His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 39

When I woke up the next morning. Gabriel was gone.

I wasn’t surprised, since the time was well around noon, and it was a Monday morning. I could have gone to work since I did have a week left before my two-week notice ended, but between my honeymoon at Venice, the bomb called Lily and Gabriel assuring me my leave was taken care of, work was the last thing on my mind.

There was tons of sunlight peaking in through the half shut blinds, hurting my eyes.

My head spun, and the feeling to throw up was overwhelming

I didn’t remember the last time I had a hangover, I hadn’t had one since my teenage years, and I did not remember them to be so bad. That bad that I groaned and reluctantly got out of bed and in the bathroom, forgetting that it isn’t mine.

I would’ve brushed with Gabriel’s brush if not for Luna’s voice outside, knocking softly. “Sofia? Are you up?”

I opened the bathroom door, looking at her with ‘save-me’ eyes. She chuckled, handing me a tablet. “Great for hangovers”

I don’t question her, just gulp it with the glass of water.

I spent an hour in the bathroom trying to get the smell of alcohol off me, and then an hour playing around with food because of how nauseous I felt.

Late afternoon. I opened my phone to a missed call from Gabriel. From an hour ago.

Before I call him back, I call James. He had invited us for dinner, and it had completely slipped my mind. Even if I did remember, we were at Venice and now Gabriel had to work. James was completely okay about it, and said he figured there would be no dinner plans since I was absent from work all week. I kept the call after promising to host him and his boyfriend at our place instead next weekend.

Next, I called Gabriel back and pressed my phone to my ear. Last night was a blur, but not enough for me to skip through the embarrassing details. I remembered everything, especially my fixation with the car seat and Lily after I had let the topic go. And the fact that he said we would talk about it today when asked him if he had feelings for her.

The call was picked up on the last ring. “Freckles.”

“Gabriel…hi.

“Were you running? You sound a little breathless.”

I cleared my throat. “No.”

“Okay. A pause. “How’s the hangover?”

“Luna gave me a miracle medicine. It helped a little.” I groaned, my head still throbbing. “Never let me drink again.”

He chuckled. “You remember you accompanied me to the gala a couple months ago? There’s another one happening tonight.”

Anna telling me about something come back. “The charity gala,” I remembered.

to come

want me

“Why not?”

Tue, Jun

Chapter 39

know, I thought maybe you wouldn’t

overthinking. Tll be home by six. We’ll leave by

to him and then he keeps the call. I had just a couple hours to prepare for the gala, and although that would be enough, I still had a headache that wouldn’t go away because of the hangover, an urge to

leg. I didn’t know what was the deal with me and dresses with slits since the last one I wore had one too, however this subtle blue was a far stretch from the hot pink I had

a ponytail by a hairstylist Laina called for me since she said I looked a little tired to do my own thing, and my brown eyes

seven. Gabriel wasn’t there, which was

outside.” Luna added

knit in confusion,

talking to the driver about something

towards him. “Am

on time.” A small

rendered. “You don’t

as if to conceal a bigger smile. “I don’t do compliments, but if I did, there wasn’t a word made

redder as I looked away from him, gently biting on my lower

“Shall we?”

shall I replied in a mumble when he led us to the car the driver had pulled out, not his sports car from yesterday

door for me, and got

“Do

you

I asked him once we were out on

“I do. Why?”

have a

“I like them.”

the charity

his temple. “I think it’s

us I knew and so did he, but this wasn’t the time for it or the place. Sometime else. It felt nice living in the moment

us with a

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Chapter 39

was