His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 24 The transparent glass doors opened to a jewellery store.

"Gabriel, why're we here?" I asked him in a murmur, following higvinside nonetheless. All the employees in the shop stood up upon seeing us enter, all eyes on my husband, and a man who looked like the manager of the store stepped in front..

"Mr. Whitlock? Welcback. We weren't expecting you. Is this about the necklace you had your eyes on?" I battled my eyelashes. A necklace? For who? "No." Gabriel seemed to have stiffen up upon hearing the question. “Ralph, this is my wife Sophia. Sophia, this is Ralph, the store manager." "Mrs. Whitlock, it is such a pleasure to meet you," The man with blonde hair who appeared to be in his mid forties stepped ahead and shook my hand, and I gave him a polite smile and a nod, too surprised to speak. "How can I help the two of you today?" My husband cleared his throat. "We're going to be looking at rings, Engagement rings and wedding bands, both "What is the budget, Mr. Whitlock?" A smug smile settled on his lips. "When have I ever given you a budget, Ralphe?" "Touche. This way please. Ralph chortles lightly, leading us into separate room, smaller than the original, dark wallpapers with a red leather couch and a marble table to display jewellery, While he pulled out rings to show us, I tugged at Gabriel's "Why are we here?" I asked him in a hushed whisper "To select a ring you like, of course" "But why?" "Since you don't like the one that you were made to wear in the wedding, which is why you don't wear it, yes?" My eyebrows knit in utter confusion and then my eyes followed his gaze onto my hare ring linger, the wedding rings absent.

I cursed lightly under my breath. “Gabriel," I tell him, my voice fim. "I do wear our wedding band from tto time. I just forgot it at the sink counter today when I removed it before shower." "Let's just pick a ring that you like too much to forget then, hun?" He gavea pointed look.

"That is not needed." I told him firmly, "Let's go home." "We are not going hwithout a ring, Freckles." His glare didn't leave his face. "We cannot have you forget your rings and creeps like Viktor Hart think you are free to touch, huh?" "Not for the next five months anyway." I muttered.

His eyes darkened.

I quickly add. "You don't wear yours." "What?" 1/3 Chapter 24 "Your wedding band. You don't wear it." "In that case, pick one fortoo. Since I picked my own wedding band last time.” "No. We are going home. I like my wedding rings just fine, Gabriel." Before he could say anything, Ralph returned with an assortment of differing rings, from small with a single diamond to large ones with multiple diamonds, different shapes and sizes, sdainty, others extravagant, and sjust tacky.

“This is the first twe are catering to you, Mrs. Whitlock, and didn't know about your preference. So I pulled all of my best pieces. He said, and I had to force my eyes away from the pretty rings to my husband, who was quiet.

"Gabriel?" I called him softly "Are you going to tell Ralph what we just spoke about?" "No. Because we didn't speak about anything." He gavea smile in return, which was so fake, it was unbearable.

I contemplated the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to the store manager, "Actually, Ralph, we are so sorry to your tbut I decided that I don't need a new ring just yet after all." "Don't be like that. Freckles. I have just one wife, letpamper her." There with the fake sweetness again.

have wasted "You both are so adorable. Ralph commented, a toothy grin on his lips. “I had read it in articles, but in person, it's even better.

Gabriel offered him a tight smile. "You said these are sof your best pieces, yes?" They are, Sir." "That's good enough. Pack all of them." My eyes widened so far, I was worried they would bulge out of my socket. “These are thirty rings, Gabriel!” If I wasn't in such a state of shock. I was pretty sure I would have shouted.

"One for every day of the month, so you don't forget, hm?" Casually, he turned back to Ralph. "Bill them toand send it to my office, yes?" "Y-Y- Yes, Sir." The man stuttered, getting up after us, in shock too. “You are a very lucky woman, Mrs. Whitlock. Truly." He said before he did ssort of weird bow, as if we were royalty.

"Yes. Truly." I agreed out loud, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Claring back at my husband I walked out of the room, leaving him to follow and walked towards the men's rings. Well, if he can pay for thirty rings, what's one more?

el I went through a dozen of them while Gabriel was at the billing counter, making signatures and offering them his shiny black card. At last, I settled for a matt gold band ring. He didn't look like the kind of man who would like a diamond on his finger "I was wondering if you could make an inscription on the inside Like a small engraving." I asked the sales woman.

"We usually don't do it, Ma'am, but we can customise it for you. The timid woman replied, “It would take five days for us to make it and another two days to deliver. Is that okay?" I smiled at her. "Sounds perfect." "What would you want your engraving to be?" She asked, forwardinga notepad and a pen, and then leaving for privacy.

Without thinking, twice, I scribbled what I had in mind, and still beaming, I called her back. "I would like this to be billed separately, 1 told, "Not to my husband" "Sure, to what account should I bill it?" She askedand I gave her the details to my personal account, the one that had my Chapter 24 savings before marriage and the salary of the month I worked at Wales, and between the two, I could cover Gabriel's ring.

"Paying separately for a secret lover, Freckles? I heard my husband's booming voice behindand I ет jumped behind, pushing the notepad out of his sight, unaware that he was standing right behind me. And by my movement, I had pressed my back against his chest, his breath fanning my shoulder blade over the sweater I was wearing, still enough to make heat. pool down there. All he needed to be was close, and my body would react like this. It was maddening- I gulped. "What's the point of selecting your husband's wedding band from his own money?" "Turn around. Freckles" He murmured and as soon as I did, he cagedby putting his hand on both sides of me.

X His eyes were dark, an expression I didn't recognise. He just stared atfor a few seconds too long, almost makingthink he'll kissright here. But he didn't, He stepped behind. You ready to go home?" Disappointment washed over me. but I nodded and followed him out.