WHAT IF???

Chapter 22: The Client

As the sun heralded a new morning, Sam woke up with excitement, eager to pick up Mon for their date. Stretching her arms, she reached for her phone and saw Mon's message: "Don't be late. 9 am. Good morning, love!" Sam's smile widened at the message.

As Sam rises, she feels a rush of excitement coursing through her veins. Today is the day she's been eagerly awaiting – her date with Mon. She takes extra care in choosing her outfit, opting for something casual yet stylish. After a refreshing shower, she meticulously styles her hair and applies just the right amount of makeup to enhance her natural features. As she gets ready, her mind buzzes with anticipation, imagining the wonderful day ahead with Mon.

As Sam puts the finishing touches on her preparations, the doorbell interrupts her concentration. She walks to the door, her heart sinking as she sees Kirk on the other side. With a resigned sigh, she opens the door and steps aside to let him in.

"Sam, glad to see you're ready," Kirk says cheerfully, oblivious to Sam's inner turmoil. "We can head to Grandma's place a bit early today."

Sam forces a smile, realizing she had forgotten about their plans to visit her grandma's mansion.

"Kirk, I forgot to mention, I can't make it today. I have an emergency meeting," Sam replied, fabricating an excuse.

"Today? But it's Sunday, Sam," Kirk responded, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, I know, but it's for a client. It's urgent," Sam explained, feeling the need to justify her lie.

"A Sunday meeting? That sounds unusual," Kirk remarked, his suspicion growing.

"Why can't I?" Sam replied defensively.

"It's not that you can't, but you usually reserve Sundays for your 'Me Time.' Meeting friends, shopping, and I recall you saying 'No Work on Sundays,'" Kirk responded, noting her usual routine.

Sam looked at Kirk with a disapproving expression before Kirk continued, "Okay, let's do this. I'll accompany you to your meeting, and then we can go to Grandma's after."

Irritably, Sam scratched her head in frustration. "When did you learn to come with me to my client meetings?" she asked.

"And when did you learn to work on a Sunday?" Kirk replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Feeling helpless and unable to win the conversation, Sam rolled her eyes and sighed. "Shall we go now, Sam?" Kirk asked. Sam pouted as she nodded.

Kirk opened the car door for Sam, and she entered. He then went around to the driver's seat.

Meanwhile, Mon had already finished preparing herself, wanting to look as beautiful as possible for the love of her life. She went down to the living room to wait for Sam.

Descending the stairs, Mon couldn't escape her father's notice. "It seems like someone is overdressed for a Sunday. Where are you off to?" her father teased, while Mon settled on the sofa beside him.

Her mother chimed in, "Oh, is my baby going on a date finally?" Mon nodded, her smile widening.

Curious, her father asked, "And who is it, sweetheart?" Mon just grinned and rolled her eyes in response.

"Mon, you're such a tease to your father!" her mother responded, tapping Mon on her shoulder.

"I'll tell you soon if everything runs smoothly," Mon replied, chuckling.

"I just hope this date of yours will take good care of you. Hope this one will not make you cry, not like..." her father began, but was interrupted by her mother's shushing. "Let's not go into that."

"Mon, whoever it is, I hope you'll be happy," her mother added hopefully, giving her daughter a hug.

"Mon, will your date pick you up? It's almost 9 AM. What time will you meet?" her father asked.

"It should be 9 AM," Mon replied, checking the clock while grabbing her phone to send a message to Sam.

"Sam, where are you? It's almost 9 AM. I told you not to be late," Mon texted Sam.

As Sam and Kirk arrived at the cafe, they settled at a table while servers handed them menus. Sam's phone chimed with a message from Mon. Quickly grabbing her phone, Sam read the message and replied, "I'm sorry, Mon. I almost got caught by Kirk. I forgot about our visit to Grandma's mansion. I'll make it up to you next time. I love you."

While Sam was replying, Kirk glanced over. "Was it your client? Are they here already?" he asked.

"No, they're not coming. I canceled the meeting," Sam replied weakly.

"Oh, I see. Well, I think it's for the better. Now we can have some quality time together. It's been ages since we've got married, Sam," Kirk replied.

"Kirk, please cut the act. We both know why I married you," Sam replied, annoyed.

"Yeah, right, Sam. Can you remind me why?" Kirk leaned forward, provoking Sam to tell him the reason. Sam clenched her fists, shooting Kirk a furious stare.

"It's because of Grandma, right? It's for the directorship position at the company, right? You know that my grandma is the second majority holder. Once you marry me, I can protect your grandma's position," Kirk reminded Sam.

"But still, Kirk, I only married you for that. To save Grandma. So stop acting like a real husband," Sam replied.

"But I'm still your legal husband. I have the legal rights to own you," Kirk insisted.

"I can't love you, Kirk. I will never. So please, stop it. You'll just get hurt," Sam added sarcastically.
"Okay, Sam, let's put it this way," Kirk began. "I'll let you do whatever you want. I mean anything. Meet anyone, go home to your house, anything. I won't stop you."

"In one condition," Kirk added, his tone serious.

Sam glanced at Kirk, intrigued by his proposition.

"You'll give me a child, and I won't stop you from doing anything," Kirk proposed.

"With a child, your grandma will never doubt you anymore. She'll lessen her guard on you, allowing you to do anything your heart desires," Kirk added persistently.

Sam chuckled, looking away from Kirk, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed. "I'm not a fool, Kirk," Sam replied firmly.

"Do you think I'll let that happen? A child? In your dreams, Kirk! I'll never give you a reason to tighten your hold against me," Sam retorted.

"Really, Sam? In my dreams?" Kirk replied. "It's fine with me. Maybe you could continue dreaming about getting out of our marriage and  be with someone else. You'll be stuck with me forever, Sam."

"Kirk, let's make something clear," Sam asserted, her voice firm as she stood up from her seat. "Yes, we're married, legally bound, but you'll never have my heart. I won't let you dictate my life or emotions." With that, Sam walked out of the café, leaving Kirk sitting there, stunned by her resolve.

"Mon, what's wrong?" Her father inquired, noticing the change in her expression.

"It's nothing, Dad," Mon replied, forcing a smile. "Just a change in plans. My date had an emergency, so I won't be going out anymore."

Her father looked concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Dad, everything's fine," Mon assured him. "I'll just stay here for today."

As she excused herself and went upstairs to her room, Mon couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. Deep down, she knew that moments like this would arise because she wasn't Sam's legal partner.