FLASHBACK

"Come here, Dera," her dad gestured for her to come, and she walked closer to him. She sat beside him on the sofa.

"Dad, why did you call me here? I really have work to do, you know," she pouted cutely, and her dad ruffled her hair.

"Do not enter any marriage without knowing everything about your spouse," he paused and looked at her. "You know you're the only child I have ever, so no matter what happens, do not enter any type of marriage, because marriage is sacred," he said, and she nodded and hugged him.

"I love you, Dad," she said, unlocking from the hug. "I love you too, my princess, so now go do your assignment," he said and stood up.

END OF FLASH BACK

"Dera, brace yourself; you're doing this because of Mom, not because of anything," she slapped her cheeks lightly on the road, and people turned to look at her like a mentally deranged person.

She walked home and found Luciana still watching a movie. She pulled off her sneakers and placed them neatly in one corner of the sitting room where shoes are kept before slipping into her flip-flops. She sat beside Luciana and stared at how concentrated Luciana was on the Korean drama she was watching, named "Penthouse: The War of Life."

"I don't even know where to start telling Luciana about my ordeal," Cherry thought.

"Jun Dan-tae is the most wicked man ever. Imagine how he can be so cruel to kill his own wife," Luciana hissed in anger as she threw a chip into her mouth, her eyes glued to the TV.

"I really pity this innocent girl called Bae Ro-na and her mother. They have suffered greatly from Jun Dan-tae and Seo-jin's hands," she blinked repeatedly, not minding if Dera was there or not.

Dera bit her lips as she stared at Luciana, contemplating whether to tell her or not.

"It won't be nice if she eventually finds out herself or if someone eventually tells her," she said inwardly.

She faced Luciana again, taking a deep breath in and out before starting.

"Luciana," she called slowly, and Luciana turned to her.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? You don't sound okay. What's the problem?" She asked, concentrating fully on Dera.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Dera? You're scaring me. Just say it already," Luciana said, and Dera took a deep breath and shut her eyes before opening them and starting.

"I'm getting married tomorrow," she dropped the bombshell, her voice filled with hesitation.

"What!! You must be joking, right?" Luciana laughed like a manic who just escaped an asylum.

"Wait, let me finish," Dera cut her off. "I'm getting into a contracted marriage with Henry Royals."

"Henry Royals! Are you high? Dera? or are you on drugs?" Luciana asked, not ready to believe what Dera said.

"He offered me a contract to be his wife for six months, just so his mom will let him be. After the six months, we both will get divorced and go our separate ways," she bit her lower lip hard while Luciana burst into another fit of laughter.

"I think you're high, Dera, because how on Earth is what you said possible? Henry Royals of all people? That dude hates everyone, and ladies are included, so how then is he getting married to you?" Luciana asked, furrowing her brows, still not believing what Dera said.

"That's none of my business. If he hates everyone or not, it's not my problem. After all, I will be able to pay for Mom's surgery," she muttered, and Luciana sighed making Dera looked at her. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" she asked.

"I bet you won't be able to leave after those six months. I have watched movies and read books about contracted marriages. The female lead and male lead are going to fall in love with each other and then get married legally," she scoffed, and Dera shook her head.

"Then stop reading such books and stop having such a mentality because it's not happening with me, okay? So be rest assured. Moreover, you know his phobia for people, right? He isn't going to fall for a middle-class lady like me," Dera said, and Luciana sighed.

"So how much is he paying you?"

"Twenty million dollars," she whispered into Luciana's ear.

"Wow!! That's a really huge amount," Luciana eyes widened, and her mouth hung open.

"So, my baby is going to become a millionaire soon," she gushed, and Dera smiled.

"That reminds me, Luciana, how's Redmond? Is he talking to you?" Dera asked, and she sighed.

"How I wish I could control my heart, Dera. I would be the happiest person on Earth. I fell for a cold-blooded monster who doesn't talk to people, let alone be friends with them," she paused and looked at her friend

"I'm so fed up, Dera. I wish I could just get rid of the feelings I have for him, but I can't because my heart keeps beating whenever I see him. And you know the funniest part? I would take almost one hour to dress up and put on makeup just for him to look at me, but that monster wouldn't spare me a single glance," Luciana said, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.

