Chapter 4

Silvia found it hard to process what her boss was saying. They had never had a close discussion other than this one time, and now he was asking her to marry him.

She knew nothing about her boss's lifestyle, preferences, likes, and dislikes.

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

After a long night of reflection, Ralph realized that proposing a contract marriage to Silvia could be a practical and mutually beneficial solution for both of them.

Truth is, he had no love interest in Silvia...not at all. The marriage was a ruse. She was actually going to take on the role of a maid in his home. This would not only lighten his daily burdens but also allow him to save a substantial amount of money that he would otherwise spend on hiring additional workers.

It would also reduce the unnecessary pressure on him to get married. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

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 hardly know each other, and without that connection, how can we truly experience a romantic moment?” Silvia questioned.

Ralph let out a low chuckle. “This is not a marital or romantic proposal. It’s strictly business. You can call it a contract marriage.”

A contract marriage?

Silvia studied him carefully. He remained nonchalant, unreadable, his expression indifferent, as if this entire discussion was trivial 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.

The offer was tempting—too tempting. But something about it felt like a trap.

Even though she had the chance to sit and speak with her boss, fear still had a hold on her.

“Then I can't help you. Leave my office!” Ralph ordered firmly, dismissing her.

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

Silvia hoped he would eventually hear her out, but instead, she was chased out of his office.

“I can't sit here watching you think you can bargain or negotiate terms with me,” he muttered to himself as he returned to the workload before him.

Silvia went back to her workstation and resumed her tasks, but she did so with a pale expression on her face.

Throughout the entire day, she felt sad and worried.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

The day was almost ending, and Silvia needed to take action fast. She had made a decision.

Changing from her work uniform, she slowly made her way to her boss's office.  Her legs felt heavy but her heart was even heavier.

She found him preparing to leave. He glanced at her, irritation flickering across his face.

“You better have something reasonable to say to make me stay here and listen to you,” he warned.

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

He didn't offer her any seat. He just needed her out of his sight.

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

That was her decision. 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 give in and accept his proposal...it was just a matter of time, so he made sure that the document was handy; and 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, an indication that this was an official arrangement.

“Do you need the doctor's contact?” She asked curiously.

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

“I don't need it. I will do it my way,” he replied. As someone proud, he refused to accept anything from her.

Dismissing Silvia from his presence he made his way back to his house.

Silvia's emotions were mixed; elief, guilt, fear. She had secured her mother’s future, but at what cost? She was happy that she had finally found a way to save her mother's life. However, she also thought to herself that she just sold herself. “Will mum be happy that I did this? Would she forgive her for this? ” she asked herself.

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

With a heart filled with gratitude, she rushed straight to the hospital to check on her mother, who was still in the dark about her health condition.

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

The bed was empty.

She could not find her mother in the same ward she was in earlier.

Silvia felt a surge of panic. She spun around and rushed to the reception desk. “Where is my mother?” she demanded, her voice trembling.

The nurse on duty hesitated, exchanging nervous glances with her colleague.

Silvia’s breath hitched. Something was wrong.

“Where is she?!” she repeated, her voice cracking.

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