Chapter 2

Isabelle pov

Before I got to Sebastian's black mansion, I was sitting inside Mr. Black's jeep. I didn't look at him. It was very uncomfortable for me to be in a car with an old man I just gotten married to somehow, but somehow I'm married to his son and not him.“Don’t worry, we’ll get there, soon.” I hear him speak beside me and I glance at him, turning my eye to him. “I meant, Sebastian's mansion…your husband’s house.”

“Oh…” I just say and turn my face back to the window.

I want to lower the window on my side for fresh air to come in but it’s not my car. The AC inside keeps blowing slight heat at us and no one cares.

I let out a deep breath.

“But before we get there, I have a proposal for you.” Mr.Black speaks up and I turn back at him. “Here, have a look at it.”

He hands me a paper, and I collected it and looked at it.

What’s this? I ask myself as I squint my eyes.

“SURROGATE WIFE FOR MR. SEBASTIAN BLACK AGREEMENT CONTRACT.” I read the words on the paper and I looked up at Mr. Black who was also staring at me intently. “What’s this?” I ask, frustrated.

I just got married to an old man in replace of my real husband. And now, I’m supposed to be a surrogate wife to my own husband? Can this day actually get any better?

Well, I require money, however, I only want to marry Sebastian and not sleep with him. After I have gotten my money from my stepmother as promised, I intended to divorce him. No strings attached.

“I want you to get pregnant for Sebastian, within five months from now.” He says and I scoff. Mr.Black looked at me confused like he had cracked a joke. “You don’t want to? Have you looked at your compensation for doing that?”

I looked back at the paper and my eyes went wide. Ten Million Dollars!!!!.

I’ve never seen such a huge amount before. Still, I can’t.

I want to scream but I maintained my composure and didn't say a thing. I clear my throat and drop the paper at my side and cross my hands.

“No, I’m not interested.” I plainly say, “Don’t ever bring this up to me again. I don’t want to have anything to do with your son. This is just an arranged marriage.”

After speaking, I wait for his reply but he says nothing. He picked up the paper and shelved it into an envelope, back into his suitcase.

“I apologize for bringing up such an insensitive matter to you.” He tightens his suit around his fat belly. “I won’t do this again, let’s pretend like this never happened.”

“It’s okay,” I reply and look away and he continues to press his phone.

We rode in silence until we got to Sebastian Black's mansion, away from the city. As we got to the gate, Mr. Blacks spoke up again, his thick voice sounding out of his lungs.

“You can get down now.” He looked at me and my chest tightened. “This is your new home, I hope you enjoy your marriage with my son.”

That was his last words to me and he zoomed off. Now, I was standing inside Sebastian Mansion, very gigantic and fancy.

I hear his voice as he asks the maid,

“Who’s that, wearing a wedding dress and standing in my house?” He points at me, his voice sounding distant and cold. The maid takes a glance at me, her head still bowed low. I noticed as she trembled and was frightened to even speak.

“Your wife, sir,” The maid responded, squeezing her eyes close like she was expecting a slap on her head. Instead, the said Sebastian Black walked over to me, his broad shoulder, towering over me like his whole aura was about to swallow me in.

He looks down at me.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest and my body freezing. What was he going to do now?

“You’re the one they were all talking about?” his voice sounded out like an arrow piercing through an apple. Very cruel. “I guess it’s my father who picked this dress?” He asks, lifting a fragment of my white dress. I don’t reply, “he sure has a great taste and eye in cloth, but in women, he needs to get his eyes checked.” After, he dropped my clothes and walked away from me, leading up to wherever he was headed.

My eyes trail behind him as he exited from my sight. I finally allowed myself to breathe properly, in sync. I actually didn't realize I was holding my breath until I tried breathing.

*

I rush to my father's house. I had married Sebastian, when was I going to get my pay? I had to know that.

I couldn’t waste time any longer to get the funds for my mother's transplant. I needed the money now.

As I push the door to the dining room open, I saw my father, my stepmother, Louis, and her daughter, Abby.

“Isabelle…” Father smiled, broadly, rising from his seat in a rush. “You’re here?” He asks and I walk to have my seat at the dinner table.

“I’m here to get the money as promised.” I sounded rude and I don’t care. “I’ve saved your company and secured the marriage that you all wanted. Now where’s my pay?”

I ask and Louis laughs, picking up a glass of water right beside her meal and having a sip, before saying any word.

“What money are you talking about?” She says furiously, “You just walked in here, interrupting our breakfast and demanding for money. What are we? The bank?!”

I felt my legs weak all of a sudden. My heart breathing rapidly. I couldn’t even speak, I was short of words and the only thing I could do was stare at Louis, dumbfounded.

“W-what…what money?” I ask, and Louis nods, “Yes…what money are you talking about, Isabelle.” She stood to her feet, slamming her hands on the dinner table. “Tell me, what money!!!!!”