SOPHIA'S POV My Mother-in-law's words were still echoing in my mind. ‘A car accident. Short term memory loss.’ Two misfortunes befell Mr. Graham six years ago, and he doesn’t remember any of it.Sitting beside her, I felt pity for her. With that, I couldn't stop thinking of how I was deceiving this kind-hearted woman. How could I keep lying to her about my fake marriage to her son? She trusted and confided in me by disclosing a big secret she had been keeping from her own son. I felt like I was betraying her.A wave of guilt settled over me, and I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tighten.“Excuse me, Mrs. Graham. Mr. Graham has regained his consciousness,” a nurse called, snapping me out of my thoughts.I looked up, meeting Mom's wide and relieved eyes. We both bolted to Mr. Graham's ward without a second thought.Inside, he lay on the bed, his eyes were opened but they were weakened. Mom rushed to his side, her voice was filled with worry. “Darling, are you okay?”I hovered behi
SOPHIA'S POV I was flustered, and I pulled back immediately. “I’m.. so sorry, sir” I stammered, taking a step back.His tone dripped with irritation as he scoffed. “I’ll let it go this time,” he said with a dismissive wave, and turned his head away from me.I bit my lower lip, forcing myself to hold back a retort. ‘Just one year with him. I will endure it.’ I was about to sit down back on the chair beside his bed when my phone began ringing. I glanced down to see “Mother Rose” flashing on the screen. I was filled with relief, I hadn’t heard from her since last night. But before I could answer, I got frightened by Mr. Graham’s voice.“Who’s calling you?” His tone was accusatory as he narrowed his eyes.“It’s just… it’s…” I hesitated.“Your boyfriend?” He sneered, crossing his arms. “He doesn’t know you’re with your ‘contract husband’? That you’re too busy for calls right now?”“No, it’s not…” I tried to explain, but he interrupted me again.“Pick it up, and our deal is over.” He
SOPHIA'S POV“They look so much like Damon did when he was their age.”Mother-in-law's words hit me like a shock, and I felt like my heart had just skipped a beat.‘Like Sir?’ My inner mind was also confused. I nodded, as if her comment hadn’t left me utterly speechless. Had Mom really said my sons looked like Mr. Graham? I tried to laugh it off, but her expression was so serious.“Hayden and Kayden?” I asked, hoping she was joking. “Like, they resemble Damon?” My confused state, for the first time, called my boss by name.She nodded, studying my face as if trying to make me understand. “Yes, Sophia. I can show you some of Damon's childhood photos I have in my house if you want. The resemblance is uncanny. Even now that he's in his thirties, that striking resemblance with them is still there. Does it never occur to you?”Of course, it never occured to me that my sons looked like my contract husband. The only time I felt it was when I saw Damon's blue eyes and thought they were identi
DAMON'S POVWe got to the mansion around past 11PM. As the car pulled up in the garage, Sophia and I had nothing to talk about as we headed to our respective bedrooms. Not minding that I felt weak, I took a quick shower and decided to work on my computer.**********I was buried in work, with my fingers flying over the keyboard.I barely noticed the time, but the dryness in my throat finally pulled my attention. I punched the intercom, calling the maids’ quarter.After a few moments, one of them knocked on my door.“Come in.” I said, and she gently walked into my room, bowing her head. Her hair was ruffled and her eyes were heavy with sleep. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.I kept my voice cold as I watched her carefully. “Get me a glass of chilled water.”She hesitated, and her eyes flickered from me to the door as if she wanted to ask why I couldn’t have told her from downstairs instead. “Should I get it myself?” I challenged.She stammered, snapping back to att
DAMON'S POVEven when I worked all night, my energy didn't dull one bit. Perhaps because I enjoyed seeing Sophia run helter skelter trying to make me food I kept rejecting. The last time I saw her was two hours ago when she finally shuffled off to bed after I let her. I rejected her attempts to make me a meal four times just to please myself. “You lack at cooking meals.” I yelled at her. But she was too exhausted to even glare at me. “Just clean up the mess I made on the floor and go to sleep before office hours.”The memory made me smirk as I pictured her tired, defiant expression as she cleaned up the broken plates and food wastes from the floor. Her eyes were wide and red with exhaustion.As I dressed up and ready to leave for the office, I headed down to the dining room for breakfast. My cold attitude didn't allow me to take Sophia’s food even when I was badly hungry at that time.I caught myself snapping orders to the maids with more precision than usual. That is getting into w
SOPHIA'S POV“Hello! Excuse me!” I heard a faint distant voice followed by a tap on my desk.The tap was soft, but also startling enough that it jolted me awake. I snapped my head up, blinking hard to clear the fog from my eyes. I had only rested my head on my desk not quite long, I never knew I dozed off in the process. It took me a second to notice a man standing in front of me. I quickly straightened up in my chair, ashamed of myself. “Oh! I’m so sorry, sir. How may I help you?”The man standing before me looked amused, as her wore a small smile on his face. He was dressed in a dark suit that fit him perfectly, and he was probably in his early thirties. There was something warm about him. Maybe his relaxed smile or the way he looked directly at me, like he was not judging me for dozing off.“Are you the new secretary?” he asked.“Yes… sir,” I stammered, looking down at my desk in embarrassment. “I am.”I probably looked like a complete mess, and my mind was racing with ways to s
