Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ

An old friend A week has passed since I solved our workshop problem. Alan and Norton called my achievement a victory, but that didn’t mean that everything in our lives went back to so-called normal. We didn’t have to move out of our basement, but it didn’t change much in Golden Estate Investments’ plans. The renovation work that was supposed to turn the old tenement into a hotel began two days after I had signed our rental agreement. In a flash, the whole area became a construction site. They might have skipped the basement for now, but even so, they turned our quiet place of work into a freaking madhouse… It took the greatest toll on Norton, whose antisocial nature had been challenged like never before. Fortunately, soundproofing headphones saved us from going insane… or committing mass murder.

Certainly, my work at the coffee shop stayed as it was. There were days when Monique, Marco, and I had some fun, but mainly it was energy-draining. Thankfully, the tips made up for the stress, yet it lacked a few zeros to fit the amount of money I needed for Grandma’s operation. The truth was, I wasn’t making any progress with raising that hundred thousand dollars. I didn’t even know where to start. Should I advertise our computer workshop somewhere? No. I couldn’t afford an efficient marketing campaign, and I couldn’t see how handing out cheap, hand-made leaflets could get us some wealthy clients…

It was nearly six. I handed out three coffees and took a short break. I went outside through the backdoor and stretched my back. I could swear this work was making me age twice as fast as I normally should. With a sigh, I checked my phone and noticed a missed call from someone I hadn’t heard from in two years… Surprised and excited, I called him back.

“Liam?” I said hesitantly when my call was answered.

“Cora… I’m so glad you called back…” His voice was unusually emotional, as if he could burst out crying any second. “Are you in New York?”

“Yes. Are you?” I asked since the last time we talked, he was about to move to London.

, “Yes!” he exclaimed, sounding sincerely rejoiced. “Can we meet tonight? I’ve got a lot to tell

you. We’ve got a lot to catch up on. So many things have happened, and… and… I seriously need a drink. Please don’t say no.” His words were feverish, making me feel like I was talking to a different person. I even glanced at the caller ID on my screen to confirm to whom I was talking “OK, fine!” I laughed. “I’m going to visit Grandma after work, so I can meet you at nine, preferably near the Crawford’s Clinic.”

for a while. “I’m sorry… I should have asked…

year ago, and she’s in a coma… But she’s been taken care of by Doctor Crawford, that’s why I don’t

know what to say…” he breathed out. “I’m so sorry, Cora… I—”. “Don’t. Grandma got to that clinic thanks to you, and I will be forever grateful for that,” I said, feeling a faint squeeze

was one of my fellow students in Oxford.

no coltiind

he was the one who helped me a lot when my Grandma got ill. What do they say about a friend in need? Well, that was exactly the case. The sad fact was that he was the only one willing to help me. My mind was an absolute mess, and he told me what to do. He even pulled some strings and found a way for my Grandma to get into the Crawford Neurological Clinic on preferential terms. I told him once that I owed him a favor, hoping that someday I would be able to repay him for his kindness. Now, I could hear that he was the one in

cleared his throat. “So… there’s a bar near the clinic called Feu Vert. Can you meet me there at nine?” he asked

there.” I

call ended, I suddenly felt restless. We had never been the kind of friends who leisurely chit-chat over a beer. Why now? Furthermore, we were living in different worlds. He was a boy from a wealthy family, studying economics and ready to take over the family business. He was handsome, intelligent, and cocky at times. He loved to party at nightclubs, always bringing a girl back home. We had nothing in common except for the intelligence… and maybe the fact that I wouldn’t call myself ugly as well. Nonetheless, he was probably the only rich guy I could stand, and the fact that he had never

that at least my Grandmother’s condition was stable.

enough to laugh at

elements mixed with green leaves and remarkable flowers. The walls were subtly entwined with grapevine, as if the bar had been taken over by Mother Nature herself. As I stepped deeper inside, I found Liam sitting in a bar lounge on a green velvet crescent sofa. He had a glass of scotch in his hand, and judging by the blush

going on, Liam pulled me into a tight hug, leaning his forehead against the crook of my neck. I stiffened. Letting a

I said, struggling to understand his reaction, but