My Husband Is A Stranger

Chapter Six - Arranged

Clara was anxious as she and her aunt walked towards the reserved table where their client was patiently waiting.

She was extremely nervous because everyone was so early today. It isn’t dinner yet, what’s the purpose of the dinner meeting then? She thought.

“Clara dear, you’re super tensed, stand up straight and do your job well as my secretary,” her aunt suddenly scolded her, so she immediately followed her.

She inhaled a lungful of air after they arrived at the table. There was a man in his 40's smoking his tobacco. He was wearing very expensive business attire.

He had dangerous-looking guards with guns standing on the back of his chair, “Mr. Klaus, I’m pleased to see your presence here,” Serene greeted her client while Clara was standing on her back, so the old man just looked at Serene plainly.

Klaus? Isn’t that the man that was talking to aunt a while ago? Or is it just a coincidence? Clara thought, but she just shrugged.

“Why are you here so early? Aren’t we going to discuss things over dinner?” Serene’s heels were the only thing that Clara could hear before her aunt proceeded on the chair opposite to where the old man was sitting.

Serene crossed her legs before taking out her smoke holder to puff her cigarette, so Klaus just sniggered, “I’m a busy man, Crayford, I don’t have time for games,” he puffed the tobacco and put it on the ashtray.

“Who told you that we’re playing?” Serene raised her eyebrows before glancing at Clara, “Dear come here and give me my notes,” Serene called, so Clara flinched before walking right beside her aunt to give her what she needed.

The old man glanced at Clara and his eyes widened at the beauty that he was seeing, her body was close to perfection and her face shines like the accessories she was wearing. The word beautiful isn’t enough to describe her sole appearance right in front of him.

“Was she your new secretary that you were talking about?” he calmly asked, but he’s very curious about finding out who this beautiful woman standing right next to Serene is.

“Yes, I am the new secretary of Crayford Company, pleased to meet you, Mr. Klaus, I’m here to accompany my aunt,” Clara offered her hands, so the old man smiled before taking it.

It was soft and he feels like she was the one that he has been looking for ever since his wife died years ago. Clara felt weird because he was caressing her palms weirdly, so she decided to let go before giving Klaus a small smile.

“Charmed for sure, may I know your name young lady?” he smiled before trying to fix himself. He’s trying to make himself decent in front of this woman, he wanted to make a good first impression.

“Just Clara, Mr. Klaus,” Clara gave him a polite smile, so Klaus Ferdinand stared at that woman intently.

“Clara dear, would you get us some wine? The waiter has it and he’ll give it to you over there,” Serene butted in while pointing on the far corner of the restaurant, so Clara flinched before excusing herself.

The table was silent until Serene smirked right in front of her client, “I see that you’re interested, Mr. Klaus, and mind you, she's still a virgin and single since birth,” she informed, so the old man got excited for a moment, he heard everything he wanted from a woman, but he tried too hard not to be transparent.

“It’s impossible for that kind of beauty not to be in a relationship,” he tried to expect, but the truth is, he wanted to believe that she’s not.

“She wanted to graduate for the sake of her parents, so she focused on studying ever since she was young, so I’ll just say she’s a little boring,” Serene puffed her cigarette before flipping the folder that contains their contract.

“So? Do we have a deal? The wedding will be tomorrow so you could have her as soon as possible,” Serene smirked because even if she didn’t ask, she knew Klaus fell immediately for her step-niece the moment he saw her.

“You’d do anything to get your hands on that underground business huh? Mind you Crayford, that business isn’t like how you handle your simple businesses above, there’s a reason why it’s underground,” Klaus warned her, so she just chuckled.

“I'm always prepared for what business will offer me and I’ll sacrifice everything just to get my hands on that business, I need more power and wealth, Klaus, you know that,” Serene hissed, so Klaus just gave her a small smile before signing the contract without hesitations.

“I wouldn’t reject such a beauty, I’m looking forward to the wedding tomorrow,” after Klaus said those words, Clara appeared with a bright smile on her face.

