Married At First Glance: I Am Not Ugly

Marissa remembered his words as she headed home.

“Financial security for life, access to a comfortable lifestyle, and all your needs taken care of. In return you’ll be my wife in name only for three months. We won’t have any real obligations to each other, and then we’ll get a divorce.”

Marissa couldn’t believe her ears. It sounded too good to be true.

She pinched herself lightly and winced.

“Ah! Nope, not a dream.”

Marissa sighed and shook her head, as if trying to slap herself into reality.

“I must be crazy to consider this, right? Marry a total stranger for three months, just on paper? It’s insane!”

She entered her small apartment and she flopped onto her bed, still contemplating the unbelievable offer.

“This is surreal. But it’s my chance to fix everything, to save my brother. I can’t let it slip away.”

“What if he is a serial killer and wants to kill me or kidnap me and traffic me to another country for prostitution?” she asked herself.

“Oh.. the horror.”

“No, Marissa, don’t overthink it. He’s a rich man, not a criminal. And it’s just a three-month paper marriage. I’ll be okay.”

Yet, the worry still lingered in her thoughts as she reflected on the bold choice she had made.

She entered the bathroom to bathe and as she showered, more weird thoughts crossed her mind.

“What if he changes his mind and kicks me out with nothing after a month?”

“And what if his so-called lawyer tricks me into some shady deal?”

She couldn’t help but wonder about the potential pitfalls of this weird arrangement.

After her shower, Marissa wrapped herself in a towel and paced around her apartment, lost in thought.

“Maybe I should back out before it’s too late. This whole thing sounds too good to be true, and it’s making me nervous.”

But then she remembered her brother’s desperate need for surgery, and her resolve strengthened.

“No, I can’t back out now. I have to take this chance, no matter how crazy it seems.”

“I need his help for my brother’s surgery and he needs my help for whatever thing he needs me for.

So it’s a win-win game.” I told myself.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“Well let’s find out what tomorrow has in store for us shall we?” she said as she laid down to sleep, but she couldn’t as she worried about her brother.

*

The next day, Marissa returned to her workplace, a small cafe where she worked as a waitress.

While Marissa was working, her phone rang from an unknown number. She answered cautiously, “Hello?”

On the other end, a cold and unfriendly voice spoke, “Marissa, it’s Alexander. We need to discuss where to meet and sign the contract. My lawyer has it ready.”

Marissa, a bit taken aback by his tone, replied, “Alright, just let me know when and where.”

“How about we meet at my office at 3pm tomorrow?” Alexander asked. “I’ll text you the address.”

Marissa hesitated. “I can’t do it tomorrow, I’m already booked up,” she said. “What about next week?”

Alexander sighed impatiently. “I really need this done as soon as possible,” he said. “What about Friday?”

Marissa paused. She didn’t want to come across as rude or unprofessional, but she didn’t want to be pushed around, either.

“I’m sorry, but Friday won’t work either,” Marissa said firmly, but politely. “I can do it next Monday, though.”

There was silence on the other end. “Fine,” Alexander said at last. “I’ll see you at my office on Monday at 3pm.”

“Perfect,” Marissa replied, feeling relieved. “I look forward to it.”

Alexander hung up without another word. Marissa exhaled, and looked down at the pile of work in front of her. It was going to be a long day.

Just then she remembered that the doctor had told her she had 48 hours for her brother or she would lose her brother.

She sighed heavily resting on a chair close to her.

She had to act like she was busy and not available at his beck and call but she was desperate and so called him back.

Marissa quickly called Alexander and waited for him to pick up. After a few rings, he answered in the same unfriendly tone.

“What do you want?” he asked sharply.

“Actually, can we meet today instead to sign the contract? Is that okay with you?” Marissa asked.

“What made you change your mind so suddenly? You said you were busy,” he replied coldly.

“I don’t need to explain. Can we meet today or not?” Marissa’s voice was filled with desperation.

Alexander let out an annoyed sigh. “Fine, we can meet today, but it has to be quick. I’ll text you the address.”

Marissa felt relieved. “Thank you, Alexander. I’ll be there.”

He hung up abruptly, leaving Marissa feeling uneasy.

“What a rude punk.” she said to herself. “Marissa, remember this isn’t about you right now. It’s about your brother and so let’s get through this alright.”

She took a deep breath and smiled to herself. She knew dealing with him would be challenging, but she had no other option if she wanted to save her brother’s life.

She had no choice but to cope with the guy’s rude and annoying character for three months.

“You can do this Marissa. Fighting!”

Returning to her work, she tried to concentrate, but thoughts of the upcoming meeting continued to distract her.

While she was working, a text entered her phone and she checked.

The text from Alexander read:

Meet me at the address below at 5 PM today.

Marissa sighed, knowing she had little time to get ready for the meeting.

She replied with a simple “OK” and went back to her work, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination.

As the hours passed, Marissa couldn’t help but wonder about Alexander’s true intentions.

Why had he chosen her for this strange arrangement? What did he really want from her?

She had so many questions, but for now, she needed to focus on the task ahead and hope that this temporary marriage would solve her family’s financial troubles.