Shadows of revenge

Chapter Five

"Marry me."

She thought she heard wrong. "Pardon?"

"It's a reasonable offer. Marry me instead," he said.

She laughed awkwardly; he must be joking. Did he hit his head somewhere or what? Years ago, she would have jumped at the offer to marry him. But now? Under the pretext of paying back? Something was definitely not right. She looked him straight in the eye and said, "I can pay you back your money. It will only take time, but I'll pay you every single cent," she stressed.

"There's no need for that. You just need to marry me, and your mother will get the best healthcare," he said persuasively.

"No. No, I can't." She finally got a grip on her thoughts. "I don't even love you, and we just met after years. On what grounds do I have to get married?"

"Let's say you need financial support right now, and I need a wife urgently. It's a reasonable ground to get married."

"So you want to marry me because you need a wife? And you're saying I should accept your offer because it would answer my prayers for financial support?" She laughed shortly in disbelief. "That's the dumbest reason to get married I've ever heard. And that's the most foolish reason too!" she shouted out of frustration.

He got up from the couch and picked up his coat, which was lying at the head of the couch. "Think about it and contact me when you've made up your mind," he said, dropping his contact card on the table. He looked around, then walked to the door. "I'll be waiting for your reply; don't take too long." He opened the door and went out.

As he walked down the staircase leading to her house, he noticed the environment was not friendly. The building was old and run-down. He wondered why she would consider living in such a place. Well, he thought, it matched her personality. He strolled to the spot where he had parked his car and looked around before sliding into the driver's seat. He had asked Ray not to take him; he could go on his own. He didn't want to trouble his secretary all the time. Though he was his personal secretary, Ray had a life of his own. He didn't want work to encroach on it. He drove through the city, enjoying the evening breeze. He had work to finish up tonight, so he didn't have much time to waste on leisure activities. Tonight was going to be a long night, he thought.

She could not believe the guy. She hadn't seen him for a good seven years, and now he comes and asks her to marry him? Did he have her in mind all this time? She had thought of him for that long; she couldn't forget the first boy who caught her eye. She had always had boys chasing after her, but there was one who made her want to chase him: Maxwell Anderson. He was the hottest guy in college, with very striking features, but he was a total snob. So she was only allowed to watch him from afar. He did not consider girls, and everyone thought he hated the female gender—well, except for his mother.

She thought of Aiden. He had been the perfect opportunity to get close to Max. So when Aiden approached her and asked her out, she accepted without blinking. After all, she could get close to his brother if she became his girlfriend. She sighed; she never got to date Max eventually.

The vibration from her phone pulled her bag from her thoughts. She checked the caller ID: it was Megan. She smiled and picked up.

"Hello, baby."

"Cindy!!!!! I have missed you so much!"

"Me too! If I could, I would have come over and dragged you back to me."

Megan could be heard giggling through the phone. "That's not possible! Killian wouldn't let me move an inch from his side. He's just so sweet," she said excitedly.

"He better keep an eye on you! Enjoy yourself, baby girl. You need it."

"Of course, my sweet," she said sweetly, and Cindy smiled. "I can't wait for you to get married. You need to be happy too." Cindy smiled sadly. Here she was offered marriage, but it was a marriage of convenience. She couldn't call that happiness.

"You just enjoy yourself"

"Do not give me that crap. When I get back to Manhattan, I, Megan Aubrey, will smack your lazy self out of that house and your work, and we're getting you a man," she said with all authority.

"Alright, boss." There was a brief pause.

"Cindy dear, what have you been up to lately? How's Mom?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"Mom is fine. She's getting better. She smiles often these days."

"That's great news! She always had deep frowns on her face, so it's a big improvement that she's smiling."

"I know, right? I’m happy about it too."

"Send her love from me and tell her I'll get her so many delicious snacks."

"Alright. Now hang up and get back to your Killian. It's your honeymoon, babe. Enjoy it!"

"Alright! Alright! See you this weekend! Love you!" Cindy could hear lips smacking together in a 'muah' sound. "Bye."

"Love you too." She smiled and hung up.

She missed Megan. She had been gone for a month now. She just got married and was on her honeymoon. She and Killian had gone on a trip to Florida. Cindy was happy that Megan was happy. Megan had had her share of ups and downs in life. She was an orphan who lived with her aunt and looked so wretched back then. But she managed to pick up her life and make a living for herself when her aunt died. Killian was a blessing to her. Cindy knew he would give her all the love she ever needed.

Cindy thought of Max's offer of marriage. There was no way in hell she would do it. She also deserved to be happy, and for that, she had to marry someone she loved and who loved her.

Max just got home after the long drive. He needed a shower so badly; he was feeling rather tired and sleepy. He could not afford to sleep tonight. Tomorrow was going to be a long day—and a successful one, he noted. He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the water rolled down his back, he felt his energy returning. He loved showers; they made him feel alright.

He threw on his pajamas and headed for the kitchen. He needed coffee. He took some coffee beans and ground them with the coffee grinder. He made his coffee, black as he loved it, and carried it with him to his mini office. He sat down in front of his computer and got to work. His mind flashed back to what had happened that evening. Shouldn't she be grateful he was offering her marriage? She was totally miserable right now. He could solve all her financial crises and reduce her worries. But then he would be adding more worries as he planned to make her life a living hell after they got married. He just had to convince her to marry him, and then the rest of the plan would fall into motion without a hitch. He smiled; he was loving the whole drama. Eventually, she was going to give in. He had asked a good doctor about the illness that plagued her mother, and they had confirmed she would need surgery. He knew she couldn't afford it, so he would be her only hope, he thought. He got back to his work, concentrating on the screen in front of him. He dialed Ray's number.

"I need you to get me a file," he said. He muttered some instructions into the phone and hung up.