Chapter 4

Silvia found it hard to process what her boss was saying. They haven't ever had a close discussion other than this one time, and now he is asking her to marry him.

She doesn't even know anything about her boss's lifestyle, his preferences, and anything he hates.

“Did I say anything wrong?” Ralph noticed that Silvia was lost in her thoughts as she tried to unravel the mystery behind his request.

After Ralph had a deep dig into his brain last night, he decided to propose a contract marriage to Rosaline.

It was going to help him save the cost of paying workers for his house. Because Silvia was going to work as a maid for him.

The contract was going to last for one year if Silvia agreed. In return, he will pay up her mother's hospital bills, and make sure that the heart transplant is done immediately.

“I can't marry you, sir. We don't know anything about each other. So, how do you expect us to share a romantic moment?” Silvia asked.

“This is not a marital or romantic proposal. This is strictly a business proposal. You can call it a contract marriage” he replied.

Ralph had a nonchalant look on his face, which was a sign that talking about this wasn't a big deal to him.

“A contract marriage? What do I get in return, sir?” Silvia was forced to ask.

“Your mother will get the heart transplant, and I will pay up her hospital bills. You don't have to worry about that again,” he explained.

“I don't think contract marriage is necessary, sir,” Silvia said with a shaky tone.

Even though she had the opportunity to sit and speak with her boss, the fear she had for him still remained.

“Then I can't help you. Leave my office!” Ralph ordered firmly, without looking into her eyes.

He certainly had no time to waste, and Silvia was trying to delay the activities he had to complete for the day.

Silvia tried to see if he would hear her out, but she was chased out of his office.

“I can't sit her head watching you feel you can set terms with me,” He said in soliloquy as he proceeded to handle the workload he had before him.

Silvia returned to her posts and continued her own work. But she did so with a pale look on her face.

She was so sad and worried throughout the whole day.

She just kept pondering on what Ralph had told her earlier.

Accepting the contract marriage was going to help her mother, but it was just like selling herself off.

“Is it worth it?” She said under her breath.

Her head just kept throbbing as she tried to think of another way out.

Unfortunately, Ralph was the only person who had offered to help her out completely.

Something Silvia didn't want to do was jump to conclusions very fast.

Making g decisions as sensitive as this required her to take enough time to ponder.

But Silvia had no time on her side. That's a virtue that she was lacking at the moment.

Everything was happening so fast, and she didn't even have time to sit back and think of the next action.

The day was almost ending, and Silvia needed to take action fast.

“Good afternoon, sir. Sorry, I am disturbing now, sir. I can see that you're about to leave” She said politely, as she slowly walked into his office.

You better have something reasonable to make me stay here” Ralph gave her a stern warning.

He made Silvia remain standing while he remained on his chair.

“I will accept the contract, sir. I will marry you” Silvia said.

That was her conclusion. The life of her mother was very important to her, and she was not going to forgive herself if she sat back and watched this opportunity slip through her hands.

“That's more like it. Here is the document. I'll need you to sign on it now” Ralph pushed the document to her.

He knew she was going to return, so he made sure that the document was handy. While he waited for her return.

“But, please, sir. I have a request” Silvia said.

“What is it again?” Ralph asked frustratingly.

“I am sorry, sir. I wish to remain with her until the treatment is concluded” she pleaded.

Ralph took a little while to pair her request with his schedule.

“I don't have a problem with that,” He replied.

It was always a hard thing for Ralph to let out a smile, so he still kept a straight face while waiting for her to sign the document.

Silvia read through the conditions in the document and signed without hesitation. Ralph placed his seal on it as well.

A sign that this was an official arrangement. “Do you need the doctor's contact?” She asked curiously.

Definitely, Ralph was going to need to contact the doctor if he wanted to help her pay the bill.

“I don't need it. I will do it my own way” He replied. He dismissed Silvia from his presence immediately, as he made his way back to his house.

Silvia's emotions were mixed. She was happy that she had finally found a way to save her mother's life.

But she also thought to herself that she just sold herself. “Will mum be happy that I did this?” She asked herself.

According to Silvia, she was left with no other way out. She just had to make use of the only option she saw.

With her heart filled with so much joy, she rushed straight to the hospital immediately to check on her mother, who was still naive about her health condition.

But when she entered the hospital, she met a rather shocking and disturbing sight.

She could not find her mother in the same ward she was in earlier. “Where is my mother?” She rushed back to the reception and asked the nurse on duty.

But they didn't have a reply. Silvia couldn't take it anymore. This is a place where they were just tasked with taking care of her mother.