SOPHIA'S POVThe sunlight filtered gently through the windows as I moved around the kitchen with the maids, laughing and chatting as we worked together today being Saturday.It’d been three weeks since I came into this mansion as a fake bride, and I hadn’t been able to see my boys in weeks. I only speak with them on the phone, through Mother Rose.While the weight of that was always with me, today felt lighter. Maybe it was because I was doing something I enjoyed doing. Cooking, cleaning and helping out others. Even when I knew it wasn't included in my contract, and that I wasn't a real wife to the owner of this mansion, I wasn’t the kind to just sit idle and watch others work, because It seemed unnatural to me. I’d become used to doing household chores having grown up at the orphanage, where we all pitched in, and where everyone looked after each other. As we set to work making breakfast, the chatter among the maids kept the mood lively.“You know,” I said with a grin, kneading so
SOPHIA'S POV“Who prepared my breakfast?”I froze at Mr. Graham's question, every inch of me tensing up as his gaze scanned the room. The question seemed simple enough, but we all knew Damon Graham well enough to realize that behind his calm tone, there was always a hint of something. My mind raced, wondering if I’d done something wrong, if maybe the food wasn’t as good as I thought. ‘I’m not bad at cooking. But, why does he always find faults in my meals?” I thought.“Didn’t you all hear me?” he repeated, this time with a slight edge. “I asked who cooked my food.”Silence filled the room, and I felt the maids' eyes turn to me. My hands shook as I entwined my fingers under the table, trying to summon the courage to speak.“I… I did, sir,” I finally managed, shutting my eyes as if that could shield me from his reaction. My pulse hammered in my chest. I waited for the inevitable disappointment, for some cold remark about my cooking.“You did?” His tone was surprisingly soft, almost c
DEBRA'S POVThe next morning being a Monday morning, I took it upon myself to visit Damon at his company knowing fully well that he would surely be there.After I received Sophia's call yesterday, I felt uneasy and wondered why she suddenly asked me to tell Damon about his accident. She didn't even give me a chance to reply her before she hung up on me. As I stepped into the company, I was greeted immediately by a flurry of bows and warm smiles. “Good morning, Mrs. Graham!” the employees chimed in unison. “Good morning,” I replied with a cheerful nod, letting my smile linger. These were good people, far more personable than my son who hardly smiles. “Thanks for your continuous cooperation towards the growth of this company.” I needed no soothsayer to tell me that Damon had never acted politely with them, nor appreciated them for their hard work. I had to do that in his stead in order to encourage them to keep working hard.I walked my way to the elevator which led me to Damon's
SOPHIA'S POV ‘We had met before I became his secretary?’ I just smiled awkwardly, trying to focus on running my fingers through his hair instead of getting shocked by the words Mr. Graham had just said. I knew what he said was not close to being possible. “I don’t think so, sir,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible. He pulled his head away from my lap, sitting up slightly. “I don’t know what it is,” he said softly. “But I felt it earlier, when I was in your room. When you were dressed for Nico's party. It was like we’ve been that close before. Like it wasn’t new.” I felt uneasy because of his words “Remember when I told you about the strange feeling I had when I saw your painting?” I reminded him, choosing my words carefully as if I was talking to Hayden and Kayden.He nodded slowly. “You shrugged it off back then, Sir. You told me we’d never met before, and I believed you. So, Mr. Graham, you shouldn’t hold onto that feeling. We don’t have a history. I'm a hundred
SOPHIA'S POVThe music pulsed through the club, and I tried my best to keep up with Nico as we danced on the dance floor. He was laughing, spinning me around, but I made sure to maintain a polite distance. As much as he seemed harmless, I didn’t want to give him any ideas. My mind suddenly drifted to Mr. Graham. I hadn't seen him since we arrived here. ‘Where could he be?’ Still dancing, now in a slow pace, my eyes scanned through the clubhouse, searching for him. I shifted my eyes to a direction and saw him at the bar, sitting uncomfortable on the stool, his posture was stiff, and he clutched his chest with his hand like he was in pain. Panic surged through me. “Sir?” I called out, rushing over to him, vamoosing the dance floor.A woman beside him, chewing gum and dressed like she’d forgotten half her wardrobe at home, turned to me. “He doesn’t look so good,” she said lazily, though her tone was more annoyed than concerned.“Excuse me,” I muttered, pushing past her to steady him
