"Is this really necessary?" Astrid asked.
"Yes, it is. You are his jewels and..." Claudia started to say.
"I will need to correct that part. I am not his. I belong to no one but myself. Understand?" Astrid interrupted.
"Yes, miss. I'm sorry," Claudia apologized.
"Better. Are you hungry?" Claudia asked.
"I'll eat later. I want to shower," Astrid replied.
"Let me go and get the water ready myself."
" I can do it myself."
"Mister Thompson won't forgive me if I let you do anything," Claudia said. "That is your business with him. I want to bathe, and I can prepare the water for myself."
Claudia stepped in, blocking the road to the stair, and bowing her head politely. "Miss, I can't let you do it."
Suddenly, the door opened, and Andrew stepped in. "It's good that you have met Claudia, and you are already getting along," Andrew said. Astrid's face became fierce, and she refused to say anything.
"Claudia, how is she treating you, Mister Thompson?" Andrew asked.
"She wouldn't let me prepare the water for her, but she insisted on doing it alone," Claudia replied.
"Go ahead and prepare the water for her. Don't mind her fearsome behavior," Andrew said, giving Claudia the go-ahead. Astrid glared at Andrew as he strolled to the living room to take his seat.
"It seems you are not used to princess treatment."
"You are only breeding me for your use, I am not your property, neither am I your possession. I don't belong to you," Astrid replied.
"Well, I don't see things the way you do"Andrew said
"I repeat, I am not your possession. There is no tag on me that would say 'I belong to you' or 'Andrew'."Astrid replied fiercely
Andrew stood up and walked close to her and whispered, "Last night was the first night. I don't want to go to a place where another man has gone to. I want to be the only one there."
Astrid pushed him away when she understood the meaning of his words. "You are disgusting," she said. Andrew chuckled as he answered his phone.
"What is it?" he responded coldly to the person on the line with him.
"They're ready"the person on the other end responded.
"Bring them in," Andrew said, ending the call without waiting for their reply.
The door opened, and five ladies in the same outfit came in. Astrid was confused.
"These are your maids. Introduce yourselves," Andrew commanded.
"Good day, miss. I'm Leah. I'm Cynthia. I'm Wendy. I'm Crystal, and I'm Bethany." They all said in turns
"Good. Three of them will come twice a week to clean the house, while the other two will leave with you and handle the food," Andrew said.
"I can cook for myself," Astrid replied.
"If I get news that she is performing any chores, doing hard labor, I will slit your throat," Andrew threatened.
"Understood?" Andrew asked harshly.
"Yes, sir," they all chorused.
"Despite?" Astrid asked.
"They are mine. Their parents couldn't pay up the debt they owe, so they offered their daughters to redeem themselves. So, if I kill them, the government has no business with it because they are my possession," Andrew replied.
"You are a despicable person. You mean their parents?" Astrid asked.
Andrew said, "But Astrid was fed up with this man already. She can't even imagine a year with him."
"Is that all you have to say regarding the contract?" Andrew asked, waking her up from her thoughts.
"No," Astrid said.
"Go on."
"You are not allowed to attend parties, nor talk to guys. How does that even concern you?" Andrew asked.
"It's mostly social gatherings," Astrid replied.
"You are not allowed to attend social gatherings. And if you must attend, then tell me, so I will go with you," Andrew said.
"What if it's for girls only, and we have male models inside to spice up the party? Are you going to disguise yourself as a girl?" Astrid asked.
"No, he won't attend such gatherings," Andrew replied.
Astrid rubbed her temples because he was frustrating her. "What if I go secretly?" she asked.
"Then I will send someone over there to crash the party and fetch you. It's simple," Andrew said.
"You are cruel," Astrid said. "So, if I get a job, I am not allowed to speak to male customers?"
"What I meant was, your conversations must be healthy and formal. No flirting," Andrew replied.
"You are insane," Astrid said. "I am not signing this."
"Are you ready to roam the streets in search of five million? Andrew asked.
"Why can't I have conditions towards Party A?" Astrid asked.
"Because I am at an advantage," Andrew replied.
