A proposal for a possible contract

A proposal for a possible contract

During the following days Ernest had been looking for a possible candidate for Harry, he had already summoned a dozen of high society ladies for an interview and of course, a sum of money for the assistance of each one of them.

In one of his breaks, he decided to have a coffee with his lifelong friend, Henry had known Ernest since they were very young, they were the best of friends, and every chance he got they would meet again to talk about their lives.

“My dear friend, how is everything? What is the matter with you? You look very sad and above all very emaciated, are you sick?” were Ernest's first words when he saw Henry.

“Oh, my friend! The same as always, problems that are never lacking, you are always radiant as always”.

“I'd like to help you, tell me, what's going on?”

“I don't want to burden you with my problems, rather, let's go and invite me that delicious and expensive coffee that we like so much, someday I will have the necessary money to reward you for each invitation”.

They both go straight to a beautiful coffee shop in the city, and sit down to talk, suddenly the subject of Harry comes up.

“I'm in a dilemma with Harry, since his parents died, he hasn't left home and I need to find a contract wife for him, or he will lose his inheritance”.

“By contract? I don't understand what your rich people do to avoid losing money.” Henry smile

“Yes, by contract, we will pay a woman to marry him so that he will be inherited, then they separate, and everyone is happy, an arranged and convenient marriage, you know how it is”.

“And what does Harry think about all this? “Henry takes a sip of his coffee, while crazy ideas start to go through his head, if his daughter were different, she would be a perfect candidate for the job.

“He doesn't totally agree, but that's the way it is, besides, in one of those days he will find a real wife who loves him as he is, he is frustrated by the loss of his family, and he feels inferior because he doesn't have a leg”.

“But he is a good and wonderful human being, a bit misanthropic, but he is a good person” they both smile, describing Harry was difficult, because he was a mixture of everything.

“And how are you doing with Diane? Has she already started college and is she working so she can help you with the house expenses?” That question intimidated Henry, he knew that his daughter was everything bad that a father wouldn't want, but she was his daughter and he still loved her.

“No, I don't know what to do with her, she makes me desperate, she doesn't want to do anything at all, she needs so much order in her life, but in reality, she needs her mother to guide her better, I'm seeing how to help her to get a job”.

“She'll get it soon, I'm sure” Ernest smiles at her, he didn't think much of Diane because of the way she was, but he respected her for being his best friend's daughter, for a couple of minutes silence reigned between the two of them until Henry spoke again.

 “What do you need for the job?

“Which job?

“Contract wife. What must the candidate have?

“Well, nothing special, she must be beautiful of course, and she must be willing to accept the conditions of living with Harry for at least two years while he is inherited, and she must give up her fortune, she just has to accept the payment, it is a difficult task, but not impossible.

Henry looks for a picture of his daughter that he has in his cell phone, he stares at it, and shows it to Ernest.”

“Could she apply for the offer?” Ernest stares at her Diane is a fabulous girl, she has curly hair, brunette and an angelic face, not to mention her figure, she had inherited her mother's beauty, but her rebelliousness didn't help her at all.

“Yes, she could perfectly apply for the offer, who is she?”

“She is Diane, my daughter.”

What Henry was telling him caused him panic, he didn't know if a woman of her profile was the right one for a marriage with Harry, she was the opposite of what he wanted for his life, but he couldn't refuse his friend for once.

“All right Henry, I know what this is all about, if she is willing, the interviews will be next week, she will have an economic incentive for attending, so talk to her, although it is most likely that Harry will not accept her, we can try” he answered incredulously, it was clear that she was not a suitable candidate, starting that she barely had high school and did not want to study.

“Thank you very much!, friend, besides we are about to lose the house, if she is the chosen one, I promise that I will make sure that she will be the best contract wife for Harry, you have no idea how much we need the money” Henry spoke with desperation, his need was so great that he was already making plans for his daughter, without even having her opinion.

