The whispers of his parents caused the businessman to leave the office as if the devil was chasing him because he didn't want to unleash his anger on them. It was enough that his grandfather had caused all this trouble. "Marriage...Marriage...Marriage," he kept shouting incessantly, the lawyer's words echoing in his head, driving him to a state of exasperation and losing his mind.

Unplanned, he drove to the company and locked himself in his office, pacing back and forth, trying to find a solution to all his problems. He had the option of continuing on his path without the inheritance, or taking a break and looking for the ideal girl to get the inheritance his grandfather left him. After thinking about the pros and cons, he lost his mind and started knocking down everything in his path, which worried his employees. With great courage, his secretary risked entering, aware that her presence could have consequences as her boss was out of control.

In a low and trembling voice, she asked him if he needed her help or if he had any problems she could assist with. He wanted to shout at her for her audacity and at the same time unleash his fury on her, but he stopped in time and told her to leave for her own good, that it wasn't the time to talk or ask for help.

Again, she insisted and told him that his friend, lawyer Alfonso, had called and said he would be back in a couple of minutes. He was delayed by traffic, and he asked not to be fired because he was a good vice president. He stayed silent for a moment, analyzing his secretary's words. "Will you marry me?" Those were Adal's desperate words.

The poor girl was in shock at her boss's crazy proposal, but his gestures and tone of voice were not joking at all. She reacted, hoping there was no smile on his face. Her eyes widened, her face turned reddish, and her legs trembled.

Adal deciphered her reaction, as everything sounded absurd, and he apologized before retracting and confessing that if she didn't marry him, everything he had would be lost; the company, money, and present and future business. Every word he spoke sounded like the end of the world, but suddenly, the girl had the idea that not everything could be lost, as she wouldn't help him and wouldn't accept his tempting proposal because she was getting married to her fiancé in a couple of months, but that didn't mean she couldn't introduce him to someone special who would be willing to accept, he just needed to pay.

He felt embarrassed to hear that his secretary was getting married, and his desperate proposal made him feel foolish until he regretted it and apologized, saying that he never asked if she was single.

"No, you shouldn't apologize. I appreciate your trust," she shook her head. "That's why you should consider that my trusted friend should be your wife, and not just any woman who might take advantage of what you have. Think about it. The time of our marriage would be until you have everything under your control."

Her proposal was very good, and it even made him think for a few seconds, but when he was about to answer, his friend appeared out of nowhere, entering unannounced. Suddenly, the atmosphere became tense, Adal cleared his throat after telling his secretary that he would think about it and that he would need a lot of discretion. She nodded and ran out of there, leaving her boss with his friend.

Alfonso exploded after the secretary left his friend's office, blaming him for the disaster he had caused in the entire office, demanding an explanation. However, Adal grunted and walked to the corner cabinet, where he would find any drink to forget his harsh reality.

"I'm ruined. My world has completely collapsed, and I don't think I can recover from this."

Gisela Ascher is an affable, shy, and beautiful girl, both inside and out. At thirty years old, she has not achieved the things she would have wished for. She was born in Florence, Italy, but nowadays, she is living in Berlin with the purpose of helping her parents out of the great poverty they were in. Since she arrived in Berlin, she has dedicated most of her time to work and work, at first finding part-time jobs until after five years, she fortunately found a permanent job as the manager of the photocopying area in a small law firm. However, for her family, she is a great businesswoman. She lies out of shame to avoid being criticized and pointed out for being a failure, not by her parents, but by her friends.

Being the manager of the photocopying area is not enough for her, as her expenses have increased a lot, mostly due to the monthly allowance she sends to her parents. The monthly expenses are too frustrating for her, and that's why she had no choice but to leave the apartment she had for years to look for another shared and economical apartment. However, that's not enough, and she feels like she's on the edge of the abyss, but not everything is lost, as when she left work, she met her apartment neighbor, and without filters, she proposed the salvation to all her problems.

"Marriage with benefits!"

+GISELA+

Stepping out of my daily routine, I run into my roommate. She knows where I work, but I'm surprised to see her waiting for me. I won't deny that I'm scared because it's the first time I've seen her, and she's insisting on talking to me at a cafeteria rather than in the apartment.

Could she be asking me to leave her apartment? God, please don't let her kick me out now! She has many opportunities to survive, especially now that she's marrying a businessman, that's what I've heard from her own mouth.

