THE CONTRACT WIFE: A ONE NIGHT STAND BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE

Zara’s POV

I had fallen asleep while lost in thought. If it weren’t for the knocking on my door, I wouldn’t have woken up. I quickly got up and approached the door.

“Enrique, it’s you.” I was slightly disappointed when I saw the little girl at the door.

“Are you sick?” he asked.

“No, I’m not. Why do you ask?” I answered with a question while fixing my hair.

“Daddy told me to ask if you’re okay.” I tried not to laugh at Enrique’s statement because I was sure Lucas must have warned her not to let me know he was concerned about my health. Such drama!

“I see, so where is he now?”

“Cooking dinner.”

“I see.”

“But I think he needs your help!” Enrique said, sounding worried.

“Really?” I replied while trying to look presentable.

You see, when I just woke up, my appearance changes slightly – not that I look like an alien, but it’s noticeably different.

“Yes, Miss.”

“Alright, let’s go and see your dad,” I said to the child, and we both went downstairs to the kitchen.

What the hell? I couldn’t help but curse silently when I saw the mess in my kitchen.

“Enrique, stay with your brother for now, okay? I’ll help your dad with cooking.”

As soon as Enrique left, I immediately confronted Lucas.

“You knew you can’t cook a proper meal, so why?”

I mean, I’m asking why he dared to intervene in my kitchen when all he’s capable of is making toasted bread. Yes, he’s a frustrated chef, but he shouldn’t be practicing in my kitchen. It’s just unacceptable!

“I’m hungry, and the kids were hungry too! Did you plan to starve us?”

And now I’m the one to blame!

“You should have woke me up!”

My anger subsided a bit.

“But you said I wasn’t allowed to go to your room…” He peeked at me and seemed amused.

I took offense when he smirked. “Is there something funny?”

“No, none at all. I just remembered how you look when you just woke up.”

Without warning, I lightly punched his arm.

“Is being a gentleman just fake for you, Mr. Khalifa?” I was about to forget the embarrassing incident that only the two of us knew, but my mind changed quickly when he suddenly hugged me.

“You knew that I was gentle with you!” He whispered into my ear while hugging me tightly.

My ear tickled, but I couldn’t laugh because he might misunderstand my reaction to his whisper. I bit my lower lip to prevent any noise that might be misinterpreted by him, then I tried to calm down and pushed him away.

“What do you really want?” I asked him because I couldn’t understand his actions anymore.

“I want you,” he whispered to me.

“Really?” Just like that? Is he already interested in me just because we had a one-night stand? Well, it’s like magic if that’s the case.

“I’m telling the truth, Zara. Why won’t you believe me?”

“Oh, Lucas, just stop it, okay? What truth are you talking about? Just last week, you were head over heels for Kate. Don’t mess with me! I’ll never allow you to be just a rebound!” My speech might have been a bit long and profound, but it came from the depths of my heart.

I realized that a woman like me could easily fall in love. It only took a little bit of sweet-talking, and my heart would give in. Maybe if I had been involved with other men before, I would wouldn’t be so gullible to Lucas. Soon, I must find some ways to get away from him!

“Why are you here, Lucas? You said you are going to meet with Giselle,” I reminded him about the things he told after ravishing my body.

“Later, Zara,” he replied before walking out of the kitchen without looking back.

I shrugged my shoulders and started cleaning up. I cook better when my countertop or the whole kitchen was clean. A cluttered kitchen would always ruin my mood but it was Lucas who messed up in my work area.

Once I finished cooking and setting the table, I called the whole family to eat, even though it was quite late. Enrique seemed to enjoy the food I prepared, but Lucas was the only one not enjoying the meal. He was busy with his phone until the food got cold.

The next morning, around four o’clock, I woke up, and Enrique was already awake too. Only Lucas was missing, and we were about to leave. I wondered what was taking him so long! It was unusual for him to take us to the mall but he promised Enrique he would do it with us this morning.

“Enrique, please tell your father to hurry up.” I asked our son, who was battling sleepiness with excitement.

After a few minutes, Enrique was back, but Lucas was still nowhere to be found.

“How about your father?”

“I think he’s sick, Mom,” Enrique answered.

“What?”

Was he getting sick now when we’re about to leave? No, I didn’t think it was the case. I believed Lucas had second thought about going to the mall with us. Before Enrique would be disappointed, I went to see Lucas.

