His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 25
I was naive t
to think that I was free from talking to Gabriel about Viktor and working at Wales, and wearing my wedding band to work was an
easy solution to our problem, because twenty minutes of relief of returning home and silent dancing in my room later, there were
knocks on the door that I knew didn’t belong to Luna.
I opened the door knowingly, and my grumpy husband stood on the other end. There was no point blocking his way into my room
so let him walk in, closing the door behind me.
“When were you planning to tell me you were working for my competitor?”
Uh-oh Straight to the point.
I gulped, watching him cross his hands before his chest. “I didn’t know you were competitors?” I offered. “I thought your company
was far above Wales.
“Caressing my ego might be helpful in bed, but it isn’t getting you anywhere in this conversation, Freckles.”
I huffed, trying not to focus on the part where he mentioned us being in bed. “Okay, I had an idea. But I didn’t do it on purpose,
okay huge. I was pissed at you when I said yes to the interview and when I got the job- which I didn’t
Wales think I would- | know how to say no.”
“I can teach you how to say no. It’s two letters. N. O
“Gabriel.
“Freckles, I wasn’t too happy about you getting a job in the first place. I don’t like how it would look that my
my wife was on somebody else’s payroll. I talked to you and I understood where you came from, so I agreed. But having you on
Viktor Hart’s payroll?” He scoffed, “F’ck no. Over my dead body.”
“What do you want me to do? Quit?”
“Yes. Resign this Monday. End of discussion”

My mouth hung open. “You can’t tell me what to do!”
“I can, and I am. You’re quitting.” His voice was firm as if leaving no space for argument. “If I can make peace with somethin I
wasn’t comfortable with, you’ve ought to meet me half way.”
“I like my job, Gabriel. I like the people there. I’ve made friends. I’m supposed to be the interim head in my team from day for a
week. I can’t just quit.”
“Yes, v
want, start
you can. You can join my company if you want, as soon as tomorrow. You can open your own company for all I care about, I will
even invest in it if that keeps you happy. But you’re Not, Working, For. Wales.”
“If you didn’t want me working for Wales, why did you just spend hundreds of thousands on buying thirty rings?!”
“Because I want you to wear them wherever else you decide to work at, even if that’s my company.
“But it can’t be Wales?”
“I can’t be Wales.” He repeated.
I groaned “You’re insufferable.”
“You’re going to meet me half way, Freckles. I make peace with you working. You make peace with not being able to work at
Wales”
1/3

12:31 Tue, Jun 4
Chapter 25
“How about.”

He cut me off. “No”
“At least hear me out-”
“No.”
I clenched my jaw, annoyed. “Okay”
“Okay? As in you’ll quit?”
Yeah
His expressions changed quickly, as if there was a sort of relief spreading through them. “Okay. I didn’t expect that. I thought
you’d fight me on it a little more.”
“You asked me to meet you midway right? That’s what I’m doing But that doesn’t mean I’m not so extremely pissed at you right
now that I can absolutely karate you. So please leave me alone, I’m sure you have work to do,”
“Karate isn’t a verb, Freckles.” He softly chuckled, and I glared at him.
“Work, Gabriel. What you love to do. Go, work
“Actually, I’m free for the day.”
“No you’re not. I’m sure you have a meeting or two. Or a file or two to glance over. Go. Work.” I continued glaring.
“Has anyone told you you’re a little scary for a girl so small?”
I wasn’t small. I was tall for a girl, but still shorter to him. I scrunched my nose at him, not taking his bait to change the
conversation. “Bye Gabriel.”
He threw his hands up in defence and walked out of my room and even though he gently shut the door on his way out, I opened
it again just to shut it loudly behind him, just to make a point.
And then I huffed and pouted for an hour while rewatching Gilmore Girls before I drew myself a bath to calm down befo dinner.
The shower didn’t calm me down as I had hoped, so I ate dinner alone in my room in my striped pyjamas. A part of me believed
halfway through dinner Gabriel would come to my room himself but when he didn’t, disappointment washed

over.
Maybe he did go to work.
Or maybe he didn’t, but he just didn’t care about ine being grumpy as long as he got his way.
He had no reason to bear my tantrums after all.
A little before midnight, there were knocks on my door. There were no words to describe how fast I threw away the file I was
trying to focus on and got out of bed, giving a quick glance to my braided hair in the mirror and putting my poker face on while
opening the door.
Disappointment was quick to wash over me once again when I saw Luna standing outside, holding a assortment of different
colours of roses, with a card stapled to one of them, and a tub office cream in the other end.
Eyeing her suspiciously, I removed the note without taking the flowers from her. It read: “Thank you for meeting me
12:31 Tue, Jun 400
Chapter 25
halfway!
The handwriting was a pretty cursive, and the note wasn’t signed but it didn’t need to be.
I huffed, taking the note inside and scribbling a response under it walking back out and handing it to Luna.
*Keep the flowers outside Gabriel’s door and slip the note underneath,” 1 tell her, “This... I will take.” Grabbing the chocolate ice
cream, I shut the door behind him leaving Luna smilingly taking back the flowers and the note.
1 despised roses. I liked lilies.
He would know that if he spent a little more time with me.
And if he thought I would ever let go of my grumpiness because he gave me ten flowers, he was wrong. It would take a lot more
than that.
The ice cream though. correct path.

Binge watching a comfort show while devouring half of the tub and leaving the rest to melt by my nightstand because I got too
lazy to go to the freezer, I slept. Sunlight was seeping inside between incompletely shut blinds when I woke up the next morning
to a scent I didn’t recognise, and groggily opened the door of my room immediately after brushing, just to see the entirety of the
hallways covered with lilies with just a small trail left empty for me to walk between them, leading all the way to the stairs and
then down till the dining table where the table was laid with breakfast and my husband sitting on the table.