Ah, I don't even have the chance to catch a glimpse of anything. It's all work and work, and exhaustion has caught up with me. I don't know when I'll stop, but my reward might be knowing that my parents aren't suffering from hunger and that they won't be kicked out of their own home for not being able to pay taxes. Ash, it hurts to think about how much of a liar I've become, how I don't have the courage to tell them that I don't have any important job and that I don't make triple what I actually do. God, I can't even afford to treat myself to a cafeteria, I save money by bringing lunch from home.

God, I have to be honest and not complain so much. When I lived in Italy, my parents and I didn't have the opportunities we have now, and I don't think immigrating to another country was ever a bad idea.

"Shall we?" she says, pulling me out of my deep thoughts.

I nod and suggest we go to the cafeteria right in front of us. My intention is to save money on what a good coffee should cost. I can't mess up the monthly payment I always send to my parents.

She smiles and tells me that she'll treat me this time and not to worry about what I might order because what she has to say is a proposal that I won't be able to refuse.

That got me thinking. Her words stuck in my head. As we walk towards the cafeteria, I ask her if her proposal is to cancel our contract because it's clear to me that she'll soon be getting married. With a smile, she tells me not to worry, that she'd never ask me to leave, especially since her future husband will take her to live in his house, and her apartment will always be at my disposal. She'll always be the owner, and I'll be the tenant, well, until I decide otherwise.

That made me breathe a sigh of relief. For the first time in a while, a huge smile spreads across my face. I'm left speechless. I want to scream and thank her for her generous offer. Even though I've been living with her for a few months now, I haven't had the chance to open up and tell her that...oh, I said I wouldn't complain about what I have!

As we enter the cafeteria, we both get comfortable, and she orders some of the best coffee and sandwiches to start with.

This makes me uncomfortable. I don't know what to say.

"Well, uh, can I ask what you have to tell me? I'm sorry for being insistent, but I'm very curious," my voice trembles.

"Gisela, we have only known each other for a short time, and it's not that we don't want to, but we both work, and it's exhausting, not to mention that my boyfriend asks me to stay at his place," she says after placing her bag on the chair next to her. "Please don't be offended by what I'm about to say, I hope you don't misunderstand me, and I'm definitely not that kind of person, but you don't need to tell me about your life, as I've noticed that you work hard to send money to your parents and that..."

"To the point" I don't know why, but I feel uncomfortable with this type of conversation, it infuriates me that she brings up this topic, especially when I haven't given her the opportunity to know anything beyond my personal life-sorry, but you make me a little nervous and uncomfortable, maybe it's obvious to see my situation.

"Relax, my intention is not to offend you, on the contrary, what I have to tell you is an opportunity for you, it will help you breathe a little easier," she places her hand next to mine, "I'm a person with a good heart, please trust me."

"Oh my God, don't scare me," I pull my hand away from hers, my heart continues to race uncontrollably, I feel like I'm going to pass out.

"Calm down, I'll start now," she takes a deep breath and continues, "you know that my job is to be the secretary of the president of the technology company, and today... I'm sorry, but my boss owns that company, and more, however, he has a small problem to continue being the owner of everything, he must get married."

This can't be real, I don't understand what she means. Oh well, now that I think about it, her boss has many problems that he can solve with a snap of his fingers, but I don't understand why it's such a big deal.

"Lucero, I don't see why you should worry about it, your boss can solve his problems, he has money, power, and intelligence, I don't see why this should be an issue."

"The real problem is that he proposed to me, yes, he asked me if I would be willing to be his wife and..."

"Oh my God, but you're getting married soon!"

"Exactly, that's what I told him, and he apologized, but I had the audacity to tell him that I had a friend who would be willing to marry for money."

"Lucky for your friend, and that's a good idea, since the marriage could be for a certain period of time, well, depending on the demands of the person who is forcing him to marry, I think both of you will benefit greatly, although it's fraud, and it's not recommended to go around spreading it."

"Wow... You're good at being surrounded by lawyers, oh, I'm sorry, I'll continue, and it's an inheritance from my boss, unfortunately there's a clause that requires him to get married, and he might have the opportunity to marry anyone, but the truth is, he doesn't want a real marriage, and that's why he asked me. I know... I know, that means I'm lucky, but you know I love my boyfriend and future husband."

"I understand," I get up from my chair and go towards her, she's too nervous and could use a hug, "you did the right thing, now your friend is lucky, don't worry about it, you won't get that money, but you will have the love of your future husband."

"The problem is that my friend has not replied whether she accepts or not," I stop as I reach out for her, step back, and return to my place.