As expected, he was fine but decided not to go. So, I ended up begging him not to disappoint my son once again. He only agreed when I chose a not so famous mall in the city. I waited for him while he was getting ready so that he wouldn’t have another chance to make an excuse.

While we were heading to the mall, I only spoke when Enrique would ask me some questions. My hand was sweating from holding my mobile phone for so long but I was really uncomfortable around Lucas.

“Are you waiting for someone to call you?” he asked.

I didn’t respond to his inquiry; instead, I put my phone inside my sling bad and held Enrique’s hand. When we arrived at the mall, he kept a safe distance from us. I felt bad for my son when Lucas refused to hold him, and then he pretended to busy calling someone. In my mind, I wondered if he was calling Giselle at the moment.

“Don’t let go of my hand, Ken,” I said to my son. Sometimes I would call him by his nickname.

“But I am a big boy now, Mom. I am sure I can manage,” he replied while trying to get away from my hold.

“Don’t use that tone with me, little boy!” I scolded him in a way I knew wouldn’t hurt him too much.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he immediately apologized.

“It’s okay. I understand that you are a big boy now, but there could be bad guys in the mall. So, do you want to eat first before shopping for toys?”

“I will look for a good restaurant,” Lucas said from a distance.

We followed him when he was looking for a nice place to eat when I saw someone who shouldn’t be at the mall. I suddenly stopped walking and bumped into my husband’s back.

“What’s wrong?” Lucas asked.

Anyone in my position would also lose focus and stopped walking. I became speechless while staring at Giselle. She was so beautiful even with a simple dress and I was insecure. Before Lucas could tell me what to do, I dragged Enrique to another direction. I wasn’t that far when Giselle squealed in delight for seeing Lucas!

I wanted to confront them or even slapped the woman but my conscience stopped me. Besides, I wasn’t a scandalous person. Therefore, I lied to my son that Lucas received an emergency call from the office, and he couldn’t join us. Enrique pouted but he understood there was nothing else we could do at the moment.

I took him to a fast food restaurant that was popular with kids and ordered a kiddie meal for him. He seemed to be contented and as I watched him eat his food, I felt bad for the little boy. I wanted to drag Lucas from that woman but Giselle had no idea he was married.

From the fast food, we went to a toy store but Enrique lost the drive to go shopping and asked if we could just go home. I knew he was sad, and at that moment, I hated Lucas. When we got home, Enrique went to his room, and said he was tired, but I knew better.

I took a deep breath before I went downstairs to prepare his favorite snacks. However, while cooking, I couldn’t focus because I was thinking about Lucas and Giselle. In the evening, Lucas didn’t come home.

Well, he didn’t come for several days!

When Lucas came home after a week of being with Giselle, I expected he would be kind to Enrique, who missed him for a long time, but Lucas was just the same jerk. He still treated Enrique and me coldly. He was so indifferent toward us!

He quickly changed his clothes and took the car key. Even though it was late, he would go to his girlfriend’s condominium. Sometimes, I wondered if Lucas would get tired of looking at Giselle’s face, as her makeup seemed to never leave her face, but then, he really loved Giselle.

“Come on, son. Let’s go to sleep,” I informed Enrique.

Then, I washed him and prepared him for bed. Just like his father, Enrique loved to sleep without anything on. As soon as his back hit the bed, he was immediately asleep.

Since I couldn’t sleep, I got up from bed and went outside to get a glass of milk. While in the kitchen, my mind wandered to Lucas and Giselle. Were they cozy on the balcony, drinking wine, and embracing each other while stargazing?

I gulped the remaining milk in the glass and afterward, I returned to my room. I believed that reading a book would help me become sleepy. My footsteps echoed in the hallway because the silence was deafening. Deep inside, I asked myself if I was waiting for him to come home.

Even if he would just be sleeping in another room, knowing he was close would give me peace. When I entered the room, it was awfully quiet. Then, I changed my mind. Instead of reading a book, I would just cuddle with my little boy. I thought he was already asleep, but he suddenly spoke.

“Mom, I’m sorry,” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

I faced him and gently combed his hair with my fingers. “Sorry for what, baby?” I asked in a low voice.

“Sorry for having me. I feel like it’s my fault, why you have to endure Daddy’s indifference to you,” his voice quivered when he said those words.

While listening to him, I almost lost my breath. The words coming out of his mouth deeply pierced my heart. When I looked into his eyes, I wondered what was going on inside his head.

