His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 104

(ALEX]

“Do you have a family?” She asked, and I’d be lying if I said that the first feeling in me wasn’t suspicion.

But it didn’t look like she put any thought into it, just asked what was on the top of her head.

“I do,” replied.

“What? Really?” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t think you were a family guy.”

“I have a mom. A dad. A twin sister. Younger brother. An uncle and an aunt. The whole package, actually,”

“No way.” Her eyes bulged while she made her way to sit on the wooden steps leading to the garden, her feet still dipped into the grass as if it was something to touch. She wanted to touch grass. Who the f**k touches grass? “Your parents encouraged you to be a part of the…” she hesitated, her voice turning into a whisper, “Mafia?”

I rolled my eyes at how dramatic she was. “Mafia. You can say it.”

She raises her shoulders.

“And no,” I answer her, I don’t know why. “My father wanted to kill me when he found it, but I think a part of him always knew about my knack for destruction- right since I started a fire in my school,”

Now, her eyes looked like they would fall out of their sockets. “You started a fire in your school? How old were you? Sixteen?”

“Twelve,” I smile, reminiscing.

“Why even?”

“I wanted to go watch a football game.”

What did

was grounded for the month. Mom didn’t talk to me

“Aww. Mama’s boy?”

wasn’t going to tell her that. “I

“What happened then?”

I picked up a gun and

frowns. “If I had a family, I would never leave them. I

to her, leaving a

I found the social worker who put me in the system, and she told me I showed up outside an orphanage when I was just three days old.” Her voice turns smaller. “I think they gave me up because they didn’t want me, but I still missed them all my life, you know? Like there

tt

“No

time I was shifted into a new foster home, I lost them. At some point, it felt why attach yourself to people if you’re going have to

her voice, and then there was the way she looked straight ahead, as if making a conscious

your boyfriend?” I push. “How did you find

light scoff under

“really do.” Tinsist.

lied. There was

I studied her, the slight nasal flare from an unsourced anger, her grey eyes turning almost icy when they were set at me, her hair flying due

know you. Why do

live alone on my floor, except you

your floor if you’re the only one?” She retorts. “It must

keep empty rooms, where do I make

something flashing in them. “There

“Maybe,” I lie.

“Other girls?”

an

“Yes, of the fact that they’re not here anymore. Which means they got to leave,

I tell her, and she visibly shudders. I resist a smile. “But you’re