14. Shared Expenses Clause
All financial expenses related to joint appearances, events, celebrations or any project of Party B will be paid by Party A for the duration of the contract. Party A reserves the right to decline finance for any project of Party B that he doesn't see value in supporting.
15. Respect for Family Members Clause
Both parties are required to maintain respectful decorum toward each other's family members. Family confrontations or "petty arguments" will result in fines to the offending party.
16. Weekly Status Updates
Every weekend, Party A and Party B will review the effectiveness of their marriage "performance." This meeting will be limited to 30 minutes and must take place in a private location. Adjustments to "affection tactics" or pose ideas are highly encouraged.
17. Time-Out Clause
In case of extreme annoyance, each party has the right to invoke a temporary "time-out" period to pause the contract obligations once a month. The maximum duration is 24 hours per incident.
18. Monthly Date Night Requirement
To solidify their status as a "happy couple," both parties will participate in a monthly "date night" at a pre-agreed upon location. Party A will cover all expenses.
19. No Breaking Rules for Emotions Clause
Each party agrees to take their commitment to the contract seriously, no matter how "emotionally tense" circumstances may become. Both agree that the contract supersedes all emotions.
20. A monthly salary of ten million of the local currency will be paid to Party B throughout the entire five years. Party A reserves the right to adjust said salary if Party B breaches any part of the contract.
21. One-Month Grace Period
Should the situation become intolerable within the first month, either party may propose a "review" of the contract for possible amendments or withdrawal without penalty.
Signatures:
Party A: _____________________ Date: ___________
Party B: _____________________ Date: ___________
End of contract
After reading the absurd contract, Olaedo couldn't say a single word. So, the investor was indeed CEO Arinze, but not in the way she had thought.
The perfect image of her mentor shattered with a loud crash in her heart.
Getting married, huh?
Since the day Maduabuchi ran away, marriage had been the last thing on her mind. This contract... it was impossible.
She slowly set the papers down on the table and looked at Chibuzor, who had been studying her reaction. When she finally spoke, sarcasm dripped from her tone
"So, let me get this straight. You want us to play husband and wife? Should I start practicing my 'good morning, honey' voice now, or are we sticking to 'strictly business' from 9 to 5?"
Chibuzor took a moment to ponder her words before replying, "Only if you think it'll make the contract more convincing. If that's what it takes, we'll schedule rehearsals."
'Yep, that's the CEO Arinze I know. Always direct.' She shook her head internally. 'So he isn't joking. The top bachelor in the country actually wants to marry me?? No....pretend to marry me.'
Yes, she needed every bit of money she could put her hands on, but selling her freedom for the next five years…was it worth it?
She sat there, her thoughts tangled and spiraling. 'I need someone to tell me what to do. Only one person can help me with this.'
"Mr. Chibuzor, may I use the washroom? I'll be back soon."
He nodded and watched her calmly leave. 'Impressive. She's calmer than I thought.'
Then, he recalled his initial confusion when she first came in. 'Who is this lady?'
He dialed his house line, and the housekeeper picked up within a minute. "Young Master?"
Loosening his tie, he answered, "I just met the first lady you picked, and she looks oddly familiar, but I don't remember seeing her in the list I gave you. Who is she?"
The housekeeper broke out in a nervous sweat, answering slowly, "Uhm, sir, she's indeed not on the list you gave me. All the ladies on the list thought I was a scammer, so they didn't agree to meet you. I saw her biography on the internet, and she met all the other criteria."
"Also, she recently suffered a huge loss at the hands of her fiancé, so the anti-love and marriage part was also checked. She was the only one I could find, sir. I'm sorry if she didn't meet your expectations."
Suffered a huge loss at the hands of her fiancé?
'No, don't tell me he picked…'
Before he could complete his thoughts, the housekeeper's voice came through again. "Her name is CEO Anozie Olaedo."
"…."
'Great, just great. I am going to marry a lady who didn't even make it onto his broad list, let alone the shortlist.'
He huffed in anger, unsure who to blame. His criteria had been pretty absurd, so he couldn't fault the housekeeper for struggling to find other matches. Finding one candidate was already a great feat.
He decided to calm down and go with what he got. "Okay, thank you. Prepare the room opposite mine and put in the things I told you to prepare; there's a high chance I'll be bringing home your young mistress."
With that, he cut the call, leaving a confused elderly man to wonder how his employer had managed to get himself a wife in just one day.
--------------------------
In the washroom, Olaedo dialed her mom, wondering how to phrase her words to avoid sounding like she was doing something potentially…unwise.
Her mind drifted back to the last time she had felt this helpless.
-------------------------
Seven years ago
The time had come to register for her high school SS3 final exams, an expense she had dreaded since JSS1.
The government made schooling affordable in public schools, covering nearly all essential costs. Families only had to pay a minimal fee ranging from 2,000 to 4,500 local currency, depending on the class level.
But WAEC and NECO fees were a different story. WAEC alone cost 19,500, while NECO was 22,250 local currency, making a grand total of 41,750 local currency. And this was an amount of money that the Anozie family had never seen, let alone held.