"So, that's why you get to do whatever you like?" Astrid asked.
"Yes," Andrew replied. "It's meant to be a mutual benefit."
"Then, after a year, if I still want you, then we will have mutual benefits," Andrew said.
"Understood?" he asked.
"You are annoying," Astrid said.
"Look, it's either you sign it or go to the streets and search for five million," Andrew said.
Astrid couldn't go to the streets; life would be terrible for her. She survived in that house for over twenty years, so spending a year with this cycle won't kill her.
"Fine, I will sign it," she said, taking the pen and signing.
Andrew picked it up, smiled
"No," Astrid said.
"Go on."
"You are not allowed to attend parties, nor talk to guys. How does that even concern you?" Andrew asked.
"It's mostly social gatherings," Astrid replied.
"You are not allowed to attend social gatherings. And if you must attend, then tell me, so I will go with you," Andrew said.
"What if it's for girls only, and we have male models inside to spice up the party? Are you going to disguise yourself as a girl?" Astrid asked.
"No, he won't attend such gatherings," Andrew replied.
Astrid rubbed her temples because he was frustrating her. "What if I go secretly?" she asked.
"Then I will send someone over there to crash the party and fetch you. It's simple," Andrew said.
"You are cruel," Astrid said. "So, if I get a job, I am not allowed to speak to male customers?"
his fingers from her earlobe down to her neck. "I will let you rest. I will let you rest today, but I will be back tomorrow," he said as he left.
Astrid sighed, knowing that her life had taken a different turn. She had decided to go in search of a good, high-paying job tomorrow so that once the year runs out, she will have enough money to survive independently. She hated the fact that she stored all her eggs in one basket; she shouldn't have put all her money in one account, but it's not like she had enough money to disperse into numerous banks.
"There is no use crying over spilled milk," she consoled herself as she went to take her bath."What is going on here?" she asked Claudia, shocked."Since Mister Thompson is going to spend the night here, then I rearranged the room, and I was instructed that you are meant to take a beauty bath every evening before you go to bed," Claudia said with a smile."You are disturbing and stressing yourself for no reason. He has gone back to where he came from," Claudia gasped. "Did you make Mister Thompson angry? You have to appease him when he comes next, or else you will be dead," Claudia said, scared.Astrid was shocked about how scared Claudia was and how Claudia feared the cycle so much. "Why are you afraid?" Astrid asked.Claudia replied, "Nothing, miss.""Not wanting to leak out information for the sake of her life," Astrid thought."Talk to me and drop this formal behavior," Astrid said."I was instructed to say nothing regarding my past," Claudia said.Astrid sighed because of that,
"I apologized already ,but there was nothing for me to post about for almost two months. There was nothing good happening in my life. I started losing followers, and it was really bad. Plus, that post made me gain the attention of the Brooks family. They love me now " "They don't love you; they're using you to get juicy gossip because that's what you're good at," Astrid said, offending Ashley with the last part"Excuse me?" Ashley said, feeling annoyed with the last sentence. I'm sorry, please just drive," Astrid apologized, even though she knew she had told the truth. She didn't want to be kicked out of the car because she was stranded."Fine, where am I going to go? Corporate society? Why do you want to go there?" Ashley asked."I'm going for an interview," Astrid replied."What?" Ashley exclaimed with a smile. "Astrid wished she hadn't told her that. It explains why you're dressed like this. The young daughter of the Waltons needs a job," Ashley said with mocking laughter."Wait,
When they got back, Claudia had already prepared lunch so Astrid showered and ate to her satisfaction while Andrew simply watched her. He waited until she was done before he spoke"You have three hours to rest,I have an event by seven so you'd better be up before then." Andrew informed her"How does it relate to me? I'm not your fiancé" Astrid said."You'd be my arm candy for the night ""What would people say,when I'm by your side instead of Mira" Astrid asked "That's not your problem is it?" Andrew asked "No but I can't make a public appearance when you have Mira ""I'm going to cancel my engagement with Mira"Andrew replied "She'd be really angry."Astrid said with a smile and Andrew shot her a glare"I mean she really wants to be Mrs Thompson and join the Elites club" Astrid replied "Someone would be here in three hours time to get you dressed. "He said as he stood up and was about to leave "Where am I going to? " Astrid asked "Is there a problem? "Andrew retorted"Don't I hav
