4. Fake it with me, Anita.

*Present day*

ANITA'S POV

"You can pull down your hood and take off your glasses if you want. We are alone now." Mr. Rivers said.

I stared around the vicinity we were now in. It was a grand, private cafe, located at the top floor of Opulence Entertainment building. Perhaps just him and a few of his top celebrities have access to it. Or maybe, just him.

Aside from the lady at the counter, who had also just walked out, we were all alone truly, with zero reporters in sight. One thing I'm extremely grateful for.

"Alright," I said before taking off my sunshade and pulling down my hood, letting my long wavy brunette hair fall freely down my back.

After the commotion at the cafe downtown the city, when Mr. Rivers had declared that I was his wife - which was a very ridiculous thing to say by the way - he had informed the reporters that he was the one who had been with me that night and had urged the reporters to stop trolling me and disregard all previous misinformations about me.

However, the reporters wanted to know details such as; When we got married? What year? My family history? And other silly questions I couldn't have imagined.

But Mr. Rivers had maintained a no-comment stance towards the remaining questions and luckily, his guards had quickly intervened, blocking the reporters and leading us out of the scene to a waiting car.

And all through the drive back to his company, he had explained that he was the one I had a supposed 'one night stand' as the reporters had said, with. And I was stunned by this information.

He explained the incident and all that happened that night from his own side and made me understand it was his mistake for kissing me while thinking I was someone else -- His ex wife. Because he hadn't been in a right state of mind at that time.

And then, I explained my own part of the incident to the best of my knowledge.

Two nights ago, I attended a close colleague's bridal shower and party at Atlantis Hotel.

Olive, my distant friend and colleague in the modeling industry was getting married and she had insisted I had to attend her bridal shower, which was necessary due to my friendship with her.

Before the party was over, I had already made a reservation for my hotel room since I wasn't returning to my apartment that night. And then, when it was past midnight, I was drunk and had gone to the reception to get my room key. I was given a key which I assumed to be mine and then, I helped my drunk self to my room and eventually passed out on the bed, after undressing until I was left with nothing other than my undies.

This was a habit I was used to for a while now.

So, I hadn't noticed someone else was in the room as well.

Well, all that happened seemed like a misunderstanding of some sort. But I couldn't understand who had taken a photo of me in that moment and uploaded it on the internet. It made it seemed like a set up. And that strangely bothered me.

It could have been a reporter or perhaps an unknown, hidden foe.

Whatever or whoever it was, I'm just glad I was able to sort out that aspect. Although I'm still confused about the method used in resolving it, which brings me back to this man here -- Mr. Rivers.

"Back then," I began, sitting upright on the couch and staring at him. "Why did you referred to me as your wife? I don't quite understand if that had been necessary as we both are aware we aren't in any such relationship." I inquired.

Mr. Rivers took a deep breath and uncrossed his legs. He leaned forward towards me, his hands clasped together with his elbows resting on his laps.

"I need you to Fake it with me, Anita." He said after some moments of silence.

"W-what?" I stared at him with my mouth wide opened. "I-I I'm confused, Mr. Rivers."

"You can call me, Ryan. My name is Ryan." He said with a small smile and my jaw dropped even more.

What does he mean by what he just said? And why was he smiling? There's absolutely nothing funny right now!

"We both need to do this in other to resolve this scandal at least for a couple of months." Okay? What is he getting at?

"Be my substitute wife, Anita. For only a couple of months and I promise to reward you handsomely, aside from the benefits you would be getting as 'my wife' of course." Seeing how speechlessly and shocked I was staring at him, he added. "It's nothing real, only on the internet. Between us, this would just be business."

"A-are you crazy?" I asked when I finally found my voice.

"We need to do this to help each other."

I was getting angry as memories of my past I want to never recall, began flashing through my head.

I would be crazy to accept this deal with him.

"I can't. I can't do such a thing." I shook my head adamantly. "I don't know how you're going to clear the scandal or what you've made the internet believe. But personally, I would not do this with you or anyone else."

"Listen, Ms. Richardson. Right now, you need me to clear your scandal and rise back to the top. And I also need you, not just because of this scandal, but because I have to stay married for a couple of months at least, for the sake of my family."

"What?!" I sent him a glare. "And I should be your worthy sacrifice is it?" I scoffed. "Well, you had better fix this yourself or I would do so for you. Afterall, it's clear now that it was never a one night stand and the reporters now know who I had been with that night." I pushed a hand through my hair, pausing to think for a moment. "And, I don't care what happens to my career, I would just pretend I never had this conversation with you." I stood up immediately. "Goodbye, Mr. Rivers." I said and turned to walk away.

"Please, help me, Anita."

Before I could take a step further, he had caught me by the hand and was now kneeling before me.

My eyes widened at the sight and my jaw dropped as I stared at him in bewilderment.

"I am very desperate right now. And I really need YOU to help me. Please." He begged.

The almighty, famous Mr. Rivers of Opulence Entertainment was on his knees, begging for something I wouldn't dare do.

Just how desperate was he for him to go down this way?

How about myself? Could I really do this, after all I had been through in the past?

I stared down at him and angrily shook his hand off me.

I made a promise to myself five years ago and I don't think I was ready to break that promise.

Without another word, I stormed off the private cafe, not glancing back one bit as I walked away.