Chapter 1
"So what do you do for a living?"
The question was simple yet a strikingly weird thing to ask your husband. Rachel fiddled with the strap of her brown leather bag which sat on the table in front of her. The bag was surprisingly an engagement gift from his mother. God, that was an awful time. She thought.
She gulped in nervousness before sneaking a glance at him.
He was a five foot something guy who had incredible dirty blonde which looked too soft, a chiseled jawline, perfectly sculpted high cheekbones and alluring dark brown eyes. It didn't take a genius to see that God took his time making him. He was incredibly handsome, she had to admit. But she was a modelling agent, surrounded by incredibly hot guys was her job.
The suit that he was wearing was the one she had just hired a model for. It was surprising that he was wearing that since it wasn't even out in the stores yet.
He was so engrossed in his phone that he didn't hear her, let alone answer her.
Rachel pouted in annoyance. This was honestly the worst. After their royally fucked up impromptu wedding, he had left, on what was supposed to be their honeymoon, alone.
She couldn't believe that it has been 6 months since then, 6 months since she's been married. She had spent the whole time coped up in his house and barely going out because she knew that if even one of the damn paparazzi got her picture and concluded that she's here, her mother would literally sue her.
Speak of the devil...
From the corner of her eye, she saw the graceful yet elegant looking burnette coming her way. Rachel shared the same hazel eye color as her mother but her light brown hair was by her father.
Her mother was already scowling at her as she made her way over to them.
Rachel already knew this dinner is gonna suck. Her mother would criticize every little thing she'll do and her father would keep talking business with her so called husband. She was going to be bored and annoyed as hell. Sighing, she gulped down the shampane glass before her mother sat down in her seat.
A smile immediately made its way across her mother's face as her husband got up and greeted her by kissing her cheek.
"You look wonderful, Claire." He said in his deep, hoarse voice.
Her mother smiled genuinely. And Rachel rolled her eyes. "Oh thank you. You don't look bad your self." She said as they both settled in their seats. "So, did you kids have fun on their honeymoon?"
Rachel looked at her mother. Her eyes were twinkling in excitement to hear about the honeymoon that never happened. She didn't want to be the one to take that twinkle away so she lied. "It was fun." She said and glanced at the waiter to give her more shampane.
"Really? Where'd you kids go anyway?" She asked with a smile.
Rachel looked at him to give the answer of this question. He glared at her for a brief second before turning to her mother with a charming smile. "We went to Paris, Malibu, we toured around Europe a bit and then Egypt."
He was a good lair. She could see that clearly.
"Oh Egypt? Rachel always wanted to go to Egypt." Her mother said with a smile. "She always used to go on and on about pyramids and Egyptian gods." Claire rolled her eyes.
That was putting it blandly. Rachel was obsessed with Egyptian culture. She found it fascinating. She looked down at the table remembering those old days when she used to day dream about going to Egypt.
"I hope she wasn't a nuisance for you, Noah." Claire said. "I know how planes make her unbearably annoying."
The waiter came and filled their glasses.
Noah chuckled. "No of course not. In fact," he turned to Rachel and looked her in the eye lovingly smiling. "She's anything but a nuisance. She completes me."
Rachel looked back at him with annoyance and confusion in her eyes. That was so... Cliche! Isn't this a bit of an overkill? Why was he doing this? Her mother knows about the contract. In fact, she was the one who initiated it. Then who was he pretending for?
"Where's Dad?" She asked turning to her mother, ignoring his stare.
"Oh he's stuck in a meeting, he'll be here late. We should order." She said and picked up the menu.
Rachel did the same. She wasn't a big fan of food. Especially this fancy kind. She decided just to order a plain salad.
"you should eat more, honey. labor will be 10 times harder if you're not healthy." her mother stated.
Rachel's eyes widened, and Noah choked on his wine.
"Did I say something wrong here?" her mother asked reading their shocked and horrified faces.
Rachel couldn't believe her mother. Who says something like that? Besides, having kids wasn't in the contract!
A ping sound erupted from her phone, cutting through the awkwardness around the table. Without even thinking, she picked it.
There was a message from Wren.
'Liam is back! can you believe it?
P.S he's throwing a party in his club tonight, you in?'
Rachel's breath hitched. Liam is back.
Liam Anthony was her first and only love. They had the whole high school sweetheart romance locked in till the asshole beside her showed up. She hadn't seen Liam since the wedding and then a week later she found out that he had left for a vacation in France. But now he's back. She had missed him so much and she desperately wanted to see him.
'yeah, pick me up at 7.' she texted back.
"It's rude to use your phone when someones trying to have a conversation with you, Rachel."
Rachel recognized that deep voice. She looked up and smiled. "Hi, dad." She said before hugging the life out of him.
"Hey, sweetheart." He said and hugged her back.
It was in that moment that Rachel realized how much she had missed her father. She hadn't seen him in over 7 months because she was supposedly on her honeymoon. Rachel was very close to her father. He's the only one who knows about her kidnapping.
