Marie felt as if the ground had shifted beneath her feet. This couldn't be real. Welder Batista, her boss, the man she had spent the last five years working for, couldn't possibly be asking her to marry him. It was absurd, surreal. "Sir, I don't understand," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Why… why would you need me to marry you?" Welder turned away from the window and walked back to his desk. He picked up a file—a thick, intimidating-looking document—and handed it to her. "This is a matter of business," he explained, his tone cool and detached, as if they were discussing a routine contract. "There's a hostile takeover attempt on the horizon, and the only way to secure the company is to appear more stable in the eyes of the board and the public. My image needs a drastic change, and a marriage to someone reliable and trustworthy like you would do just that." Marie stared at the file in her hands, her mind struggling to keep up with what she was hearing. Hostile takeover? Marriage? It felt like she had stepped into an alternate reality.
"You want me to marry you to save the company?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. Welder nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Yes. It's purely a business arrangement. The marriage would be temporary, just long enough to stabilize the situation. After that, we can quietly divorce, and you'll be compensated generously for your trouble.
"Compensated generously. The words echoed in Marie's mind, but they did little to calm the storm of emotions that were now swirling inside her.
Marie could barely breathe. Her chest tightened as Welder's words sank in, reverberating in her mind like a siren. She stared at the thick file in her hands, feeling its weight but unable to focus on what it contained. She could sense the gravity of the situation, the magnitude of what Welder was asking of her, but it felt like she was outside her own body, watching herself from a distance.
She tried to find her voice, to formulate a coherent response, but all she could manage was, "This is… it's crazy." Welder remained unfazed, as if this proposal was the most logical, straightforward plan he'd ever devised. His calm demeanor was unnerving, especially considering the bombshell he'd just dropped on her. "I understand this is a lot to take in," he said, his tone softening ever so slightly, "but I wouldn't ask you if I didn't believe it was the best course of action." Marie forced herself to look up from the file, meeting his eyes. Those hazel brown eyes that had always intimidated her now seemed to search her soul, seeking something she wasn't sure she could give. Trust? Compliance? Was she supposed to just agree to this without question?"Mr. Welder Batista," she corrected herself, knowing this situation demanded a more personal address, "I don't understand. Why me? Why not someone else? Someone who…" She trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence. Someone who isn't just your employee? Someone who might actually want to marry you?
Welder's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes, something she couldn't quite place. Regret? Sadness? Whatever it was, it was gone before she could grasp it.
"You're the only person I can trust with this," he said, his voice steady. "You're reliable, discreet, and you understand the stakes. I can't risk involving someone who might betray me or who has their own agenda."
Marie's mind was spinning. Trust. Reliability. These were qualities she had always prided herself on in her professional life, but she had never imagined they would lead to this—to being asked to marry her boss. "But marriage…" she began, her voice trembling.
"It's not just a business arrangement, Welder. It's… it's supposed to be about love, about commitment. You can't just turn it into a transaction." Welder's gaze hardened, a flicker of impatience crossing his features. "This isn't about love, Marie," he said, his tone firm. "It's about survival. The company is at risk, and this is the best way to protect it. I don't have time for sentimentality. We both know that in the world we live in, appearances matter more than reality. A marriage—at least on paper—will give the impression of stability, of a man who's settled down and is therefore less of a target for hostile forces." Marie wanted to argue, to tell him that he was wrong, that marriage was more than just a tool for corporate warfare. But deep down, she knew Lucas was right in his own way. The business world was ruthless, and in the face of a threat like a hostile takeover, every move counted. She had seen it herself, seen how perceptions could sway deals, how rumors could destroy careers. But that didn't make this any easier to accept."I need time," Marie finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't just… make a decision like this on the spot." Welder nodded, though his eyes remained fixed on her, as if trying to gauge how she was processing all of this. "Take the time you need, but remember that the situation is urgent. I need your answer by the end of the week." Marie nodded numbly, clutching the file to her chest like a lifeline. "Okay. I'll think about it."
She turned to leave, but before she reached the door, Welder spoke again, his voice softer this time. "Marie… I know this is asking a lot. More than anyone should ever ask of their employee. But you're not just an employee to me. You're the one person I can count on when everything else is falling apart."