At Mrs. Mills' birthday party, they arrived and their entrance made heads turn and mouths whisper, but the person who was mostly whispered about was Astrid. "Isn't that Mrs. Astrid of the Waltons?" someone asked. "Wow, she's so pretty. ""Yeah, but why is she with Mr. Thompson?" That was the question that left people wondering. Reporters rushed to them to interview, but they were pushed away by the guards. "So who is she? Where is Mira? What happened to your engagement? Why is she with you?" The reporters fired the questions.Astrid understood the fact that the reporters didn't know her; she wasn't popular anyway. She was always left to be at home while Mira attended the occasions. She looked at Andrew; he was so confident. His eyes were cold. There was no smile on his face. "Would you like to drink?" he asked in a cold voice when he noticed that Astrid was looking at him. "Yes, please," she said with a smile and watched Andrew grab a drink, but was stopped by someone suddenly.A
"Astrid woke up due to the piercing rays of the sun. She lay there for a while, trying to get her emotions intact. Andrew wasn't beside her. The room had been cleaned. She sat up, and her eyes went to the lamp stand. She saw a glass of water and contraceptive pills. She quickly took them to avoid any string that would draw her to Andrew Thompson.She went to the dining. The maids were ogling about something. 'What is so juicy?' Astrid asked. 'It's nothing, ma'am' They all chorused. Astrid knew that they were talking about her. They were talking about last night because she spotted Claudia eavesdropping last night.'Good morning, Miss' Claudia greeted. 'Morning' Astrid answered. 'Did you see the tablet I placed by...''I've taken them already,' Astrid cut her short. 'What time did Mr Thompson leave?' she asked.''He left last night, ma'am,' she replied courteously."Meanwhile, at the Walton's home, when Mira got home, she cried throughout the night, and her father kept consoling
When Andrew left Astrid, he was informed that his mother was around, which made him annoyed because he knew that Mira had told her everything and he doesn't have a good relationship with his mother so he avoids her every chance he gets.He sighed when e received the news and went to his office before deciding to return home. "Welcome," he said coldly, knowing what was next."You are back, go and shower, let's have a meal," Mrs Elena Thompson said. When Andrew went to the bathroom, he dialed John's number. "Hello,""Yes sir," John replied. "I want you to transfer Astrid and all of her belongings to a hotel. I don't want any traces of her belongings there, and you will tell Claudia to clean the whole house, pack her things, and go back to base. Is that understood?" "Yes, sir," John said, and Andrew ended the call, had his shower, and went down for breakfast.At dinner, Mrs Elena asked, "What's your relationship with Mira's younger sister?" "There is nothing going on between us," And
Astrid went to Mr Thompson's house and she was taken to the garden, where she waited for Mrs Thompson. When mrs Thompson arrived with Mira, Astrid wasn't surprised that Mira had gained Mrs Thompson's favor."Good afternoon, ma'am," Astrid said respectfully."I'd like to get straight to the point," Mrs Thompson said, ignoring Astrid's greeting."Okay then,why did you call me here.""Wait...." Mira said abruptly "is that a hickey on your neck?" Mira asked making Astrid touch her neck subconsciously"I hope I wasn't called here to answer questions about my personal life" Astrid replied with her eyes fixed on Mira."Who gave you the hickey?" Mrs Thompson asked."My lover" Astrid replied."I hope that lover isn't my son?" Mrs Thompson asked"Why would I be with an old man?" Astrid asked with the intention of provoking Mrs Thompson and it worked perfectly. Firstly she hates it when you answer her questions with a question, secondly Astrid called her son 'old'."What did you call him old?" M
"Andrew, where are you?" Mira asked, her voice sounding anxious. "What is it, Andrew?" Andrew sat up "Your mother suddenly fainted. Hurry and come over, Andrew," Mira ended the call.Andrew left, leaving Astrid to wonder what actually happened. Andrew rushed home to find out it was all a prank—a trick to bring him home. He saw his mother sipping tea in her room and smiling with Mira.He was about to leave, but Mrs. Thompson went ahead of him and stood in front of the door. "You're not going anywhere." "I still have unfinished work" Andrew replied."Well, you'll finish them tomorrow," Mrs Thompson said."What's the meaning of all this?" Andrew asked, annoyed. "Ever since Mira came in, you have been away. What's wrong with you? What's wrong with Mira? "She moved in. What am I supposed to do about it?" Andrew replied, "You're not even showing any form of interest in Mira. All you do is work, work, work. You just need to spare her a little attention, and you will know who she is. Yo