"Hey, it's okay. He's going to love you, okay? Stop going the extra mile; just be yourself and don't waste your time making up," Dera pulled Luciana into a comforting hug.

After hugging for a few seconds, they both disengaged, and Dera spoke first to lighten the mood.

"Dad called this morning; Mom has only one week to live if she doesn't undergo the surgery as fast as possible. That's the reason I accepted the contract."

"I clearly rejected the offer yesterday when he came to the bar, but when Dad called this morning, I had to run to his house to tell him I agree already," Dera explained as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, okay? You were the one consoling me just a few minutes ago, and now you're crying," Luciana said, patting her head.

"Thanks for coming into my life, Luciana," she hiccuped.

"It's fine. What are friends for?"

"You're not just my friend; you're my crazy elder sister," Dera said, and they both burst into laughter.

"Hey, stop laughing like that; it's really scary. I don't want to be having weird and scary dreams, okay?" She said, and Luciana smiled before returning her gaze back to the TV.

After watching "The Penthouse" for some minutes, Dera got really tired and yawned loudly.

"Are you okay?" Luciana asked, her eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired," she said and stood up, heading to her room. She didn't have a good night's sleep because she was thinking about the marriage contract Henry had offered her. She dropped her bag and phone on the bed before walking to the bathroom to take a cool shower.

After bathing for ten minutes, she came out and wore a pair of shorts and a big white hoodie before lying on her bed to rest. She couldn't rest because she was thinking about how to cope as a wife, something she wasn't expecting or prepared for. Everything just filled her head so much that she couldn't even close her eyes for a few seconds.

"How on Earth am I supposed to cope as a wife, for Christ's sake? This is not what I planned for myself. I planned to have a bright future, be the CEO of my own company, have a lovely husband, and cute kids," she muttered, turning from one end of the bed to another.

"And to make matters worse, a billionaire for crying out loud, the top richest man in all of Georgia," she said, ruffling her hair, making her look like a witch. Her hair was scattered all over the bed as she kept rolling from one end of the bed to another, like a child throwing a tantrum over a candy.

"Why did my life end up like this?" she muttered, biting her lower lip. The fact that she was getting into a contracted marriage the next day was driving her crazy-marrying someone she didn't know, a complete stranger.

"God! I might go crazy any moment from now," she said, throwing her legs in the air.

"After signing the contract tomorrow, I'll have to start living as his wife and behaving like his wife during occasions. But when we're at home, we'll be strangers," she ruffled her hair for the umpteenth time.

"How am I supposed to cope as a contracted wife? I won't be able to work anymore. I'll be stuck in the house from morning till night. My goodness! I might go mad or lose my mind before the six months are over," she sighed and used the pillow to cover her face.

"What if, in the process of being his wife, I fall in love with him and he doesn't feel the same way about me? Then I'll be the one with unrequited love! Oh my gosh!"

"Dera, you can't and you won't fall in love with Mr. Henry, okay? He's above your level, and moreover, we're worlds apart, from different socioeconomic statuses. So brace yourself and never mention the word 'love,' not to talk of falling in love," she shrugged, breathed out, and stared at the ceiling.

NEXT DAY

Dera groaned as her phone kept ringing. She was about to ignore it when she mistakenly saw the caller's ID; it was Henry. She sprang up immediately and picked up the call.

"Good morning, Mr. Henry," she greeted, bowing as if he was there with her.

"Enough of the greeting. Come straight to my house, and then we will proceed to the court to get the paperwork done," he hung up as soon as he finished, without even waiting to hear from her.

"That cold man," she gritted her teeth and grumpily walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

After thirty more minutes, she was done dressing and doing her morning routine. She carried a small handbag and her phone, then walked downstairs. She met Luciana setting the dining table.

"Good morning, Luciana," Dera greeted.

"Good morning, Dera. How was your night?"

"Not good at all. I was just thinking of how to cope with being a housewife to a cold billionaire. Luciana, I will just die of boredom," Dera pouted, and Luciana smiled.

