CHAPTER 9 -- ERASED.

🦋 FELIX 🦋

I tossed restlessly on the bed until it was morning, the moments of hours before replaying in my head. I knew it wasn’t intentional, but it still felt like… my heart was and still is beating so much that I could mistake this moment for a life-threatening situation.

The light sneaked in through the window, telling me it was morning, and my tired eyes and body confirmed the fact that I didn’t get any sleep.

I dragged myself up to get early for work, and as soon as I threw the door open, I found Benita waiting.

I moved back on instinct as my eyes fell on her lips, telling myself to behave.

“About what happened yesterday…” I paused, clearing my throat.

“Yesterday?” she asked, “Did something – did I say something terrible? Did I throw insults at you? I do remember getting drunk, but that’s all to it… right?”

“Oh…” I muttered, “You did say a few things, I can’t remember them myself… I was going to tell you not to get drunk again.”

Nodding, she gave a half smile, and again, my gaze fell on her lips.

“I’m sorry I got drunk,” she responded calmly.

I took a few steps closer to her. “Do you remember anything else?”

“Did I do something last night? If I did, then you should tell me, so I can apologize for it,” she snapped back.

“No… you…”

**🦋**

🦋 BENITA 🦋

Trouble always comes, but I won’t be imprisoned again… not by Felix or anyone else. That pathetic life I lived is now over, I won’t live that life all over again; I’ll get a job, work very hard and get the hell out of this place, that’s my new goal.

I gawked at Felix with a serious face, cutting him off, “I want a job.”

“When you came here, I told you you wouldn’t be able to step out of this house,” he snapped back.

I rolled my eyes. “When I came here, I wasn’t anyone’s substitute. The situation has changed, and now I want a job.”

“You can’t…”

“I can’t what?” I retorted. “Don’t tell me not to work, Felix… I won’t listen to you.”

He inhaled sharply, my eyes following his hand as he yanked at his tie in frustration, losing the knot with a sharp tug. His fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt and popped one open.

“I’ll get you a job in my company, since I need to keep a close eye on you,” he blurted out.

“You don’t need to…”

“Don’t tell me not to keep a close eye on you,” Felix snapped back. “I won’t listen to you, Benita.”

“I’ll also draft the marriage contract and send it to you soon, please sign it,” he added. “It’s simple, we are strangers outside the house, I’m not your husband, and you are not my wife.”

“Who said I wanted to be your wife?” I murmured under my breath.

“Sorry?” he asked, and I faked a smile.

“You won’t be able to leave this marriage until the real bride returns, and remember, never act like you know me in public, you are not…”

“I understand,” I blurted out. “Send me the contract and I’ll sign it. It’s time to go to work now.”

He nodded, stepping out of the room, and I calmly trailed behind him. We got to the car and he turned around in confusion, “What’s going on?”

“We are going to work,” I responded calmly.

“We?” he asked to be sure, and I nodded.

“I already told you,” I declared. “I said I wanted a job, and you said you were going to get me one.”

“Get to the office however you can, we can’t be seen together,” he stated, got into the car, and his men drove off. Leaving me standing with no plan in mind.

I smiled sadly, I wasn't going to give up. I've been through a lot of things, so this is nothing, but why does this hurt me more?

I got to the company hours after, I got there at noon on foot, breathing heavily and choking like I swallowed a cow.

“You are late,” Felix stated calmly.

“How do you expect me to…” I paused, looking around as his employees' curious eyes fell on me.

“I had some family issues, Sir. I'll make sure it never repeats itself,” I corrected, faking a smile.

“Good, getting late on the very first day of work leaves a terrible impression. They are your colleagues, your desk is over there,” he stated, pointing in a direction. “If you have any questions, speak to Greg, he's my secretary.”

I watched as Felix walked away, unable to shake off the feeling that he was mad at me.

“Did I do something bad last night?” I thought, “That's ridiculous… What could I have done? It's not like I could sexually harass him or something.”

I dismissed the thought, assured that nothing could have happened, and that Felix is just being his usual grumpy self.

“I'll just make some money and leave,” I muttered to myself with a smile on my face.

Suddenly, everyone in the office stood up and bowed, confused. I looked towards the direction everyone was looking, and saw an averagely old woman walking towards us.

“Hurry and bow, she's the chairwoman… Felix's grandmother,” a lady whispered.

Nodding, I bowed. She stared at me as she walked past me into Felix's office, and immediately the tension in the air disappear.

“Avoid her at any means if you want to keep your job,” a guy muttered behind me.

“She's so scary, they are both scary… including her grandson,” he added.

Work ended, and after waiting for nothing in particular, I started my journey home.

I got home a few minutes before midnight, expecting to find Felix waiting.

“Why would I even think that?” I thought.

I calmly step into the mansion, but rather than Felix waiting, what I got was even worse.

I could hear an old woman screaming from a mile away.

“Who…” I thought, pushing the door open.

Felix’s face was pale, while the old woman whom I recognised from earlier veins popped out in anger.

“The chairwoman,” I muttered.

She turned to face me. “Are you the substitute?”

I glanced at Felix, then back at the old woman. I nodded.

“Speak!” She growled.

I took two steps back in panic, “Yes, I am.”

“If you are the substitute, then what are you doing in the company? Are you trying to ruin everything? The world thinks he's married to Rose Fred… what would you do if the world found out he got dumped? Would you compensate me for the loss?”

“The world would never find out because at work we are simply…”

She scoffed, “You are so slow. You are just a substitute until the real bride returns, so keep a low profile… I don't want you showing your face to the public.”

“What do I get in return?” I fired back, “Would you pay me to be locked up?”

“You were sold to Mr William, weren't you? I did a background check on you. The fact that you are living in this house and being provided with everything you want is too much for you… Don't you think?”

I felt a chill run through me as the next words left her lips, “Quit.”