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CHAPTER 8: Strange Painting
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A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 9: A Secret?
SOPHIA'S POVI woke up on a plush bed beneath me. I had never slept on such a large and comfortable bed before. It was different from the bed I used to share with my kids at the orphanage. I felt like I was floating on this new bed of mine.My first morning in this mansion was as if I woke up in someone else’s life. Mr. Graham’s life, I suppose. The happenings of the day before rushed through my mind, but before I could think too much, a gentle knock interrupted my thoughts.“Come in,” I called out, then sat up.The door opened and three maids entered. They bowed as they greeted me. One of them carried a tray of food. “Good morning, Mrs. Graham. We’ve brought your breakfast,” one of the maids said softly, placing the tray on the table beside the bed.‘Mrs. Graham?’ I almost scoffed aloud.I raised my head and looked at the clock. It was barely 7 AM. ‘Isn’t it too early for breakfast?’ I thought. But I quickly waved the idea away, forcing a small smile.“Thank you” I murmured, feeling
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 10: An Accident From Six Years Ago
DEBRA'S POV“There’s a secret I’ve been keeping from Damon too, for the past six years.” I said.“A secret?” Sophia whispered, looking at me with wide and questioning eyes. “What do you mean by ‘secret’, mom?”I could feel her eyes on me. The weight of her concern was pulling me to reveal the truth I had hidden for so long. I hadn’t intended to tell her, but maybe she deserved to know.“Yes, Sophia. A secret,” I said, my voice was barely above a whisper. I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to continue. “I’ve kept this away from Damon for the past six years.”My fingers were fidgeting nervously. “He was in a terrible car accident. It was bad. Worse than he knows.”“Accident?” Her brow furrowed, but she went silent just immediately, waiting for me to go on with my revelation. The memories I had tried to bury, rose to the surface, and it took me back to that dreadful day, six years ago.*******************SIX YEARS AGOI was lying face down on the spa bed, letting the masseuse
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 11: Is the painting an Imagination or a memory?
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 12: Something About Hayden and Kayden
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 13: “I’ll make sure this hospital is burnt down to ashes!”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 14: “A glass of water at 2AM?”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 15: “Get out of my car!”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 16: Sleeping during work hours
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
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A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 20: “Don’t break Mrs. Graham's heart.”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 19: “Aunt Sophia is here!”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 18: Prepare for tonight
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 17: “Who prepared my breakfast?”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 16: Sleeping during work hours
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 15: “Get out of my car!”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 14: “A glass of water at 2AM?”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 13: “I’ll make sure this hospital is burnt down to ashes!”
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
A Night with Mr. Stranger CHAPTER 12: Something About Hayden and Kayden
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
