"You are definitely joking," Miller said, trying to sound calm, but her voice held a faint tremor. He didn't look like he was joking, his hand still hanging expectantly in the space between them. A cold dread began to pool in her stomach. She fumbled for her phone, her fingers clumsy, and typed a frantic search: 'images of Devion Montgomery.' The screen populated instantly with pictures of the formidable business tycoon, and her blood ran cold. It was him. He was standing right in front of her. Not only that, but she had mistaken this man for an escort and slept with him.
"I am so sorry, sir. Please forgive me," she stammered, her bravado completely deflated.
He merely gestured again to his still-outstretched hand. Swallowing hard, she took it and shook it cautiously, her mind blaring with internal alarms.
"Come on, let's find somewhere quiet to sit," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. She wanted to refuse, to turn and disappear into the chaotic safety of the ranch, but a terrifying thought stopped her: what if that annoyed him? The power he wielded could crush her existence without a second thought. She could only nod mutely and follow wherever he led. He guided her to a small, quiet tea shop two stalls down from the ranch and ordered tea for both of them. Miller sat on the edge of her seat, the ceramic mug feeling dangerously fragile in her hand.
Finally, he spoke, his voice cool and measured. "I want you to be my wife."
Her brain stopped for a full millisecond. She stared at him, sure she had misheard. "Sir, please, this joke is too expensive," she said with a forced, brittle laugh, her hand tightening around the mug.
"I would pay you five hundred thousand dollars monthly to be my legally married wife for six months," he stated with a straight face. He was dead serious, and she wasn't in some fever-induced dream. "No strings attached. You only live in my house but would continue doing your thing. I won't interfere with anything you do. We wouldn't be intimate except when there's a need to act it out, and no feelings are involved. Just six months."
"But... you are engaged to the Williams model," she managed to say, in an attempt to find logic in the madness.
She noticed his face darken instantly, a storm cloud passing over his features. "There is no engagement. Do we have a deal or not?" he asked, his voice several degrees colder.
Miller did a quick mental calculation. Five hundred thousand dollars for 6 months. It was an unimaginable fortune, a ticket to a freedom she had never known. "Deal," she finally agreed, and they shook hands again, the gesture now sealing a bizarre contract.
"Your birth certificate?" he asked.
"Are we getting married immediately? Wouldn't the marriage registry be closed?" she questioned, bewildered by the speed of it all.
"Get your birth certificate," he said again, not bothering to reply to her questions.
She simply mumbled, "Oh." Picking up her phone, she called Stephanie. "Hey Steph, can you help me bring my birth certificate to the ranch without Aunt noticing?" Miller asked.
"What do you want your birth certificate for?" Stephanie asked.
"Something important."
"Miller, what are you up to again?" Stephanie asked, her tone laced with deep suspicion.
"I would tell you later; just bring it," Miller insisted.
Stephanie was silent for a while, with only the rustling of paper in the background, and then she sighed in resignation. "See you in a few minutes," she said and disconnected the call.
Miller turned back to Devion. "I would get it in a few minutes."
He merely hummed in acknowledgement.
Stephanie arrived after ten minutes, and Miller hurried to the ranch's entrance to collect the document from her. Just before Stephanie could ask more questions, Miller rode off on her skateboard towards where Devion's luxury car was parked. The registry was technically closed, but the doors were opened for them the moment Devion appeared in front of the door, a stark display of his power. In less than thirty minutes, they were officially married. Devion took possession of the marriage certificate, collected her phone number and bank details, and with no waste of time, she received an alert for her first payment. To her, the marriage meant nothing, absolutely nothing, except for the surreal fact that she was now legally tied to Devion Montgomery of all people. But other than that, it was a transaction. The money was the only exciting part of the deal.
Devion dropped her back at the ranch and said before driving away, "Get yourself packed. I will be picking you up tomorrow."
She nodded, and he drove off while she rode home on her skateboard, the thrill of possessing a whole five hundred thousand dollars in her bank account making her feel weightless.
On getting home, Stephanie was waiting in the sitting room, arms crossed, for an explanation. "So, what's with the birth certificate?" she asked immediately.
"To get married," Miller replied simply as she changed her shoes.
Stephanie looked at her in utter confusion. "I don't get it?"
"I got married," Miller said, her tone matter-of-fact.
"That's a joke, right?" Stephanie asked in disbelief.
"Nope, it's not," Miller said, hanging her apron and walking toward the dining room.
"Who in God's name did you suddenly get married to?" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Devion Montgomery," Miller said, still very calm, serving herself some rice.
"That's definitely a joke, or you are drunk," Stephanie said, her face holding pure shock.
Miller shrugged, putting a spoonful of rice in her mouth. "He probably broke up with his fiancée, so he contracted me to be his wife for six months with a pay of five hundred thousand dollars monthly."
Stephanie paused, the pieces clicking into place. "It makes sense. I saw the statement; he did break his engagement, and Madam Montgomery has all her grandchildren under great pressure to get married. But where did you meet him?"
Miller paused for a while, unsure how to reply. "An accident," she finally said.
Stephanie shook her head in disbelief. "Seriously, I wonder where you always find the guts to suddenly just do unthinkable things. Do you think my mom would support this if she knew?"
"I am sure she would. It's only a contracted marriage," Miller said, just as a shadow fell over the doorway.
Aunt Janet stood there; her presence shook the two ladies into silence. Stephanie stood up immediately and hurried away without another word, leaving Miller to face her guardian alone.
"What did I tell you about taking drastic decisions without consulting me?" Aunt Janet asked, her cracked voice low and dangerous.
"I am sorry, Aunt Janet," Miller muttered, dropping her spoon back onto the plate.
"Go and kneel in the rose bush. And make sure you break that marriage tomorrow," Aunt Janet commanded.
"Yes, Aunt Janet," Miller said, her heart sinking. She walked out into the garden and lowered herself onto her knees amidst the sharp, unforgiving thorns of the rosebush. The weight of losing her beautiful fortune pricking more than the rosebush.