Chapter 2 - Contract

“Aww…” Mason moaned in pain before gently opening his eyes only to frown at the unfamiliar environment.

“Mason? Are you okay? Can you see me?” A familiar voice asked whose face he couldn’t see well since his vision was still blurry.

“Who are you?” Mason asked.

“It’s Carl. How many fingers am I holding up?” His colleague Carl Wayne who had earlier asked Mason to help him fix Alex’s PC had brought Mason to the hospital. Unfortunately, Carl forgot his phone and had come back to get it from the office when he met Mason on the floor electrocuted.

Mason still held his head gently and tried to get up from the hospital bed. “What happ—” Alex had dealt him a blow after Mason had threatened him earlier and this landed him in this state.

“Seems you remember now, huh? Just take it easy man, I have to get back to the meeting I told you about. I’m late already.” Carl tapped Mason’s shoulder and approached the door.

“Carl,” Mason called.

“Yeah?” Carl held the door and looked back.

“Thanks.” Mason bowed his head in shame.

“It’s nothing. Just don’t push yourself too hard and stay away from trouble.” Carl left, closing the door behind.

Mason knew exactly what Carl was getting at but that was the least of his worries, he yanked off the drip and scurried out of the ward to the hospital where his father was being operated on and to also see his mother and sister whom he had earlier spoken with on the phone.

On getting to the hospital, Mason saw his mother and sister all worked up and anxious with the theatre room where his father was being operated still locked and the doctors going in and out.

“Mom! Liza!”

Upon raising his head to see the theatre room still locked, fear gripped Mason but he tried and put on an act.

He hugged his mother who was already shaking and looked like she could pass out any moment from now.

“I…caused this. I didn’t…I…” Mrs. Reed started to cry and held on to Mason’s shirt tighter.

“Bullshit Mom! None of that again. None of it is your fault.” Mason wiped off her tears and lifted her face to his.

“Dad’s gonna be fine. Have you spoken to any of the doctors? What state is Dad in at the moment?” Mason asked.

“The thing is…Liza here…” Mrs. Reed stopped talking upon looking at Liza whose expression signifies that her mom shouldn’t say anything.

“Are you hiding something from me?” Mason disengaged from his mother and looked back at Liza who was equally fighting her tears too.

“If you must know, I dropped the last $2000 I had with me so they can at least attend to Dad. The doctors insisted on not attending to him without any upfront.” Liza explained as she watched Mason heaved a sigh.

Mason tried hard to make sure he didn’t show his weak point in front of his sister and mother at least, he is a man. “Mom, Liza.” he held their hands before proceeding “I need you to be strong for Dad okay? I’ll try and sort out the bills. Just try and be fine okay? These are hard times for us all.” He kissed the both of them on their forehead before looking back at Liza as a beam of gratitude laced his eyes.

Since the surgery was taking time, Mason headed down the stairs, brought out his phone, and started to scroll through his contacts one after the other. While he was doing all of this he made sure he was looking behind to be sure that his sister Liza wasn’t watching.

“Oh, thank goodness. I found him!” Mason dialed one of his old-time rich friends whom he had helped countless times back in College and had promised to help Mason whenever he needed help in the future.

“Hi Maxwell, it’s Mason…please I need a little help from…” Mason was cut short when Max cut the phone abruptly.

At first, he thought that must have been a mistake so he tried dialing the number again and the latter picked up.

“Mason…I have a family emergency at the moment and I can’t talk right now. Stop calling for now.” Maxwell answered and went off.

Mason heaved a sigh and was about to angrily smash his phone when he suddenly remembered Charlie Wheels. The most beautiful and also the richest girl in Maxilian College as of then.

He had managed to get her number during their signing out from College and that was the last time he saw her.

Charlie despite being the daughter of the most wealthy man on the surface of the planet Earth. Charlie had never been proud nor acted harsh towards him—she’s coolheaded.

Desperately in need of money, Mason doesn’t have any option but to call her. He searched through his phone and dialed her number.

The call rang for a few minutes but no one picked up. He decided to try again and this time he got lucky. “Hello, who am I unto?” A cold voice asked from the other side.

Mason tried to stay calm before responding. “Please, am I speaking with Charlie?”

“This is she, Charlie. Who am I speaking with?”

Mason got scared for a moment and tried to control his heartbeat which was racing faster as he wasn’t sure if Charlie would still remember him—it’s been a long time.

“Does the name Mason Reed ring a bell…?”

“Ma…son…Reed…Oh!” Charlie heaved a sigh. “Mason Reed from Maxilian College? Of course, I remember you. How are you?” Charlie furthered.

“I know this is crazy. I know this is so stupid and it might not make any bit–of…of… a sense right now…but…” Mason stuttered causing Charlie to interrupt him.

“Just, calm your nerves and tell me what’s up with you. I’m a very busy woman.”

At this point, Mason had already given up that he was going to also get any help whatsoever from Charlie. At least they were not on talking or friendship terms so rejection was certain.

“I need some cash…for…for an emergency purpose. It’s between life and death.” Mason confessed and went silent for a while.

“How much are we talking about here?” Charlie broke the silence.

