Good song up there! Try listening to it.
"Who's there?" I heard Asher yell out from the hall, probably after hearing the stranger.
"Excuse me?" I asked the stranger standing if front of me, claiming to be my...husband.
Stupid prank, I suppose. People these days.
"I know it's a shock, but I didn't know how else to say it, okay?" The stranger spoke, exasperated. "I'm more of a straightforward person."
I took a moment to process that. He was a good prankster. Maybe a little too good, considering his very well maintained serious expression. Not wanting to insult him, I decided not to voice my thoughts.
"I think you've got the wrong address," I answered, coolly.
"I think I've not," he replied back. "Look, can we just talk for a while?"
He won't give up easily, would he?
"Who's there?" Asher yelled, from the hall.
"Uh..." I didn't know what to say. Nevertheless, he was starting to creep me out.
There's a limit, even for pranks, especially when you're involving strangers. He seemed to have no issues crossing them.
"Daniel Winston, delighted to meet you," he answered Ash's question to me. "Now, may I please come in? You might want to sit down before I explain anything."
His name sounded pretty posh and familiar, and if he is as wealthy as he looks, why'd he play a prank on a nobody, like me? It could be made up too. The name, I mean.
Nevertheless, I decided to act casual.
"I'm sorry, uh, Daniel, strangers aren't welcome in my house," I replied. "Besides, is it something important?"
"Of course. Our marriage is something important to discuss about," he scoffed. "As I previously told you."
Okay, this was way too much for me to handle. I let out a small laugh.
"Okay, Daniel, enough with this whole 'marriage' joke thing," I said, making hand gestures in the air. "It was a good prank, but come on, you're way too old to play these childish games, not to mention, with a stranger."
I gave him a sarcastic smile and was prepared to slam the door on his face.
"I'm not fucking-" he began with a angered tone, but cut himself off and took a deep breath. "Look, I'm not joking. This is not a prank. It's all true and I'm serious, Jessica Charles Walkers."
My smiling vanished abruptly. How in the world does he know my entire name? Is he supposed to know my middle name too? Did I tell him that?
That not possible. Even Cass doesn't know my middle name. Heck, it's been so long that I'd almost forgotten it.
Upon noticing my astonished expression, he smirked.
Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little and turned around to find out it was Asher.
"What's wrong, muffin?" Asher asked, eyeing the stranger. "Who's this?"
"Daniel Winston," he answered. "And I need to speak to Jessica Charles Walkers this instant."
He needs to stop calling me that.
"You have a middle name?" Asher looked at me with a incredulous look. "And I never knew?"
"I never told anyone," I said. "Not even Cass. Then how..."
I gave Daniel a sharp look.
"I have my sources," he shrugged in response. "Can we please go in? I really don't have much time and I've got a lot to say. I swear I'm not going to hurt any one of you. Just please, let me just talk once."
"Talk once?" Asher demanded. "I'm not letting a stranger in for talking about God knows what."
Asher literally spoke my mind.
"This is important, you-" Daniel stopped himself, shooting a glare at Asher. "I apologise for that. Do you know who I am?"
"Daniel Winston," Asher answered. "You just told us that."
"And thank you for remembering it," Daniel forced a smile. "I'm the CEO that is, Chief Executive Officer, in case you didn't know, of Empereus."
Holy mother of God. He can't possibly be telling the truth. The biggest, the most richest and prosperous software company of all time.
Maybe he's trying to fool me, just like Asher did, all those months ago. But his attire and looks said otherwise.
He has to be joking.
"I fooled her with that once," Asher spoke after a few seconds. "You can't fool me because I've already done that to someone else."
"I'm not joking, kidding or just playing around," Daniel replied. "I'm completely and utterly serious. Here, take a look at this."
He took out a business card, I'm guessing, from his front pocket and held it steadily in front of our eyes.
I took a long look at it.
We just stared at him. If he was who he claimed he was, then this must be some big shit.
Or all this could still just be a hoax.
"So, may I come in?" Daniel asked politely.
I looked at Asher, waiting for some sort of reply (considering I didn't have any of my own), but his eyes held just as much as confusion that mine did. He scanned Daniel for a few seconds, then turning back to me with a small, but doubtful, shrug. He then mouthed something over. He seemed to be saying 'It won't hurt to listen'.
He glanced at Daniel one last time before turning back to me.
"Alright, but you do anything weird, I'm calling the police," Asher answered, as he moved aside to let the stranger into my abode.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So..." Asher began once we were all seated on the sofa. Well, Asher was actually spread across it with his head resting on his hands, which were further placed on the back pillows of the sofa. He didn't seem to have any problems with showing his natural habits in front of a stranger, who's possibly the CEO of one of the most elite software companies.
"So?" Daniel asked. Daniel, on the other hand, was seated on the sofa in a very formal posture. His back straight, arms resting on his knees, one of which was on top of another.
"Why're you here?" Asher questioned.