“I got the wine, sorry it took so long, the waiter looked for it,” Clara sincerely apologized before she put down the glasses and poured her aunt and her client some wine.

“Ms. Clara, I’m glad to finally meet you,” Klaus reached out to hold on to Clara’s hand, so she was stopped on pouring some wine, “I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, my fiancé,” Clara’s eyes widened at what she has heard, she was too surprised to ask if she heard him right.

Klaus Ferdinand then took out a black box before giving her a diamond ring and put it on her index finger, “Wear this, for now, tomorrow would be a much more beautiful ring after we get married,” he smiled at her while ordering the guards to hand her over the bouquet of red roses.

“M-Married?” Clara exclaimed while staring at what she has on her arms and fingers, “W-What do you mean, Mr. Klaus?” Clara confusingly asked before glancing at her aunt and Mr. Klaus.

Klaus stared at Serene before smirking, “I’ll be taking my leave, you should ask your aunt what’s going to happen, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the decorations of our reception,” he stood up before kissing the back of Clara’s hands.

After their client left together with those dangerous-looking guards, Clara was dumbfounded while glancing at the ring she had on her finger and the flower on her arms.

She then gathered up the courage to glance at her aunt, “A-Aunty, what does Mr. Klaus mean? Marriage? Am I getting married...to him?” she nervously asked with her hands shaking, but Serene didn’t mind her as she put off the flame on her cigarette.

“Yes dear, you are getting married tomorrow,” Clara almost gasped at the news that she heard. Why wasn’t she informed about this?

“We got the deal of another business and it’s all thanks to you, it’s the business I’ve been trying to get my hands at, so don’t fail me alright? Be a good wife,” Serene added as she just gave her a small smile before standing up casually.

Clara felt as if a bomb had gone off inside her head; everything was happening so fast that she didn't know what to do.

“B-But I don't want to get married, aunty and we can't because our ages are so far apart,” Clara clenched her fists as she tried to reason out.

She doesn’t want to cause a commotion, but she couldn’t accept why her aunt decided this without her permission.

“Unfortunately, you can’t say no dear, the contract has already been signed, this can’t be void unless you have a huge amount of money to fight this,” her aunt raised the folder where she and Klaus signed a while ago, so her eyes widened.

“A-Aunty, you don’t have the right to decide things for me, I’m an adult and I’m not biologically related to you after all,” Clara firmly said, but Serene mischievously laughed before pacing towards Clara to pat her shoulders.

“Dear, I’ve paid enough money to the authorities to have my right to you, so you have no other choice but to abide towards what’s going on,” she sneered.

Clara couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she didn't know what to feel aside from being hurt and being played.

“Did you plan this from the beginning? Was your real intention of finding me was not because you wanted to take care of me in my mother’s place, but because to include me in this mess?” Clara tried to sound firm even if her voice was failing her, unshed tears were visible on the edge of her eyes.

“Take care of you in your mother’s place? Oh please,” Serene scoffed, she wanted to barf at what her step-niece was saying, “I loathed your mother dear, she was the reason our family disappeared one by one,” she hissed.

Serene grabbed the hem of her dress, which surprised her for a moment, “Now for her to pay her debts to us, you’ll be taking her place instead,” after her aunt said those words, she pushed her on the floor making her grunt in pain.

“It was her fault that Crayford almost lost their riches and business for not accepting being married off to some man with riches that we might need,” Clara gazed at her aunt from above, she’s seeing a completely different person before her.

Where is the aunt that spoils her at the things she didn’t want to buy? Was that all a trick to fool her along the way? Clara whimpered quietly before she lowered her head.

“Get up after you compose yourself, what a piece of crap,” Serene glared at her before stomping her way out of that reserved place for them.

Clara gripped the hem of her dress and she felt the gaze of the waiters around her, “A-Are you alright ma’am? Can we help you?” one of them kneeled to help her up, so she shook her head before trying to stand up.

