Chapter 6

• Alan straightened himself walking back slowly to get seated on the sofa opposite the one Ashely sat on despite the urge to taste those luscious lips. He sat for a few seconds staring at her as she clutched the sofa tightly, her face looking flushed.
• "I haven't even started with you and you are looking like a mess," Alan said, chuckling.
• Ashely opened her eyes facing down in embarrassment because she knew she looked like a mess, she wondered how she would spend two years living with him.
• "I have sent for my lawyer. He will be here anytime soon with the marriage certificates and the rings," He said, saving her from embarrassment.
• "These conditions apply to you as well, right?" She asked after a moment of silence.
• Alan stared at her in surprise and amusement at the same time.
• "What do you think?" He asked her with a lopsided grin.
• "Since I can't date other men, you shouldn't date or sleep with other women as well" She declared.
• "Don't worry about it, I am all yours baby" Alan gushed, while she stared at him in disdain.
• "I have one more request " She mumbled.
• "Go on, let's hear it," Alan encouraged her.
• "Ca….Can we have a real wedding after my Mom's treatment?" She babbled.
• "What are you playing at?" Alan asked in a calm voice that exudes danger.
• "My mom will become very inquisitive and suspicious if I don't have a wedding ceremony, I have to make it look real and it's going to be only her and Andrea for the wedding nobody will know" She replied hurriedly clearing any form of misunderstanding.
• Alan thought about it for a while before nodding his head in agreement.
• Ding dong!! The sound of the bell interrupted them.
• "I will get the door, it must be the lawyer," He said, strolling towards the door.
• "Good afternoon Sir" Ashely greeted the middle-aged man in a black and white tuxedo.
• He mumbled a reply fishing out the marriage certificates and the rings like he was only here for business and not pleasantries.
• Ashely and Alan signed the documents and exchanged rings. Alan also signed the cheque for her mother's treatment immediately while the lawyer left.
• "Don't you think this ring is too expensive for a marriage that is not real?" She queried, staring down at the ring and the marriage certificate in her hand, still in disbelief at the fact that she was now a married woman.
• "This marriage is a real one just that it ends in Two years and I am a very influential Man, my wife needs to live up to the standards," He said his eyes flashing in excitement.
• "Come on we need to head to the hospital wifey" Alan called out teasing her.
• "Am not your wife!!" She sneered at him knowing fully well that she couldn't escape the truth.
• At the hospital
• Ashely and Alan sat inside Dr.Ray's office as they waited for him to come as he had gone to attend to a patient.
• "I'm sorry for the delay" Dr.Ray apologized immediately after he stepped into the office.
• "I want to pay for my Mom's treatment, what needs to be done?" Ashely asked
• "I am going to need your signature on some documents since you are her guardian and you would have a referee signature as well, your Mom will be undergoing a series of surgeries and chemotherapy, we can only trust the process and hope that she gets better" He explained in detail.
• "For the referee signature, My husband would be signing it," She said motioning at Alex.
• "Alright, I will quickly prepare the documents because the earlier the better" The doctor exclaimed.
• After they had signed the documents and made the payment, as they walked down to her mother's ward Ashely could only reflect on all that had happened in a short while she breathed a sigh of relief at the burden that was lifted off her, in all things she was grateful that her Mom was finally going to receive her treatment.
• But on the other hand, she was married to a man she knew nothing about, she was very certain that things would never be the way they were. All she could hope for was good tidings.
• "Ash, I have searched everywhere for you. I even called your line but you didn't pick up," Drea lamented immediately after she saw Ashely.
• "I am sorry, I have been carried away by a lot of things and my phone was on silent as well. How is my Mom?" Ashely asked.
• "She has been asking of you for a while now and she was saying something about you leaving the ward with a handsome stranger Man….hold up is that a wedding ring?" Drea blurted out while staring at Ashely's hand.
• "Let me go and see her then" She bit her lips trying to avoid the question.
• "Ashely Greenwood!!! If you are trying to avoid my question, I won't let you" Drea cautioned her.
• "Alan" Ashely called out to him because he had been standing quietly the whole time, while Drea stared at the dashing young Man in a three-fitted tux looking like he had fallen from heaven.
• "Andrea this is Alan, my husband, and Alan this is Andrea, my friend more like my sister" She sighed forcing a smile.
• "I need to speak to you in private" Drea snapped, dragging Ashely with her while Ashely turned to Alex mouthing " I will be right back" as he watched the two of them leave in amusement.
• "You are being serious right now? Married? How? When? Where? I saw you this morning and then I blinked my eyes all of a sudden you are married" Drea half yelled with a lot of emotions passing down her face.
• "I can explain," Ashely replied defensively.
• "Of course, you should start explaining," Drea bellowed.
• "It happened fast, he came to the hospital, I don't know how he figured out that Mom was here then he said we should sign the contract immediately of course I hesitated and brought up excuses but he mentioned the treatment being delayed if I wasted more time which was true according to what Dr.Ray told us. I didn't have a choice, You and I know that I am jobless, and if I decided to raise the money on my own, my mom would be dead before it was complete, I did what I had to do and I have no regrets" She replied hurriedly holding back the tears that are struggling to force their way down her chin.
• Andrea pulled her in a tight hug as the tears streamed down her face while she shaked uncontrollably like she was going to have a mental breakdown.
• "I wish there was something I could do to help Ash, I am sorry you are going through this alone" Drea mumbled patting Ash on her back.
• "You don't have to be sorry, this is a cross I have to carry alone regardless I am thankful that you are here with me, the moral support means a lot to me. I couldn't ask for a better sister," Ashely said with sincerity.
• "My married friend, but this ring is expensive, '' Andrea giggled, staring down at Ashely's finger.
• "Stop," Ashely said, feigning anger.
• "This Man is a sin you shouldn't commit Ash, are you sure about this?" She asked seriously.
• "The deed is done, there is no turning back" Ashely chuckled at her misery.
• "How will you tell your Mom about this marriage?" Drea asked her.
• "Who is getting Married?" A stern voice sounded from behind.