Love, Lies and Billionaires

Maren collapsed into her office chair with a heavy sigh and shut her eyes. The week had been uneventful except for the fact that she had been here and there attending one meeting or the other, which was really frustrating.

“Come in!” Maren answered to the soft knocking on her door.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“This is the report from the last meeting in Moscow, ma’am,” Louise said, tendering a few papers attached together by a paper clip.

“Did you run it in the database?”

“Sure, ma’am,” she answered, and Maren tapped on the table for her to drop it. “And there are the conditions the party planners dropped by this morning.”

Maren watched as she dropped a file of papers on her table. She drew closer and opened the file to go through it. Louise stood by and watched her boss read through silently for about a minute.

“I didn’t ask for all this. It’s a garden party and there won’t be many guests. These look like conditions for a carnival.”

“These are the only kinds of services they provide ma’am”

“I asked for an organisation that plans little parties, Louise. Do I have to spoon feed you to understand what I say?” Maren said, rubbing her temples. She didn’t even have the strength to scold her.

“I’m really sorry, ma’am. I’ll look for another organisation,” she apologised quickly.

“Nathan’s birthday party is tomorrow, Louise. If you don’t get everything under control before today ends, I’ll send you back to where Alexander got you from, alright?” Maren said seriously, but her tone made the threat seem empty.

Louise just bolted her office after apologising a few more times. Maren just placed her head on the table. She was exhausted, but she was grateful.

It was the fifth month of the contract and nothing remarkably bad had happened. She has received no letter telling her that her throat would be slit soon, nor has Willam surfaced with his shitty flirting ways.

Overall, she just needed this contract to get over with.

“Knock knock!” A cheerful voice called, making Maren’s thoughts drift away as she lifted her head.

“Hi,” Maren greeted with a weak smile.

“Someone looks tired,” Nella said. Her leather boots, which she wore to match her leather overcoat, sounding soft, and she took gracious steps towards Maren’s table. She pulled out the seat and settled in it.

“Well, you definitely are better looking than I am,” Maren said in a compliment, but also in fact.

“Aww, thank you,” she whined with a brief smile. “So I took your advice to not let the body go to waste, and I applied at a modelling agency,” she said, beaming.

“Okay! I knew something was different alright” Maren’s smile broadened but failed to hide her fatigue.

“You’re looking at LA’s upcoming top model, girl,” she announced, flipping her golden hair. She turned to Maren, as she hadn’t reacted the way she expected. “You are one heck of a worn out bitch, Maren.”

“Yeah, god I’m so tired,” she grumbled, leaning back on the chair.

“Okay, that’s it. You’re taking a break. Do you want to murder yourself? Nathan still needs you if no one does. ”

“I know, I know, but work makes things get out of my head, you know. Plus, there’s just so much to do in such a short time, Nell,” she said and looked straight at her friend, who knew there was nothing she could do to talk her out of working.

“I’ll be fine, alright?” Maren added, flashing her an assuring smile, which kind of felt painful as it lasted.

“Times like this, I’m grateful I’m jobless,” Nella said, making Maren chuckle a little. “Anyway, Zack was whining about Nathan’s birthday tomorrow. Why didn’t you tell me? I could be of help with the preparations, you know, not like I’ve got anything doing.”

“Oh, it’s fine, it’s a garden party and I’m not sure I’ll want to see a lot of faces there, so there’s actually nothing much to prepare for”

“Alright then, I just dropped by to break the news to you,” Nella said as she picked up her bag and stood up. “I’m picking Zack up from preschool today”

“Bye!” Maren said and watched one of the last people she expected to be friends with leave her office.

Maren wasn’t sure about the reason she’d become friends with Nella. She didn’t know if it was because their stories were almost similar or because their sons had become friends before them.

In all, Maren made sure to not trust her the way she’d trusted Irene.

*****

. “You know this party would have been better off at our house, Maren,” Mrs Sharppe said as she straightened the large table at the center of the garden, even as the planners had corrected it for the umpteenth time.

“Well, Alexander requested it be held here. So I don’t think I had much of a choice.” She replied as she looked around, inspecting the work they’d done. Her mom just pouted and walked towards the house.

“Good morning mom!” Maren heard and turned to see Nella approaching along with Zack in a cute black tux baring a wrapped package, which he held with both hands.

“Now look at this, cutie,” Maren said as she bent to his level and pulled his cheek playfully. “If I didn’t know, I’d think you’re the birthday boy”

Zack giggled and stretched the package to Maren. “This is for Nathan, Nathan’s mom”

“That is so nice of you, Zack,” Maren said and pulled him in for a hug. “I’ll go keep this on that table for Nathan, alright?” Zack nodded excitedly.

“Gosh, we’re so early,” Nella said as Maren turned away from the table. “Zack woke up so early today and wouldn’t let anyone go back to bed”

Maren smiled ‘kids!’ she thought. “You’re not that early, though. The guests should be arriving soon and so will Nathan,” she replied, walking over to where the workers were.

“Alright then, we’ll just be over… Maren?”

“What?” she asked absentmindedly, still keeping her eyes on the workers.

“Did you invite him?”

Maren turned in the direction where Nella was looking and saw a smiling William bearing a gift and waving at her.

“Oh, fuck!”