MY PRETEND WIFE

The Ultimatum

Richard adjusted his tie nervously as he stood in front of the huge mahogany door outside his mother's study.

She had called for him a few hours ago asking him to see her and he had this bad feeling that he would not like this conversation that they were going to have. Knowing his mother, he knew she was up to something and it was making him nervous, really nervous.

He raised his hand hesitantly and knocked on the door.

"Come in." His mother's voice rang out from the other side of the door.

Richard grasped the brass door knob and opened the door. His mother was seated behind a huge antique desk looking over some papers. For such a petite woman, it never ceased to amaze Richard how she can command such a presence. She looked right at home behind the masculine desk and had managed not to be swallowed up by it. He quietly slipped inside and gently closed the door behind him. As soon as the door closed, his mother looked up and gazed at him with her piercing brown eyes. He gulped. This was definitely not going to be good.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked as he stood by the doorway.

"RJ, come here and take a seat. I have some matters that I wanted to discuss with you." His mother answered as she fixed the papers on her desk and placed them away.

Richard walked towards his mother's desk and settled himself on a chair. He brushed off an invisible lint from his dark suit and tried to look calm as he waited for his mother to speak. He was already 26 years old but his mother never failed to make him tremble like a child. She had this certain aura around her that made people sit and listen and she had certainly used this with Richard all through out the years that he was growing up. Not that she was a bad mother. She was quite the opposite actually. She had raised Richard while juggling a business empire and a failed marriage. His father, on the other hand, was a disappointment. He was a philanderer and an alcoholic and had went on with his womanizing ways all through out his marriage. But his mother was not deterred by a good for nothing husband. She was strong willed and brave and had taken over the business his irresponsible father refused to handle. She had been a hands-on mother in spite of all the commitments and meetings that she had. Richard had always admired and respected her views and opinions.

"How are you doing?" His mother asked him as she leaned over her desk to take a good look at her son.

"I'm fine mom" he answered.

"I trust that you are already quite familiar with how we run the business?" His mother inquired. As soon as Richard graduated from the university, his mother had put him to work and he has since then been learning and familiarizing himself with the business that would eventually be his.

"Yes I am" he replied.

His mother leaned back and rested herself against her chair. She continued to stare at her son as if scrutinizing him and Richard could feel his palms sweating.

"I have decided to start turning the business over to you. You are old enough and I feel that you are already quite capable of handling it on your own." His mother finally declared after a few minutes of silence.

Richard started to breathe a sigh of relief. If this is what his mother had wanted to talk about he could definitely handle it. He knew the ins and outs of the business as if it were the back of his hands. Taking over will be easy enough for him.

"However" His mother added sharply. Richard froze and he could feel cold fear trickling down his spine. He held his breath as he waited her to speak up. "Your personal life leaves nothing to be desired. I can't believe how you could live like your father."

Richard could feel himself blush with shame. Aside from inheriting his father's good looks and brains, he had also unfortunately inherited his love for women. He had been a self confessed playboy since his teenage years and had continued on until now much to his mother's dismay.

"Mom.." He started to speak up but his mother interrupted him.

"Richard Faulkerson Jr., you are already 26 years old. When will you grow up and become a man? How many times have I told you that women are not toys? Emotions are not to be toyed with young man. How many times have I told you that before?" his mother said in a firm voice while he stayed quiet. "So before I turn over the business to you I want to see you as a mature and responsible man both in your career and your personal life. You know very well that I never approved your love for women." She said in a condescending tone that made Richard flinch. "I want to see you settled down first before I hand over the entire business to you."

Richard balked at what his mother had said. Did he hear her right? He blinked several times as he tried to process her words.

His mother looked at him directly in the eyes. "I want you to get married RJ, otherwise the company will not be yours."