14 The Contract Is Signed

Ann's and Lea's Apartment:

When Ann returned to the apartment after meeting Jeff, Lea was sulking in the kitchen table spacing out. She had a spoon in one hand flipping back and forth while she kept sighing.

She didn't even realize that Ann was back until someone banged her hands on the table. "What are you thinking so seriously? Ann asked with a concerned look.

"Oh! Your back! How did the meeting go?" Lea asked absentmindedly.

"It was fine!" Ann replied with a sullen face.

Lea looked at her friend, "spit it out! I don't think it went fine the way you can't even look me in the eye, are you hiding something!"

Ann told Lea about Jeff's proposal, and everything that transpired, no more no less.

Lea was so happy that she forgot about the contract she had acquired in her recent business trip to Asia.

The deal was for indefinite years, an endorsement as a spokesperson for one of the biggest Empires in the Country. She had been working hard to get Ann an endorsement; now she might have to cancel the contract because of a particular CEO.

The fee for breaching the contract was not a problem; Jeff can pay for it since he's the one that wanted her to move there. What worried her more was that her friend's feelings might not be reciprocated even to get her heart broken once again.' Lea didn't know what to do.

"Here! Have a look at this!" Ann put the contract on the table; then ran off to the security of her room.

Lea read the sheet of paper Ann left on the table. Once she finished reading, she got up quickly that she almost tripped while she's running and yelling at the same time.

"What's the meaning of this? You are joking. You can't do this girlfriend! Do you know what I had to go through to get you that endorsement?"

Lea was distraught, she then continued: "The Contract is signed, where are we going to get the money to pay for penalties? On top of that, this is your long awaited break, the one you've been waiting for Ann; To become famous and show that mother of yours remember ?" Lea said with tears streaming down her face.

Lea was distraught this time. She had traveled almost thirty-four hours round trip for this endorsement, and now it's gone down the drain just like that.

'No matter what, Ann could not break this contract. Even if it kills her, she will not let it happen.' Ann thought with determination.

"I don't understand you. A couple of days ago you told me that you had already made your decision." Lea gave her an accusatory glare.

"Is this the decision you came up with? Are you kidding me? A contract to stay married to that person you called jerk not long ago. What made you change your mind so suddenly?" Lea asked with tears still in her eyes.

Ann just smiled at her friend and told her the real reason why she made the contract. She said, "Leah, this will be a win-win situation."

When she got home the night after Jeff's proposal, she thought long and hard about her feelings towards him. For the past four years, even though they never had contact, she had always thought about him. They only shared a brief time, but it still lingered in her mind.

Many guys had approached her and courted her in the past, but each time she always found herself comparing them to Jeff. In all honesty, she was not sure about her feelings for him yet. She didn't know if what she was feeling now was love or just infatuation. One thing she knew for sure was that Jeff could make her forget her name in a heartbeat.

For her to find out, they would need to spend more time together. That was why she drafted the contract with no time limit. If and when she knows for sure how she feels about Jeff, they can void that contract. They will either live happily ever after or go their separate ways.

Another thing that Ann found out was that Jeff was from the same country as her mother, and he had everything she needed to show that she was successful. He had the riches, power, and on top of that, he is very handsome. She needed all that to show her mother that even though she left her at birth, she did not turn out badly.

After Ann explained all of this to Lea, she finally understood the whole situation. "Alright, I understand now. So what do you want me to do with regards to the endorsement contract I just signed?" Lea asked Ann.

"Contact the company first and inform them that I want to renegotiate the deal we signed. I will fly out tomorrow to meet with them, and we'll see from there alright!" That seemed to satisfy Lea, and she started contacting the company.

===

Lea tried to book them a flight as soon as possible. However, she was not successful. The travel agent informed her that if they were willing to be overbooked passengers, she would put them on the waiting list. Lea wasn't happy about the result.,

If it were just her flying, then it would not have been a problem, but Ann would be flying with her. To let someone like her sit in the airport waiting was not possible. People might recognize her, which would be bad for her image.

When Lea informed Ann about the dilemma, Ann told her not to worry about her image. She was not that famous yet, so Lea to go ahead and put their names on the list.

While they were preparing for their trip abroad, Jeff, on the other hand, was preparing for their journey back home. It was going to be a very long flight, so he wanted to ensure that Ann would be traveling in comfort.

He told Ronald to arrange one of his private airplanes to leave the next day.

Jeff was so excited that he forgot to call Ann that night to tell her about his arrangement. When morning came, he found out that Ann had already left. Jeff went into panic mode. He called a particular person, then hung up and told Ronald to go straight to the airport.