Betrayed

Chapter Three 

With the raindrops starting to fall, I couldn't  bear to ride  his car, so I set off on foot, each step a wet echo of my heartbreak.

The raindrops soaked through my clothes, a cold, unwelcome companion as I walked. The world around me was a blur, the heavy rain obscuring my vision as I plodded on my steps slow and heavy with the weight of betrayal.

As I was walking slowly, a car then parked beside me, I tried looking up, but everything was blurry.

The person came out inside the rain and opened the car, I sat down with my soaked cloth.

“I would have taken you home, but you need somewhere to stay right now, you can't go home this way, do you mind dropping you to the nearest hotel”

I could recognize the voice, he's Noah, Leo's brother.

“How do you know I am here” 

“Oh! Then, I had a meeting in the hotel, I couldn't wait any longer. I decided to leave when the rain was falling, but how would you go out without taking your phone along? And where's Leo?”

I was just speechless, he gave me a face towel to wipe off my wet face.

“I'll drive you off to a hotel and tell my personal assistant to get you clothes to put on, then you can decide to go to your house”

I shook my head.

He drove off to the hotel, and paid the bills.

“Rachel, take care of yourself, I need to go now”

I hold unto his big shirt, pulling him towards me.

“Please don't go, don't go yet, I need your help”

He looked at me keenly on my face, and then sat beside me.

“What's that?” He asked

“Your brother doesn't want me anymore, I caught him twice with my step sister, the wedding won't be holding again, I broke the engagement ring”

“What?” When did that happen, I have invited CEO’s and so on? How? I haven't heard anything like that from my brother, let me call him” he tried touching his pocket for his phone but I stopped him

“No, don't call him, I didn't tell him that the wedding won't be holding on again, just help me, I need your help”

“My help? How? How do you need my help?”

“I want us to pretend like we are in love”

“How? I don't get, you are engaged with my brother and you still want to pretend to be in love with me, how's that possible Rachel”

“You are aware that tomorrow is the family gathering right? And I can't tell them it had been canceled, I think announcing to them that it has been canceled at the family gathering and then stating everything he had done is the best”

“Well, announcing that it has been canceled and Informing them that you are in love with the brother of your ex finacé, that doesn't really sounds good to me”

“So then what do you think?”

“I am ready to that though, but on one condition”

“What condition?” I said hastily

“Pretending to be in love with me and then dumping me later, oh No! Why not sign a contract marriage with me”

“Contract marriage?” I breathe in and out deeply.

“Yes, if you are interested in that, you can meet me at my office tomorrow to sign it”

“Oh! Alright”

He left the hotel room, and I was left to myself

I was thinking he would call, I was staring at my screen the whole time, but I never got notified of his call.

I didn't know when I slept off

****

Half a month to the wedding and the day of the family gathering. I woke up with the thought of accepting his offer, so I went straight to his office.

“Good Morning I am asking for Mr. Noah”

“Good Morning, do you have an appointment with him? The receptionist asked

“Oh! Not really, but you can tell him that Rachel is asking for him”

“Oh! We don't do that here, he needs to have appointed a day for you to come, this isn't a place where you can come anytime you wish, he has people he wants to attend to today”

“Don't you know me, I am Rachel, his brother fiancé”

“You are well-known model and I know you well, but that does not mean I should allow you enter, you can see him in his house so far you have a close relationship with him, or better he appoint a day for you to come”

I breathe in and take my phone to dial his number.

“Hello, Noah your receptionist won't allow me to enter”

“Oh! I will text her now”

I hung up the call. A sound of notification buzz on her system, I knew well that it was him who sent her a message.

“Madam, I am sorry for not allowing you in”

“It's fine, can I go in now or you still have questions to ask”

“I am sorry, how is your wedding preparation, it's the talk of the town, I am sure going to be present, I don't mind being absent from work a day”

I ignored her then left for Noah's office.

I couldn't help but express myself when I got to his office. I have been to different offices as a model for signing contracts with companies and different things, but I haven't been into an office compared to Noah's office. The design is so beautiful, everything there is luxurious, no wonder some people think he is into illegal work.

“Whoa! I love those I love this design, so cute that I don't want to leave here anytime soon”

“You can always come here Rachel, you are welcome always”

“So I'll always have to disturb you then”

“It's fine by me, so about it, have you thought about it, any news?”

