Cathleen stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring the reflection of her thick, jet-black hair that cascaded down to her waist. It was one of the few things she knew about herself-everything else, including her husband, Xavier, was a mystery. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression of her lack of knowledge, but she had agreed to marry him and sign the marriage contract nonetheless. "I can't be late for work today," she muttered to herself as she made her way from the bedroom to her study.
As she settled into her chair, she pulled out the contract that Xavier had drafted and placed it on her desk. A sense of unease washed over her as she opened the document, but before she could start reading, she remembered she needed some caffeine to fully wake up. She descended the stairs to make herself a cup of coffee before returning to her study and resuming her seat on the plush couch. With trepidation, she began to read through the words scrawled by her alleged husband, trying to decipher if this marriage was truly what she wanted. The following were the terms:
Party A and Party B will never consummate their marriage.
Party B will never meddle in Party A's business.
Party A and Party B will never appear in a public gathering together unless Party A's father requests it.
Party B will do anything Party A's father requests, except for sexual intercourse.
Party A and B will never share a room unless Party A's father is around.
Party A and B's contracts will last for 2 years. At the end of the contract, Party A will compensate Party B with 10 billion dollars.
Cathleen smiled and sipped her coffee after reading Xavier's terms. She took out her phone and called the number of the elderly Mr. Knight.
Elderly Mr. Knight: My beautiful daughter. How can I help you today?
Cathleen admired him because he was straightforward. She didn't want to waste his time, so she cut to the chase.
Cathleen: I misplaced my phone, and Xavier was scheduled to pick me up at the airport today. I couldn't move into his house after our wedding since I had a lawsuit in Canada.
Elderly Mr. Knight: Poor thing. Do you want me to give you his phone number?
Cathleen: Of course.
Elderly Mr. Knight: Alright. I will send you his number.
Cathleen: Thank you very much. Bye.
As the phone call ended, she remembered the lie she told the elderly Mr. Knight, but she knew that if the man found out they weren't staying together, he'd be angry, so she had to lie to him. A message chirped, and Xavier's phone number appeared on the screen. Cathleen hurriedly dialed the number, and the person who answered was a woman, much to her astonishment. Cathleen took a breather.
"Hello!" The person on the other end of the line continued to rant. Cathleen eventually said something.
Cathleen: Hello, I need to speak with Mr. Knight about an urgent matter. I am his lawyer. It's very urgent. Olivia mistook her for Xavier's wife and was upset when she learned she was his lawyer. Then, with a frigid expression, Xavier emerged from the restroom wearing a bathrobe.
"I picked up your phone because it was ringing, babe. The lady says she's your lawyer and that the matter is urgent." Xavier took the phone from Olivia's hand and hung up without seeing who the caller was. The man was angry that the woman answered his phone.
"Who gave you permission to answer my phone?" Olivia stood frozen, her fingers nervously picking at her cuticles and her eyes darting to the ground like a guilty child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"I'm sorry." She said this as she trembled backward, not wanting to be slapped. Not that he slapped her before, but the man looked as if he wouldn't hesitate to slap her.
"Are you my wife?" The man asked, and the woman shook her head. The man continued, "Then why?"
"Xavier, you are married. I have never seen your wife. Does she know about me?" Xavier's piercing blue eyes narrowed, their icy gaze turning even colder as they focused on the woman standing before him. His jaw clenched and his posture stiffened, emanating an aura of intense displeasure. It was as if a sudden arctic chill had descended upon the room, freezing everything in its path. The woman couldn't help but shiver under his frigid stare, feeling as though she were being scrutinized by an unforgiving judge.
"Does my wife have to know you? Who are you? Are you someone important?" Before Olivia could answer, the person called again, and Xavier stared at his phone screen. He was a bit taken aback since his lawyer was a man, not a woman. He did, however, answer the phone.
Xavier: Hello!
Cathleen: Good day, Mr. Knight. I don't want to take up too much of your valuable time. I'd like to talk about our contract marriage.
Xavier: Cathleen!
Xavier breathed out her name and was taken aback when he heard that she told Olivia she was his lawyer. Xavier snorted at the prospect of his wife introducing herself as his lawyer to Olivia. He hastily exited the room and went to his study. Leaving Olivia with a lot of questions,
'Why did his wife introduce herself as his lawyer?' Olivia thought.
Xavier: Lawyer?
Xavier inquired about Cathleen.
Cathleen: Mr. Knight wouldn't want me to ruin his morning by telling his woman I was his fake wife, would he?
Xavier beamed. Cathleen appears to be extremely analytical. He was taken aback.
Xavier: For a moment, I thought you didn't want to sign the contract, Miss West." Cathleen sighed. Then Xavier continued, "Do you want us to meet now so we can discuss this?
Cathleen: No need to meet Mr. Knight. I will tell you what I want to be changed, and you may send me a new contract, which I will gladly sign.
Xavier: All right, tell me your terms.
He said this with a thundering, stern voice, knowing that the woman would make a lot of demands and beg for more money.
Cathleen: I agree with everything that you have drafted. These terms, however, apply to you too, Mr. Knight. Mind your own business while I mind mine. As previously said, I only want this marriage to endure for six months. Mr. Knight, I have no desire to be your wife.
Xavier was speechless once more, having previously assumed Cathleen was bluffing. He didn't cut her off; instead, he let her finish.
Cathleen: Mr. Knight, I'm not interested in your money, either. I'm not a charity case. No compensation, and 6 months plus everything else you stated applies to party A too. Then, we are done.
Xavier: What makes you think we can only be married for 6 months?
Cathleen: I have no interest in this marriage, Mr. Knight. I don't intend on being Mrs. Knight.
Xavier: Two years. That's all I have to say. You can take it or leave it.
Cathleen took a breather.
Cathleen: So, do you agree with my terms?
Xavier: Yes, except for 6 months.
Cathleen: Then we have a deal.
Cathleen said that and hung up. She immediately texted her email address to Xavier. She then received a response.
Xavier: Mrs. Knight, Olivia Williams, is a no-go area. She is my girlfriend, and if you see me with her, please keep your distance.
Cathleen: If Miss Williams behaves herself, I don't think we will have a problem. Oh, and Mr. Knight, Mrs. Knight would really appreciate it if Miss Williams stopped answering your calls when I called.
Xavier was once again rendered speechless. Cathleen West appears to be someone who enjoys retaliating. He scoffed at the image of Cathleen continuously defending herself. He then contacted his lawyer to draft a new contract. The lawyer was shocked when he heard Cathleen's requests. Women were obsessed with money. Which part of the world was Cathleen West coming from? The lawyer thought to himself:
Meanwhile, Xavier was still wondering why Cathleen never moved in with him after their marriage, and, by the look of things, she looked uninterested in moving in with him. Women would die to move in with a man like him, but not his wife. Cathleen West seemed to want nothing to do with him, which caused Xavier to experience conflicting emotions about what she does. He should be pleased because he got what he wanted, but something wasn't quite right. Who wouldn't leap at the chance to marry the head of the Knight family?