ALEX
Help me, it's like the walls are caving in.
What kind of shit did my parents sign me up for? Are they being serious right now? This is not happening. Like, no freaking way.
"Honey, just sign the contract. It's only for 12 months," my mum tried to coax me into putting my signature onto the line that had my name below it.
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and internally groaned before picking up the pieces of paper that determined my fate, making mental notes of the key points.
Contract of Engagement
1. Alex Lim needs to be contactable at all times, 24 hours, 7 days a week.
2. He will need to perform the duties equivalent to that of a spouse, which can include (but not limited to): attending company dinners, cooking, cleaning the dishes, managing his fiancé's schedule, running errands, etc .
3. Alex will need to work in his fiance's company, Rounds & Co. after school hours. The actual timing can be discussed further once the contract is signed.
4. Alex will need to stay with his fiance, at the address given in the appendix.
5. Any further agreements can be further discussed and the contract will be revised.
6. The 12-month period will begin dated from this contract.
Contract validity: 3rd February 2020 till 2nd February 2021
Signed:
Nathan Chia
3rd February 2020
____________
3rd February 2020
I looked at the empty space that was on the paper, calling me to write my name and sign this. Sign a year of my life away.
"It's just one year, I can live with it," he said as a matter-of-fact. I looked up at the person who talking, the person who was soon-to-be my fiancé.
"I don't understand why you would agree to this," I cried. It just didn't make sense! What good would come out of 2 guys getting engaged?!
He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into his chair. "I'm open-minded."
He was swinging around in the chair that he was sitting on, one hand playing with his tie. His face was virtually expressionless, unreadable. The way this is going, I can predict my life to be hell on Earth if I were to live with this man for three-hundred and sixty-five days.
"Al, we really need this," my dad, who never asked anything from me, pleaded. "That was the only condition for helping us with our company's cash flow."
I sighed. Pictorials meant everything to my dad. From a small and run-down stall selling photo-booth packages at flea markets, he turned it into a regional business that now focuses on wedding/landscape photography, fashion photography, and digital marketing. Even celebrities were signing packages with us to get their photographs taken.
I must say, I too inherited my love for taking photos from my dad. I would hang around his studio from time to time, and I learned how to work a camera from him. The studios he worked in also held a special place in my heart.
I took a deep breath. I cannot believe I'm doing this.
2 seconds was all it took.
"Right, it took you 2 hours to sign that," the lawyer stood up from his seat and adjusted his tie, unable to hide the look of disgust in his face.
"You are officially engaged. Here's to wishing you the best of luck with your new spouse." He said before turning on his heels and walking out of the room.
YOU ARE READING
The Engagement | COMPLETED
Short StoryIt's Alex's last year in university. At 22, he has it all going for him. Girls, looks, personality. One could say he is the man of your dreams. So what happens when one fine day, his parents tell him that he has been set-up in an arranged contractua...
