Contract marriage: My billionaire’s cure

Marcus left for New York on the very day that I told him to leave. It was the sixth day of the contest. Fourth day without Marcus. Four days of missing him.

I cried every night regretting what I did. I shouldn’t have messed with his private life. Rather than telling him to leave I should have talked to him.

“Ma’am breakfast is ready. Let’s go” Sarah knocked on my door pulling me out of my trance.

We both walked to the restaurant that I went with Marcus after our kiss. We sat further in the corner to avoid the cameras that were rolling while the contestants were having breakfast. To make my day worse Clara sat beside me.

I rolled my eyes and scooted closer to Sarah. “Have you contacted Mr. Anderson?” Sarah asked worried and I shook my head in a no.

“Well what he did to you was wrong but what made you fight in the first place?” I had already told her about Marcus forcefully kissing me but that was it. I didn’t give her any details.

“I don’t know. Well I touched his back-” before I could finish the sentence Clara started laughing loudly.

“You touch his back? Oh my god! You’re his wife and you don’t know that he doesn’t like being touched” Clara talked through fits of laughter.

“What do you mean?”

“I have been with him for one night. Well one damn amazing intimate night” Clara smirked earning an eye roll from me.

“Well even though I had sex with him he didn’t let me remove his shirt. Well as far as I remember he didn’t fully undress his pants. But I saw it. It was bi-”

“Shut up” I hated how she knew things about my husband that I did not.

“See how jealous you are. One sided love is for teenagers, not for a marriage. Just get a divorce” Clara huffed annoyingly and I clenched my fist to stop it from slapping her across her face.

“Don’t mind her Ma’am” Sarah patted my back and gestured at me to eat.

“And the housemaid of Marcus, what’s her name? Ah Lara! Our housemaids knew her and they said even though Lara had sex with him she was scared to remove his shirt so she didn’t. See, even housemaids know about your husband better than you. I pity you Camilla”

I stood up on my feet, ready to punch the shit out of this bitch but before I could do anything we heard a commotion at the contestants’ breakfast table.

“How dare you Luke? You kissed her?”

I looked to where the commotion was coming from and saw that two of the contestants were fighting. One girl seemed to be genuinely crying and the other one was pissed. The cameras were zooming in and out, recording everything.

I felt bad for the contestants. To have everything in their life being watched for a month. “I told you, I don’t have anything to do with you” the guy Luke yelled out.

I recognized that he was a model from my company. My eyes narrowed in anger. I clearly told them that it would be for the best if they didn’t get involved in such affairs. I saw some of my contestants looking at me but I quickly mouthed at them to look away since the cameras were rolling.

The girls started ripping each others hair out while we all just stared at it in amusement.

“Is this planned?” I asked Sarah.

“Well like kissing Amelia, the angry girl was planned at first. But somehow she actually likes him. And Luke has taken an actual interest in Mia and that has angered Amelia. Well I feel bad for them but it’s good for our ratings. ” Sarah shrugged her shoulders and started eating.

“Amelia should have had sex with him when she had the chance” Clara said annoyingly and I looked at her in surprise.

“Sex is not the answer to everything”

“Yeah definitely not for you” Clara chuckled, earning a death glare from me.

Before I could kill her my phone rang. Hoping it would be Marcus I quickly took it out of my pocket, but was disappointed when I saw that it was Madeline. I excused myself and walked to a secluded area in the restaurant.

“Hello Madeline”

“Camilla” Madeline started crying and panic swept through me.

“Madeline why are you crying? Please tell me. Is everything all right? Is Marcus alright?” Tears were brimming my eyes with worry.

“Camilla, Sir is not alright” My heart sank in pain at her words.

“What happened to him?” I asked anxiously.

“His nightmares are getting worse. And he didn’t sleep properly in these last four days. And Camilla he has been drinking a lot. I have never seen him like this. I’m scared” Madeline cried on the other end in distress.

“Madeline I’m-”

I felt guilty. I never intended to hurt him. I didn’t know how but I knew he was already wounded before I came into his life. And I only made it worse.

“Please come home Camilla. I can’t bear to see him like this. He’s in pain”

“I will, I will come ” I cut the call and ran to Sarah.

