Chapter 18: Chapter 18

CONTRACT

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CALEB'S POV

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I had no choice but to accept the offer. The high-profile lawyer started the process of proving my innocence and getting me reinstated in school so I could graduate.

My father worked as a chef to a billionaire business tycoon and his wife, they owned the largest textile company in new york city. I had never had any contact with the family and suddenly here I was getting married to their granddaughter Sophie, when I first met her I felt intimidated by her, she was almost the same height as I, as I stood at 5’7 while I suspected her to be 5’5. She had fire red straight hair and blue eyes with skin as smooth as silk. I had only one word to describe her; beautiful.

“Moron”

“Excuse me” I replied, wondering what I did to deserve such

“Stop staring at me like that.”

“Sorry.” I felt embarrassed.

We had just said our wedding vows and were being conveyed home where I was informed the grandparents stayed as well. From the description, my father gave me the house was a mansion with at least 50 rooms, large halls for their balls, and other rooms he mentioned which I can't remember as I got bored listening.

“Let's get this straight, this isn't a real marriage, just a contract that will expire in a year or two once I get what I'm aiming for. It's my grandmother's fault that she insisted I must be married before I was eligible to compete.” Sophie said matter of factly.

I didn't need to be told she was not one to mince words and I had another word to describe her, arrogant.

“I understand,” I replied

“Good, no touching, no kissing, no hugging. We are just strangers.”

“I said I understood the first time. No need to spell it out, I’m not a dunce.”

I watched as the corner of her mouth lifted in a smile. What have I gotten myself into, it was going to be a long year going forward.

We didn't speak again till we arrived at the Fernandez mansion, it was as spectacular and splendid as dad said.

The others had arrived before us and once we came in, her family said their congratulations and went back to their businesses. They didn't even say hello to me or acknowledge me, it was as though I was invisible.

Father came over to where I was, Sophie had left to god knows where none of them had bothered to direct me to my room or make me feel welcomed. I admonished myself, was I expecting a pat on the back, to them I was a nobody, but it hurt to be treated that way.

“Come, join me in the kitchen. You must be famished.” father said

I didn't say a word but followed him as he led me along a long hallway that seemed endless till we arrived at the kitchen, the aromas that drifted out of the kitchen made my stomach growl.

Taking me to a quiet corner in the kitchen “please just tolerate whatever they dish out to you for a while. Sophie's father has helped me a lot and I just wanted to return the favor. I didn’t expect them to treat you like this, but I promise you that Sophie and her parents are good people.”

It was too late to change my mind, and I also needed help with the lies Zoey told against me. I had no choice but to brace myself for whatever might come up from now.

The other workers treated me well and even congratulated me on my wedding, if only they knew.

I ate heartily the food my father placed before me, I had never had a meal like that before, it tasted heavenly.

“And who is this.” a voice said as she walked in. “is that the new servant, and what is he doing sitting idle while others are working.”

“That's Sophie's husband, Mrs. Ella.”

“What? this must be a joke or something.”

“It's no joke, aunt, my husband,” Sophie replied I didn't notice her coming in.

A burst of demeaning laughter filled the kitchen “well he is still beneath us and has only the pedigree of the house servants, I wonder where you picked him up from Sophie.”

“It's none of your business.”

“He is handsome though.” she looked me over “but good looks can't buy you, class. Can it?.”

She walked off with Sophie in tow, I was left standing in the kitchen with at least 14 pairs of eyes staring at me.

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“I forgot to get you last night,” Sophie said to me the following day

I looked at her wondering what she was getting at.

“We are supposed to stay In the same room as husband and wife, no one knows the true state of our marriage except for my parents and us. So we have to make this believable.”

I still did not say a word, I was already fed up.

“I'm sorry for the way my uncle's wife acted yesterday.”

Surprised I looked at her, I wasn't expecting an apology from her.

“Don't look surprised, I’m not as evil as you might think.”

“Thank you.” I shrugged

“My room is on the second floor, by the left, the door with grey floral painting, it has a sign hanging on the door, that read; get lost. You can put your stuff there. I have a meeting in a few minutes.”

I watched her leave the house and made my way to her room.

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Locating Sophie's room was not as easy as she sounded, I took so many wrong turns, sometimes stopping to admire the beauty of the mansion. From the architectural structure of the house to the very expensive painting that hung on the walls. I was struck by the beautiful painting of a horse and its rider. The rider was bent over stroking the horse's mane and whispering something into its ears. I was so absorbed in the work that I didn't hear him walk up to me till he spoke.

“Magnificent right, if only we could hear what he was telling the horse. You must be Sophie's husband.”

“Yes.” I hesitated.

“That her room over there. The second door by the left.”

“Thank you.”

“The name is Sam, I'm Sophie's cousin.”

“Caleb, Caleb Thompson”

“Welcome to our family, Caleb.” he shook hands with me and left.

It was comforting to know that the whole household wasn’t as condescending as the others I had met.