"Um, is this guy going to be here? I mean, it's more of a personal talk," Daniel said, looking at me. "I'd prefer if it'd just be the two of us."
"No," me and Asher replied simultaneously.
"Whatever suites you," he answered with a shrug. "So, what I need to talk about starts from Delft."
"What?" I exclaimed.
Did I hear him right? Delft? Talk about it? Talk about Delft?
No. Just no. That was a place I wouldn't want to visit again. Or think about it. Or even talk about it.
That place no longer exists to me.
Then why is he bringing it up? Does he know about it? Does he know about my fake doctor's degree? Is he indirectly interrogating me? Is he a cop? Detective?
Will I go to jail?
"Delft. I'm sure you know about it," he continued. "Don't you?"
"What's that got to do with you, a CEO, as you claim?"
"I'm here for explaining that only, if you let me," he snapped. "Moving on, it was actually years ago, I met her dad in a bar."
I let out a small gasp at that. My dad? Him?
My dad...
Immediately, an image of a middle aged man flashed, interrupting my thoughts. His dirty blonde hair tousled around, like he didn't bother combing it. The lightest shade of brown seemed to be sparkling in his iris, his eyes always appealed to me. A small, yet lazy, smile enveloped his face, which made him look inviting.
Asher noticed this and passed me a questioning look. Daniel pretended to ignore it.
"We both were quite under the influence of alcohol, none of us were thinking straight and-"
"Why would a CEO, as you claim, go get drunk in a small town?" Asher interrupted him.
"Maybe because I wasn't a CEO that time?" He answered, irritably. "Also, I'd advise you not to interrupt me."
And as he continued the story, I could feel my mind panicking, unable to think straight. But it wasn't until the last part of it that really cut it.
"He said he had a daughter, and that he needed a groom for her. I agreed and well, he got us married, illegally. Documents stating our marriage were printed, but none of it was true. However, the next morning, when I went to the old man, I mean her dad's house to get her, I was informed that she was gone. I wasn't upset, as I myself wanted a divorce. I decided to seal those documents and never look at them again. However, a cursed maid had discovered it a few days ago and passed pictures of it to the media for some bucks. I've talked and even tried to bribe the journalist who has those pictures. He won't budge, though."
I was horrified. Distraught. My heart seemed to either have stopped or beating painfully, I wasn't sure anymore. I didn't even have the courage to look at Asher, to see his confused and terrified expression.
What was happening?
"Now," he continued slowly, for he knew that all this was too much for anyone to take. "I, myself, have never discovered any interest in marriages, love and that sort of thing. Heck, I even planned on never getting married. But the world cannot find out that the CEO of one of the leading companies was married illegally. My company, everything I've created will shatter away to pieces. And I can't let that happen."
Silence. I sat still, listening to my heartbeat.
"What are you asking from us?" Asher asked, his voice strained.
"I'm asking Jessica to reclaim her positing as my wife, and prove to the world that those documents are legal," he replied, eyeing me.
"Then you must be out of your mind," Asher answered immediately, now sounding more controlled. "Because that's ain't gonna happen. Ever."
"Ah, but I didn't ask you, did I? Jessica holds the right to make the final say, and why would she say no? I've got everything she could possibly think of. Money, looks and well, money," Daniel said, proud filling all his words.
Silence. Both of them looked at me for some kind of response, anything. But I couldn't utter a word. I wanted to yell out no, scream, cry. But my voice just won't work. I mean, I'm married, illegally, and someone else knew about it but I, myself, didn't?
My marriage has been a mystery to me for years?
Sure, I never wanted to get married. Hated all that. But I've always believed that marriage was a strong bond between two people, that's one of the reasons I never wanted to get married.
I already have that bond with someone I've never met. Someone who doesn't actually care about me, just about his company, his money. Someone I'll probably never even love.
Someone who's not Asher by miles.
"Jess," Asher whispered. "Jess, you okay?"
I doubt I'm okay anymore.
"No," I muttered, burying my face in my palms, wishing that all this was a mere dream. "No."
I was trying my level best not to cry. I didn't want to cry in front of Daniel. Or anyone, actually. I wanted to share my sorrow with myself.
"Alright then, Jessica," I heard Daniel announce, which caused me to unblock my vision and find him standing. "I'll be leaving. I sense you may be needing some time to comprehend and accept all this. No worries, I'll be back after two days to see you again. We'll discuss these matters further then."
And without waiting for any response, he left through the front door, slamming it shut on the way out.
"Jess, what the fuck was all this about?" Asher demanded. "You're married? And you never told me? I'm pretty lost here."
I shook my head, not answering. I felt entirely numb. I would scream, but I felt just like a hollow shell.
And somehow, this felt much worse than anything else.
Phew. Done.
Uh...um, bye? Yeah, bye.
Any suggestions, not that I don't have my own plans, just suggestions on how would YOU like this story to end?