Being a contracted fiance was never in my books. Even though it was now three days after I signed that contract, after I ran away from my boyfriend who threatened to kill me with both his words and actions, it still felt so fresh in my head.
Again, I tried to call Natalie, hoping if perhaps today will be the day she picks up.
And surprisingly, she did.
" Natalie..." I was beginning to speak but she stopped me.
" And what do you want? You have been calling me nonstop. You know that some of us can't just sleep with rich people right? We have to make our own money?" She asked me, her voice dripping with sarcasm and anger that I never thought would be directed towards me.
My throat ran dry and my hands threatened to give way as I held the phone close to my ears.
" I'm not sleeping with him Natalie.." I said, my voice was drawing out.
" I never knew you were a gold digger! You came to this city only a few days ago but you already managed to seduce a wealthy man with your body. I can never be friends with a prostitute like you" she said.
The line went dead before I could have the time to vindicate myself.
My heart ached for my best friend, our relationship of over twenty years coming to an abrupt end.
I still sat there in the office I was now given, looking off into space, my mind wandering.
The office door opened suddenly, jolting me out of the self pity I had been engaging in and he came in.
Like the first day that I set my eyes on him, he was in a suit that clung to every crevice of his body.
From his black messy hair to his piercing blue eyes down to his sharp jawline and strong arms, I could see why the women looked at me with such jealousy when I was announced as his fiancee.
And even though I had seen him a lot of times in the past three days, he still managed to make the same impression he made on me the very first day we met.
The Jayden Lawson.
" We are going somewhere now. My father just called for dinner to meet you." He said, his voice a velvety rich mix, his eyes focused so much on me that I felt my body squirm underneath his gaze.
" Can you give me a few seconds? I have some things I want to take care of before coming out" I said to him, my hands beginning to shake a little as I dropped down my phone.
He studied me for a brief second before giving me a curt nod.
" I don't like waiting for long. Be out in the next five minutes or you will have to face the repercussions.
With that, he left. I did not want to find out what the repercussions were. But I was tired.
A stray tear slipped out of my eyes.
My mind wandered back to when we were younger, to the time I was being beaten and manipulated brutally by my boyfriend. How she always stood by me and encouraged me to leave him.
And now, she is gone.
I heard the whispers trail along with me as I walked towards the company's garage, the rumors floating in my ears.
" She is such a slut. All of a sudden she is rolling with the CEO. You should have seen the first day she stepped into this company. She looked so unkempt!" One of them was saying.
Over the past three days, I had gotten used to the negative words that came with this new development.
People wanted to believe that I was not a good fit for him and I let them.
True to his words, he was already waiting when I came down, and without another word, just silent cooperation, we both got into the car and he zoomed into the distance.
" Let's go over the details again shall we?" His voice asked, disrupting the peace that had fallen over the car.
" I have been your girlfriend for three years but you wanted me to stay hidden so I could be safe from your competitors" I recited like a robot, the words engraved in my head.
Even though he was still staring at the road, I could see his head bob in agreement with me.
" Don't forget to be as quiet as possible. My parents will definitely try to find a loophole in our relationship but don't say anything, I will handle all that." He said.
The night after I had accepted this, I had gone to research about his family. And I was not prepared for what popped out.
One of the richest in the world with companies scattered all over.
That was the kind of family I now had to roll with, people that will make me feel like a scum of the earth.
I felt my mind begin to sail, the thoughts of just turning back while I still had the chance running rampant in my head.
But I couldn't because he was already pulling into the lush house.
The opulence was deafening.
From the walls to the beautifully cut flowers and hedges.
" My baby is finally home!" A woman screamed as we got down from the car.
She rushed towards Mr Jayden, pulling him into a fierce hug, gushing about how he refused to visit them and how he refused to visit them and how tall he had gotten.
Then her eyes finally settled on where I stood awkwardly like an odd sheep.
The downcast look she gave me was enough to tell me that I was not her most favourite person in the world.
Her eyes roamed through my office attire of skirt and a shirt, and I felt myself wishing I had changed into something more elegant.
" I guess this is the woman you hid from us all this while. I was expecting more. But come in" she said.
Another douse of inferiority washed through me as I stepped into the house, closely followed by Jayden who now had his arms firmly wrapped around me.
Perhaps for comfort or just to put up a show. I could not tell.
" Honey! Jayden is home. And he brought...that girl" his mother announced before we even stepped into the intricately designed house.
His father was a spitting image of him. From his hair colour to his nose and finely chiseled jaw.
" It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Audrey. I was a bit skeptical about your existence but it's good to see that you are a living person" he said, chuckling lightly.
" Can we have dinner now? We have work tomorrow " Jayden said, the hurry in his voice, his eyes cold.
" But we have to wait for your brother. He should be here any time soon..." She was beginning to say when the door opened and a six foot man stepped in.