Immediately Gina entered the car, she handed over the wads of bills she was supposed to give the receptionist. "Thank you for catering to my mother's bills, but I had it covered. So, I'm giving you this in return," she says, all but thrusting the money into his palm. She didn't feel comfortable with allowing him pay for her mother's needs, knowing fully well she could now foot the bills. Thanks to her contract marriage, she was almost a millionaire so a few ten thousands would not hurt her so bad.
Yet, Henry rejected the money and signalled for the driver to move. "I paid your mother's bills not out of pity, if that's what you're thinking. Rather, she reminded me of my father when I saw how close the two of you are. I know what it feels like to lose a loved one, and if there is any way for me to make nobody experience that, I would. So consider the money I spent as a way to make sure you don't experience what I did, at least not yet."
Gina w
Immediately the plane landed, Gina heaved a sigh of relief. She had been bearing the trip for over five hours, and when she got up once to use the toilet, that was the time the plane decided to turn slightly as there was a bit of turbulence. She very near screamed, but managed to comport herself at the end. However, she didn't stand up from her seat again. As people started getting up to step down, she sighed and subtly rubbed her butt. It was certainly tired and needed a bit of stretching, so while Henry's guards carried the bags, she proceeded to step out.She didn't get very far before being intercepted by a string of flashlights and microphones held up to her face with an array of questions all at once."Are you here with your husband?""There are rumours of the marriage being false, what do you have to say?""Is this a honeymoon, or just for show?"The paparazzi was too much
More than anything, Gina hated the fact that they acted like total strangers to each other. Ever since the wedding day, she had been trying to find a way to make him see that the both of them being cordial could be beneficial to them both. Yet, Henry was adamant and hell bent on acting like she didn't exist when they were out of camera. It made her feel like she was being used and against her better judgement, brought back memories from her last relationship. She didn't like the way she was feeling one bit, and she knew she needed to let it all out before she would be able to do anything more.When they got back to the hotel, Gina instantly walked straight into her room and locked the door. She wasn't in the mood for anything that concerned speaking to him again, as it had become obvious that he wasn't going to listen to her no matter what. Even when she tried bringing it up, he basically told her not to think about having because she didn't have a choice. Another way to remind her th
Throughout the photo shoot, Gina tried her very best to smile. Even though she knew she looked pretty and even sexy, she wasn't just feeling the whole thing. As her body was moved all around and positioned at different places, mostly beside Henry, she soon got tired and just wanted everything to be over with. Coupled with the fact that she was still very angry with her husband, she wanted to scream but had to hold herself. It looked like Henry however, was having fun, as he was basically directing the people on how to snap the pictures.There was no doubt in her mind that everything they were doing was just for show, but she had to accept it. It was what she signed up for, so she needed to make the most out of it. That was why, after a while, she boldly requested for personal pictures. Luckily, only Henry seemed to think it weird and he cleared his throat and frowned before moving away from her and going to sit on the red couch. The photographers, however, were
As Henry waited for Gina to come out of the room, he chuckled darkly to himself. He was surprised that he was doing this and taking her out on a date, but he was going to go ahead with it. Throughout his teenage years, he was known for being very impulsive and capable of handling impromptu tasks. However, he hadn't placed himself in a position where he had to ask a girl out on a date like that, especially an angry lady who was supposed to be his wife. He hadn't been married before, and even though everything was a ruse, he knew enough to know that someone like Gina could ruin everything one day and damn the consequences. So as Henry looked in the mirror, he tried to convince himself that pacifying Gina was the reason they were going out on a date. He had a strong urge to inform his chief guard to take them pictures, but just before he stepped out, he shook his head and continued to wait. It wouldn't end well if she realized he was still using it to take pictur
After a few minutes of chatting, the call ended and Gina didn't know whether to be grateful or annoyed with the situation. On one hand, the woman calling had made the table a bit lively as she asked questions about how they were doing and even ordered them to send her pictures. However, she was annoyed for the same reason. The only reason they had maintained a proper conversation was because his mother called and it irked her. She wondered if there would be still be absolute silence in the table if nothing had happened. As she finished her second cup of ice cream, she debated between confronting him and trying again with another topic.Eventually, she decided to search for another topic in her head and after some minutes, she settled on the perfect topic. It was one he was most likely not to answer, but Gina had long learned to be optimistic in every situation. Besides, there was nothing else she could do and time was going. She knew it wouldn't be long before H