"Come here," she gestured, and Dera walked up to her. Luciana hugged her while patting her hair.

Luciana was more like a sister than a friend to Dera because she had done practically everything for her. Though Luciana was three years older than Dera, she saw her as an elder sister she didn't have.

"Stop being sad and just have breakfast, okay?" Luciana disengaged from the hug and pulled out a chair for her. Dera sat down, and they started eating immediately. Dera hadn't had a proper dinner last night because she lost her appetite due to the marriage issue.

After a few minutes, she finished her breakfast, stood up, wiped her lips, and gave Dera a peck on her cheeks before walking out of the house. Dera boarded a taxi straight to Henry's house and arrived in less than ten minutes.

The gate man already knew she was coming, so he immediately opened the gate for her, and she walked into the house. Henry was seated on one of the sofas in the living room, with his legs crossed on the other. He looked breathtaking in sweatpants and a hoodie.

She walked in but was lost in thought. She never expected Henry to be in the living room, so let's just say he caught her off guard, and she almost jumped out of fear. She held her chest and was breathing really hard, her heart racing as if she had run all the way to his house.

He looked up from the book he was reading and saw her holding her chest, trying to catch her breath.

"Did I startle you that much for you to be breathing so hard?" his husky voice echoed in the living room.

She didn't say anything; she just walked to one of the sofa facing him and sat down quietly.

"We're leaving by 10:00 am, so get ready," he said, and she nodded. She knew she was lying; she wasn't prepared at all. She felt like the ground should open and swallow her rather than entering into a contracted marriage. But she was left with no option other than to accept the fact that she was going to live under a man's roof and become his legal wife for six months.

"Calm down, Dera. It's just for six months, okay? Get yourself together," she said inwardly, trying to calm herself.

NEXT DAY

Dera groaned as she turned off her alarm, sitting upright and stretching her body.

"Why does my alarm have to ring at this time? I was having a sweet dream about becoming the CEO of my own business," she yawned and ran her hands through her scattered hair.

She stretched her hand and grabbed her phone from beside her pillow, checking the time, and a gasp escaped her lips.

"Damn, I'm late for my own wedding," she said mockingly as she ran to the bathroom to do her morning routine.

Within twenty minutes, she was done. She wore a floral peach gown and let her hair fall over her shoulders. Applying some light makeup, lip gloss, and eyeliner, she checked herself in the mirror and picked up her phone and handbag before walking downstairs.

Downstairs, she found Luciana preparing breakfast in the kitchen, so she walked up to her.

"Hey, bride-to-be," Luciana said, and Dera frowned.

"Stop it, Luciana," she said, but Luciana couldn't help but laugh.

"I wouldn't have done this if I had a choice," Dera muttered sadly.

"Come on, girl, just be happy. At least, Mum will be okay, and moreover, it's just for six months. Dad won't know about it, alright?" Luciana consoled her, and she nodded.

"Breakfast is ready," she added, and they both walked to the dining room.

After twenty minutes, they were both done eating so Dera assisted Liciana in cleaning up the dishes before walking out of the house.

She boarded a taxi and went straight to his mansion. Upon arrival, she found him already seated in the living room, waiting for her.

"Good morning," she greeted, and he nodded and stood up while followed him immediately.

He turned and gave her a look of, ' why are you following me?'

She bent her head in embarrassment.

"Why are you following me?" he asked.

"I thought we were already going," she muttered, but he said nothing and walked towards the parking lot.

He entered his red Lamborghini and waited for her to come in, but she didn't. He rolled down the tinted glass. "Will you remain there like a statue?" he scoffed coldly.

"I thought I wasn't going to go with you," she muttered, but he heard her.

"Was I going to leave my contracted wife behind?" he asked, but she only bit her lips.

She got in and sat in the passenger seat. She fastened her seat belt, and he drove off immediately.

It was a twenty-minute drive from Henry's house to the registry. His car came to a halt in front of the registry, and they both alighted, walking inside.

People who knew Henry were gasping and whispering to each other.

** "What is he doing in the registry with a beautiful lady like her?"

** "Wow, she's so lucky to get married to a billionaire."

** "How I wish I was the one."

The girls who were present in the registry and outside gushed.

