Ayaka's POV
A document was shoved in my direction by Hirota, his irritating face looking at me with obvious boredom.
"Hurry up and sign it. I have far more important things to do than deal with all this," he said.
"If you're really short on time, just leave this with me. That way, I can think about whether I even want to sign it or not."
Hirota raised one eyebrow and leaned closer toward me.
"Don't act like you don't need money. Do you even know how much your expenses are? You should be grateful I'm offering this contract. A woman like you should be thanking a man like me, Ayaka!"
His arrogant words made me sick, as if in this whole act he was the only one offering something of value.
If it weren't for me, he wouldn't even be considered as a potential heir of the Kisaragi family, all because he dated a woman his parents deemed scandalous.
Damn it.
I never thought that I once loved him in silence—that he was actually my first love.
We hadn't seen each other for seventeen years because Hirota had been living abroad, and now I was suddenly being forced into a contract marriage with him.
Sometimes it still felt like a dream, how he suddenly contacted me out of nowhere, saying he wanted to talk about "work."
If it weren't for my father's debt and my mother's serious illness, I never would have accepted this offer.
Our family had fallen into ruin because the Kisaragi patriarch believed someone else's lies and ousted my father from his role as right-hand man.
Depression hit my father hard—he turned to drugs and gambling as an escape, eventually overdosing and leaving behind an enormous debt.
It was so huge that in my two years of working, I'd never once been able to use my salary for myself. I gave it all to my mother and to pay off my father's debt.
"Hey!"
Hirota slammed the side of the table, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for?! I have to go pick up Rika!"
Tch. Just hearing Rika's name irritated me—she was Hirota's girlfriend, the one his parents disapproved of. And her father was the one who got my dad kicked out just to suck up to the Kisaragi family.
My eyes drifted back to the contract drafted by the Kisaragis. I read through it again to make sure I didn't miss any detail.
CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT
Between
Ayaka Fujiwara
and
Hirota Kisaragi
We, the undersigned:
Ayaka Fujiwara, residing in Tokyo, Japan, hereinafter referred to as Party A.
Hirota Kisaragi, CEO of the Kisaragi Group, residing in Tokyo, Japan, hereinafter referred to as Party B.
Hereby agree to enter into a contract marriage subject to the following terms and conditions:
Article 1 – Purpose of Agreement
This agreement is made based on mutual consent to engage in a lawful and legal marriage for a predetermined period to serve the personal interests of both parties.
Article 2 – Duration
This contract marriage shall be valid for one year, starting from the date the marriage is officially registered with the appropriate government authority.
Article 3 – Compensation
Party B agrees to provide Party A with a compensation of ¥10,000,000 (ten million yen) per month, to be paid no later than the 5th of each month.
This compensation is non-negotiable and shall remain in effect even if the two parties do not live under the same roof.
Article 4 – Duties and Responsibilities
Party A is obligated to appear as Party B's legal wife at all necessary family or social events.
Party B is responsible for protecting the honor and safety of Party A during the contract period.
Article 5 – Privacy and Personal Relations
There is no obligation for either party to engage in physical relations unless mutually agreed upon.
Neither party is allowed to enter a romantic relationship with a third party during the contract period.
Article 6 – Termination of Contract
The contract may be terminated early if:
a. One party is found to have violated any clause of this agreement.
b. Both parties mutually agree in writing to end the contract.
If the contract is terminated early without a valid reason, the terminating party must pay a penalty of ¥30,000,000.
Article 7 – Confidentiality
Both parties agree to keep the content and existence of this agreement confidential from outsiders, except for immediate family members who need to be informed.
This agreement is made willingly and without coercion from any party, in two original copies, signed by both parties in the presence of a witness.
Tokyo, March 29, 2025
Party A
Ayaka Fujiwara
Party B
Hirota Kisaragi
Witness
Hayato Kurose
"Ten million yen? You raised the offer? Weren't you only going to give me five million before?"
Hirota smirked. "I know you're poor and need the money. Think of it as a thank-you and a sign of respect to your late father—he was my father's most trusted man. He even saved my life once, even if he ended up betraying us in the end."
My hand clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white. If we weren't in this room, I might've slammed his face into the table.
"My father never betrayed anyone! If you don't know the truth, don't speak nonsense!"
"We'll never really know the truth, Ayaka. Your father's dead. Only he knew what really happened to the two hundred million yen that went missing from the company. The fact that your family is drowning in debt kind of proves it, doesn't it?"
I held back my tears and signed the paper quickly, then tossed it across the table toward Hirota.
"How rude," Hirota commented.
"Just go. I don't want to hear another word from you. Go pick up your precious girlfriend!"
Hirota stood and gave a slow nod. He looked at me intently, but I turned my gaze away.
"We're helping each other here, Ayaka. What happened between your father and my family is in the past. Let it stay there. My parents have already approved you as my fiancée. So stop acting so defensive about your father, understood?"
I didn't respond. Hirota then turned his back and started to walk away.
Tears began to fall. My heart ached every time they accused my father of embezzling money. I still believed he never did it.
"Um, Ayaka," Hirota's voice made me instinctively wipe my tears. I looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "Were you crying?"
"Just say what you want to say."
He stepped back toward the table and said, "I just wanted to let you know that tomorrow you'll need to go shopping with my assistant. We have a family dinner in two days."
I only nodded in response.
I hadn't signed my death certificate yet, but it felt like my life had just been sold.