Chapter 5

"Yo-Your what?!" She stuttered. She tried to clean her ears and rubbed her eyes. She even tried pinching herself waiting for the moment that she would be waking up on her bed. Unfortunately, she was still seated on the comfortable seat staring at the amazingly looking guy in front of her.

"My hire bride, Ms. Parker. You will be posing as my wife." He repeated with the same firmness on his voice.

She stared crazily at him for a few seconds before harsh words exited her mouth. "Are you crazy? Me, get married, to you? Is this some kind of a sick joke?!"

"Look, I know it might be a little overwhelming and too much information for a day, but I need to find myself a bride and get married within the next three months." He explained.

"So you mean to tell me that we are getting married? In three months?!" She asked flabbergasted.

"Fake marriage, and that is, if you are willing to take this job. It's one in a life time chance, Miss Parker." He stated as the phrase kept ringing in her head.

It's one in a life time chance...

He was willing to pay one million dollars. She could spend that money on many things. Like Kyle's hospital bills, house payment bills, enrol Ace to kindergarten school, and maybe, just maybe, she could go back and finish college. She could finally be a chef and find a descent job. She had all these plans playing on her mind and she was having second thoughts whether she should accept his offer or not.

"So, what do you say?" Mason asked looking expectantly at her.

"Can I at least go home and think this through? And I need to know the opinion of my mother before I decide."

Mason furiously shook his head. "No, nobody can find out that you and I are in some sort of a deal. Not even your mother." He warned her.

"So you want me to lie to my own mother?" She questioned furrowing her eyebrows together. She was indeed furious with the idea of this man asking her to hide the truth and lie to her own mother.

"Not specifically lie, more like... not tell her anything for now. I can't risk for the press to go all crazy on me. They can't find out that I'm having this deal or they'll turn it into something ugly."

"So you get to tell your friend, but I can't tell my mother?" She pointed out as she glanced at Ricky, who was listening to them by the couch, and looked back at Mason.

Mason was completely held back. He didn't know what to answer her. It was true, he got to tell Ricky about the plan and even involve him in it but he wouldn't let Kelsey tell anyone. The idea made him felt like a hypocrite, however, he couldn't risk of anyone opening their mouth and ruining everything for him.

"I trust Ricky." He simply replied.

"And I trust my mother. I'm a hundred percent sure that she wouldn't tell a soul about this." She fought back causing Mason to groan out loud. 'Did she really need to make it more complicated?' He thought.

Mason thought about it and he hated to do it but he had to. "Fine!" He caved in. "But I'm going to need you to sign a contract."

"That is, if I agree and say yes." She reminded him.

"Oh, I'm sure you will." He said cockily. "Here's my calling card, Miss Parker. Make a decision by tonight. I'm going to expect your call. However, if you don't phone me after midnight, I'm gonna assume that your answer is no and you're going to pass up a one in a life time chance."

'There goes that phrase again.' Kelsey thought annoyingly. She hesitantly grabbed the calling car out of his grasp and placed it in her purse. She didn't want to take the risk of putting it in her pocket and losing it later on.

"I'm guessing I can leave now?" She asked.

"Absolutely, Nina will escort you out." He said before Kelsey could protest. He buzzed Nina and she was by the door within the next second. "Nina, please escort Miss Parker out."

"Yes, sir." She quietly replied as she shot Kelsey a warm smile. The two ladies both left the room, closing the door gently.

"Well that went well." Ricky commented as he sat on the chair where Kelsey previously sat on. "Let's just hope that she says yes."

~ * ~ * ~

Kelsey inserted her house key to the door as the lock clicked open and she went inside. She was completely shocked that her mother was already home, sitting on the stool by the counter in the kitchen. She was doing some crossword puzzle from the newspaper.

"Mom? You're home early?" She asked placing her purse on the couch and making her way to the kitchen.

"Yeah, Sarah let me out early today. She said she wanted to spend some time with her kids, so she decided to bring them to the monument park." Hilda explained. Sarah was Hilda's employer. She was really nice and very down to earth. Hilda babysat her children every weekdays because both of their parents go to work.

"That's nice. Where's Ace?"

"Still next door. I tried to picked him up earlier but he wanted to play with Pearson some more. I'm glad Paulina is okay with it."

"Yeah, Ace practically lives there, mom. Hey mom, can we talk?" She asked sliding on the stool next to her mother.

"Honey, aren't we already talking?" Hilda whispered causing both of them to laugh.

"Mom, I'm serious, this is serious." She said turning her expression to her normal one.

"Well it does sounds serious. What is it about, sweetheart?" Hilda questioned putting the newspaper away and turning her stool to face her daughter.

"Well, you know how I went to that interview, right?..." She talked slowly.

"Yeah, how did that go, by the way?"

"Well, actually the boss offered me a different job. And he said that this job he can guarantee to give it to me." She tried explaining but found it really hard to. She didn't know whether she should try to make her mother understand first how big of an opportunity the job was or just tell her straight to the point.

"What kind of job is he offering you?" She asked taking a sip of her juice.

"He wants me to pose as his wife." She mumbled hoping her mother didn't hear a word. Unfortunately, that idea was thrown out of the window when Hilda choked on the juice that she was previously drinking. She coughed vigorously and Kelsey patted her back awkwardly. "Mom, are you okay?" She asked with concern lacing through her voice.

"Wait, wait, wait, honey?" She said turning her attention back to her daughter. "Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that Mr. King offered you a job to act as his pretend... wife?" She asked flabbergasted.

"Mom, I know it sounds ridiculous but it's a really good offer-" she tried explain but her mother cut her off.

"No, no Kelsey." She firmly stated standing up and putting the dishes away.

"But mom-"

"Kelsey, no means no. I'm not going to let you pose as his... wife. It's completely ridiculous! I'm not going to send you off with that man. Kelsey, you are not a prostitute that he could just pay to pretend to be something you're not! Decline that offer right away, right now." She demanded and Kelsey felt furious radiating off her mother.

"Mom, you don't understand."

Hilda whipped her head to her. "And what exactly do I not understand?" She asked incredulously.

"Mom, he is willing to pay 1 million dollars!" Kelsey annoyingly answered. She hated raising her voice to her mom but it was the only way for her to listen to her. Hilda momentarily stopped and remained frozen. Her eyes were wide and Kelsey knew that that information alone shocked her. "1 million dollars, mom." She repeated like she couldn't believe it herself.

"Imagine what we could do with that much money." She started trying to persuade her mother. She thought it was working since Hilda stopped whatever she was doing and started listening to her. "Mom, we can pay all our debts, we can pay for Kyle's chemotherapy and medication, we can finally enrol Ace to kindergarten school. Mom, I can finally finish what I've started and be a professional chef. That way I can find a better and descent job. Mom, this job can change our lives. Please, please let me do this. I know it's truly ridiculous but if it's the only way to get ourselves out of this mess up life, so be it. Mom, I wanna do this for you, for Kyle, for Ace, for my future. Please mom, please let me do this." She begged as her mother's eyes softened in understanding.

No one said a word for a while and Kelsey's heart was practically jumping out of her chest. She knew the job didn't sound very decent but it was the only option that could change their lives and bring all their debts to end. She was praying in her head that Hilda would say yes. Kelsey regarded her and her mother was still stood there motionless, staring at a distant. She knew she was thinking it through. She just hope the answer will not fail her.

After a few more seconds, Hilda finally looked her in the eye and Kelsey knew what answer already. "Fine." She huffed then went back to washing the dishes and turned her back on her.

Kelsey knew better than to bother her and get her even angrier, so she let her be and went to her room.

'Guess it's time to make a phone call.' She thought.

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