"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her face.Astrid said nothing, sniffing, and wanted to run off. But Andrew pulled her in for a warm hug – a gesture that surprised her, making her cry even harder. She thought the hug was for the baby, not her.She pushed him away and ran to the bathroom, locking the door. Andrew was left confused, wondering if he had done something wrong.Listening to her cries pained him. He realized he should have been more careful with his words, considering her pregnancy made her vulnerable to mood swings.Andrew lay on the bed, waiting for her to finish. When she emerged, her eyes were red and swollen. He sat up, looking at her, but she didn't meet his gaze.Astrid lay down, trying to sleep off her emotions. Andrew woke up at night to care for her, getting water to help lower her fever.The next morning, Andrew decided to take Astrid out to cheer her up, away from Mira's toxic influence.When Astrid woke up, she felt sad, but watching Andrew being bathed in the
"Astrid Walton, get out of here now!" Mrs. Thompson commanded.Astrid smiled mischievously. "I'm no longer Astrid Walton. It's Mrs. Astrid Thompson now, since I've taken his last name." She locked her arm in Andrew's, and they walked away together.Mrs. Thompson was stunned, feeling embarrassed and humiliated. She had never felt such intense hatred towards anyone before. How could Andrew marry Astrid, someone from a lower social class and status?Mira, who was watching from afar, seethed with anger. She wanted to lash out at Astrid but restrained herself, knowing Andrew would see her as a monster. She couldn't bear the thought of Astrid being Mrs. Thompson."Astrid Thompson" didn't sound right to Mira; "Mrs. Mira Thompson" was far more appealing.Meanwhile, Astrid released Andrew's arm once they were inside and headed for the shower to change out of her jogging clothes."How was my acting?" Astrid asked, smiling.Andrew replied coldly, "You weren't acting. Everything you said was true
The silence between Astrid and Andrew was toxic, heavy with unspoken emotions. Astrid longed for Andrew to break the silence, to share his thoughts or feelings. Meanwhile, Andrew wondered how to express his own emotions, how to ask Astrid about her well-being, her feelings about the baby, and her thoughts on becoming a mother for the first time.As Andrew stole a glance at Astrid, he pondered whether she had pregnancy cravings. He had many questions but struggled to find the right words.The silence became unbearable, and Andrew decided to leave, citing work at the office the next day and a meeting with John about parking."I have work to do at the company over to assist you with the packing" he said as he stood up Astrid sighed, exhausted from constantly moving from place to place, feeling like a refugee. 'Where will I go now?' she wondered.Andrew calmly dropped a bombshell: 'You're moving in with me.' Astrid's eyes widened, and she dropped her cutlery in shock.'What did you just
He put the test results back and decided to drive away and he'd return it back to her tomorrow. Astrid stood by the window and watched Andrew as he drove away,so we weren't an item,it was just a tag. She was never important to him,he never thought of her as something serious he only said it in order to excuse himself,she's happy that at least he defined their relationship today so she'll know where she stands and today she knows who she is to me and to her he's now nothing but a business partner who keeps giving her bad luck in all their deals. He'll remain that way even when they get their marriage certificates and she must make sure that she collects all her payment not leaving a dime of hers with him, because of him she'd lose her newly found job- she can't work when she's pregnant. But the bright side is the fact that once their contract expires she'd have enough money to start her life as she thought about this she remembered what she said in the car. .Deep down she doesn't w