In another part of the world, in a small shabby apartment that reeked of alcohol and needed a day's worth of cleaning, Gina's ex boyfriend sat in a small corner wondering what to do next. The furthest thing from his mind was the state of his home, but the state of his mind and body. He felt a lot of emotions at the same time, and he sighed before taking another swig of beer. It was his fourth in less than twelve hours, and there was still half a carton left before he had to step out for another one. It was safe to say he was depressed, and he realized that two weeks back, he was on top of the world and there was nothing he wanted more in life.Until everything shattered on that fateful day. His wife had come for a visit at his work place as he was missing her and their daughter. It was a fun visit, as they spent the first two days going out and having fun. His family had never been to his new job, so they made sure to explore the surroundings and generally, just
When Ken woke up the next morning, the channel was still tuned onto the news. Fortunately, they seemed to have moved past the one hour talk about Gina getting married to the most eligible bachelor in America, but his head banged both from the alcohol hangover and the new found hatred he possessed for his ex girlfriend. He had spent two weeks of his life drinking and worrying about how heartbroken she would be after his cheating, unaware that she had moved on to someone better than him. Thinking about it gave him a huge headache and he wanted to punch something so bad, but if he did so, there would be a lot more to pay than just the rent. So, he held himself back and tried to focus.More than his anger at the fact that he felt guilty for nothing, he was thoroughly hurt by the fact that she dumped him first. After catching him with his wife and daughter, Gina sent him a long message detailing how he broke every atom of their trust and she would never be able to re
Gina happily woke up to the smell of fresh bread and bacon and subconsciously, her nostrils tried to find where he scent was coming from. She knew it wouldn't be her room, because she had not yet ordered room service for the morning so she shrugged and tried to take the scent out of her mind. However, it soon became difficult to keep her eyes shut and get back to sleep, especially when her alarm began ringing beside her. It was 7am and her last day in the Maldives. The honeymoon had gone far too fast and she hadn't explored as much as she wanted, but the most important thing was, she could check another country she had been to. With that in mind, she put on a smile on her face and finally opened her eyes, instantly yawning and gasping midway when she noticed the tray of food by her bed.The scent had definitely been coming from there, and she salivated in happiness. A few seconds later, she began to dig into the food with little care in the world when she stopped and stared at the foo
"Fine then, I'll do just as you have Said.. I'll have to be nicer to them but not close… it's fine then but I'll love it if you can desist from calling me names like fool, dummy etc. I do not really find it funny…" I said in protest, my Hands clasped together and then placed on my chest."I'll only stop calling you those names when you stop acting like one, got it?" I heaved a sigh. Angie raised her head to me."Are you by chance talking to me because you heard you say something just now?" She asked with a smile. I sabttr to snap at her but then I remembered the words of that being and I immediately changed my mind."No I wasn't. I was thinking of something the other time.. by the way… why hasn't this chef brought our meals…" I mumbled as I rose to my feet. I walked towards the Kitchen and was about walking in when I saw him approaching with two dishes on the tray."Hi Regina! Would you like to eat on the dinning table or in the sitting room?""The sitting room!" We chorused in unison
There was a certain thrill that came from planning a wedding. Whether an arranged marriage, a love marriage or in my case, a contract. Especially if the intended groom happened to own a whole lot of money. A private chaffeur, fancy parties, trips toworld-renowned designers, all expense paid stylists, helps to attend to my every need. But, the best part–seconded by the Annex card–was the popularity. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Gina's name was all over the news, bringing in both positive and negative reviews. Suddenly, everyone had an opinion they felt entitled to especially the receptionist and secretaries in Thorn Corp.She saw the questions and accusations on their faces, some felt she did not deserve it, while others asked if blackmail was the reason. Why would a billionaire want to marry an unknown face, an ordinary secretary? If there was one thing they agreed on, any publicity was good publicity. He needed the media to see him as a humble CEO who fell for his 'number
Chloe"Five days end today," I groaned as soon as we stepped into the house. David and I had just arrived from meeting with the judge in charge of the case with Tristan.I was so damn tired. I could eat a whole freaking horse. Yes, it does David said as I lowered myself onto a sofa. Our trip seemed successful. Tristan would stand trial come Monday for stealing my parents' company. Soon, everything would all fall into place. Addison wasn't home. She had mentioned meeting up with certain people from college. I suppose she deserves to have some fun. She had been hard at work on my behalf ever since we moved back to South Carolina. "Adele and her nanny aren't home yet," I observed, whipping out my phone to call Melissa. "Hi Miss Montgomery," she muttered melissa was a shy timid woman who rarely spoke up. Sure she had pretty hair, but somehow I felt that Adele would give her a tough time. She was quite an impulsive child who could throw a tantrum Whenever things did bit go her way. "
