A Wife for Hire: The Trillionaire's Contract Wife
(Test)
Chapter Seven
Marilyn blinked thrice making sure she heard him correctly. Her lips trembled dumbfounded.
"W-what?" She stuttered.
"You heard me correctly it's over. I can't forgive this mistake it's best you leave. I'll reward you for your time." He picked his briefcase wrote on his cheque book. And handed it to her. "It's enough money to start your life again."
Her brows scrunched in confusion, "Didn't you say if I left I had over a billion to pay in compensation so now you wouldn't put up a fight?"
"I have the power to call it quits." He almost barked.
She humbly took the cheque and turned towards the door. She barely made a second step when she turned right back to face him, and tore the paper up into shreds letting it fall all over the room. "I am not leaving. Nothing you say would change anything. I'm your wife now, and nothing will change it until the contract time is met."
He grabbed her by the arm. "And who are you to defy my orders?" He snarled in her face. "Take a look at my daughter! This is happening because you are incompetent, and my biggest regret! I shouldn't have picked you for the job."
Her heart pinched painfully in her chest, her face was full of courage but deep down his words added salt to injury. "I am Marilyn…Buckley your wife. I have the right to stay in my husband's house whether you like it or not and also a right to care for my step children. So you see Aaron you're not getting rid of me easily. I wanted to leave yesterday but you refused so don't cry wolf now."
"Listen to me, you'll regret it. I'll make sure you have no peace until you willingly leave. I'll put you through hell." He swore his body shook in trepidation, the rage erupting out of him.
"Bring your best bet Aaron Buckley. I'm not shielding my mistakes. And that's the reason I have to right my wrongs. The children are the reason for this union, and I accept it. Give me another chance to prove myself and if I betray your trust again then your wrath is justified…"
A cough startled them towards the bed. Piper was wide awake staring at them with large open eyes.
"Daddy.." she groaned weakly.
"Piper!" Aaron hurried over to her, helping her sit, supporting her waist with a pillow, and pulling her into his large arms.
"I thought I lost you."
"I'm fine Papa." Her little voice cracked as she spoke. Her eyes wandered and landed on Marilyn.
"How do you feel?" Marilyn's tear duct burned with tears as she walked closer and stopped a few inches away. "I know it's my fault. I apologize Piper. I wished I had the power to change everything. From now henceforth I'll make every effort not to ignorantly hurt you, and Paige. I promise."
"Not happening." Aaron yelled. Retrieving his phone from his pockets.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling the cops." He replied.
"No daddy. I believe she didn't hurt me intentionally. Everybody makes mistakes." Piper defends, shocking her dad to the bone. His quiet Piper has never spoken more than a few sentences at once let alone defend a woman she barely knew up to 48 hours ago.
"Piper, I thought you disliked her?
"It's true I don't want her around us. I have no need for another mummy, no one can replace my mother but Marilyn wouldn't intentionally add peanut butter, and get herself in trouble while trying to buy our favor."
"She hurt you!" he insists. Despite his anger he knew Piper was the voice of reason. Everything she articulated even for a little girl of her age was true. He acted due to the heat of the moment without carefully thinking things true. And slowly his anger resided.
"Nothing happened to me, I'm doing fine, daddy." Piper smiled softly.
"Put me to a test. A two week test if I fail in convincing the kids I'll willingly leave but if I win the test then I'm vindicated."
"Dad she's right please let her prove herself. There's no harm in letting her stay. She's your wife now, what will people say?"
"Fine. Two weeks that's all I'm giving failure to prove yourself or this marriage is over!" He shouted.
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The ride back to the mansion has everyone quiet, thinking the same thing and once the limousine pulled into the mansion.
Marilyn headed to her room, changed into good clothes and waited patiently hoping to see Aaron to straighten their messy relationship. If they were to successfully work things out in the contract they needed each other.
His desire was to make sure his kids had a mother, the vacuum his late wife left and her interest wasn't to outdo or take the girl's mother's place she could never think of it. Her duty was to make the girls enjoy their childhood, play her role to give them a semblance of a happy childhood, and play her part exceptionally to the best of her abilities.
and on sighting him coming out of the children's room.
"Aaron…"
"Good night Marilyn." He dismissed her arrogantly making his way down to his quarters. Guilt ate at him, he still harbored resentment majorly in the part he played in bringing her to his home.
Marilyn bit her tongue, and walked to the children's room. She knocked twice without a response. She walked into the room to see the girls playing with their toys, especially the blue teddy she bought Piper. The girls froze as they spotted her.
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to be friends with you, and you." Marilyn pointed at them one after the other, her lips wide in a polished grin.
Marilyn has told herself if she was going to beat the odds she had to slowly build up her reputation. She admitted her faults in a hurry to make them like her; she nearly killed a child. If anything would have happened to Piper she wouldn't have been able to forgive herself for the rest of her life.
"I don't want to be friends with you, I hate you!" Paige screamed. "My sister suffered because of you she nearly died… I could have lost my sister like a mummy…" Paige stopped a lone tear rolling down her little cheek.
Marilyn saw Paige for the first time not as the most outspoken little brat amongst the girls or the difficult child but as a child whose heart is filled with thorns and the sad passing of their mother.
Everyone became threats, and opposition and that's the first step. Her marriage to Aaron Buckley was a marriage cemented on a piece of contract paper.
Their marriage demanded no intimacy, children or a marriage where their hearts were tied together. Aaron Buckley needed her for his kids, and that's what she must do and today she swore in her heart to fulfil her part not as an opposition but as a friend to the girls. She knew nothing of the Buckley's or the year or reason for their mother's death but to replace in their heart and lives and trade their sadness for laughter, pain for healing until it's time for her to go.
Marilyn got closer to the girls. Her voice was low, and soft, "But I don't hate you Paige. I commend your bravery earlier today. I didn't know what to do but you did, gracefully taking control of the situation before help arrived. You're a star, a strong, and bold little girl. And this is me saying thank you because you saved your sister from the worst possible thing that could have happened."
Paige eyes popped a glint of light formed before it vanished she quickly turned around pretending to sleep. "Leave it's bed time." she muttered under her breath.
"I know that's why I'd be sleeping here."
"No you won't." Paige fired.
"Yes I would goodnight girls." Marilyn picked a pillow and a blanket and formed a sleeping section on the floor. Her eyes stretched to take a look at the girls now lying together, their backs facing her, and their muffled conversation before Marilyn retired to bed.
Marilyn smiled to herself. "Goodnight Paige and Piper." And with that said Marilyn laid on the blanket, and patiently relaxed until sleep enveloped her.