"Do you want me to ask your friend if she accepts the marriage proposal?"

"It's not necessary, as I am standing in front of that person waiting for them to accept marrying my boss for money. That way, she could help her parents and have whatever she wants, everything she wants," she hisses repeatedly, emphasizing the last word.

"Where? Tell me, where is your friend?" I start looking around frantically. "Wait...why are you talking to me? Why are you mentioning her parents? Wait, you're not saying any names, but now that you mention helping her parents, you mean... No, don't tell me that your friend is..."

"Yes."

No... She can't be serious. I look her in the eyes and I don't believe it. The girl in front of me is proposing that I marry her boss. Do I have a sign on my forehead that says how desperate I am?

"Do you consider me your friend?" I question with wide eyes.

At the exact moment, I see her nod like crazy, I grab my purse, open it, and in a couple of seconds, I manage to pull out the small mirror that I always carry with me. I look at myself, and I burst out laughing when I see that I don't have any sign that says I'm dying to get more money than I earn.

"What are you looking for?" she asks, sounding worried. "Are you feeling okay?"

I try to believe that she wants to help me, but a part of me tells me that she's either joking or that she just wants me as her plan B, since she can't marry her boss. No... I need to know why she didn't ask me for something else. Well, she can't ask me to marry her boss and especially not to leave my house! I'll accept if her proposal is a job, but getting married, no...

"I'm looking for the sign you found on my forehead," I shrug, lower the mirror to look at her, "you can't give me that kind of joke. I appreciate that you consider me your friend, but you can't ask me to..."

"You're asking me to marry a stranger, a man I don't know, you're crazy," I try to take a deep breath, but this girl doesn't make it easy for me... "I don't want to get married, I can't sell my dignity, I know I need the money, but not like this, no..."

"Please, I don't understand Italian, excuse me if I offended you, but I need you to think about it, to consider that my boss needs you, and you need him," her words grow in my mind. She stands up from her chair, walks around the table, and stands beside me. "Think about it, I'll give you all night to answer me tomorrow, there's not much time left, I prefer a thousand times that it's you and not another cat who wants more than she can get, and I'm not talking about leftovers, I'm talking about real money, money that can help your family and that once and for all you stop worrying if you can make ends meet or not."

Am I that obvious?

"You're crazy."

"I'm leaving, I don't want to pressure you, my boyfriend is waiting for me... Relax, you can stay here, everything that will be brought to you is already paid for, don't turn it down, not when it's a gift for me, please, think about it." Those were the last words before she walked away, leaving me feeling like a complete idiot.

I feel offended, she knows more about my life than I do, about hers, it's hard for me to process everything she's said.

Ha... Her boss needs a woman to get him out of his problems, a small problem that he can't solve. Pufff, he must be an old man that no woman can pay attention to...

What? I hadn't thought about whether the man he desperately seeks is an old man or an egocentric guy. Wonderful! I look up at the ceiling and unintentionally start speaking in Italian; thanking God for the sign I asked for, marrying an old man!

"I don't remember if she told me I was old or not, to hell with it! I don't have to dwell on that. If I do, then I'm considering her proposal, and that's not me, not when I'm committing a serious crime. I'm in this country to work hard and not to commit fraud that could jeopardize my visa here.

"Good afternoon, miss. Here's your coffee. The assorted snacks that the young lady ordered have already been paid for, and she was here before you entered."

Oh, God!! She already had it planned.

I thank the girl. I intended to tell her that I wouldn't accept anything that woman had paid for. However, after looking at it for a couple of seconds and hearing my stomach growl, I thanked her for being so kind and efficient. It's clear to me that hunger is a bitch, as my mom used to say, "it's forbidden to disdain food, be grateful and enjoy your meal."

I miss you, Mom.

Now that my mom has come to mind, I feel like calling her. I have a huge feast in front of me that I can't miss. I've been saving up for the monthly payment I send, and I haven't had the opportunity to treat myself to whatever I want to eat.

Lucero is an out-of-control devil, she knows how to seduce me and make me feel on top of the world, but I can't make such a difficult decision.

After saying "Enjoy your meal," I look up and see that the girl was still waiting for me to say something.

"Thank you."

"I knew those blue eyes and red hair couldn't be from here..."

"Hmmm?"

"I'm just kidding. Your accent gives you away. You're so beautiful," she says with a laugh. I'm stunned to see her cheeks turning red. "I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy your coffee."