Mason jumped up and surfed around only to see other hospital patients watching.

“$30,000” Mason whispered and went numb.

“Okay, here’s what we will do. If I can remember vividly, I think you stay here in Ontario, right? Come meet me at Synertech Network Company.”

Charlie ended the call even before Mason could thank her.

Mason, who had never seen a huge amount of money as big as $30,000, pinched himself to be sure he wasn’t dreaming. He remembered working so hard to save his money just to spend most of it on Judith.

Mason, who couldn’t even raise any money for his father’s medical bills, not to mention raising a sum of $30,000, was indeed grateful to Charlie.

Eric ran upstairs and went to see his mom and his sister, Liza as he bade them goodbye and rushed down to Charlie’s company.

Synertech Network Company has been one of the best tech companies over the years and has partnered with so many great tech companies and has created a good name for itself. So many times Mason had tried applying not only to Synertech Network but to other tech companies but to no avail. It’s either his resume was not up to their standard or he doesn’t even get a response at all.

It wasn’t his fault though, Mason has been the only one fending for himself even after gaining admission to one of the richest College in Canada but it has been a tough one on him unlike Charlie whose father is a multi-millionaire and so she has everything she needed and had come out with a good result.

Soon, a man in a well-tailored suit and a shiny black pair of shoes approached Mason from the building.

“You are Mr. Reed right?” He asked.

“Yes, please.” Mason stood up and bowed.

“Follow me.” He answered and Mason followed suit.

Mason couldn’t help but marvel at the whole building which was made of glass and he was careful enough not to touch anything whatsoever.

Soon they were at the door and the man whom he was following knocked abruptly on the door.

“He’s here, ma’am.”

A cold voice responded from inside “Send him in.”

The man opened the door and ushered Mason in and left instantly.

“Hi, Char—” Mason went numb when Charlie signaled to him with her hand that she was on a call.

“Okay. Send the money to the company’s account.” Charlie replied and ended the call.

“So, Mason…I couldn’t turn your offer down because you made me realize over the phone that it was a life and death thing. Actually…” Charlie stood up from her chair with her heels resounding and her cat-walking was on point.

Mason couldn’t help but wonder how a woman would have everything, looks, a good voice, and—rich. He didn’t realize when his jaws dropped.

“I can lend you the money, Mason.” She stopped in front of him with her hands folded across her chest. “But… I need you to do something for me.” She sounded a bit cold.

“Which is?” Mason asked almost immediately as he couldn’t wait to just get the $30,000 which was the most important right now.

Charlie raised her brow and frowned a bit “Are you engaged?”

Mason heaved a sigh as that was sudden. Is this one of her criteria for her to lend him the money?

“I’m not engaged. Although I’m in a complicated relationship right now.” Mason answered.

“How complicated is it?” Charlie walked back to her seat.

Mason couldn’t help but stare at her legs as she walked away. “Complicated—that she is about to break up with me.”

“Your fiance?” Charlie asked.

“Yes.” Mason looked away.

“Perfect. At least I wouldn’t be seen as a relationship wrecker.” Charlie smiled, picked up the land phone,ne and dialed a number before speaking “Hey, Marve, bring in the document.” she commanded and hung up.

Within just a few minutes a knock landed on the door and the man who had ushered Mason in the other time came in with a brown envelope.

“Hand it over to him,” Charlie commanded and he did, bowed, and left immediately.

“A paper?” Mason stared at her for a moment.

“Open it. If you are satisfied with whatever it is that you read, then the $30,000 will be yours.” Charlie concluded and opened her PC to continue her work.

After a few minutes, Mason exclaimed, and this Jolted Charlie off from her seat.

“What? Surprised?” Charlie raised her brow.

“No–I–marriage contract for three years? You and I?” Mason asked with confusion written all over his face.

Yes, Mason was aware that he was going to earn a huge amount of money after faking a marriage that would only last for a couple of three years before they would both go their separate ways.

Mason never knew that there was a marriage contract in between and even the money that was proposed to him by Charlie after the whole acting was huge. Mason knew that he would never be able to earn that amount of money even if he worked his ass off for the rest of his life.

“But you are beautiful…I…I…mean this is…” Mason got interrupted by Charlie once again.

“Too good to be true? Are you doubting me?” Charlie closed her laptop and looked at her with a raised brow.

Mason knew if she wanted a better man she could have him, but the reason why she had chosen him, Mason, was what he didn’t know.

“You know what, you can as well kiss the $30,000 goodbye and…” Charlie stood up from her seat and was about to hijack the paper from Mason when he withdrew his hand.

“I’ll do it,” Mason shouted.

At this point, Mason had no choice. This is the only chance he has to save his father and kiss poverty goodbye.

“Meet me in about two hours with your marriage registration permit. I’m a busy woman and please don’t be late.” She went back to her seat and gestured for him to leave.

Mason could hardly believe what had happened as everything happened so fast and it was like a dream.

Beep!

Beep!!

“You have just been credited a sum of $30,000 and meet Marve downstairs for a marriage certificate and a set of keys to Euclid Ave Estate. That will be your home from now onward—Charlie.”

“What?” Mason almost went crazy in front of Charlie’s office