“I-I’m fine, I-I just need to go ho--,” she stopped after she almost said home, she smiled bitterly when she knew she didn't have one.

She almost lost her balance because of her high heels, but the waiter and the butler appeared beside her to help her up.

“T-Thank you, I-I’m sorry...I-I’m just feeling a little dizzy,” Clara reasoned as she tries to maintain her posture.

“Ma’am Clara, what happened?” the butler worriedly asked, but she didn’t answer anyone as she ordered them to take her out of that restaurant. Clara was silent the whole time after the butler placed her carefully on the passenger seat.

She was bombarded with questions, but she didn’t bother answering any of them, “Madame Serene told us to take you home right away, did something happen ma’am Clara?” the butler continued bugging her.

Clara bit her lip before raising her fingers at them, “My aunt sold me off to an old man,” she bitterly chuckled with tears streaming down her puffy eyes. She felt icky with her makeup spreading all over her face.

“And there’s nothing I could do to stop it,” Clara burst out in tears that surprised the butler and the driver. They didn’t know that their Madame was planning to do that to her niece either.

This wasn’t the first time their Madame did this, but they’re still surprised that she did this also to her niece. Serene paid a lot of women to get married by many men that they know are dangerous.

“You didn’t know anything about this ma’am?” the driver asked while shifting his gaze to Clara, but even if she didn’t answer, he knew that this poor lady beside her didn't have any idea at all.

“N-No, I feel like I was played, fooled, whatever you call it,” she sniffed and was about to look for some handkerchief when the butler immediately offered one.

“T-Thank you, I’ll wash this for you soon,” Clara wiped the hanky on her face to ease the stickiness of her bare face.

“No need ma’am and I think it’s best that you should get home, for now, ma’am, you should just plan what you’ll do next,” the butler solemnly said, which made Clara stop.

“W-What do you mean? What else would I plan aside from escaping that--” Clara stopped sniffing before she stood up straight in her position.

She looked at the butler and driver, both of them were just smiling at her intently, “But be sure when you escape ma’am, you have a plan,” the butler started writing on a notepad he took from his pockets.

“I believe that you met with Mr. Klaus Ferdinand just by looking at your ring, it’s from the Klaus Diamonds store, they sell a lot of gorgeous and expensive jewelry,” the butler pointed at the ring Clara was wearing before checking his phone.

“He’s a billionaire and also an owner of many underground businesses, he’s something you should be wary about ma’am, people like him are very dangerous in this business tycoon city and country,” the butler added.

“They could easily find you if you escape most especially if he signed the contract, that means, he already owns you and wants formality in conducting the marriage,” the driver butted in.

“Yes and it also said here that he’s been finding a young woman that’s single and is still a virgin he wants to marry in exchange for a very huge deal,” the butler informed.

Clara’s eyes widened in disbelief, her aunt sold her off to that old geezer that just wants to get under her pants?! Unbelievable!

“Madame keeps on mentioning she wanted to get her hands off that business, I’m guessing that’s why Madame chose you as her pawn,” the butler added, still looking at his phone.

“And for him to stop looking for you, you have to let him know that you’ve already been claimed,” the butler finally then raised his head before smiling at Clara, “I-I’m sorry for the term, ma’am, but I think you should get married to someone before getting married to him,” 

“W-What?!” she exclaimed, wasn’t the point of having all this to escape the marriage?! Clara thought.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ll find a decent one because you’re a very decent and kind woman, ma’am, you could ask him to cover for you or something,” the driver added while focusing his gaze on the road.

Clara was puzzled with all the information that she’s been hearing from them, but they both have a point and she’s pretty sure that it might work.

“Y-You’re my aunt’s people, why are you helping me?” she curiously asked, so the butler and the driver just gave her a bright smile.

“She was never nice to us ma’am like you did, and we're simply doing what we know is right ma'am,” the butler sincerely said, so Clara teared up as they continued discussing her escape plan.

To be continued...