Dera smiled as she heard those compliments from the girls outside. For the first time in her life, she was the center of attraction, she couldn't be more happy.

Inside, they met a few people waiting for them and Dera became nervous, her palms sweating.

Henry noticed her nervousness and held her hand, pretending to be a caring husband. He wasn't doing it out of genuine care; he was only doing it to create the illusion that they were real lovers.

A light gasp escaped Dera's lips when his cold palm made contact with hers. The witnesses couldn't help but gush over how caring Henry seemed towards her.

Soon, the registrar gave them the registration form to fill. Henry was the first to complete it and after he was done, he handed the form to Dera to fill. She held the pen tightly, trying to conceal her nervousness as beads of sweat started forming on her forehead as she filled out the form.

She began to recall her dad's words about marriage. 'Marriage is sacred,' his voice echoed in her head. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. 'Marriage is sacred,' his voice rang again, and she hissed in pain, using her left hand to hold her head.

"Are you okay?" Henry asked, and she looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, turning back to the form.

She managed to complete the form, and almost immediately, they were pronounced husband and wife. Under normal circumstances, she would have been the happiest woman on Earth to get married but unfortunately for her, it was a contracted marriage, and she felt no happiness.

"Now it's time for the exchange of rings," the registrar said, and two rings were brought forward. The registrar handed a diamond ring to Henry, which he immediately slid onto her finger. She received a ring and hesitated before putting it into Henry's finger but then again, her dad's voice echoed in her head.

She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds. "Are you okay?" he asked, staring at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, sliding the ring onto Henry's hand fully, and almost immediately, the witnesses started clapping, and the couple turned to acknowledge them with a fake smile.

After what felt like ages, they left the registry, and Dera was able to calm down a bit.

As Henry drove to his house, Dera kept staring at the diamond ring, which glittered like a star in the night sky.

She had always dreamt of a bright and elaborate wedding, not a wedding with just four witnesses. However, she had to sacrifice her happiness for her mom's life.

"Send me your account details," Henry's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Okay," she muttered, taking her phone from her bag. Almost immediately, she gasped when she saw ten missed calls from her dad; her heart skipped a beat. She dialed her dad's number, and he picked up after the second ring.

"Hello, Dad," she said softly.

"Princess, your mom is deteriorating rapidly. She can't talk or eat anymore," her dad said, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Dad, I promise to send the money today. Just give me some time, and please tell Mom not to give up now. I can't live without her," she said, her voice breaking.

"Dera, please hustle and get the money today, okay?" her dad urged, and she nodded, as if he were there with her.

"Okay, Dad. I love you," she said and hung up. She sniffled, wiping away her tears, and started fidgeting with her wedding ring.

Throughout, Henry remained silent, not offering any comfort or consolation. He focused solely on the road.

Although, Dera hadn't expected him to console her, but she had hoped for a shred of concern from him. She didn't anticipate a cold man like Henry to be caring, but even the smallest sign of empathy would have meant the world to her.

Henry transferred the twenty million dollars as promised, and she immediately sent it to her dad, and the surgery started.

She wasn't herself since her dad called to inform her that the surgery had begun.

She could be seen pacing to and fro inside the sitting room with her phone in her hands.

Luciana sat down looking at her friend. She was also worried to death but had to bottle it up so that she could console Dera.

"Calm down, Dera, okay? Mum will be alright," she said, and Dera stopped pacing and sat with her on the sofa. She pulled Luciana into a tight hug as tears slipped down her eyes.

"I just hope all is fine," she muttered as she sniffled while Luciana patted her hair.

"You need to be strong for her, okay? So stop crying," she said, and Dera continued sobbing on her chest.

"I am so scared to death, Luciana. What if the surgery isn't successful?" She said, raising her head from Luciana's chest and staring into her eyes.

"Gosh! You worry too much, Dera. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise. I have faith in God," Luciana said, and Dera rested her head on the sofa.

They both sat for almost an hour before Dera's phone rang, and she picked it up immediately when she knew it was her dad.

"Hello, Dad."

"Hello, Cherry."

"How was the surgery? Was it successful?" she asked, rushing her words.