“Yes, i have, and i am ready to accept the offer, I am ready to sign the contract marriage”

“A minute, let me tell my assistant to bring the file so you can sign”

I watched him call him, and within a minute he brought it to his office.

“I'll be leaving now” The assistant said before leaving.

“Read it carefully before signing” Noah said as he handed it to me.

 I collected it and glanced through it, and then signed.

“So when are you moving to my house?” He asked after I have given him the file

“What do you mean”

“I told you to go through it carefully, one of the rules there is that, after it has been signed you start living with me, this is contract marriage”

“What? You should have informed me about this, but anyhow it's, I am okay with it provided that you pretend like we are in a relationship this night”

“Of course I will, even when it's about confusing my own family, by now you should be getting ready for the gathering”

“Yeah, I'll be on my way, see you at the gathering, don't come late Noah” I waved bye as I left his company to my house.

With a sense of determination, I began to get ready for the gathering.

I bought my new gown purposely for the gathering. My light makeup accentuated my features and my heels clicked against the floor with every step I took. 

I admired myself in the mirror and I saw that I am good to go. I went inside my compound and sat behind the wheel of my car and I drove off.

I got there and I met Isabella and Leo there, I sat down without exchanging greetings with them.

“Your arranged marital home is nice, we had fun there last night” Isabella said, sipping his drinks.

“And you can continue having fun there as much as you like”

“So what are you doing here? Are you here to steal my man”

“You can have him all to yourself, I don't care”

Just then, Leo's parents arrived and I greeted them warmly. I am beginning to get scared now that I didn't see Noah. 

“Was he lying to me or what?” I was very worried.

“Why are your parents not here yet? Is this how they will get late here at the wedding?” Leo's mother yelled.

“They will soon be here ma” I tried calming down.

I texted Noah but he was not replying, then I began to breathe harder

“How's your brother?” I summoned the courage to ask Leo, even when I haven't talked to him since we gathered there.

“He will be fine”

“Is he coming over? Where is he?”

“I thought you don't want to talk to me, why then are you asking about my brother”

“Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?”

“What's going on here?” Leo's mother asked.

“I am not sure they are compatible” Isabella added.

“And who invited you to this gathering?” Leo's mother shunned.

Some minutes later, My parents arrived, I wasn't concentrating, I was so disappointed that Noah had deceived me

My eyes darted around the room, searching for Noah, but he was nowhere to be found. I felt a pit of unease growing in my stomach. Had he deceived me? The thought sent a chill through my body.

“I am not sure Noah will be joining us, he's a busy person that we all know, probably he has conferences to attend to and we can stop him from attending, but he will sure be present at the wedding”

The gathering continued, but it felt more like a trial by fire than a celebration. Isabella's smug face, Leo's coldness, and the parents' obliviousness all compounded your discomfort.

“So what do we talk about, do anyone wishes to share his or her funny past, we can't make this gathering boring, you all know that, it's meant to share us up, for fun, to gather us together and to know more things about us, we can't be acting strange on the wedding day” Leo's mother added.

“Yeah, I think the Parker's family should tell Rachel more about your family, getting into a very wealthy family might not be easy for us, she's not born into one, and I don't know how she will get along” Isabella said.

“Well, she's not born into one, but she's one, we can all day that every citizen of the country knows her, she's a well-known model, a fashionista and she's the one that makes her family one, it won't be hard for her, but Miss. Isabella what about you, you are not born into one, how have you tried to become one?”

“Mum, this is not what we are here to do” Leo said.

“If you say I am not born Into one I totally agreed but if I am  to marry into one, like Parker's family, they wouldn't regret marrying me”

I watched them exchange words, but I am not really interested in them, I just want Noah.

My mother coughed, and added “Isabella can you just keep your mouth shut for once?”

 

Noah arrived, I left where I was sitting, I ran to hug him.

My heart felt relief as I went to hug him, I threw my arms around him and everyone watched the way I embraced him.

“Thank you for coming Noah '' I whispered.

“Anything for you darling”

Now I began to think if this is truly acting, my heart began to melt.

“What's going on? What are you two doing?” Leo said, curiously.

Holding onto the arm's of Noah, I addressed Leo, “Mind your business; you should call me your sister-in-law”