Chapter 5: A Fake Marriage.

—What do you mean by "your what"?— Gianna opened her huge eyes and looked at the man as if he had gone mad.

—My wife, no, don’t look at me like that; I’m obviously not talking about a conventional marriage, but about a marriage that would benefit both of us.

—No… I don’t understand… this must be a joke, and I warn you that if it is, it’s in very poor taste. You and I don’t even know each other.

—I know it sounds quite… crazy, Miss Santos, but consider it as if I’m offering you a job, one with excellent pay, in addition to giving you the opportunity to escape whatever is tormenting you.

—Since when is being a wife a job?— she couldn’t believe her ears.

—It can be, listen to me, I had a woman who was supposed to be my fiancée, and today I discovered that… that’s not possible— Gianna looked at him intently; apparently, today was the day for discovering bad news.

—Are you telling me you hired a fiancée?— she looked at him as if he had truly lost his sanity.

—No, no, Miss Santos, I had a… a real girlfriend, with whom I planned to marry, but… that’s not going to happen; I… need a wife. I promised my mother I would marry, and I told my daughter that she would soon meet a good woman, someone who would be very close to her.

—But…

—Listen to me, I don’t know exactly what you’re going through right now, but it’s evident that it’s not good. I need help, you need help. What I’m proposing is a deal; think of it as a job. You agree to be my wife, and you receive a salary for the duration of our marriage. You get to distance yourself from everything and gather a good amount of money for when the time for separation comes. You can start a new life, divorced and wealthy. I can give my mother what she desires before she dies, and my daughter will have some company while the marriage lasts.

—This is insane!— she said, shocked.

—A craziness that benefits us all. We’ll sign an agreement that establishes the amount you will receive monthly. I’ll take care of all your expenses while our marital arrangement lasts; you’ll have money, housing, everything necessary. Once the marriage is over, we’ll sign the divorce, regain our freedom, and we’ll both get what we need.

—But… but…— Gianna couldn’t think clearly and was weighing her options. She had nowhere to go and had decided she needed a new job, but… she never imagined she could work as a wife. —It would be like a substitute wife; she would come to take the place of that woman, a replacement.

—Yes.

—For how long?

—Two years— he said softly.

—Two years?!— she said, unable to believe it.

—Think of it as a kind of healing time. I don’t know what happened with your ex, but it could give you time to think and organize your life.

—And what are the supposed conditions of this deal?

—There will be no sex if that’s what you’re worried about, but we will have to sleep in the same room so it seems believable to my mother and my daughter. My mother is a suspicious woman; she would never believe we are married if we sleep in separate rooms.

—Don’t you think it would be uncomfortable to share a room?

—It shouldn’t be a problem; the rooms in my properties are very large, plenty of space for both of us, and I can sleep dressed— he smiled— though it’s not to my liking, I can adapt. My bed is huge, so there won’t be a space issue, and you have my word that I will respect you the entire time our agreement lasts. Also, I’ll pay you monthly; we’ll open a bank account where the funds will be deposited. Importantly, we cannot separate before the two years are up, and even more importantly—his eyes sparkled— there can be no third parties. The matter of fidelity and honesty is something indisputable and inflexible. I could ask my lawyer to draft an agreement, we could read it together, and if you agree, we can sign it. You can think it over a bit, Miss Santos; if you’d like, I can take you home.

—I don’t have a home— she said sadly, looking down at the floor— it’s the house I shared with my ex— her voice broke— I can’t stay there. I’ll gather my things and spend the night in a hotel. I don’t want to see him; I don’t think he’ll show up today, but… I can’t take that risk.

—It’s not necessary for you to go back there, at least not to stay. I could take you with my men; we’ll wait while you pack your bags. If you like, while you make a decision, you can stay at my house. It’s very spacious with many rooms; you can rest and think a little if you want. Tomorrow, you could make a decision with a clear mind, so you wouldn’t have to go back alone to that place you used to call home.— Gianna looked down at the floor; she didn’t have many options. This man seemed honest, and she had the option of looking online to ensure everything he said was true. It was an opportunity to distance herself from everything. If she decided not to accept the proposal… what would she do then? Her phone rang, startling her.

—I’m sorry, I— she searched her bag and pulled out the device; the screen indicated it was her only friend— I… excuse me for a moment.

—Go ahead, Miss Santos.

—Hi, Melly…

—Gianna, for God’s sake, where are you? I’m so worried.

—I’m fine, Molly, at least as fine as I can be. Don’t worry about me; I’ll call you as soon as I can…

—Can I trust that you’re okay? Don’t you really want to meet up? I can come to where you are and…

—Calm down, I… I’ll call you later. For now, I can’t talk; take care, I really appreciate it, Melly.

—Don’t scare me, Gianna, don’t scare me for God’s sake. That sounds like a goodbye, and…

—Don’t be silly; I’m not going to do anything foolish. I’ll call you later.— she repeated.

—Okay, I’m going to trust you. Do you promise I’ll see you again?— she asked, her voice filled with fear.

—I promise you.

—Goodbye, take care— and with that, the call ended.

—Is everything okay?— Alexander asked her.

—Nothing is okay today— she sighed— I will accept your offer, sir. Let’s go to my… house. I’ll pack my bags and accept your accommodation for tonight. I’ll think things over, and in the morning, I’ll give you my answer— she looked at him intently— if it’s affirmative, I will sign that contract and the marriage certificate for a union that will last two years. And if it’s negative, then I’ll go to a hotel tomorrow.

—I think your decision is perfect, Miss Santos.