5

Irene's POV

This morning was something. First, the man who insulted me like sh*It appeared in front of my apartment. And I let him in. That was already, something I decided to think about it later. Then he apologised to me. Like nothing happened yesterday. And I said ‘I’ll do it’. 

Here it was, A morning filled with surprises. Not only me, Raven and his very bossy boss were also shocked. 

“What?” Raven wanted to confirm.

Which I did by saying, “ I said I’ll do it”.

“Ok-well. Thank You.” His words were still recovering from the shock he had just received. And he. His expressions were also telling me that he was not anticipating this. Or I was misjudging him. 

“You won’t apologise back?” he almost growled. 

Oh my God, can he not be self obcessed all the time.

“For what?” I asked, folding my arms against my chest. 

“We should go now,” Raven exclaimed hurriedly. 

I shifted my gaze to Raven.

“No-” he did not believe how he was being ignored by Raven nor was I, to be honest. Raven grabbed him with his arm and started dragging him to the door. Totally ignoring his protest, he turned to me saying:

“I’ll text you about contract signing.” 

I nodded unconsciously. With that he disappeared with him. 

Closing the door, I started gathering my things. As I had to reach the bus in fifteen minutes. I had no time to think about what just happened. Not that there was much to think. 

Bills, loans, fear of dying, or more like dying poor, not being able to achieve my dream when I had came so far. It got all over me. I knew how pathetic I was feeling that time. When they offered me that job. It felt like a hope. Maybe it was a dirty deal. But the sh*t I was going through was so overwhelming. 

 So it didn’t matter now if I was a gold digger or I practically ruined my dignity not only in front of them but also in my own eyes. Thinking about dignity felt like a luxury to me. 

 The sea of thoughts was drowning me, when my body jerked. I found myself running to the bathroom, finally falling at the edge of the toilet seat. Throwing up was always the most hateful thing to me. Here I was, letting out all the fluids that were left in my body, as I had no breakfast. My stomach was empty. It was so painful. And gross. Emptying my already vacant stomach, I washed myself. As I had no energy left to attend classes, I walked numbly to my bed and in no time, I fell asleep. 

Stacy was the one to wake me up. It was almost evening when she knocked at the door. I felt very weak and maybe it was so prominent. Because Stacy's eyes were practically out of their socket, when she saw me. I stood leaning against the door. My legs were wobbly, not in a condition to carry my own weight. 

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUUU '', her eyeballs moved up and down, taking a full view.

“Nothing, Stacy. You don’t need to be overdramatic.” My voice was crooked and rude. 

“I came to say hi to you. I was going to the grocery store. You need something?” her tone was friendly. 

“No,” was the answer at the tip of my tongue. 

I closed the door without even saying goodbye. Resting my back against the crown. I closed my eyes again. There was so much to do. But there was nothing I could do with this ill body of mine. 

Hardly an hour had passed. When the door knocked again. I stood up again with my spinning head. Stacy. Again. 

“What are you doing here again?” my tone was telling her how annoyed I was. 

She lifted her hands, showing me black shopping bags with a cheeky grin on her face. My eyebrows frowned in confusion. 

“ I got you something to eat. You look like sh*t.” she said, dragging her body inside.

“Language,” I scolded her, or atleast I tried to. 

She started unpacking the packages on the shelf at the corner. Smell of hot chicken soup started lingering around the room. And it made my stomach growl. What she didn’t hear, thankfully. 

She was like this. Always too nosy. She would tell you all about her life, without even being asked about it. She was in high school. Not having friends, she was always found alone. Her mother was some personal care provider. Always absent. So mostly, she was all on her own. She was famous in this whole building. Grandmas were specifically fond of her. She always greeted me as someone who meets a celebrity. I remember the first time I told her that I was studying medicine. She was so impressed. My weekends were sometimes less boring because of her. She would come and gossip about the mean girls in her school. And I would make some snacks for us. 

Good times. When I had enough moey to not worry about the next day’s meal. Things got worse, as semesters progressed. My savings got all used up. All sorts of jobs I tried weren't enough. It was something I wasn’t ready to deal with. And I didn’t want to lose it. And here I was making a decision I hate the most.

Kian’s POV   

Yellow lanterns decorating the vast yard. Cool breeze was adding up to the light and glamorous environment of the party. People chattering in the background. Music was loud but not too much. I was the person whose success was being celebrated in this party. 

William Tatte, his sponsors were permanent at my every work. No matter who the artist is. KC Productions was the label he was always going to sponsor. Actually, there were several reasons for this party. One of those reasons was there. In front of me. Talking to a women, catching a glimpse from me now and then. I was standing silent. Taking a sip from my drink, I saw her smirking at me. 

I responded with nothing. Provoking her even more, consciously.

I saw her coming towards me. Swaying her hips. Her hands resting on my collar. She unbuttoned my shirt , just below the collar. Her lips came close to my ear. 

“Loosen up, It must be hot,” her breath was brushing over my cheeks. My expression didn’t change. 

“It is hot,” I said in a very low tone, just before taking another sip.

“Hmm?” she asked with her eyes.

“Ummhmm.” I arched my eyebrow. Looking straight into her eyes. Her gaze started lowering, until it stopped at my lips. 