That felt strange. I place the coffee cup on the table, and before the girl faints from embarrassment, I tell her that everything looks delicious, but I don't think I'll be able to eat everything my eyes see, so if it's not too much trouble, can I have it packed up?

She apologizes repeatedly, thinking I want to leave because of her or that she's harassing me, but it's not like that at all. The night has fallen, and now that I think about it, I can't take a taxi, and a train. I doubt it, so I have to walk.

"You don't have to apologize. On the contrary, I want to thank you for being so beautiful. It's just that it's already dark, and I have to walk home. Next time, I can come earlier. Thank you again."

"Oh, if that's the case, then I'll take this. I'll bring everything packed up in a couple of minutes, and don't worry, the house pays for this," she says, winking at me.

What does the house pay for?

Shit, I have to pay for the packaging. How could I have asked for packaging? I could have told her that I have a bag in my purse where I can put the snacks and the rest... Ah, now I'm showing extreme stinginess.

"Thanks, I'll finish the coffee," I lift the coffee cup and take a sip. "Mmm, it's delicious."

"My name is Heidi and I won't be long, please wait and don't leave," the enthusiastic girl spoke to me with great confidence, again carrying everything on the tray to pack it up.

This makes me very uncomfortable. Should I ask her to help me get a job here as a waitress? The problem is that the job would only be for the night shift or on weekends. No! It's too audacious to ask for that.

After taking another sip of coffee, I remember that I have to call my mom. I take my phone out of my purse, and while the girl comes back, I'm going to call her.

"Hello," she answers on the second ring.

"Mom, how are you? I've been thinking a lot about you."

"Honey, you called just in time. I didn't want to worry you, but we're alone, and I don't know what to do. I'm sorry, honey, but you have to know that your father had a mini-stroke, and now he needs a different type of medicine."

"What?"

Tears begin to fall, my heart beats uncontrollably, and the urge to run away right now is enormous. I abruptly stand up from my chair and the first thing that comes to my mind is to run and find Lucero with the intention of asking her to help me send the money my mother needs for the medicine. I can't abandon them. They need me now more than ever.

Oh God, please don't let my father go, not now.

"Honey, I'll call you back later. The doctor wants to talk to me."

"Mom, please wait... Don't hang up."

In the blink of an eye, I lose my balance, trip over my own feet, and fall face-first on the café's sidewalk. In front of the café! Shit, shit, shit... Both hands are on the ground, but gentle hands surround me to help me up. I'm dead embarrassed. How stupid! I have to gather the courage to look up.

Oh my God! Who is that man?

"Are you okay, miss?" he asks, putting his hand on me as soon as I stand up.

What? Is he talking to me? He speaks to me while putting his hand on me.

"Thank you very much," I say, quickly wiping away the tears on my face.

I control myself not to lower my gaze too much because I feel embarrassed. The man is very young and handsome, tall, in a gray suit, white shirt, and black tie, with straight brown hair and shiny green eyes that look at me attentively. I need a moment to let my breathing return to normal.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Adal Müller," he murmurs in a husky voice.

I shake his trembling hand, we greet each other, and when our fingers touch, I feel a strange and exciting shiver that runs through my whole body. I quickly withdraw my hand, feeling uncomfortable. It must be static electricity. I blink rapidly to the rhythm of my heartbeats.

"Pleased to meet you," I blush, and all I want is to disappear. At some point in my life, I made a wish, but I never thought it would come true. "I'm sorry... Oh, I was on a call," my eyes widen, I search my phone desperately, and as soon as I find it, I grab it and the first thing I do is check if my mom is still on the call.

Oh, she hung up.

"I can help you with something, miss..." he says in a concerned tone.

"No, I have to go, I just remembered I have something important to do, I'm sorry." I turn to look him in the eyes, and he smiles, showing his white and perfect teeth. I hold my breath, he's so handsome and seductive.

I shake my head, pushing away those thoughts and focusing on what really matters right now. "Are you sure?"

Damn! He just noticed my nervousness and the pounding of my heart. His green eyes shine with curiosity. Shit! Shit! What does he want? My eyes move to those full, crimson lips, his mouth confuses me. I swallow.

"Have a nice day or night, goodbye, and thank you." Those were my last words before running away. I have to call Lucero, I just hope she answers. My mother won't answer, and I'm worried that something else is happening. What should I do?

God, I don't need you to keep putting men in my way, I need the job and the money! I may want to leave right now, but reality makes me put my feet on the ground and think that I have to keep working, my parents need me, I'm the only person they have, and now I can't falter. What do I do? What can I pawn? What can I sell?