His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 4

of the interview. A flat 100,000 dollars at I swiped Gabriel’s credit card for the first time at the nearest mall on the morning of t the Hermes store, buying one bag for his mother like he’d asked me to along with a scarf 1 thought was pretty vibrant.

The next 100,000 dollars I spent was making a transfer to my Grandpa’s cancer treatment clinic, as a donation for people who couldn’t afford treatment, now that his’ was covered. The next 50,000 dollars I spent to make a donation to a fund set up to help cancer patients that had actually covered my Grandpa’s bills for a few months before I could manage by myself.

The next 100,000 dollars, I donated splitting equally between two organisations, one that fought injustice against people of colour and one that rescued children from human trafficking rings.

By noon, I was sitting in Starbucks sipping my regular order at a table alone, when my phone rang displaying an unknown.

number.

I didn’t need the number saved to know who was calling.

With almost a proud smile, I picked up feigning innocence. “Hello?”

“Sofia. Gabriel did not sound like he was smiling on the other end.

“Who’s speaking?

“Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you.”

Hm. I snickered, “I wonder what suits me then?”

“You spent half a million dollars in an hour.” He did not sound happy. “What did you do? Buy a ticket to Mars?”

“More like 350. Don’t be dramatic.” That was six times what I earned in a year normally, and I just spent it in an hour. My heart ached.

“Have you lost it, Sofia?”

“I was just experimenting,”

“Experimenting what?”

“How much money I need to spend to get your personal phone number. Apparently, three hundred and fifty thousand is it takes,” I taunted.

“You called Peter.” He self-spoke.

“I called Peter.” I repeated.

“Why?”

“Just checking why husband dearest hasn’t come home since six days. Imagine my surprise when I dial his number and his assistant picks up.” I was not going to tell him about the interview I had today. He didn’t ask, I didn’t tell. Simple as that.

He remained silent for a moment, and then snickered, “Missing the already?”

I

when you were grumpy about

“Freckles, this isn’t even a nudge. You could spend this much money every day for the next one year and even that would barely count as

huffed in a

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III

Chapter 4

added, “We’re supposed to have dinner with my

at length, and I imagined them to be very… daunting. Especially given they raised a son like Gabriel. “I picked up the

conversation with him? After he forced me

I gave you the card to use, but don’t make me put a limit of it. Be a good

teased. “I wasn’t even half

in a final

warned, “And maybe I wouldn’t burn down your house before you come back home. Or spend hundreds of thousands to

could reply, I disconnected the

I could feel a sense of

the call on Gabriel Whitlock’s

he pushed me around and showed me down and basically forced me to

Hah

was mentally doing a victory dance when I stood up to leave and accidentally bumped into someone, making

All the happiness turned into instant panic. I.did not have the time to go back to the

to

my fault, I

it’s mine.” The man adjusted the glasses he was wearing, looking genuinely apologetic. “Let me

done drinking

“Are you sure?”

smiled at him politely before

at the mess I had made. Wales was just a seven minute drive from here,

to buy a new pair of clothes, but even as much

was not

an office, and I could see another Starbucks cup in the bin outside. It just felt

comers. The receptionist told me firmly after a few

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Chapter 4

“Please could you tell him that somebody spilled coffee over me and I had to detour to change?” I requested. I’ve been

The

receptionist just shrugged, barely glancing up at

Disappointed as I was, I was just about to leave when

stood at its entrance, “I wouldn’t believe this excuse for a second, if I hadn’t been the

coffee on you.

My mouth dropped.

“You’re Viktor Hart?”

“Since you didn’t let me buy you a coffee, I

The receptionist looked shocked.

I was shocked.