“Sarah I need to leave now”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Ma’am you can’t. You know how important today is. The elimination round of this week is today. You can’t leave”

“But Sarah-” before I could begin Sarah stopped me.

“Please ma’am. I will arrange a helicopter for you in the evening. But you have to stay for the day” After thinking for a while I took a huge breath and nodded.

Soon after breakfast I walked to my room, my hands were trembling that I couldn’t even open the door properly. I knelt to the ground, bringing my legs closer and burying my face in them.

“Camilla” I tilted my head up and saw Taylor Harrington approaching me.

“Oh my god darling. Are you crying?” she knelt down on the ground and hugged me tightly.

“Is everything alright?” I shook my head hesitantly.

“Did you have a fight with Marcus? Is that why he left?”

“Y-yes” I whispered hesitantly.

“Fights are a part of married life. Me and Smith fight a lot but deep down we love each other more than anything. Marcus also loves you”

That caught my attention and I leaned back confused.

“Haven’t you seen how he looks at you? Every time you’re not looking he always stares at you with so much love in his eyes”

“Really?” I felt hope for the first time since Marcus left.

“The day he left I saw him packing in his room. Smith and I went inside to ask him why and Camilla you won’t believe me, he was a mess that day, he looked so vulnerable and fragile as if his everything was ripped away from him. He’s a strong, capable man and it hurts to see him like that. He’s in pain because you’re in pain. I don’t know why you fought but deep down he loves you very much and wants you with all his heart”

I felt tears brim my eyes at her words. I felt guilty for pushing him away. He was already hurt and I just had to add more fuel to it.

“You think?”

“Of course, how can anyone not love someone like you? I remember back in the day you were so carefree, fun, always the one to cheer up everyone, makes jokes just like jake” Taylor squeezed my cheeks earning a chuckle from me.

“That’s the old me. Now I keep hurting people”

“That’s not true” Taylor gave me a serious look. “Go and talk to him”

“Yes I’m going home after today’s judgement”

“Good. Now let’s go before you worry yourself to death”

…

“Emily, Alessa, Juliet, Cole, Harvey, Mike say goodbye to your friends”

The three girls started crying instantly. The boys hugged their friends and kissed the selected girls’ cheeks. None from my team were going home. Under normal circumstances I would’ve been happy but I was impatiently tapping my foot until this was all over.

“Mrs. Anderson” Andrew came running towards me, his cheeky grin flashed across his face.

“Congrats Andrew. You did well” I said in a flat tone hoping he wouldn’t start talking again.

“Thank you ma’am. I heard that you are going back today”

“Oh yes. Family matters” I said and looked away hoping he would go.

“Is everything alright with you and Mr. Anderson?”

“Of course. He’s my husband. I’m happy that I will get to see him today. He was kind of busy with his company”

“You didn’t come to the lunch that day. Will we have it when we are in the hotel?” Andrew asked expectantly, annoying me more.

“Of course. Marcus and I will be glad to have lunch with you” Andrew’s face fell at the mention of Marcus’s name.

“I should go now. Bye Andrew. See you back in New York” I waved at him and ran off to where Sarah was.

“He clearly has a crush on you” Sarah whispered in my ear.

“I know” Sarah’s eyes widened and she started laughing out loud.

“What’s so funny?”

“You can see that boy having a crush on you but not Mr. Anderson’s love for you?” I narrowed my eyes at her and she wiggled her eyebrows triumphantly.

She helped me with my things and we both ran off to the helicopter pad on the ship. It had already arrived and I thanked Sarah for everything and got in.

After a few hours I arrived at our house. It was already late at night and the lights were dimmed. I opened the house door with my key and stepped in.

Tripping on the furniture several times, I found the glass windows facing the pool. The lights around the pool were already on, giving a yellow glow to the water and I saw a dark silhouette seated on the ground in front of the pool.

I neared the windows to see who it was and it was Marcus, with a whiskey bottle in his hand. His head was resting on one of his knees while the other dangled in the pool. He leaned his head back and took another gulp from the bottle in despair. His eyes were sunk into his face, forming dark circles around them, exhaustion from days of sleepless nights wearing off his energy, hollowing his pale face.

My heart started aching seeing him like this. It hurt so much, knowing that I did this to him. Opening the glass door with shaky hands, I ran to embrace Marcus in my arms.