MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

CHAPTER 3

Chapter three

The woman who needs a break

Emily sighed the umpteenth time as she stared at the stacked bills on the table in front of her. Alongside, her rent expired the day before and the agents are already bothering her to pay up. She looked round her studio and shook ber head in pity. Ava's studio, once a vibrant and inspiring space, now felt like a weight crushing her. The walls, once adorned with her colorful artwork, now seemed to close in on her, suffocating her creativity. The floors creaked beneath her feet, a reminder of the worn-out wooden boards that needed replacing. The smell of turpentine and paint, once invigorating, now felt stale and suffocating. Canvases, once filled with life and beauty, now lay blank and unfinished, a testament to her dwindling inspiration. Paints and brushes, once her trusted tools, now gathered dust, a reminder of her inability to create. The studio's financial struggles mirrored her own, with unpaid bills and past-due notices cluttering her desk. Ava's eyes wandered to the eviction notice on her door, a harsh reminder that she was on the verge of losing the one place that had always been her sanctuary. Her mind raced with the looming deadline, her thoughts a jumbled mix of fear, anxiety, and desperation. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of uncertainty, her passion for art suffocating under the weight of her financial struggles. As she stood amidst the chaos, Ava's eyes welled up with tears, her body trembling with the weight of her fears. She felt like she was losing herself, her art, and her dreams, all slipping away like sand between her fingers. The studio, once a symbol of her creativity and independence, now felt like a prison, a constant reminder of her failures. Her dream was actually to have her own studio as she was so much interested in art. She decided to go to her parents house to lend money from them. She knew what she was going to face when she got home but nevertheless she has no choice.

"What are you doing here? You disobedient brat!" Emily's mother queried as she has warned her not to appear in her sight again.

"Mo..mother I ne..need money."

"I have no money to give to a child who doesn't obey her parents. Your younger sister, rose is now married to her husband and is living comfortable not begging me for money again but instead of you to marry, you insisted on pursuing your dream which doesn't look like a dream anymore. You..." Mrs Chen ranted on.

"... Mom! Stop this for crying out loud. " Emily cut her mom short as she was already getting frustrated.

"What? I'm I lying? We can't keep feeding you. The art studio you left marriage for is there about to crash, so what do you want us to do? If you think we will continue feeding you, you're wrong. All the suitors that came to sought your hand in marriage, you chased them away with your bad character. Don't ever call me mom until you find someone to marry you. Go and marry!" Mrs Chen concluded as she left Emily to her room. Emily could only sob as she left her parents house back to her studio in shame. Her neighbors cane out of their houses to mock her as she was always boasting of her studio.

"At her age, she isn't married. So bad!" One of the women said as they gossiped Emily among each other.

Emily got to her studio as she continued in her tears. She was helpless not knowing what to do. Her phone rang, fortunately it was her best friend Sophia. Sophia on hearing Emily's voice, told her she was coming to her place that instant.

"Your mom again?" Sophia asked as she was worried for her friend. Emily could just nod as she was too overwhelmed to speak. Sophia pulled her friend to a hug patting her tenderly. After she calmed, Sophia stated the reason she came.

" Emily, I think I know what you should do..." Emily started.

"Really? What's that?"

"I think you should apply for a contract marriage."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple girl! Look for someone with the same interest as you but note, a rich man who can help in retrieving your studio while both of you get married."

"How can you say marriage so casually Sophia? I can't just marry someone I don't have feelings for. Let's find another solution."

"What other solution do you think you can find? You both are just marrying for mutual benefit remember. You could even just be married for a year and then divorce later as long as he pays you."

"I said no! I'm not interested in that." Emily finalized

"If you say so. You have my number, when you're ready you can let me know. See you later." Sophia said as she stood up to leave.

When Sophia left, Emily was left in her thoughts as she contemplated on what to do. She needed the money but she was also concerned about the relationship. She doesn't like the guy so why would she live with him? On a second thought, her mother's insult towards her will stop as long as she married, she decided to marry by contract as long as nobody knew, she would be fine. She took her phone to call Sophia. Sophia who knew Emily would have no choice felt achieved. She told her not to bother herself. She would come to her place so they would know how to go about it. Emily couldn't deny the fact that she was nervous about all this things but she has no choice if that was the way that would revive her studio and help her to gain face in front of her parents and neighbours. Even her younger sister whom she adorned was starting to act anyhow towards Emily which she didn't fail to notice. She has to make everything stop!