14

I took a wild interest in whatever it was Chad had to say. "Go on, I'm all ears." I pushed him to talk.

"I was born rich. That sounds so expected but yeah, there's that." He began, scratching his hair nervously. Why was he feeling nervous around someone like me?

"Yeah, obviously." I rolled my eyes. It was easy to tell he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

"My parents literally had my future set out for me, and you know, life felt rosy for a limit." He shrugged.

"What was your big story and what ruined you?" I asked.

He knitted his eyebrows at me precisely. "What's that supposed to mean? What do you mean by ruin me?"

"Well, you see," I shifted in my seat and crossed one leg over the other, "life works weird for rich people. One minute, you guys are all happy and crap. Then next, one big incident changes everything and carves you into the man that you are today." I explained what I meant by my point.

"Wow. You're really out there believing rich people live the most cliche lives huh?" He sounded blank and I nodded positively, looking like some lost puppy.

"That's not really it for me. Look, my mum is this pressuring ass woman. She thinks I'll be unable to lead a happy life if I don't give her the grandson she wants so bad, and that's what led me to having to explain that I wasn't cut out for women just yet."

"Well at least you found the love of your life?" I shrugged, understanding where this was leading to.

"Let me finish." He warned with one raised eyebrow.

"Okay." I raised my hand in a surrender manner.

"So, you were saying?" I pushed him to continue speaking after I noticed he remained silent.

"Oh yeah right." He nodded, "she decided to pair me with Rebecca, her best friend's daughter, to ease me of the stress of having to deal with hooking up with women on my own." He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Wait, wait, holdup. You mean to tell me Rebecca was arranged for you?" The shock was huge. How could she act so important all the time when she was nothing but an arranged fiancee.

"Yep." He answered.

I hid my mocking smile behind my palm and shook my head with interest.

"This is some real shocking news I tell you." I smiled. "So what's the problem though?" I wondered what the point of his story was.

"That's it. I have been in this relationship without a marital intention but boom, my mum is trying to get us married and so is Rebecca even though I told her all about my conditions since the very first day we met." He sighed.

"Well, why don't you actually give her a wife from your heart? Meet someone you love so the pressure would be yours to bear, not hers." I suggested, frowning at my empty bowl.

"I just said I don't have a time for..." he began, shaking his head negatively, "wait a minute, you're actually a genius!" He gasped.

"I am?" I wondered.

You're an idiot.

You're a fool.

You're so forgetful.

Those were one of the few words from the past that he had used when it came to my matters.

"You are. Why didn't I think of that all along?" He smiled and placed one hand on my shoulder. "All I need to do to my mum is tell her the reason for the delayed wedding, is the fact that I actually have someone in mind. She'll go crazy to know I had the time to fall in love, this is just perfect I tell you." He beamed, "you're a real life saver Nikki."

"That way, you don't have to wait for Rebecca to push you forward and you get things done your way." I smiled at him. "But what about her feelings?" I thought about Rebecca and how much of a wimp she was. She loved Chad, I knew it.

"That's her problem to deal with to be honest." He sounded so unbothered. Did he really not care? I remembered the night I'd snuck in and had found them naked in bed. Didn't sex connect their souls habitually?

"Um... I'd like a new apple please?" I changed the subject.

*

I spent most of the day at Chad's and when it was time to leave, he hadn't even bothered to give me a ride home regardless of his drivers. I found that a bit annoying.

I was currently in bed, ready to sleep the night away while my mind remained flooded by activities from earlier. Chad was actually a nice human to begin with.

I leaned my head against the pillow and groaned when I had to switch the bulb off.

I reached for the switch and bid myself a goodnight, hoping for a great tomorrow.

*

My ringing phone jolted me out of bed. The screen lightened the room up and I could tell it was still night time. I groaned, sitting up lazily and looking at the phone screen.

It was a call from Chad. He had better not be involved in another trick. I hoped he wasn't going to ask me to come over again because my determined ass wouldn't succumb to his calls this time.

"It's damn twelve midnight, why would you call by this time?" I called at him in a sharp, tired voice.

"Well, I can't be the only one going through this disorderliness." He warned.

"What?" I frowned.

"Your stupid plan failed."

I furrowed my eyebrows, what was he talking about?

"What's that supposed to mean?" I pushed to know.

"I told my mum and yay, she freaked out, happy and crap." I knew what he was referring to immediately.

"Oh that. That means it worked, what are you going on about?" I wondered.

"Well, she wants to meet this supposed love of my life!" He freaked out.

That got me biting my lips back in laughter. He was so in trouble, that was for sure.

"Tomorrow!" He continued. Things were getting better for me.

"Wow, I'm sorry about that, but it's your problem, so..." I tried to discard the conversation but he wasn't having it.

"And you're going to be my pretend fiancee." He said.

"Yeah yeah...wait, what?!" I gasped, his words hitting me with understanding.

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