Natasha

I refreshed the page to confirm. It had to be network issues. There was no way my savings would be gone. However, it returned the same way. $0 and nothing more.

At this point, I felt asphyxiated again. I grabbed a paper bag and breathed with it. I found my way outside and I could feel the breeze against my face.

There was only one person who could have withdrawn the savings apart from me. That was Marie.

I could remember she looked nervous when I talked about using the savings to get a new place earlier.

I ran back inside and grabbed my phone. I dialed Marie's contact immediately. She picked up at the second ring.

"Did you transfer the money in my savings to your bank account already? You should have told me," I tried masking my fears.

"I'm sorry, Natasha..." I heard those dreaded words. I had to sit down now else I could faint.

"What are you sorry for?" I asked calmly.

"I... I am sorry..." Marie went again.

"Tell me the reason!" I shouted at her. I lost my temper for a second and then I regained composure. "I need to know, please."

"Bajie saw an investment scheme a few months ago and needed some money. I used your savings and planned to return it when it yields the desired profit. I didn't tell you because you'll just say it's a scam and refuse to lend Bajie the money," Marie said slowly. She was choosing her words delicately.

"When will I get my money back?" I asked calmly.

"The thing is..." Marie muttered. "It was a scam!"

I dropped my phone. I managed to stand up and get to the verandah. There, I laid down on the bare floor and wept. I was penniless now. Marie had foolishly ended whatever hope I had before.

Then I stopped crying and switched to laughing hysterically. I must be going crazy, I thought.

I could hear my phone ringing inside. I knew it was Marie. I decided to go back inside and pick up the phone. This time, I talked first.

"You've ruined me, Marie!" I told her without mincing words.

"I trusted you but this is how you stab me in the back. I knew you were struggling in your career and that's why I never pressured you to do anything. I pay the household bills, the rent, and almost everything else. You were my best friend yet you betrayed me for that useless boyfriend of yours!"

"I'm sorry," Marie said. That didn't move me at all.

"It's all my fault. Bajie did nothing wrong. I should have..."

"Shut it!" I shouted over the phone. "Get over here right now and let's find a solution! I'm sure you don't want either of us to sleep in the streets."

"I haven't told you everything..." Marie said nervously. "I also borrowed money from a loan shark. It was about fifteen thousand dollars."

I started to laugh. "That's a joke, right? Comic relief!" I wanted to know.

"I was supposed to pay back last month but I couldn't. The loan shark has our house address. I think he is coming there today," Marie said carefully.

"Really?" I clenched my fists.

"I'm staying at a hotel with Bajie for now. You should get out of the house as well. If the loan shark meets you there, I have no idea what he will do. The man has a lot of gangsters on his beck and call," Marie concluded.

"Bitch!" I shouted angrily. Marie cut the call immediately and I couldn't vent my anger properly.

Marie never said it but I was sure she borrowed that money with my name. It dawned on me that I had been living with my enemy since.

There was no time to wait. I packed a small bag and left the house immediately. I had no idea where I was going and I had only a little money with me as well.

Green light. Time to use the pedestrian crossing.

I was walking slowly, lost in thought. I didn't know what happened until I heard a car's tires screech so loudly beside me. It almost hit me.

"Do you want to get yourself killed?" I heard the driver shouting.

My eyes went blurry and as I tried to take a single step, I collapsed.

**My eyes opened slowly. Regaining consciousness was like waking up from a dream.

The first person I saw was Marie. Infact, she was the only one in the room.

"Bitch!" I retorted. How could those be my first words, huh? It could only mean she had been etched so badly into my memory.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Get out! All you did to me were things only an evil person would do. You want me dead, don't you?" I asked out of anger.

The door opened and I watched as Bruce entered.

"I see you are awake!" Bruce said and came right beside me.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to mock me?" I asked. I was surrounded by two vile humans.

"I heard the whole story from your friend," Bruce told me.

"Your hospital bills have been paid and I have paid off that loan shark as well. I'll renew your rent as well. I trust that will be enough for now."

"Why would you do that for me?" I wanted to know.

"Think of it as hitting the jackpot!" Bruce replied. "Or better still, think of me has your prince in shining armor."

"I don't believe in things like that!" I told him firmly.

"Then you can start now..." Bruce replied. He turned to leave.

"Stop!" I shouted.

"I'm a patient. Don't stress me, boss. Tell me what you want in exchange. You're a businessman. How do you expect me to believe you've given me all that for free?"

Bruce smiled and turned towards Marie.

"Bring the doctor, Marie. Let them know Natasha is awake," Bruce said.

Marie went out of the room, leaving both of us alone.

"Tell me," I said calmly.

"A contract marriage. Three months only."

Bruce

You are probably wondering how I got into this situation. You probably want to know how I ended up asking Natasha to have a contract marriage with me. Allow me take you back memory lane.