“Ken, what are you talking about? It’s not your fault, okay? Go to sleep now, do you want me to sing for you?” I asked gently, but then he suddenly cried. I didn’t know what to do but hug him.

I cried too, and I couldn’t stop my tears from falling. It’s okay for me to be suffering and hurt. But not my son! Not my child!

I couldn’t believe that he was hurting more than me! What have I done? Because of my one-sided love for Lucas, I let my son suffer silently! I allowed him to think that he was a worthless son.

I wiped my son’s tears. I spoke sweetly, “Enrique, listen, baby, okay? It is part of our life. And don’t ever say and think that you brought this pain. You didn’t cause this, son. In truth, maybe if you were not here with me right now, maybe I’d be even more miserable. Maybe I’d be even more depressed. Baby, Mommy draws strength from you, alright? You are my only treasure. Always remember that.”

My son nodded slightly and said, “I love you, Mom.”

“Mommy loves you too. Never forget that.”

The next day, I woke up early to cook breakfast. It was just enough for the two of us because Lucas never came home last night. As if I’m not used to it. He was always absent in our lives.

Enrique ate his pancakes with gusto. Thankfully, his appetite wasn’t affected by our last night’s conversation. When I looked at him, he just smiled.

“Do you want more chocolate syrup?” I asked him.

“Yes, and more strawberries, Mom.”

While he was eating, I couldn’t eat my food. I had no appetite. So, I just had a cup of my favorite coffee. Then, I called my husband’s secretary to ask something about the man I married.

Actually, it wasn’t my style to call his assistant, but it was urgent. If only I could call him personally, then it would be better. When it comes to us, Lucas treated us like staff who had to go through his secretary.

“Hello, Mary, good day to you.”

“Oh, hi Miss Delafontaine. How can I help you?”

“Can I speak with your boss?”

“I’m sorry, but he is not yet here, Miss Delafontaine. It’s still seven in the morning, and he usually comes at eight,” Mary said on the other line.

While listening to Mary, I was embarrassed. She was right. It was seven and yet, I called her to ask about Lucas Blackwood. She was probably laughing behind my back. But then, I have known Mary for more than six years. She was one of the few who knew the truth between me and Lucas.

“Hmmm, Mary, do you know if Lucas has any plans for his birthday?” I inquired because his birthday would be next month. He never celebrated it with me or Enrique.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

“Hold on, let me check his schedule. Hmmm, he will go to Japan with Giselle on that day, Miss.”

When I heard it, I was not surprised. After all, he has been celebrating every special occasion in his life with Giselle. However, I wished he would change his plans this year. I hoped he could spend it with us.

I sighed deeply. Then, I thanked Mary for letting me know. When I glanced at Enrique, he was still eating, but I knew he was listening. Perhaps, Antoinette was right. I should just divorce Lucas and go to Nick. Speaking of Antoinette, I sent her a message to grab some coffee later.

After dropping Enrique off at his school, Antoinette and I immediately went to the nearest coffee shop. As expected, Nick informed her about what Lucas did. She was furious but I warned her to minimize her voice.

“I couldn’t believe it when Nick told me. Do you know he was furious when you said it was fine? Zara, are you crazy?”

“Giselle has no idea he is married to me,” I reminded her, and she snorted.

“I know, right? Then, why not do something about it? Slowly inform the public that he is married! Girl, you are the wife! Surely, you know what to do in this matter!”

“Actually, I have several ideas, Antoinette, but I don’t want to complicate things because it can hurt my son more,” I told her.

“Goodness! Do you want my help? I can ruin his reputation with a few posts online,” she suggested.

“And you will just be dragging my name into the dirt,” I said.

“That’s right. Anyway, the only solution is to divorce him, and about the contract, tell him you will pay for the damages. Just let me know the amount,” she told me.

“Should I be wasting my money for freedom?” I asked her.

Lucas had no idea that Antoinette and I had formed a partnership before. I invested my savings into the business, and in just a few years, the amount was tripled, and even more. Currently, our dessert shops have branches everywhere.

“If money can give you freedom, do it. Do it for yourself, Zara. Do it for Enrique. Your son doesn’t deserve to be suffering in that household,” she said, and I was reminded of the way Enrique cried last night.

“I will talk to him about divorce tonight,” I informed Antoinette, and she gave me a thumbs-up before she went to get our coffee.