Contract Marriage: I’ve Always Loved You

In the evening,

Exhausted but relieved, Grace and I enter the room, both aware that this will be our last night of the contract marriage. There’s a mixture of emotions swirling within me-relief from the false accusations and sadness that our paths will soon diverge.

“So, tomorrow our paths will be separated,” I remark, breaking the silence.

She looks at me, a playful glint in her eyes. “Well, Mr. Grey, since it’s our last night as a married couple, why don’t we make it memorable?”

I raise an eyebrow, curious about her suggestion. “Memorable? What do you have in mind?”

She winks at me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “How about we have sex as Mr. and Mrs. Grey for the last time?”

“Sure, why not?” I agree because I really want to make the last moment with Grace, my wife, unforgettable.

She chuckles, clearly surprised by my easy agreement. “I can’t believe you agreed to this so easily, Steve.”

I just stare at her. What should I do, Grace? I want this day to last long, want time to just pause and never end, but that’s not in my hands. All I can do is make this moment memorable. My heart just wants to capture as many memories as possible with you.

“What happened, Mr. Grey? Where are you lost?” She inquires with curiosity in her eyes.

“Nothing, just thinking about to what extent we could go to make this night memorable, as it’s our last night as a contract couple.” I grasp her waist and yank her towards me.

Knowing that this will be the last time I’ll be holding her waist and seeing her from so close breaks my heart. I wish I could make her stay with me, but it can’t happen because we’re so different from each other, and if we stay together, we’ll keep fighting. So it’s best for both of us to fall apart.

“Oh, so what have you thought?” She asks, her voice slow and sensuous, moving her index finger along my jaw.

Damn! She looks incredibly alluring with that voice and her eyes filled with intensity.

“I would prefer to show you instead of telling you,” I breathe against her lips, drawing closer to her.

“Damn, you’re getting me excited.” She gazes deeply into my eyes, a grin playing on her lips.

As we move closer to each other, the air between us thickens with desire and anticipation. I can feel the warmth of her body against mine, and it sends shivers down my spine.

I capture her lips in a passionate kiss. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing that after tonight, we will go our separate ways and this will be the last time I’ll be feeling her lips against mine.

For now, we lose ourselves in the intensity of the moment. Our hands explore each other’s bodies, tracing every curve. The connection we share is electric, intensified by a mixture of lust and the realisation that this is our last chance to be together in this way.

As we undress, our movements slow and deliberate, as if savouring every moment. The room is filled with a mix of anticipation and sadness. I trace my fingers along her soft skin, memorising every curve and contour, knowing that soon she will be out of my reach.

The intimacy between us feels different tonight, more intense and meaningful.

I push her to the bed and reach to her face, kissing every inch of her body, starting from her toes. It’s our last time, so I don’t want to leave a single inch of her body untouched.

“Grace, your tattoo-I’m going to miss it a lot.” I whisper against her waist before stroking and kissing the ‘I’m fire’ ink. It’s so tempting.

She runs her fingers through my hair. “And I’ll miss being Mrs. Grey,” she admits, her voice filled with a hint of sadness, and for a moment, I feel numb. Yes. Numb, freeze, seeing the intensity of her eyes. Does she want to stay? For a moment, all I want is to just never let her go and beg her to stay, but no. It’s not good.

My deep desire is to make her a permanent Mrs. Grey, but our differences are like an unbridgeable gap, and I can’t ignore the reality of our incompatible personalities.

Pinning her hands against the mattress, I enter her deeply in one go, eliciting a loud moan from her. I give her slow and steady thrusts, devouring her delicious lips.

And as we reach the peak of our pleasure, a wave of both ecstasy and sadness washes over me. I hold on to her tightly, savouring every second, knowing that this will be the last time we experience this kind of intimacy.

As our bodies come down from the high, we lie there, breathless and spent. Our eyes meet, and we exchange a look of sadness, knowing our time together has come to an end. Tomorrow, our paths will diverge, and life will go on.

And as we lay there, intertwined, we hold on to this memory, knowing that it will forever be etched in our hearts.

