7. Elizabeth
I stood in shock and confusion as I watched Will walk back to his seat as though nothing happened. It was as if he had not just introduced me to his client as his fiancée.
Fiancée? Of all things? Or is he probably mistaken? Maybe he doesn’t recognize me. There is no way he could have done what he did intentionally. He probably doesn’t recognize me.
But still, he had told me to “play along,” meaning he knew what he was doing—lying to his client just to seal a contract.
As expected, rich men have no sense of honor and integrity—always willing to do whatever it takes just to get what they want. That explains why he just lied to his client about me being his fiancée so as to seal a contract.
Feeling irritated, I walked right in front of his desk to get his attention. “I believe you have some explaining to do. Why on earth would you lie that I’m your fiancée?” I watched him look at me silently, stand up from his desk, and walk over to stand right in front of me. His height and the scent of his perfume were somewhat intimidating.
The soft inhale only made me want to breathe in more, as the perfume was so pleasing to my nostrils.
Elizabeth, focus!
Considering that he was way taller than me, you can imagine my embarrassment as I had to raise my head up slightly to look him in the eye. Underneath his lashes, I could see the belittling look in his eyes as he looked down at me.
How proud,I thought to myself, reminding myself of the kind of man Will is. He is and has always been so egotistical.
“Marry me,” he said.
I found myself at a loss for words as I stared at the man standing in front of me, feeling completely shocked and confused.
“Wait, what?”
“You heard me. I asked that you marry me.”
With how ridiculous he sounded, you can’t possibly blame me for busting out in premium laughter.
Me, marry Will? Never! That is not something that could happen in my dreams, even if I wanted to.
“I’m sorry, but I think you’re a bit confused. I believe you must be mixing me up for your girlfriend or something. I probably look a lot like her, but it’s not me, trust me,” I tried to clarify.
“Don’t be silly. I know who you are.”
“Oh no, you don’t. Trust me, you don’t. I’m Elizabeth. I’m not sure if you remember, but I’m your sister’s best friend. I used to come to your house almost every day. We went to the same high school, graduated from college together, etc. I doubt you remember me, but yes, I hope that clarifies things.” I immediately took a step back to reduce the intimidation of his stare over me.
“Look, I don’t have time for memory lane, Elizabeth Giller, and I do remember you.”
“I’m not sure you do. You’re probably confused in some kind of way.”
“I’m not confused! Now, if you would just listen to me!” Will said, raising his voice slightly in an offensive manner, and that got me annoyed.
“Excuse me?”
Will let out a sigh as he took a few steps away before returning to his previous spot.
“When you were in senior year, you dated some jerk who broke your heart, and you spent the entire week at our place, filling the entire room with tissue papers and snot everywhere. So yes, I remember, and I know who I’m talking to. Is that okay now?”
I looked away, embarrassed at what he had just said.
“Then why are you asking me to marry you?”
“Now you’re asking the right question.”
“I’m facing some challenges—there are rumors circulating about me, and they are not favorable. I need to clear my name, and the only way I can do that is if I have a wife, as you saw just now.”
“So, you want me to marry you, and we begin our lives as a couple, just like that? You must be a joker.” I adjusted my bag strap as I proceeded to walk out of his office.
“Where are you going?”
“To my appointment, of course. I’m supposed to have a meeting with the financial officer. It was my mistake to have ended up here.”
“Would you hold on a minute and consider what I’m offering you?”
“Which is?”
The moment I asked, I wondered why I even bothered in the first place. It’s not like I was interested in his bizarre ideas. At that moment, I had better things to worry about than some billionaire’s problems. It was a mistake to even step into his office.
I mean, I should have suspected it was the CEO’s office. The interior and the lounge looked too upscale for a financial director’s office.
As I thought about the appointment I had with him, I couldn’t help but hope and pray that I wasn’t too late for it.
Elizabeth!
I have always been terrible with directions. Why on earth was I so confident that I was on the right track? I probably should go back to the receptionist and ask for directions.
Checking my watch, I saw how many minutes had passed. So much time had gone by. He probably thought I was not serious about the loan.
Oh, God! This loan means too much to me! I can’t afford to lose it.
I had to explain the circumstances regarding my delay to the financial officer. Hopefully, he would understand the dilemma I was in. Exhausted from the conversation I was currently having with Will, I proceeded to leave his office.
Will was a billionaire. His next generations would probably not need to work again for the rest of their lives.
Meanwhile, I was still trying to figure out my own path. The sooner I get myself out of this office, the better for me.