Love Yourself

The woman who called herself "Madeline" wore an all-black lacy dress under a dark grey leather trench coat. She stood among the crowd; a bouquet of red roses clutched tightly in her hands. Rain drizzled down upon the gathered without mercy. The distant sound of thunder rolled in the background.

Tears streamed slowly down her cheeks only to get lost among the drops of rain as she listened to the sound of unintelligible whispers around her. The casket was slowly lowered into the ground, and she took a shuttering breath.

A man slowly shuffled through the crowd towards her. Without looking into her face, he moved to stand beside her. He brought a hand to his suit's breast pocket and produced a kerchief before passing it to the woman beside him.

"Everyone here was hired to attend." He said. "Yet you're the only one crying over an empty casket. Why?"

She accepted the blue cloth in her hands and used it to dab at her tears delicately, ensuring she didn't smear her makeup. At his words, her breath hitched in her throat. She turned her face to look at the man beside her. Her eyes were slightly wide and her mouth a perfect picture of surprise.

"The coffin is empty?" She asked in her inauthentic French accent.

"Drop the pretenses with me, Madeline." He said softly. "Yes, I know who you are because I'm the one that hired you to attend."

She cleared her throat quietly but merely nodded. "What is it that you want from me?" She asked, having dropped the fake accent.

"Let's start with your real name." He said before as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"My real name?" She asked looking thoughtful for a moment. She seemed as though she was trying to determine just how much to trust the man before her. "My name is Gabriella."

"Gabriella." The man whispered with a smile. "My name is Alexander."

Gabriella rolled the name around on her tongue like a fine wine for a moment. Sampling its flavor and deciding what to say next.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexander." She said then before sniffling and dabbing her eye once more with the cloth. She then handed the object back to the man beside her and watched as dirt was shoved over the coffin. "Why hold a fake funeral?"

"I have my reasons." The man said. "Come with me. I have a proposal for you."

Alexander moved to turn sharply on his heel and walked with purpose away from the graveyard. Gabriella thought for a moment as she solidified her resolve. She then followed him, the thin heel of her high heels digging into the rain-softened earth.

When she finally caught up to Alexander, he was already on the sidewalk outside of the graveyard. She glanced over at his face as she held her dress up with her free hand, the other still clutched onto the bouquet. Rose petals fell from the bouquet as she ran after the man down the sidewalk, littering the ground like a forbidden trail.

"Tell me more about this proposal," Gabriella demanded softly.

A small smile formed on Alexander's lips, and he paused his gait to turn and face Gabriella. He used his hands to stop her from walking ahead of him and he gazed into her deep baby blue eyes.

"I would like to propose a paper marriage." He said finally.

"What do you mean by paper marriage?" She asked, wondering if it meant what it sounded like.

"You marry me but only for legal purposes. Then I want you to be my surrogate and carry my child."

"Why would I marry and have a baby for a man I just met?" She asked looking disgusted by the very notion.

"Because I am Alexander Theodore, and I will make you a very rich woman if you follow my lead and act the part of loving wife and mother." He said, his smile never fading.

"And if I don't want to?" She prompted as she swung the bouquet to point it at him almost menacingly, petals raining down from the once beautiful flowers.

"I know why you do what you do, Gabriella. I will help you." He said soothingly. "Together we can make all those debts go away, and you can live a life of luxury rather than going home alone to your empty apartment each night after wasting your tears over strangers.

Gabriella seemed to chew on this information. "Just how much do you know about me?" She asked as she eyed him with suspicion.

"I know enough to be certain you're perfect for the job." He said simply.

"I'm still not sure." She said and sighed gently.

Alexander brought his hand up and caressed her cheek with the knuckles of one hand tenderly. He then pulled a small box from his pocket and passed it to Gabriella without a word.

Gabriella opened the box and gasped, her eyes going wide. It was the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen in her life. She pulled it free of the velvet and looked at it with awe in her eyes. It had to cost more than all her student debt and mother's hospital bills combined.

"You'll really help me climb out of debt?" She asked as she put the ring back into the box and snapped it shut with a click.

"Among other things." He said.

"I accept your proposal." She said as she passed the box back into the man's hands. He opened it carefully and pulled the ring out before taking Gabriella's hand. He slowly slipped the ring onto her left ring finger and then brought her hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"We will be married within the week." He said before allowing Gabriella to snatch her hand free from his. She gave him a pointed look. "In the public eye, you must act as my wife, but behind closed doors, you are free to do as you like."

"And what about the surrogacy?" She asked looking uncertain of her decision already.

"It will come with time. Artificially, of course, as we will not have a physical relationship of any sort in private." Alexander said.

"I find that agreeable," Gabriella said.

"Pack your valuables if you have any. I will pick you up at your apartment tomorrow morning." Alexander told her. He then moved to walk away.

Gabriella watched him walk away until he was soon lost in the crowd of bodies on the sidewalk. She then turned to walk in the opposite direction and dropped the mangled flowers into a nearby trash can.