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

better when you were grumpy about the dent

this much money every day for the next one year and even that would

in a

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III

Chapter 4

to be home tomorrow,” He added, “We’re supposed to have dinner with

had never met his parents at length, and I imagined them to be very…

forced me to sign a legal contract stating the

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

“I wasn’t even half

said in a final

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

could reply,

I did, I could feel a

call on Gabriel Whitlock’s

around and showed me down and basically forced me to sign a contract,

Hah

up to leave and accidentally bumped into someone, making the leftover coffee in my cup spill all over my

the time

trying to clean the coffee off my shirt and looked up at the

my fault, I wasn’t looking.

glasses he was wearing, looking genuinely apologetic. “Let

done drinking

“Are you sure?”

I smiled at him politely

chauffeur frowned looking at the mess I had made. Wales was just a seven minute drive from here, while the Whitlock house was

new pair of clothes, but even as much as I hurried up. I was running fifteen minutes late

not a

and I could see another Starbucks cup in the bin

late comers. The receptionist told me firmly after a

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Chapter 4

want to mess, this up. “Please could you tell him that somebody spilled coffee over me and I had to detour

The

receptionist just shrugged, barely glancing up at me. “He isnt

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

this excuse for a second, if

coffee on you.

My mouth dropped.

“You’re Viktor Hart?”

didn’t let me

The receptionist looked shocked.

I was shocked.