Crazy Suggestion

“Olivia, are you really fine?” Her friend, Annabelle, asked worriedly. 

After the night that she got divorced, she couldn't think of anywhere to go aside from her friend's place. She caught a cold and wouldn't tell her friend what happened. 

“I am,” she managed to reply, as if those two words were forced out of her mouth. 

Annabelle placed her hand on Olivia's forehead to feel her temperature. Her temperature was warm compared to two days ago when she came knocking on her door, looking soaked. 

“Olivia, you aren't okay. Stop pretending to yourself,” Annabelle said. She knew her friend would never share her problem with anyone except she was at the verge of dying. 

Unable to keep lying, Olivia decided to tell everything to Annabelle. She explained how she caught Bradford, how shameless he was, and everything that transpired between them. 

Annabelle ruffled her long black hair as if she were the one treated that way. “Fuck! Girl, how could you keep such a thing to yourself?”

“What can I do? Even though I report him, I have no evidence,” Olivia replied sadly. 

“Olivia, it must have been hard for you. Don't worry, you can rest all you want before you resume working,” she suggested. 

Olivia hesitated before she spoke up. “Work? I already transferred my shares to him. Literally, he is the owner of the company.”

Her eyes widened at Olivia's words. If Olivia was a baby, she would beat her until she passed out. After warning her, she still went ahead and transferred the shares to him. 

“Don't tell me you gave him everything. Your house, cars, money, and shares? What sort of love made you stupid?” She asked, doubting if the smart lady she used to know was Olivia in front of her. 

Olivia, who didn't want to be reminded about her foolishness, pleaded, “Will you just stop blaming me, please? I need a rest from all this shit going on in my life.”

“Rest? Girl, don't tell me you are going to let them get away with everything,” her brow raised, Annabelle said coldly. 

“What can I do to get back at them when they literally have everything to fight me?” She asked curiously, ready to do whatever it takes to watch them feel the same pain they inflicted on her. 

Annabelle sat up before she began with her crazy suggestion. “The easiest way to get revenge on them is to marry my ex-fiance's brother. He is rich, handsome, and way beyond Bradford's level. He can get you everything you want,” she paused and gulped down the glass of water on the table. “Send Bradford to prison? Make Layla the topic of mockery in the town? Name it all, he can do it.”

“Even if he can, I can't marry someone I don't love just for revenge,” she opposed. 

Annabelle burst into laughter at Olivia's level of stupidity. “Love? I can't believe you are still talking about love after what you experienced! There is no real word like love any more. In this modern world, marriage is only possible when it comes with benefits,” she explained with a smile. 

“Isn't it so cheap coming from you when you rejected his brother?” She asked. “Anyway, my answer still remains the same, Anna,” Olivia said weakly. She managed to stand up about to leave Annabelle's apartment; that way, she would be able to breathe. 

“Olivia, will you allow Layla to take away the company your father worked hard to build? Will you allow that man to live happily while you live in sadness and pain? Won't you regret not taking revenge on them?” 

Annabelle's words made her halt. She turned to face her before she replied, “Is that enough reason to go into a fake marriage with a total stranger?”

Annabelle stood up and walked up to Olivia. “Girl, it is just for a few months, and you get divorced. It's a win-win for the both of you. No need to overreact over it,” she said, confusing Olivia. 

“What did you mean?”

“I overheard Grandma Katherine's conversation with my grandma. She wants to hand over the company to her third grandson when he returns home. She won't hand over the company to him unless he gets married, and that is when you come in. He is a player who doesn't love,” she explained with a faint smile. 

Olivia, who was convinced that this wouldn't affect her in any way, walked back to the couch. Annabelle did the same before they sat down. 

Staring at Annabelle, she asked, “What is he like? What can I do to make him marry me?”

“Just be straight with your words. Make sure to appear just when he is thinking of the best candidate. Convince him that you don't do love stuff,” Annabelle replied. 

Olivia bit her lips at Annabelle's response. She knew how hard that would be since she is shy, but she had no choice but to practice the words that she was going to say. 

“How about his family? Will they accept me? A foolish lady who lost everything to a man?” She asked, tears clustering in her brown eyes. 

“No, they won't. The only person whose acceptance matters is my ex-fiance's brother, Alden,” Annabelle informed her. “You have to look seductive. He is crazy and smiles a lot, but don't fall for it. That is his power,” she added. 

“Seductive?” The word escaped from her lips in a questioning tone. 

“Olivia, don't worry about that. I got you. Don't bother about dresses, makeup, and jewelry.”

She burst into tears at her friend's words. She felt bad for always receiving her friend's help and happy to have Annabelle as a friend. 

Before Annabelle could ask why she was crying, she embraced her in a tight hug. “Thank you so much, bestie. You are the best.”

“Tch, stop overreacting. Alden will be returning to the city in two hours. You have to get prepared, girl,” Annabelle said, making Olivia disengage from the hug. 

“Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me he was returning today?” She asked sadly. 

Without waiting for Annabelle's response, she hurried away. She knew if she waited for Annabelle's response, she would spend the two hours in a conversation.