His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 2

I believer in fairytales. I believed in true love like the one my parents had, and hoped to find that for myself someday. I knew my parents would have wanted that for me, and not for me to be trapped into a loveless and forced marriage done for my grandfather’s sake.

With every minute of silence I spent in that car, I could sense my own dreams of the future breaking and being left behind.

The silent torture of an hour (that seemed like an eternity) ended when the limousine stood in front of a house so huge, it

was a mansion.

Housemaids and butlers stood at its entrance as if waiting for us, and Gabriel was out of the door the second the car stopped.

Two housemaids helped me out of the car because of the size of the dress I was wearing, and I politely smiled at them.

“Welcome home. Mrs. Whitlock. They both giggled like shy schoolgirls.

“Thank you 1 mumbled and when I looked ahead, Gabriel had already disappeared inside the house.”

I sighed sadly, trying to hide my disappointment as I held my head high and walked in by myself behind him, taking in the extravagance of the Polish floors and chandeliers and perfectly kept flowers in vases.

Some people had a home. Gabriel Whitlock had taken a page out of a Vogue magazine and simply brought it to reality.

It was so beautiful. I hated it.

I could see Gabriel walk up the stairs, and shaking my head. I simply followed him while one of the housemaids carried my trail for me.

At the end of the stairs, when I took the right behind him, he turned with his hands crossed in front of him, looking at me with irritation. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m following you to our room.”

“Our room?” He looked like he wanted to laugh, “You think we’re going to share rooms?”

I blinked. “We’re not?”

“My room is at the end of this hallway. Yours is at the end of that He pointed in the opposite direction.

The remaining shreds of any hope of a more cordial relationship between us died. “Good,” I pretended to be relieved, “I was dreading sharing a room.”

1

*Like I said to your grandfather, you would have no complaints. The smile he drew to his lips was forced and sarcastic. “Luna is going to be with you at all times. She will escort you to your chamber.”

Escort Chamber?

What was he, royalty?

Nonetheless, I just nodded.

“Oh, and…” He added, “I was hoping I could come to your room. He paused, checked his watch, and then looked up.

Thirty minutes. To talk

“To talk.

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Chapter 2

Again, I nodded.

said my room is at the end of the hallway. I had

if you need anything,”

knit. “So you’ll just be standing

Yes,

“Doing what?”

“Waiting, Mrs. Whitlock.”

“Waiting for…what?”

to call

wondered if she was joking but her face didn’t move a

to go out of your

for myself from the

“Exactly. She agreed.

my mouth to say something, anything, but then shut it again immediately. “Thanks.” I just entered my room, leaving her outside in a

in this house

room was bigger than the apartment I struggled to pay rent of every month, but at

gown, and then I got in the tub to soak myself in hot water. I stayed

wouldn’t think about how sad I was once I was already married, since what was already done couldn’t be undone, but I couldn’t help it. I knew a lot of girls wouldn’t consider

she loved him and left her family for him any way. They were the epitome of love for me growing up, and I was sure they’d be just in love today if a car crash hadn’t

my dark eyes, dark hair and Asian features

but I didn’t

my head, I felt like a hypocrite. had married

I got out wrapping one towel around my body, and another around

hair.

body when I opened the bathroom door, and found my new husband sitting on the edge

eyes darkened when he looked up at me,

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Chapter 2

late.” He commented,

of my shock and glare at him. “Did nobody teach you how to knock before entering a woman’s

in my house. The room

holding the towel tight around me. Would you have even entered the bathroom if it

unbuttoning the jacket of another crisp suit he had changed into. Conveniently ignoring what I asked, he placed a black card

that?”

Amex. No

staring

irritated. It’s

can take care of

of my grandpa’s cancer treatment. I didn’t want anything from him,

you buy a Chanel bag to gift my mother for the

your mother. You

it.” He grumbled. “You’re just the one choosing

what he said the same way he had ignored ine earlier. If that’s all. I would really like to change into something more appropriate than a