"Yes, it was, and she is in the ICU. The doctor said she might wake up anytime soon," he said, and she smiled.

"Thank goodness," she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Uhhm? Dera, where did you get eight million dollars from?" her dad asked.

"Dad, the little savings I have, with money I borrowed from my colleagues at work and the money Luciana also borrowed from her friends and colleagues, that's what we sent to you," Dera lied, and Luciana frowned immediately.

"Tell Dad about your contract marriage," she whispered, and Dera shot her a glare which she immediately shut her mouth.

"So how do you plan to pay now?" he asked.

"Dad, my monthly paycheck, I will give it to them every month until I am able to clear up the debt," she said, and her dad sighed.

"Thank you, princess. I am supposed to be the one working, not my precious daughter, but things are not going well for me," he said, a tear dropping from his eyes.

"Dad, I told you not to worry, okay? I am your only child, and you're already too old to continue working. Will I fold my hands and watch Mom die right under my eyes? No! I can't, so please do not blame yourself," she said.

"Dad, call me when Mum wakes up, okay? I really need to video call her," she said, and her dad nodded as if she was there with him.

"Okay," he answered and hung up.

Dera stared at her phone and let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Luciana was still glaring at her.

"Why didn't you tell him?" She finally voiced out.

"Tell who?"

"Dad. Why didn't you tell him about your contract marriage? At least he should have a hint instead of lying and keeping him in the dark," Luciana said worriedly.

"Are you crazy, Luciana? Don't you know what Dad always says? 'Marriage...'" she was cut of by Luciana.

"'...is sacred.' I know. But at least he should have a hint of what's going on, because he'll eventually find out and if he eventually finds out, hell will break loose," she said.

"You don't have to worry, Luciana. He won't know, and moreover, it's just for six months. After that, we both go our separate ways."

"I hope that six months doesn't turn to forever till death do us part," she mocked, and Dera rolled her eyes.

Luciana's eyes caught Dera's wedding ring, which was glittering and shining under the electric light in the sitting room.

"Wow, your ring is very beautiful, a diamond ring. This ring must be really expensive," she said, touching it with shining and bright eyes which made Dera hissed loudly and removed her hand from Luciana's grip.

"I wish it was a real wedding and a real diamond ring," she muttered.

"My problem is that I hope you don't get stuck in this contracted marriage forever," Luciana suddenly blurted out and Dera scoffed.

"You also believe in love? Come on, Luciana, that word doesn't exist in my dictionary, so come off it already," she shrugged and waved it off.

"Because I have watched and read many books concerning contracted marriage, the female lead ends up falling deeply in love with the male lead, and then it becomes one-sided love."

"You know me too well. I'm not romantic, and neither am I a fan of love, okay? All my dream is to grow to be the CEO of my own company, get married, and have kids, not to be in a fucking and goddamn marriage. But I just have to endure until the six months elapse."

"I don't believe you, Dera. You will end up like the female lead in those novels and movies," Luciana said, worried, and Dera sighed.

"Why are you getting worked up? Fine! If I fall in love with Mr. Henry, which I know I won't, I will give you one thousand dollars. And if I don't before the six months elapse, then you're giving me one thousand dollars." Dera stood up and winked at Luciana.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Going to prepare. I am leaving for my new husband's house," she said from inside her room, and Luciana couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Arrange your box quickly, Mrs. Royals," she said mockingly to get her pissed off.

"Fuck you, Luciana!! I hate you, I hate everyone, and finally, I hate myself!" she shouted from her room and threw herself on the bed, scattering her hair all over.

"But I love you, babe," her friend said and stood up, heading to her room as well.

She stopped at Dera's door. "Should I come to help you pack up?" she chuckled.

"Are you pursuing me already?" Dera said from inside.

"No, just want to help the newly wedded wife," Luciana burst into laughter, and almost immediately, she opened the door.

"If I get hold of you, Luciana, I will tear you into pieces before I leave," she said, chasing after Luciana, who kept laughing and running around the whole sitting room.

Their laughs, giggles, and chuckles could be heard all over the sitting room. They got tired and sat on the sofa.