Amaira’s mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Theodore’s absurd offer echoed in her ears like a song she couldn’t get out of her head. A contract wife? This is crazy! She wanted to reject it outright, but her body seemed to hesitate. Her lips moved to form the words, but nothing came out. Her heart raced, and for a moment, she found herself frozen.

Theodore’s eyes were locked on her, watching every small twitch of her face, every flicker of hesitation. He knew exactly what he was doing. Leaning in just slightly closer, he spoke again, his voice low, almost coaxing. “Think about it,” he said softly, sending a shiver down her spine despite herself. “You don’t have to decide now. But you should know... this is a one-time offer.”

His words lingered in the air between them like a thick fog. Her pulse quickened as his closeness became overwhelming. She needed to get out of this room before she lost all sense of reason.

Theodore reached into his jacket pocket, producing a sleek black business card. Without a word, he scribbled something on the back of it and then held it out toward her.

“If you decide to accept,” he said, his tone still soft but authoritative, “meet me here at 2 PM.” He didn’t explain further. His piercing gaze held hers for another beat before he extended the card a little further, forcing her to take it.

Her hand trembled slightly as she accepted the card, the weight of it feeling like a pact with the devil. Amaira stood up, her legs wobbling beneath her. She needed to get away from him, from this absurd proposition. Her breath came in short bursts, her thoughts racing as she tried to gather herself.

“I… I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I can’t accept this crazy idea.” She turned away from him, her heart pounding as she made her way to the door. She could feel Theodore’s eyes on her, a silent pressure urging her to reconsider, but she forced herself to push through.

The moment she stepped out of his office, the weight of what had just happened hit her all at once. She couldn’t believe what he had just proposed. His wife? A contract wife? She felt both insulted and confused. Did he really think she’d agree to something so outlandish? She hadn’t struggled through job interviews and setbacks just to be someone’s hired spouse.

Walking briskly through the sleek corridors of Theodore’s company, Amaira’s emotions warred within her. Part of her was furious—angry that he thought he could control her fate with money and a cold business deal. But the other part… that nagging, practical part… couldn’t ignore the way he had framed it.

She stepped outside, the cool breeze hitting her face as she exited the building. It felt like a breath of reality compared to the suffocating tension inside. Amaira clutched the card in her hand, glancing down at it, feeling a wave of frustration wash over her.

Why did he have to be so infuriating?

The logical side of her brain screamed at her to tear the card in half, throw it into the nearest trash bin, and never look back. But something in her hesitated. Something kept her from letting it go. Maybe it was the financial security he promised. Or maybe it was the debt hanging over her like a dark cloud, constantly threatening to drown her.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even hear the ringing at first. Her phone buzzed persistently in her bag, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. She fumbled to answer it, her mind still muddled with the weight of the conversation she had just left behind.

“Hello?” she answered, her voice slightly shaky as she tried to pull herself together.

“Amaira, it’s Max,” came the familiar voice from the other end of the line. “What’s up? How did the meeting go?”

Amaira closed her eyes, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. Of all the people she could talk to right now, Max was probably the worst and the best. He had this knack for being both annoying and comforting at the same time. But could she really tell him about Theodore’s insane offer? Would he even believe her?

“It was... weird,” she finally admitted, her voice still shaky.

“Weird how?” Max pressed, clearly curious. “Weird as in ‘he offered you some lowball position,’ or weird as in ‘he asked you to do something sketchy’?”

Amaira let out a humorless laugh. “Let’s just say... it’s the second one.”

There was a brief pause on the other end before Max’s voice came back, louder now, almost disbelieving. “Wait, what? What do you mean sketchy? Did he try to—”

“No, no, nothing like that!” Amaira quickly cut him off, realizing where his mind was going. “It’s just... I can’t even explain it. He offered me a job, but not the one I expected.”

“Okay, now I’m intrigued,” Max said, clearly gearing up for more questions. “What kind of job?”

Amaira hesitated, her fingers tracing the edges of the card she still held. “He... he wants me to be his wife.”

There was a long, stunned silence on the other end of the phone, and then, predictably, Max burst into laughter. “His wife?! Oh my God, are you serious? That’s insane! What, like in some twisted romantic comedy?”

Amaira grimaced. “It’s not funny, Max. He’s serious. He wants me to be his contract wife for a year. Some business deal to get his mother off his back or something.”

“Wow. Okay, that’s... definitely a first,” Max said, his tone now a mix of shock and amusement. “But wait, are you actually considering it? I mean, you don’t owe him anything, right?”

Amaira sighed again, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. “I don’t know what to do. It’s crazy, but... he’s offering a lot. It could fix everything for me. I could pay off my debt, get my life back on track...”

Max’s tone softened, becoming more serious. “Amaira, you don’t need to sell yourself to fix your problems. There’s always another way. Besides, a contract marriage? That’s like walking into a trap. You know these things never end well.”

“I know, I know,” Amaira said, rubbing her temples as she tried to make sense of it all. “But he’s given me a deadline to decide. By 2 PM.”

“And what happens if you don’t?”

“I don’t know. I think the offer just... goes away.”

Max was quiet for a moment, then spoke up again, his tone firm. “Look, just take a deep breath and think it through. Don’t let him pressure you into something you don’t want to do. And if you need to, I’ll be there. We’ll figure it out.”

Amaira smiled, appreciating Max’s support, even through the phone. “Thanks, Max. I’ll figure it out.”

But as she hung up and looked back down at Theodore’s card, her mind was anything but clear. What am I going to do?

Suddenly Amaira phone ring again.