After talking to his friend, Henry leaves, he needed to convince his daughter that she should get that job, it was the only chance they had to get out of that situation, when he arrives home, he finds her again with Joshua, but this time, in a different situation, she was crying, apparently her boyfriend had mistreated her. As soon as Henry enters, he comes out almost knocking him down with a push.

 “What happened Diane? did this guy hit you? “

“No dad, we were just arguing, she says in a muffled voice.”

“Don't lie to me darling! I know that bad man did something to you, last time I want him in our house, I demand that you separate yourself from him.”

“Ah no daddy! that's no way, he's going to come back to this house, because it's my house too, my mother's share is mine, even if you don't want it, so Joshua can come here as often as he wants.

“Well, your house won't be your house anymore, because the bank is going to auction it off in 4 or 5 months, we owe a lot of money, so go look for a place to go, weren't you packing your bags last time? What happened? your gang member boyfriend didn't receive you?” Everything Henry was telling her was hitting her like a bucket of cold water, Diane felt her eyes fill with tears and wanted to run away.

“We can't lose the house dad, it's the only thing we have, what are we going to do, are we going to live in one of those places? Like we are a nothing, no dad, I refuse, work harder, borrow money, do something!

“I can't help it, it's millions we owe Diane, you must help me work so we can pay.” Harry feels bad for this situation.

“Are you crazy, Dad? What am I going to work for? I don't know how to do anything, besides I don't want to do it, that's what you are there for, to support both of us, it's your responsibility.

“No dear, it's not anymore, and if you want to save the house you have to work, and I have a job for you.”

 “Oh yeah? doing what?” She crosses her arms in front of him and challenges him with her eyes.

“Pay close attention, there is a millionaire, the boss of the house where my friend Ernest works, he is looking for a contract wife, just for a couple of years, and you can't even imagine the amount of money they are going to pay, with that besides being able to save the house, we could have something saved, I don't know, you could give yourself the luxuries you want.” Diane lights a cigarette in front of her father, she looks at him out of the corner of her eye with such hatred that she cannot even believe what he is telling her.

“Are you going to sell me as if I were a cow? How far have you come, Dad? Besides, you know I have a boyfriend, Joshua is the love of my life, how can I marry a millionaire I don't know? He must be a disgusting old man. No, I refuse, look what you are doing not to lose the house”.

Henry was stunned, although he didn't expect more from his daughter, he knew they were on the street, and if he didn't do something his situation would get worse.

“It's not if you want to, at least go to the interview, they will give you a good economic incentive, you will have some money, it's half a million dollars for just going to the interview”.

“Get it straight! You're not going to sell me dad, I won't do it, it would be to be unfaithful to my boyfriend, I won't do it, I'm not that kind of woman, the kind that sells herself for money”.

“If you don't do it, you get out of the house right now with your gang member, I am not willing to put up with any more of your insolence” Henry stands in front of her, with all the tiredness he had for his situation, his desperation and the anguish for everything he was taking on, he did not think for a single moment about what his daughter felt or chose.

Diane remembered how in previous days her boyfriend had rejected her, when she tried to ask him to let her live with him, he had told her that he had no way to support her, on the contrary, their last fights had been because Joshua had money problems, so she should help him to solve them but she did not know how, even though what her father was proposing was crazy, what they would give her just for attending the interview would help her boyfriend to be the same with her.

They both remained silent for a few moments, until she suddenly broke it.

“When will the interview take place?” she finishes smoking the cigarette she had in her hands and stands in front of her father.

“Next week, we will use the money from next month's lunch to buy a good dress, you must be refined and attentive in the interview, you must be prudent, the man to whom you are going to present yourself does not have a leg, I want you to be compassionate and attentive, without abusing pity, you will compete with many women, more beautiful and refined, but I am sure that you will marry him, if so, we will have more than 10 million in our account, we will save our house and of course, you will have plenty of money to do something for you”.

 Henry's words were assertive and hard, although he was not showing Diane anything, deep in his heart he felt a peace because she had accepted his proposal, besides needing the money, he wanted her to change her life, and Harry was the best option.