The words hung in the air, and for a moment, Marie felt something stir inside her—a warmth, a sense of importance that she hadn't felt in a long time. But it was quickly overshadowed by the weight of the decision she was being asked to make. Without another word, she nodded and left his office, the door closing behind her with a soft click.
Marie walked back to her desk in a daze, her mind racing. She sat down, the file still clutched in her hands, and stared at her computer screen without really seeing it. The office around her buzzed with activity—phones ringing, people talking, the hum of the air conditioning—but it all felt distant, like she was in a bubble, separated from the rest of the world.What was she supposed to do? How could she possibly make a decision like this? On one hand, Welder's proposal was purely business, a temporary arrangement to protect the company. But on the other hand, it was marriage, something that was supposed to be sacred, meaningful.
Could she really reduce it to a transaction, a contract to be signed and then discarded when it was no longer useful?And then there was the personal cost. If she agreed to this, what would it mean for her life? For her future? Mariee had always been a private person, someone who kept her personal and professional lives separate. But this… this would blur the lines in a way that she wasn't sure she could handle. How would people see her? What would her friends and family think? And what about after the marriage ended? Would she be able to go back to being just Marie Santos, executive assistant? Or would this decision change her forever?
Her phone buzzed on the desk, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw a text from Jenny, her best friend. Lunch today? I'm dying to hear about that quarterly review you were dreading!
For a moment, Marie considered canceling. She wasn't sure she could handle a casual lunch, not with everything that was going on. But then she realized that she needed to talk to someone, someone who wasn't involved in this insane situation. Jenny had always been her sounding board, the one person she could trust to give her honest advice.Sure. Noon at our usual spot, Marie replied, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed.She glanced at the clock and saw that she had an hour before she needed to leave. With a deep breath, she opened the file Welder had given her, hoping that the details inside would help her make sense of everything. But as she flipped through the pages—contracts, legal agreements, contingency plans—she felt even more overwhelmed. It was all so cold, so calculated. There was nothing in there that addressed the emotional side of what Lucas was asking her to do. No acknowledgment of what it would mean for her, personally.By the time she closed the file, Marie felt more confused than ever. She gathered her things and headed out of the office, trying to shake the fog of indecision that had settled over her. The city outside was bustling with life, people rushing to and fro, completely oblivious to the turmoil that was raging inside her.The walk to the café where she was meeting Jenny was short, but it gave Marie time to think. She knew she couldn't make this decision on her own. She needed perspective, someone to help her see things clearly. As much as she respected Welder and valued her job, this was her life they were talking about. She couldn't just jump into a decision like this without considering all the angles.When she arrived at the café, Jenny was already there, sitting at a table near the window with a cup of coffee in hand. She waved as Marie walked in, her smile bright and welcoming. "Hey, you! How did the quarterly review go? Did you manage to survive?"
Marie forced a smile as she sat down, but she could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her, making it hard to even pretend to be cheerful. "The review was fine," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "But… something else happened."Jenny raised an eyebrow, her expression turning serious. "What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Marie took a deep breath, not sure how to even begin explaining what had happened. "Jenny, you're not going to believe this, but… Welder asked me to marry him."Jenny nearly choked on her coffee. "What?! Welder Batista? Your boss? He asked you to marry him? Are you serious?" Marie nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "I know it sounds crazy, but he's serious. He says it's a business arrangement, to protect the company from a hostile takeover. He wants me to marry him temporarily, just to give the appearance of stability."Jenny stared at her in disbelief, her eyes wide. "And what did you say? Did you agree?""I told him I needed time to think about it," Marie said, her voice shaky. "I mean, it's insane, right? Marriage isn't just some business deal. But he was so… matter-of-fact about it. Like it was the most logical solution."Jenny leaned back in her chair, processing what Marie had just told her. "Wow. I mean, I've heard of marriages of convenience, but this… this is something else. What are you going to do?"
Marie shook her head, feeling the weight of the decision pressing down on her again. "I don't know, Jenny. On one hand, I feel like I should say no outright. It's not a real marriage. It's a business deal, plain and simple. But on the other hand…" She hesitated, looking out the window at the bustling street outside. "It's not like I have much of a life outside of work anyway. And if I say no, who knows what kind of mess the company might be in?"