"I missed you, dad." She said and hugged him more.
Her dad pulled back and pinched her nose like he always does. "Not more than I missed you."
"It's good to see you again, Mr Henley." Noah said as he shook his hand.
"Likewise, Jefferson." Her father said and they all settled in their seats. "I hope you took good care of my daughter."
Rachel smiled at her Dad. It felt good to know that someone cares about her.
"I'm trying my hardest, Mr. Henley." Noah said.
Rachel resisted the urge to scoff.
"Are your parents going to be joining us, Noah?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah. They should be here by now." He replied with a hint of an accent. Rachel wondered what that was?
"Did you have fun at the honeymoon, sweetie?" Her father asked.
Rachel smiled. "Yeah." She said and mentally scoffed.
The waiter arrived and served their dishes. Soon her husband and her parents started talking about politics and Rachel had no interest in it. She tuned them out.
Rachel looked at the plain salad. She realized that she could really relate to this salad. She too was plain, boring, and no one wanted her. Sighing, She picked up her phone and texted Wren that she was in. Liam was the only guy on Earth who was able to lift up her morale and she really needed it right now.
Not soon after, his parents arrived. Noah straightened up. He glanced at his excuse of a wife to see that stuck up was busy typing away on her phone. He glared at her before turning his gaze to his mother.
The blonde woman didn't hesitate before hugging the life out of him. "Oh I missed you so much." She said.
Noah smiled. "Mom it was only 6 months."
"Yes and it wasn't like he was at war, Judy. Calm down." His father stated.
Her mother stepped away wiping tears away from her eyes.
"Don't cry mom." Noah said, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't feel comfortable around crying woman. He never knows what to do.
"Stop crying, Judy. You're causing a scene." His father said in a authoritive tone.
Noah glanced at his in laws to see that his wife was staring at the ceiling and her parents were also avoiding to look at them, obviously they were uncomfortable with this whole situation.
"I'm sorry I know how to show emotion, Raymond." His mother said, glaring at his father.
"Emotions are for the weak. Stop crying and sit down." Raymond said.
"I cannot believe I married such a fucking cold hearted man." Judy said.
His father smiled a sadistic smile. "You needed my money remember?"
His mother was about to retort but Noah stopped her.
"Can we please not right now?" He said. His whole life has been like this. His parents fighting, him trying his hardest to escape it. But sadly, he never could.
"Fine!" His mother said and finally sat down and so did his father. A silence fell over the whole table.
Rachel's mother was the first one to break the unbelievably uncomfortable silence. "You're dress is lovely, Judy."
Judy smiled. "Thank you. It's by a designer in Italy." She replied. "He's very well known but he specifically asked me to wear it because he loves my figure."
"And my money." His father said, sipping his son's untouched wine.
Judy glared at him but turned her attention to her son. "How was the honeymoon, honey?"
"It was great, we had fun." Noah recited like a robot.
His mother smiled. "Where'd you guys go?"
Rachel listened as he told the same story he told her parents. She just couldn't understand why he was even bothering. Everyone at this table knew this marriage was as real as unicorns.
"Was she good? Did she take good care of you?" His mother said before giving Rachel a disgusted look. She never liked her and Rachel didn't know why.
"Yeah." Noah said, clearing his throat. "Rachelle was amazing."
Rachel's eyes widened and another silence fell over the table. Did he just mispronounced my name? Does he even know my name? Rachelle? Is that even a name?
Noah glanced around the table, noticing their shocked faces. "What?"
Rachel cleared her throat turning his attention to her. "It's Rachel."
His eyes widened. "Oh."
Rachel sighed and took a bite of her salad, silently praying for this dinner to be over as soon as humanly possible.
"You're coming to the office tomorrow, Noah." His father said. It wasn't a question.
"Already? He just got home, Raymond." His mother said.
Before they start arguing like animals again, Noah spoke up. "It's fine, Mom." He said. "I'll be there tommorow." He said to his father.
"So, should we talk grandchildren?" Her mother said.
"Mom!" Rachel begged silently with her eyes.
"What? I'm just worried. You kids have been gone for over 7 months and brought home no good news." Her mother said.
Rachel wanted someone to walk in and shoot her or a bomb to go off right beside her.
"Perhaps you should take your daughter to a gynacologist, Claire." His mother said.
Even though nobody at this table knew other than her father knew about her kidnapping, but she was feeling violated. Tears were starting to come to her eyes. And she wanted nothing more then to die right then and there.
Thankfully, her father noticed this. "I think we should leave them alone, Claire. They're adults, they can decide for themselves when they want to have kids."
She sent a silent thank you to her father but the conversation still didn't end.
"Well we need an heir. So they better start-" his father started but Noah cut him off.
"Not happening, Dad. Kids weren't in the contract." He said.
"So you never plan to have kids?" His mother asked.
"Not with her." He said, actually pointing his finger at Rachel.
Rachel was shocked beyond belief. She was mad, confused, embarrassed all at the same time but anger was the one she decided to go with.