“Oh Mona, you are here. I was looking for you.” to the familiar voice, she backed up. 

“ Mrs. Wilson wants to meet you.”   

“Daddy! I don’t want to meet that old hag,” she shouted in a high pitch. Shrugging her shoulders. 

“ I know baby, but you know we need to.” The man in a brown beachy shirt, almost pleading with sheepish eyes. With that I saw her disappearing in the crowd. 

 “It was her idea to celebrate your win. And now she is acting like this.” He complained. 

“Very smart of her,” I hid my smirk, appearing completely oblivious of her true intentions. 

Sitting so casually on the couch. I rested my back against it. I saw her sliding her hair on one side. Sleeveless emerald coloured silk dress perfectly touching her curves. Taking support from the back of the couch, she adjusted herself in my lap. Finally landing her hips on my legs. Her eyes locked at mine. Locking her arms around my neck, she smirked. 

“You father won’t be happy to see this, very impatient state of yours,” I almost whispered. 

“His all wasted,” her voice was breathy. 

I gripped her waist. Her head was hanging at the back. Her eyes were closed. 

“What do you want Mona, tell me.”

“I want-you, Kian” a breathy moan left from her mouth. 

Lifting her up, I threw her body on the couch by my side. 

“Alway so needy, for me” I chuckled. Hovering my body over her. I started working on the side of her neck. 

“So,  you liked the party?” she said, placing her naked legs on my lap. 

I turned my head to her. She was lying naked, shamelessly. 

“which party? The party at your yard or the party we just did,” she giggled at my dirty words. 

“You knew?” 

“I knew.” I assured her. 

She picked my shirt from the ground. Wore it.  It touched her thighs. I never liked it. Her using my things. But it was useless to tell her that.  She was now sitting at the table in front of me. Facing me. 

“So, why were you upset at that time?” her hands gripping the edge of the table. 

“Nothing , just work.” I spoke casually. 

“Is that about-umm-the media? I know, they are hyping the issue.” She was observant. At least, for matters related to me. I kind of liked that. But never told her that. Beside that, she was so irresponsible at some matters. Naive. Always handling things with her emotions. Ofcourse, she was a spoiled kid. Bratty. That's why I didn’t even consider her for that contract. Raven had the same thought. 

Contract. It reminded me of the morning. Things I did this morning. Things she did. I still had so much to talk with Raven. How dare he drag me? 

I stood up with that. She lifted her head, to get a better view.

"What- "  I pushed my hands in my jean's pocket. Pulling out my car key. 

"Leaving? Already?" her questioning eyes were shining.

"Yeah, my- shirt," vaguely stealing a glimpse from her. 

"Forget it," I turned my bare back to her.

"Hey!! I am not dirty,” I heard her shrill voice. 

“Not gonna risk.”

 I walked out of the house. Party was still going on. Cool breeze brushing against my bare upper half. I rushed to my car. If someone had seen me, it was going to be another headline, tomorrow. 

“It doesn’t matter, now,” Raven shrugged. 

“Really? You literally treated me like sh*t in front of her.” I couldn’t remember when was the last time I acted this way. Silly or dramatic. Whatever you say. 

“I texted her, the contract will be ready by tomorrow. For her to sign.”

Why the hell was he ignoring me? As if it was the opposite, he was my boss. Not the other way around. 

Well, to be honest. Raven was always the real person managing all this. He was my buddy since I was nobody. I had never worried myself with arrangements and other things like taking right decisions. I had trusted him blindly. Since the day I signed my first contract. It was extraordinary, how farsighted he was always. And I couldn’t remember his plan being messed up, except when I had done something shi*tty. 

“Why do you have to do it so quickly?” I said , picking a random blue button up T-shirt from the clothing rack in my office. 

“Why the hell were you shirtless?” he asked annoyingly. 

“Mona,” I signalled with an arched eyebrow. He released an exhausted sigh. 

“So this is it?” I asked, after I had finished buttoning my shirt.

“Ummhmm! Congratulations. You are going to get married tomorrow.” leaning against the table in front of my rolling chair. He nodded slowly. 

“Contract marriage,” I corrected him. 

And we laughed together. It was a rare moment. Laughing together. The world I live in is dark. The things in normal life are special to us or atleast to me. I never told anyone. Or maybe I never will. But I liked these ordinary moments. 

Irene's POV:

‘5 am, at KC productions at 7 th floor. Your contract will be ready for you to sign.’ was the text that made a very strange tingling in my stomach. 

“Oh my God,” was the expression of my condition. Definitely, I was not ready. But this was not an option. Taking time to get yourself ready. I stood up from my bed. Stood in front of the mirror. It was 10 am. In less than twenty four hours, I will be someone’s wife. I was already feeling nauseous at the thought of it. 

“No, contractual wife. Okay?” I explained it to God knows who. Maybe myself? 

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. 

“Fake wife, paper wife, contract wife.” I felt crazy and a laugh burst from my mouth. 

I felt like falling but managed to create balance and I found myself  sittting on the ground in a squat position. My hands over my head. My laughter had died.

“I am going crazy,” with that I closed my eyes. My hips touched the floor and I loosened my body. Lying straight on the ground. 

“Contractual wife,” I repeated again.