His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 44 SOFIA Alice was right, the night really was like old times, Mrs. Riley and my grandfather brought up stories of the st*pidity we had. done as kids while I prepared dinner. Alice only pretended to help but she played with cutting one capsicum till the end of the dish, Sam had volunteered but I refused. He used to be the designated helper earlier, but that was more because of our own inside jokes and giggles, and less because I needed help. We could be friends him and 1, but I had no interest in taking back the friendship to what it used to be. I couldn't, not when my heart was crying for a certain someone who was absent from my life.

I looked at the door every little twith eyes that were obviously of longing if Alice noticed it, hoping and wishing that Gabriel walked through it.

I thought I chere for space, but now I'm realising I chere to see if he would care about my absence. I thought I invited Sam over for old's sake- and I did, but also because I wanted to see if it would tick him off like it did last time. A crazy part ofwondered if the driver I had brought withwould let him know of my shenanigans- but that thought was just like the rest of me- delusional.

He did not care.

So, everything was like old times except forfaking a smile and my thoughts and attention often focused at my phone. and door, and then being met with disappointment.

Sam and Mrs. Riley both left a little past midnight, and after freshening up, I and Alice sat in my room with a sappy movie. At spoint, the tub of ice cream was shut and the bottle of wine opened. Alice shed tears, cursed her ex boyfriend, and I hugged her till the rage overthrew the sadness and she was convinced she's better off. Then, I opened up about my situation. with Gabriel, the honeymoon, Arthur, and even Lily. By the end of the story, Alice even wanted to call Gabriel and curse him out, and I had stop her wine-drunk self.

Wes slept just before the sun cup.

Alice still went to work the next morning, albeit groaning and complaining about it, wakingup in the process. "Why don't you cstay withand Gabriel for stime, Grandpa?" I offered while stirring the pot of soup and my grandfather sat on a chair, passingthe condiments as we prepared lunch together.

"I like living here, Sofie," he replied. "I've lived here all my life. I want to die here, not in a city" I turned around with lips parted to glare at him. "You're not dying!" "I will someday," he joked. "Besides, if I wanted to shift to the city Alister and Leila have been callingevery other day trying to getto live with them, so I'd shift with them." I pretend to be hurt, clutching my heart. "Over your own granddaughter?" He laughed. “Now I don't want to interrupt a newly wed's bliss, do I?” My y smile fades a little. That would have been true, had we cfrom Venice wrapped in the sbubble. But unfortunately, it had blasted.

"Sofie, what's wrong?" He asks, almost carefully. "Are you not happy?" I pull back the smile. "Of course I'm happy, Grandpa." "You used to share everything with me. Sofie." He says, motioning with his hands forto ccloser, and I do after switching off the gas. "Do you dislike ine because I got you married against your choice?" 1/3 Chapter 44 "Absolutely not!” I mutter, taking my hands in his as I kneel in front of his chair. “And I really am happy, Grandpa He caresses my head. "I worried about you, Sofic. You gave up everything you dreamt about when you found out I had cancer. Every penny you earned went to my treatment. I only did this to make sure your future is secure, you know? If you choose to get a divorce from Gabriel, that is your choice.” I don't look him in the eye. He didn't know about why Gabriel agreed to get married to me, and the six month contract we were under.

He went 01. "I didn't know if the two of you would fall in love. My only thought process was getting you married to someone who could take care of you before I'm gone, But you can divorce him if he's making you unhappy, you know? Whenever you want. I will stand by you." I smile faintly. "Thank you, Grandpa." Your nana would kick my a*s if she was here and found out I arranged your marriage and didn't give you a chance to find love." He jokes, and I laugh.

Tears glisten in my eyes slightly. "I miss Nana. I miss Mom and Dad "They're looking at you, Sofie. They're so proud of their little gir being a line woman." 1 smile, wiping one traitor tear that slipped off, getting up. "Come" I help him up. "It's tfor lunch." In the evening after I woke up, I mailed resumes out to companies, again. I remembered Gabriel askingto cwork with him andpromising I would consider, but it didn't seem right anymore.

Later, I met with Alice again.

"I'm being offered a job in the city" Alice slurped on her almost-over strawberry milkshake, making unnecessary noise while doing so.

"Why don't you take it?" I ask. It wasn't the first tshe was offered a job in the city and if she said no, it wouldn't be the first tshe declined.

"I hate it when people leave our town to shift to the city, you know." She pouts, "We need to protect the integrity. The culture. The vibe. Besides, I have nobody there except you." I give her a small smile. "I, for one, would love it if you shift."

"But aren't you in the city just for a few months more till your contract with Gabriel ends? What will happen after that when you decide to shift back here and lean't because someone else takes my spot here and then I'm all alone?" The words slip out of her mouth before she can stop them, and as if listening to herself, she shut her eyes for a moment, her nose scrunched. "Sof, I'm so sorry"

"No! You're right." I try ignoring the heaviness settling in my chest on the blatant reminder of decade haven't decided what to do after it er ofyn Deality. "But I ends. I don't think I want to cback home, it doesn't feel the shere." "So you'll stay in the city?"

"I don't know." I raise my shoulders dismissively, my tone playful when I add, "Maybe I'll run away and start naway somewhere new altogether, you know somewhere where people don't knowand don't think ofas a gold digger for marrying a rich man. for six months" My friend finds no humour in my joke as her hand reaches out to be placed on mine over the table of the diner we were at "Oh, Sof" Chapter 44 When we walked back home, much like we did last evening from the supermarket, I could feel a gaze on me.

I was feeling watched.

But every tI looked behind, there was nobody As my second day cto an end here and then the third and fourth, I was growing worried, It was very much unlike Gabriel to just disappear.

Even if he didn't care to cafter me, he was always one to make his thoughts known on anything I did, adamant to have a say. Maybe he was givingspace like I asked....

But still, it was unlike him to just... vanish.

Where was he X