Almost losing the woman she thought was her mother, Cherry seeks many ways to pay for her Mother's surgery but couldn't get any help. She had no choice but to agree to go into a contract marriage with her boss, the ruthless and arrogant billionaire CEO of the Alphonso construction company, Leonard Alphonso. They fell in love within six months of the one-year contract and lived happily from that moment until Leonard offered her a divorce paper claiming he ran out of love for her; which she vehemently refused. Later on, she had no choice but to sign the divorce papers after Leonard had already put her in a tight condition. Being pregnant and helpless, she left his house and that was when she found out that she is the heiress to a billionaire fortune. Cherry becomes successful, powerful, and independent. Leonard eventually regretted his action and sought many ways to get her back. But will Cherry give Leonard a second chance after being betrayed by the first man she had ever loved?
Chapter 1 Prologue
Prologue (An office)
The CEO of the Alphonso Construction company sits in his office meditating while rolling in circles on his swivel chairs. He is lost in thought when a knock is heard on the door of his office.
"Yes who is it", Mr Alphonso asked.
"It's I, Cherry", the lovely tender voice of mine said.
"Come in", Mr. Alphonso says sternly.
"What is it? Have you handled the documents I gave you properly? And have you sent the emails I asked you to send our clients?"He asked with a serious face. My boss has always been strict from the day I have always worked as his Secretary. I have always wondered about myself since last week; how I would tell him what is on my mind.
"Yes sir. I have done all of them. I just sent the emails to our clients yesterday night", I said with a short smile covering the fear I had after saying that.
"Just yesterday night!"He shouted with a strong frown on his face.
"How incompetent can you be? I gave you an email to send to my clients in the evening and you just sent it in the night. Can you just imagine?"Mr Alphonso can be inconsiderate sometimes. He had just given me the email to send yesterday in the closing hours to send to his client which was an ungodly hour. If he wanted the mail to be sent, he should have given me in the morning or during work hours not closing hours.
"Yes, what is it that you came into my office to tell me?"Mr Alphonso asked.
I thought to myself if I would be able to tell him what I came into his office to tell him. I tried to summon courage thinking to myself that asking for whatever I wanted would not cause me to lose my life. The worst is that he would decline or maybe shout at me.
"Yes? Answer me on time. I don't have the whole day, please. "Mr. Alphonso speaks with h his scary face.
"Umm-mm" I stammered."I just want to ask you for a favor, sir."
"Okay, what is the favor" He asked.
"I just want to ask you if you could pay me my salary in advance. I need money urgently. I have sought money from where I could, but I have not seen anyone who can render me any assistance. I need the money for my mother's kidney transplant." I said She is the only one I have now because I no longer have a father and I don't want to be an orphan at this stage of my life." I said with tears coming out of my face.
"The money is just $32,000 to cover all of the expenses for her surgery and medications. I promise to work harder than I have ever worked." I said while wiping away my tears.
"Haha!", he laughed.
"You say "32,000".Where do you expect me to see such? Do you know how much the company needs to spend on expenses? You must be kidding me. I don't have money to give you ."
Sir, Please I promise to pay you back my salary or I will borrow from anyone that I know to give you back. My mother is in a critical condition and it is so urgent.
Mr Alphonso laughed again and stared at me crying. I would say that this is the first time I would ever see him smiling for the first time in three years that I have been working with him as his Secretary. While he continued to smile at me, I felt excited that he was ready to assist me.
"Cherry" he called out my name.
"Sir" I replied.
"Do you know you just made me laugh by what you just said?" he asked.
"It is the way you had the effrontery to say you would pay me back or borrow it. My question is; How would you get it? When you don't know who would borrow from? And come to think of it; you only work for me or do you work for anyone else?" he asked and then I gave a negative nod.
"You see, why I can't offer you any assistance?"He said with a smile while my eyes were covered with tears. I felt the smile was to make fun of my misery. I guess my boss must not only be arrogant but a sadist.
"But, sir....." I tried to talk before Mr Alphonso interrupted me on purpose.
"Make sure you help me to inform the members of the board office that we will be having a board meeting this afternoon. I also want to give you some correspondence for you to handle for me. So that's all I want you to do ."He ordered.
"Okay sir, "I said while my face was all covered up with tears. Nothing was pushing me to still beg him or ask him for assistance because I lost all the courage I had.
"I would be taking my leave, sir," I said with a sad face.
"Yeah, lock the door after you've gone."All his attention fixated on the file that was in his hand. I turned my back and was already leaving his office while trying to clean my tears and breathing in the catarrh that was coming out of my nose. I was already close to the door.
"Cherry!" I turned back and saw Mr Alphonso's serious face glaring at me. I was already shocked at the spot where I was standing. I was already thinking of what I had done wrong.
"I am willing to offer you more than the $32,000 you need for your mother's treatment if you would do my biddings".After he said that, I had a smile on my face without asking what his biddings were.
"I want you to act as my wife for a year and I would pay you $35,000 for accepting my proposal. I just want you to see it as a fake marriage. After a year of the marriage, We would get a divorce. But during the marriage, there would not be any form of intimacy at all. So it would be a contract marriage. When it is already a year, I would give $150,000 by the time we are about to be divorced."
After he had finished saying that, the smile on my face dropped and tears began to fall out of my eyes.
"Why? Why do you have to offer me a contract marriage? Of all people why does it have to be me? This seems to be hard for me, sir." I whined.
"Are you kidding me right now? Where you not just crying and complaining about how you would save your mother from dying because you don't have money to take care of her. I am rendering you this offer, which is of mutual benefit and you are acting petty."I wondered within myself why he would ask for a contract marriage with someone like me.
"Or do you want your mother to die?" he asked with a smile.
Mr. Alphonso is one hell of a horrible person. He is a very ruthless and arrogant man. He is also one of every woman's choices in a town like we would not want to be with a man like Leonard Alphonso, a wealthy and successful billionaire. Meanwhile, I had also had a crush on him. He has a very charming look at how many out of 6'4 inches.
But I had never imagined myself being in a relationship I'm not even married so Mr. Alphonso. I guess I don't have any of that chance but to accept his proposal Because my mother's life is more paramount to me And I cannot imagine losing her. Since there is not going to be any form of intimacy, I guess I would have to accept this marriage proposal. Like.... I mean it's just a year.
" I have agreed to accept your marriage proposal," I said with a sad face because I knew what I was putting myself into even when it was not inevitable.
" Good girl. Now you are talking. I will call my lawyer tomorrow and he will bring the contract for you to sign tomorrow. I guess we have got ourselves a deal right" he said bringing out his hands for a shake. I shook his hand and accepted his offer.