She looks deep into my eyes, quickening my heartbeat. “Will you remember me?” A gentle whisper escapes her lips, breaking the silence.

I gaze at her with the same emotions and reply in a soft tone, still tracing her tattoo. “How could I forget you, Grace? You’ve turned my life upside down.” I let out a chuckle.

At last, we both drift off to sleep, holding onto each other tightly.

***

I wake up the next morning, and instead of Grace beside me, I find divorce papers, and my heart sinks, seeing them.

She left. I feel emptiness in my heart and a tear trickles down my cheeks.

I have developed feelings for her, but she was just satisfying physical needs and waiting for this day to come.

But last night, I saw some emotions in her eyes. Was that all fake, or did I see what I wanted to see?

As I hold the divorce paper and notice her signature on it, my heart breaks into millions of pieces.

She was just waiting for our contract to end, and this realization hurts me. Did she not have any feelings for me? Were our feelings not mutual?

As I go to get fresh, my mind races with thoughts of how to explain this divorce to my father.

When I come out, I find my father entering the room in a fury, holding a letter.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry, Steve, that I didn’t trust you and always blamed you for not accepting Grace as your wife. But now, I’ve come to know why you were doing this,” he exclaims with a mixture of regret and anger in his voice.

I’m shocked by the revelation and struggle to understand how he came to know about Grace’s deception.

He continues, “That woman forced you into the contract marriage. I trusted her and chose her over my son. I can’t believe it.” He shakes his head in disbelief.

“Dad, please just relax.” I implore, trying to ease the tension.

“No, I won’t. I won’t leave her, Steve.” He declares, his anger unabated.

I’m curious, so I ask, “But how did you come to know about this?”

“She confesses everything in this letter. What did she think? That I’ll forgive her for manipulating me and spoiling your life.” He answers, holding up the letter.

My eyes widen in shock after knowing this. Although it was her fault that we came into the contract marriage, I still didn’t think that she would take all the blame on herself.

I take the letter from his hand to read it, still in shock.

‘I’m getting the divorce from Steve, and it’s not his fault. It’s entirely my fault. I forced him into a three-month contract marriage with me, and that’s why he always dislikes me.

I’m sorry, Dad. I know have lost the right to call you that, but you’ll always remain my father.

The bond which I have formed with you is genuine, and I can’t continue deceiving you. Steve was innocent in all of this, and he never wanted this contract marriage. I manipulated the situation and took advantage of your trust.

I never meant to drag you into this mess, and for that, I am truly sorry. You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I betrayed that kindness. I hope one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

Take care, and I wish you and Steve a future free from the chaos I brought into your lives.

With regret,

Grace.’

The room falls into a heavy silence after I finish reading the letter.

Her words paint a picture of a woman burdened by guilt and remorse, admitting to her selfish motives.

Deep down, I’m relieved that she accepts her mistakes, and this letter has given her a permanent space in my heart.

My father, still in shock after the revelations, sits down heavily on the sofa.

“I can’t believe she did all this. She played with my feelings, and tried to create problems between us,” He mutters, his voice a mix of disbelief and sadness.

“Dad, she has done this for her father. I know it’s hard, but forgive her and move on,” I advise, placing my hand on his shoulder.

“I can’t believe you’re taking the side of the woman who ruined your life, Steve.”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Even I can’t believe I’m justifying Grace’s wrong actions. But now I can’t see him blaming her.

Oh God, why do I have to fall in love with her?

Yes, I love her, and I’ve always loved her since my eyes fell on her. I was scared to accept this feeling because she wasn’t my type of woman. However, after today’s letter and yesterday, the way she supported me states she has a good heart, which she hides from the world.

I hope our path crosses again, and I’ll wait for that day.

“Steve, are you even listening to me?” As my father shakes me, I return to the earth. “Where did you get lost?”

I sigh. “Dad, Grace has realised her mistake. You should forgive her.”

“No, I’ll never forgive her, Steve. You have a big heart, my son, but I don’t.” He storms out of the room.

I can understand his feelings of betrayal, and yet, a part of me hopes that with time, he might find it in his heart to forgive Grace.