** "I have girls prepared from all over the country. I have screened them and I hope they would meet your standards," Kelvin told me as he handed me an iPad.

He had compiled the lists of girls in a file there. I began to scroll through the profiles.

"I have high standards," I muttered.

"It will be a marriage for only three months. Your standards shouldn't be that high," Kelvin responded wittingly.

"That's the more reason why it has to be a perfect woman!" I exclaimed.

"I have kept a perfect image so far, my marriage won't be the opposite. When the marriage ends, I want the public to say that not even a perfect woman like whoever I pick could end up satisfying me."

Kelvin turned towards me with his arms folded, "And what do you think makes up a perfect woman?"

I was eager to reply. "Beauty. Grace. Charisma. Feminity. Sexy. Smart. There should be more," I replied in a firm voice.

"The standards are not as high as I thought," Kelvin replied.

"For someone like you, I thought you would like someone famous. Maybe a hot model or actress. Or a rich heiress?"

"I could consider that for my second marriage," I shrugged.

"For this first, it is a fake. I don't need to go to those extents. And also, I don't like actresses. Especially if they kiss a lot in movies."

"You are not an old-fashioned guy, Bruce. Surely you don't judge a woman by the amount of men she has kissed?" Kelvin asked.

I took a deep breath and pondered on that.

"I don't necessarily judge," I muttered. "But I can't! I won't. You wouldn't want me kill an actor who groped her in a scene. I don't have the self-control to handle that."

"Then we can rule out actresses from your second marriage," Kelvin smiled.

"You should focus more on my first," I replied. His smile disappeared instantly.

"Check the profiles on the iPad. They will be up to your satisfaction, I assure you," Kelvin replied confidently.

I sighed before I began to scroll through. I had to admit, some of the profiles were amazing. There were beauties and there were beauties with brains.

I selected four of them and gave the iPad back to Kelvin. When he saw how many I chose, he smiled again.

"I knew you would like it," Kelvin replied excitedly.

"Don't get too excited," I interrupted. "I will need to have a date with each one of them. I will have to see if they are someone I can consider in my life."

"But it isn't even real..." Kelvin muttered.

"So I should pick someone I have no chemistry with? You want me to do that just because it's a contract marriage?" I stared at him, my heart full of distaste.

"Sorry, boss," Kelvin stood up hurriedly, his hands behind his back.

"Fine!" I exclaimed.

"What do I hate the most?"

"Girls!" Kelvin answered.

"And where did you get that from?" I had to ask.

"You have never dated girls. You don't even want them to touch you. You hate the idea of a blind date and you are not a bit worried about the rumors of you being gay," Kelvin replied in a confident voice.

"Maybe it's because I am gay..." I stood up and walked to Kelvin.

"Now that I think about it, you do have a nice, round butt. I want to smack it."

"Here you go!" Kelvin turned his butt towards me. I didn't expect that reaction one bit.

Kelvin continued, "Go ahead. Smack it whichever way you want, daddy."

"Just get that smelly butt out of my sight!" I shouted at him.

He turned around with a victorious look. "I know you the best, boss. You are definitely not gay," he replied, a smile on his face.

I bit my lower lip and went nearer to him,

"If you know me that much, why would you say what I hate the most are ladies?" I stepped on Kelvin's foot and a cry escaped from his lips.

"Violence!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up!" I exclaimed in a louder voice. "What I hate the most is time wasting and here I am, wasting my time with you."

"I'm sorry, boss, but it hurts," he muttered.

"I will have dates with all four ladies today. I will spend thirty minutes each with them. Have them ready by the next hour," I ordered.

"That would be impossible," Kelvin retorted.

"I told you I gathered the ladies from far and wide. One of them stays in Paris, France. Another lives in a Frankfurt, Germany. Even one of the remaining two that lives here in the United States is in a faraway province. It will be almost impossible to have her with us in an hour."

"So you mean they ain't prepared?" I asked, unable to believe my ears.

"Unfortunately, no. But if I reach out to them now..." Kelvin tried.

"Enough!" I raised my hand. "Consider the unavailable people disqualified. Reach out to the last one who is available. I will have a date with her."

"Understood," Kelvin replied. I began to walk out right before a realization hit me. I turned towards Kelvin now.

"How did you screen these ladies? Why would they accept a contract marriage with me?" I asked calmly.

"You are handsome and you are wealthy. Any lady would choose to wed you even though it's false," Kelvin replied innocently.

I realized I had given this crucial job to the wrong person.

"This last lady..." I muttered. "She has no social media presence, does she?"

"She does!" Kelvin exclaimed excitedly. "She has more than two million followers across her social media platforms. You will love her."

I could tell a headache was incoming.

"Cancel all you've planned, Kelvin," I ordered. "And get out of my office. Right NOW!"