Contractually Yours

32• The devil behind

🔹️🔹️Adrien Russell🔹️🔹️

I was in my office at 6 in the evening when Ryan called and informed me that Evan was here. Although I was in no mood to meet him, I was curious about what he had to say. I was also looking forward to throwing a couple of punches on his face.

When he knocked and came inside, I looked up from my desk to him. He looked awkward and... guilty. We didn't exchange any greetings and I offered him to sit on the couch next to my desk as I too walked there.

"I'll come straight to the point." He started. "Crystal told me that you got some pictures of us kissing but it's not what it seems like. I mean... It was me who tried to kiss Crystal."

I listened to him calmly but only I was aware of the storm brewing inside me.

"You forced a kiss on her?" My nose flared in fury.

"I'm sorry, Adrien. I was dead drunk and my feelings for Crystal were so on the surface that I didn't realise what I was doing. And I didn't really force her, I stopped when she asked me to." His eyes flushed with genuine guilt and a small part of me empathized with him.

"But what I am here for is to tell you that whatever happened, whatever you saw, it was all my fault. Crystal has been loyal to you and she'll always be. Please don't misunderstand the situation and go back home. She is vulnerable without you."

Evan's confession surprised me. A mixture of feelings evolved inside of me. "There's nothing between you and Crystal?"

"Absolutely nothing."

I sighed and rubbed my face. Things had become so exhausting.

"Thanks. For telling me the truth."

He gave me a sad smile. "It's the least I could do for the girl I love." I wasn't mad at that. Not even jealous. I actually felt sad for Evan. We both stood up and shook hands. "Sorry for the trouble." And he left.

There was so much on my mind. Crystal, Brie, Sophie. I needed to talk to someone. Someone who would see things with my point of view and help me. There was only one person who came to mind and I called him.

"Hey, Ty! Wanna grab a drink? Now!"

.

.

"What?!" Tyler choked on his drink when I told him the entire truth of mine and Crystal's marriage. "Holy Shit, you guys were faking it all this time?"

I sighed and answered. "It was a contract marriage but we somehow grew close to each other, so I wouldn't say that all of it was fake."

"So you're telling me that you have started to have feelings for your contractual wife."

"Pretty much."

"Okay. So what's the problem?"

Then I told him the whole story of Evan and those pictures along with Brie's confession.

"Woah. To say that your love life is complicated is an understatement." He commented.

"Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes and chugged down my drink.

"So Brie is back and she claims that she never cheated on you."

"Apparently. But I don't get it. As Brie says, Alan must have lied to me. But those chats and Sophie, how do I turn a blind eye on them?"

"Either one of them is obviously lying." Tyler said. As if I didn't already know that. "Do you notice the similarity in both these situations?" He asked and I gave it a thought. Yes, both the situations were ridiculously similar.