He put the test results back and decided to drive away and he'd return it back to her tomorrow. Astrid stood by the window and watched Andrew as he drove away,so we weren't an item,it was just a tag. She was never important to him,he never thought of her as something serious he only said it in order to excuse himself,she's happy that at least he defined their relationship today so she'll know where she stands and today she knows who she is to me and to her he's now nothing but a business partner who keeps giving her bad luck in all their deals. He'll remain that way even when they get their marriage certificates and she must make sure that she collects all her payment not leaving a dime of hers with him, because of him she'd lose her newly found job- she can't work when she's pregnant. But the bright side is the fact that once their contract expires she'd have enough money to start her life as she thought about this she remembered what she said in the car. .Deep down she doesn't w
Astrid pushed him away. "I can't do this," she said. "Marriage is a serious thing, it's a long-term affair. And if I'm getting married, it needs to be with someone I have genuine feelings for. I don't want to get divorced after a year and become a single mom. I can't.""What exactly is your plan?" Andrew asked. "There's a fifty percent chance that you will survive the abortion, and a fifty percent chance that you might die. Are you willing to risk it? Are you willing to put your life on the line just because of Mira?" Andrew asked making Astrid rethink her decision.Astrid rethought her moves. "I need to think about it," she said, getting into the car.Andrew got in and drove away. The ride was extremely quiet. Astrid couldn't hold back her tears as she thought about everything."What have I done to my life?" she thought. She likes the idea of being a mother, but the idea of being a single parent doesn't really work for her case. She has no one to lean on, no one to rely on. She's alo
Andrew went home that night feeling exhausted. He had a shower and decided to go straight to his study since he wasn't feeling hungry or sleepy while working.Mrs Thompson walked in. "Andrew, I want to talk to you about something," she said in a calm mannerAndrew understood that it was important. "I'm listening," Andrew replied as his mother sat down."Look, whatever is going on between you and Astrid, I don't want the baby coming out of it. I understand that you are a man and you have desires, but you must learn to control it. You must learn to control the urges. Look, you have just this month to mingle and do whatever you want with Astrid. I won't bother you, but as from next month, I will start with your wedding preparations. You and Mira are going to get married," she said."I am not getting married to Mira Walton, and there is nothing in this world that would make me get married to her," he said as he plugged back his airpods and continued working."Don't tell me that you like t
Astrid checked into her room and met Andrew already there. 'What are you doing here?' she asked with a smile.'I came to see what you spent the money on,' Andrew said. 'I bought clothes and I will be resuming in three days' time,' Astrid said with a smile as she placed down the bags.'Work?' Andrew asked.'Yes. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I received an email last night from Seth Corporation,' Astrid said.'That's good. Get ready tonight. I will pick you up by nine,' Andrew said.'Where are we going?' Astrid asked.'Some reason, our partners chose the bar,' Andrew replied.'What are you doing here? What are you doing there? I want to sign a contract and finalize our agreement,' Andrew said.'Uh, I've been wondering... where is Claudia?' Astrid asked out of concern.'She is alive,' Andrew replied.'I mean, where is she?' Astrid asked again.'I don't know,' Andrew said as he walked away.Astrid spent the rest of her day happily withdrawing and spending Andrew's money.Astrid was done dre
Meanwhile Andrew woke up and caught Astrid tracing her fingers on his face "Good morning" she said with a smile and Andrew just stared at her which made her wonder why he was so moody she wondered if she did or said anything wrong maybe she overstayed. The smile on her face disappeared as she decided to have a shower get dressed and go back" where are you going to" Andrew asked asked lazily but Astrid didn't say anything and Andrew knew he had annoyed her he didn't notice when his cheeks curved into his smile because she looked cute that way,he turned to check his phone and he saw missed calls from work and John he likes to keep his phone on vibrate to avoid disturbance and to know when he has a call he dialed John's number "Good morning"" go get a dress ready for Astrid in twenty minutes"Andrew ordered "yes sir" John replied Surprisingly today he felt lazy he didn't want to go to work today he just wanted to spend the day at home in bed he concluded that he is feeling that way