His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 6 A middle aged lady opened the door with a smile on her face, an apron covering the dress she was wearing and her hair, that I had thought would be set to the last pins, was just tied behind in a messy bun.

"Gabe!" The smile on her lips only widened as they set on her son and she immediately pulled him into a hug. "Mom." He greeted her back, actually putting one of his hands back around her.

At least he hugs. Or makes a half-a*sed attempt at a hug.

As she pulls away, she looked at me. "And you must be the secret girlfriend he never told us about? Oh, Gabel" She swatted his forearm, "She's gorgeous." "I guess?" I whispered as she pulledinto a hug I didn't expect and I looked at Gabriel. He gave absolutely no expressions.

"Oh, cin!" She made way for us.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Whitlock." I smiled at her.

"CallElse." She corrected. "And I'm very disappointed in the two of you." She looked atcrossly and then her son. "Who doesn't invite the groom's parents to the wedding?" My mouth fell open. "You weren't invited? Oh-Oh. I'm- I'm so sorry, I didn't." I was stuttering, and I looked to Gabriel who just rolled his eyes.

"It's okay." His mom cutoff, "Gabriel explained everything to me, about how you had to get married in a rush because of your grandfather's health. He's promiseda proper wedding after a few months, one in which family is invited, not just businessmen. Right, Gabriel?" Her tone wasn't questioning. It was demanding.

"Yes, Mom." Gabriel replied, no hesitance whatsoever. Where's Dad?" "He's in the kitchen. Why don't you help him lay the table while I talk to my daughter-in-law here?" "Mh-hm." Her son nodded, disappearing inside but not before givinga look. It was a glare mostly, one that said 'If you f*ck up, I'll un-alive you and feed you to the vultures.

*So Sofia, dear, sit with me. Before I could move, she had already pulledon the couch in front of her. “Telleverything about you. What do you like to do?" I was at loss at where to start from, so I just smiled at her. "A lot of my twent in working to provide for my grandpa's treatment," I told her, "But before that, I used to love baking. And I paint. I have commissioned a few pieces in Brooklyn.

"I'm a painter," Her eyes sparkled, "That's how I and Gabriel's father met actually. In art school." "Oh, wow. I'd love to see what you've painted someday if you're okay with that." "Sweetheart, I'd love to show you too. Only if you showyours My smile widened. "Deal" Gabriel returned from kitchen with a man behind him. His father looked like the older version of him, just softer and his eyes were blue while Gabriel's were brown.

"Our son married a very fine lady, Ralph." She said to her husband who set the plates on the table before turning to us completely, "Never could I have imagined he would end up with a girl who likes painting. And I'm so relieved he did." "Looks like she'll bring the much needed colour in his life. Kalph stepped towards us, givinghis palm. "Nice to meet you 1/3 ||| Chapter 6 Sofia, I'm Ralph." I shook his hand. "I'm so glad I finally got at to meet you." "As are we," He smiled back, "Gabriel didn't tell us anything about you and we want to know it all." How could he tell anything aboutto his parents? He knew nothing at all.

As Gabriel and Ralph headed to the dining table, his Elise usheredto join them.

"So, I heard from my father you studied in Seoul just like him.” "Yeah, I transferred there after my parents passed away. They met and fell in love in that school, and I guess being there felt like my way of being close to their memories." I gave them a small smile. "I did my college here, and then I worked as a financial analyst for two years." "Oh, wow, That's a lot of hard work," Elise smiled as she lifted the lids off a few dishes, passing them, and I kept my eyes on them for the most of dinner.

But I could see Gabriel, his stare burned throughevery tspoke, and once his mom started talking about stories from his childhood, he looked away and didn't really look atfor the rest of the dinner.

When it was tto leave, Gabriel talked in small whispers with his father, while his mother walkedoutside to the porch.

"Gabriel used to play here all the time." She told me, her eyes set at a basketball set that in the corner of the lawn. "He was a kid, you know. Just like any other ten. And then one day, just overnight, he grew up. And he wore ties and moved out and learnt business, and the kid I knew never played here again." I could hear her voice slightly cracking when she looked to me, forcefully smiling again. "Take care of my kid, Sofia. Both of you take care of each other, yeah?" "I will, Elise." I smiled at her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze and she took a deep breath when the door opened again. Gabriel stepping out.

"I need to get my wife hnow, hm?" He tells his mother as he steps in to hug her and when he retraces back, he holds me..

No, he doesn't holdHis hand lingers on my lower back, just a feathery touch. An unexpected touch.

I almost let my smile fall in shock, and goosebumps rise on the bare skin of my arms, In that moment, I felt thankful for the fitted dress I was wearing the cloth separating my bare skin from his hand, because of this mere touch made something drop in my stomach, I wondered how it would feel if there was no dress on.

No.

I couldn't think ofnaked with Gabriel. A naked Gabriel...

Just no.

-Especially not in front of his parents.

I breathed in the scent of his perfas we walked towards the car with ΟΠ his parents watching from the porch. He walked to the passenger seat first, opening the door forto sit in and then to his side. As we pulled out of his parents' street. I looked at him. “When you said your parents were different, did you mean they were normal?" 12:21 Tue, Jun 4 O Chapter 6 He looked like he was contemplating the urge to roll his eyes.

"I cannot believe you're the product of such amazing parents." "Freckles, if I switch on smusic, would you stop talking?" "Maybe. Too bad you don't like music, huh?" He shook his head, switching on the raof his car, and I hid a smile looking outside as Adele's Set Fire To The Rain played in the car.

When he parked outside, he didn't rush in like he usually does, leavingto follow. Instead, he waited forto fall in line with him and we climbed the stairs on opposite sides, but almost in line.

I wondered if I should wish him goodnight, but decided against it as I took the left turn to my rooms expecting him to go his way. Instead, he called on me. "Freckles?" I turned. "Yeah?" "You did good tonight." Saying as much, he turned and walk away to his room, and if I wasn't wrong, a small smile lingered on his lips, or at least the ghost of one.

And I hated how butterflies filled in me.

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