The Substitute Heiress

An Uncertain Agreement

Chapter 2: An Uncertain Agreement

Cassandra

The previous night had been a whirlwind of emotions, with the decision to marry Warrick Renfield and my father's health. As my father remains under observation, I decided to spend the night at home with my mother and sleep in my old room. Several years ago, I couldn't wait to leave this place, and now I just want to keep it forever.

When I arrived at the dining room in the morning, I found my mother already seated, with her coffee in one hand and some documents in the other. She seemed calmer than I was, as if she had made peace with the situation long before I accepted it.

"Good morning, Mom," I said, trying to sound more cheerful than I actually felt. "Have you heard anything about Dad?"

"Good morning, Cassandra. I just finished a call with the nurse, he's fine and will remain under observation all day."

"Did you speak with him?" I asked, knowing that visiting hours had not yet started.

"Just a little, he's sleeping now, but sit down, we have a lot to discuss," she replied, pointing to the chair in front of her.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down, waiting for her to start the conversation.

"I've arranged a meeting for you and Warrick this afternoon," she said abruptly, catching me off guard. "You need to get to know each other better before this goes any further."

I nodded, though the idea of spending time with Warrick seemed unappealing and repugnant. It was a fact that sooner or later we had to meet and talk about everything that's coming. I knew Warrick's reputation: a man who, nearly thirty years old, still lived like a teenager, enjoying parties, women, and alcohol without worrying about tomorrow.

Oh, and most importantly, he lived off his parents' money because he had never known what it was like to work. In short, he was useless.

"And what exactly are we supposed to talk about?" I asked, trying to hide my disdain.

"How you’re going to handle this relationship," my mother replied, with a coldness that didn't surprise me. "Warrick is in a similar situation to ours. His father has made it clear that he must settle down or lose all financial support. Both of you have a lot to gain and a lot to lose."

Now I understood everything. He was afraid of losing money he earned just by existing. What a terror that must be for him. Anger began to grow inside me. How could someone his age be so irresponsible? So little of a man? Did working take away his status as a rich kid?

Knowing the reason why he accepted the marriage made me feel worse. It was offering him on a silver platter what I had always rejected, but as this situation put me in a position where I had little or no say, it was better to shut up and swallow my words.

"I understand, Mom. I'll do whatever it takes to make this work," I said, trying to sound more convinced than I really was.

"I hope so, Cassandra. Your father and I are counting on you."

**

I arrived at the café where my mother had told me to meet Warrick. It was a discreet place, away from prying eyes and paparazzi. Upon entering, I saw him sitting at a table in the corner, playing with his mobile phone. I took a deep breath and approached.

"Hello, Warrick," I said as I reached the table.

He looked up and gave me a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Cassandra, have a seat."

I sat across from him, feeling the tension in the air. It was evident that neither of us was thrilled about this meeting.

I looked at him for a while, I had to admit he was a very handsome man, with his golden waves of hair and green eyes, a prominent chin. It wasn't the first time I had seen him, we used to frequent the same places a while back and went to the same school, though he graduated a few years before me. He is about five years older than I am.

"I suppose you know why we're here," he said, putting the phone aside. "I don't want to get married any more than you do. But we need this, so let's make it work with as little drama as possible."

His attitude annoyed me, but I tried to keep my composure. Generally, I don't like to pigeonhole people or judge them by who they are or what they do, but Warrick was the exception that drove me crazy. I wanted to squeeze his neck with my hands very tightly and shake him to understand that maybe if he just worked a little, he could get the money he needs to party every night.

I, on the other hand, had no other options but this. My business couldn't cover my father's debts and people aren't generous enough to help us. The Renfields, on the other hand, saw a good opportunity and knew how to take advantage of it. Bastards.

"I agree. How long do we have to keep up this charade?"

"At least a year," my eyes widened.

"Excuse me? Do you know what a year is?"

"I'm not an i***t, Carlisle. It's the time my father has demanded for this charade. In a year, the bad investment will be completely forgotten. It's the time it will take to recover the money."

I bit my lower lip hard. In my head, I only thought of a maximum of six months, but a year changes everything.

"Then there are some rules we need to establish," I said, looking him straight in the eye.

"Rules?" He arched an eyebrow, clearly annoyed.

"Yes, rules."

Warrick let out a sarcastic laugh.

"And who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

"I'm the person who will make sure you remain a freeloader who doesn't work but enjoys life," I replied firmly. "A year is a long time, during this time you can't be with other women. We will be a married couple who will pretend to the world to be completely happy and deeply in love. I'm not going to look like a fool in front of everyone. If you can't accept that, then there's no deal."

There was a tense silence as Warrick considered my words. Finally, he sighed and nodded, though it took him a good while.

"Alright, a year without other women. But I have my conditions too."

"What conditions?" I asked, feeling my patience wearing thin.

“Don’t treat me like a child. I don’t need another mother. Do your thing, and I’ll do mine.” “Agreed,” I said, though I knew it would be difficult to keep that promise.

We spent the next while discussing the practical details of our agreement. Warrick seemed resigned, but not entirely committed. It was evident that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to continue receiving his father’s money, even if it meant enduring my conditions.

“So, to recap,” I said, trying to keep the conversation professional, “we’ll be married for a year, with no other relationships, and we’ll maintain a public facade of a happy couple. In return, both families save their fortunes.”

“Correct,” Warrick responded, in a tone that made it clear he would rather be anywhere else.

“Good. And one more thing,” I added, staring intently at Warrick. “During this year, we’ll need to establish certain appearances. We’ll attend social and family events together. We have to act like a real couple, even if only in public.”

“Understood,” said Warrick, with a slight nod of his head. “But remember, this is only for a year. After that, we go our separate ways.”

“Of course.”

Finally, I extended my hand towards Warrick.

“So, do we have a deal?”

He took my hand and shook it firmly.

“Yes, we have a deal.”

We stayed silent for a moment, our hands still clasped, as if both of us were processing the implications of this agreement. Then, I let go of his hand and leaned back in my chair.

“Well, now that we’ve cleared everything up, I think we should start planning the next steps,” I said, trying to maintain a pragmatic tone.

“Yes, I suppose so,” Warrick replied with a sigh.

When we finally finished discussing the details, I got up to leave.

“Thank you for your time, Warrick. We’ll see each other soon to start the preparations,” I said, trying to sound professional.

“Sure, Cassandra. See you soon,” he responded, returning to his mobile phone.

I left the café feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. We had reached an agreement, but I knew the real challenge was just beginning. I had to stand firm on my conditions and ensure that this marriage of convenience fulfilled its purpose without leaving me emotionally devastated.

On my way home, my thoughts returned to my father. I knew I was doing the right thing to save my family, but I couldn’t help feeling a knot in my stomach at the prospect of spending a year pretending to be Warrick Renfield’s wife.

When I arrived home, my mother was waiting for me in the living room.

“How did it go?” she asked, with a mix of concern and hope in her voice.

“We reached an agreement,” I replied, sitting down next to her. “We’ll get married and pretend to be a couple for a year. Warrick agreed to my conditions.”

My mother let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Cassandra. I know this isn’t easy for you, but you’re doing the right thing.”

I nodded, though deep down I still felt uncertain about what the future held for me.

“I know, Mom. I just hope all this is worth it.”

That night, as I prepared for bed, my thoughts kept circling around what I had agreed with Warrick. I had a year ahead of me, a year to pretend, to keep up appearances, and to ensure my family survived this crisis.