Just before Gina called Mr. Cornwell, she decided to go visit her mother. It was a combination of two reasons, mostly because she hasn't seen the woman in a long time and because her best friend also wanted to see her. She was feeling really guilty about how she had neglected to see her mother these last few weeks, but it was not due to the fact that she was busy or something. Rather, she was just that a negligent with a lot of places in her life but she quickly shook her head. If she was being honest with herself, there was absolutely no excuse for what she did.With that in mind, she quickly turned to her friend and thanked her for making her to be able to see her mother again. She didn't know what she would have done without the girl in her life, but she said nothing and together they went to visit the woman. Her personal chaffeur had already been informed about her impending visit and by the time she stepped out, the car was ready and all they needed to do was go inside and wait f
The next morning, Hevry was up earlt because he needed to catch his flight which was scheduled for eight am, and considering the fact that it was very impromptu, he had to tell the executives at the office. They were shocked and a few mumbled about the sudden decision, but all in all, they agreed to work without him for a week and all that was left was to tell Gina. As he dressed up, he couldn't help but remember the argument he had with his wife last night, and before the call came in, he was hoping to settle with her last night but apparently, it would no longer be possible.Within minutes, he finished dressing up and went downstairs where he realized that Gina was already sitting at the dining table. The first thing he noticed was that she was still clad in her nightwear, which meant she had just woken up from sleep. Could it be that she had done it for him, he whispered, and despite himself, he smiled. Maybe, she was finally seeing reason with his decision. He was already at the f
Gina watched as he frowned for some seconds before finally sighing and putting his hands in his pockets. His gestures didn't really seem like he was open to listening, but at least, it was better than when his arms were folded and he just looked like she was disturbing. She really wanted him to understand why she was so interested in doing the modelling, even though he wouldn't be the one to ultimately decided if she did it or not. Normally, she night not even have told him. Maybe he would just hear that she had settled into it.But with her new feelings for him came new responsibilities. Since they were dating and he had plans of being serious, she felt obligated to share the details of her life with him. But as the days passed and he gave her an attitude, she regretted it more and more. In hindsight, she should have known that he wasn't the kind of person to bend easily but she also hasn't suspected that he would be so averse to modelling. Internally, she was really annoyed at the w
Henry wanted so bad to follow Gina up the stairs to her room, but before he heard the lock turning, he already knew it wouldn't be possible. It was clear as day to see that she was really upset with him, and while he understood why, he also didn't want to allow her to go into the world of modelling. If advicing her meant that they wouldn't speak anymore that might, he was easy to live with that. With his mind set on that, he headed upstairs as well and in few minutes, he was already in the bathroom.More than anything, he loved Gina and wanted her to be respected at all costs. Apart form her being his wife which came with a lot of respect, and prestige, she was also a woman who deserves to be valued. Not sleazy looking. Henry knew it was wrong to refer to the women like that, but a lot of times, that was how he saw them. Always scantily dressed and ready to engage in other things. The public didn't know much about him, but given who he was, he was sometimes privy to underground inform
As the chaffeur drove them home, Gina failed to understand why Henry was stopping her. She even tried to think about whether the man he was talking to had annoyed him in some way, so much so that he wanted to rub it off on her and stop her from doing what she wanted. Even though she had never really thought about becoming a model or something like that, she had always wanted a chance at spotlight. A chance for people to see how beautiful she was, on the outside. Though it was still a good thing, she sometimes got tired of having to rely on her inner beauty.In some sort of way, it sounded vain but she had long realized that in order to be happy, sometimes you needed to be selfish and put yourself out there. When she decided to go to the function with Henry, she didn't even given much thought to her outfit except the fact that she looked amazing in it. However, people complimented her on it so much detailing how it fit her body size and texture. If she was being honest with herself, it
Before Gina realized it, she and Mr. Cornwell were deep in conversation with Henry inputting something every now and then. She had learned he was a fashion icon for one of the leading designers in the country, and he was currently on the lookout for new models. Apparently, he was at the party to scout for anyone who seemed like they fit the type, and she found herself enthralled by his stories. For the first time since she arrived the party, she was actually holding a conversation with someone. Not just being by her husband's side while they discussed politics and things she didn't know about.Even though she felt that Henry wasn't very comfortable with the discussion, she couldn't help but feel a certain sense of power. She was the kind of person who actively followed style brands and fashion icons, so most of the things Mr. Cornwell said were actually stuff she could relate to and have an opinion of. After a moment of them just talking, Henry excused himself to go and greet one of t