DAMON'S POVI stormed into Sophia’s room, fully expecting to unleash my annoyance. “Isn’t she ready yet?” I barked, my voice sharp. But the sight that greeted me froze my tongue. She stood there, radiant. Her dress hugged her figure in a way that was elegant, yet captivating. Her hair framed her face perfectly, and her eyes held a spark of nervousness that only added to her allure. For the first time in my 33 years on earth, I was utterly speechless. My irritation evaporated like steam on glass, and it was replaced by something. Something I couldn’t quite place.I cleared my throat, trying to compose myself. ‘Get a grip, Damon. She’s just another woman.’ The voice of one of the three maids in her room broke through my thoughts. “Sir, we’re so sorry for the delay. She’s ready for the outing now.” She said, bowing.“Leave us,” I commanded curtly, waving her and the other maids away. I needed them out, though I wasn’t sure why.Sophia looked at me with uncertainty as the maids made to
SOPHIA'S POV“Really?” I repeated, still surprised. Kayden’s words kept echoing in my mind. The orphanage kids had always gone to the local government school, just like I had. A private school? Who would pay for that?“Yes, Mommy! It’s Debra ma’am!” Hayden grinned, with his face glowing with excitement. “She’s so nice! I love her, Mom!”I swallowed, taken aback. ‘Mother-in-law?’ I thought, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and unease. My gaze drifted to Mother Rose, who gave me a reassuring nod.“Yes, Sophia,” Mother Rose confirmed. “Mrs. Graham offered to send the children of age to a private school.”Before I could fully react, she motioned for Hayden and Kayden to go outside. “Go on now, boys, enjoy your snacks,” she urged gently, her eyes flicking back to me.“No… no no. I don't want to leave mommy. I want to stay with her for now, because she might leave without bidding us farewell” Hayden shrugged, pouting those little lips of his.“Mommy won't sneak out of here, Hayden. She'll
SOPHIA'S POVI scratched the back of my neck, my voice catching as I tried to make sense of Mr. Graham's words. “Sir… what’s happening tonight? I don’t understand.”He raised his eyebrow to look at me, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. My mind went into overdrive, imagining the worst, wondering if he was talking about our… our nuptial night. Was that why he was being so calm today?I swallowed, looking down as I stammered, “But, sir… that… that wasn’t part of our contract—”He frowned, clearly baffled. “What are you talking about, Ms. Clark?”“Tonight,” I repeated, still looking down, nervously playing with my fingers. “Are we… are we going to be… together tonight?”Mr. Graham's face shifted, and for a moment, he almost looked amused. “Don’t get any ideas, Ms. Clark. What exactly did you think I meant when I said ‘tonight’?” His voice was laced with annoyance. “You’re acting strange.”I could feel my face turning red as I stammered, “I… I’m sorry. I misunderstood.”His expressio
SOPHIA'S POV“Who prepared my breakfast?”I froze at Mr. Graham's question, every inch of me tensing up as his gaze scanned the room. The question seemed simple enough, but we all knew Damon Graham well enough to realize that behind his calm tone, there was always a hint of something. My mind raced, wondering if I’d done something wrong, if maybe the food wasn’t as good as I thought. ‘I’m not bad at cooking. But, why does he always find faults in my meals?” I thought.“Didn’t you all hear me?” he repeated, this time with a slight edge. “I asked who cooked my food.”Silence filled the room, and I felt the maids' eyes turn to me. My hands shook as I entwined my fingers under the table, trying to summon the courage to speak.“I… I did, sir,” I finally managed, shutting my eyes as if that could shield me from his reaction. My pulse hammered in my chest. I waited for the inevitable disappointment, for some cold remark about my cooking.“You did?” His tone was surprisingly soft, almost c
SOPHIA'S POVThe sunlight filtered gently through the windows as I moved around the kitchen with the maids, laughing and chatting as we worked together today being Saturday.It’d been three weeks since I came into this mansion as a fake bride, and I hadn’t been able to see my boys in weeks. I only speak with them on the phone, through Mother Rose.While the weight of that was always with me, today felt lighter. Maybe it was because I was doing something I enjoyed doing. Cooking, cleaning and helping out others. Even when I knew it wasn't included in my contract, and that I wasn't a real wife to the owner of this mansion, I wasn’t the kind to just sit idle and watch others work, because It seemed unnatural to me. I’d become used to doing household chores having grown up at the orphanage, where we all pitched in, and where everyone looked after each other. As we set to work making breakfast, the chatter among the maids kept the mood lively.“You know,” I said with a grin, kneading so
SOPHIA'S POV“Hello! Excuse me!” I heard a faint distant voice followed by a tap on my desk.The tap was soft, but also startling enough that it jolted me awake. I snapped my head up, blinking hard to clear the fog from my eyes. I had only rested my head on my desk not quite long, I never knew I dozed off in the process. It took me a second to notice a man standing in front of me. I quickly straightened up in my chair, ashamed of myself. “Oh! I’m so sorry, sir. How may I help you?”The man standing before me looked amused, as her wore a small smile on his face. He was dressed in a dark suit that fit him perfectly, and he was probably in his early thirties. There was something warm about him. Maybe his relaxed smile or the way he looked directly at me, like he was not judging me for dozing off.“Are you the new secretary?” he asked.“Yes… sir,” I stammered, looking down at my desk in embarrassment. “I am.”I probably looked like a complete mess, and my mind was racing with ways to s