Chapter 2

"Why would you do something like that?"

Chris asks me as he slaps me on the back, and bouts of laughter break out in the table where I'm seated down. Gripping the glass of whisky in my hand very tightly, I try to appear nonchalant as I reply, "Don't know. It was a spur of the moment decision." Chris sneers at me before turning to the rest of the men.

"Hey, did you guys see the post Devon made?" He calls out, his loud voice booming through the entire bar it makes me cringe. The rest of the guys turn to me and grin.

"I did. And I honestly couldn't believe it." Greg spoke up, hands wrapped around the waist of a lady he had picked for the night.

"You guys kept pressuring me to have a girlfriend. So I did the only reasonable thing that came to mind. I did not expect it to blow up." I had a made a post the night before requesting for a mail order bride only for me to wake up this morning and see it had gotten viral. Let's not even talk about the dozens of applications I had received as a result, my phone almost exploded.

"Of course it would, who doesn't want to be the wife of a billionaire?" Greg replied, grinning. "All of this just to get rid of an ex?"

Emptying my glass, I placed it on the table. " I already took it down. By tomorrow, I'll make a post to clear it up. Thank Goodness, I made myself anonymous."

"But the damage has already been done. I'm sure there are thousands of women applications in your email right now. Why don't you have some fun with it? You haven't been with a woman since forever. Always busy with work." Chris says, his eyes glinting.

"Besides if you wanted a girlfriend, you could have just asked. I know a dozen ladies who would be willing to play pretend." Greg seconded, raising his glass at me.

"And have them confess their feelings afterwards? No thanks, I'm not in the mood for any relationship." I tell them. Not after what it did to me years ago. I clench my jaw, not wanting to think about that. Athough I do need one right now because that particular incident is beginning to creep into my life once more, disrupting the peace that I've tried so hard to build.

My head already feeling heavy, I stand up to my feet. "I have to go now. I'll see you later."

"Already? But the night just started!" Chris groans, nudging at me to sit back down. I push away his hand, paying for my drink. Staring at the neon lights flashing around and the increasing crowd in the club, my gaze blurs.

"Maybe another time." I tell him. Once my card is returned to me, I stride out of the club, using the private exit to get out. Stepping out on the entrance, I watch as my car zooms in front of me, my driver already inside. Opening the backseat, I step inside.

"Take me home, please." I say to the driver. He murmurs back his reply and begins to move. Closing my eyes, I lean back on the seat, a sigh escaping my lips. The drive home is listless as I gaze out the window, occasionally checking my phone. Though the post has been taken down, there are people still discussing about it. Then I see something else and it ruins my mood further.

It's a video of me and Evelyn Parker at a fundraising event I had attended last week. Apparently the way she had been clinging to me throughout the entire programme had people speculating we were in a relationship. Evelyn was a famous interior designer and the media had made it look like we were close. A wave of anger surges through me and I clench fists. I scroll through the comments and notice she's been active there as well. What part of 'no' does she not understand?

You're not my type, she had said very clearly five years ago when I had caught her cheating. Now she's telling the world that there could be something between us. This has got to be a joke. Throwing the phone back to the seat, I rub my burning eyes

I arrive home and silence greets me. Pulling off my coat and shoes, I turn on the lights easing the strain on my eyes, I trudge to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Emptying the contents in my stomach before going to sit down.

I usually don't mind the silence but today, it's just feels overwhelming. For want of something to do, I turn on my laptop and start to catch up on work. It doesn't take long for me to get distracted though, my mind going back to the past. That usually doesn't end well.

A groan escapes my lips and I begin scrolling through my email, seeing the numerous messages. It's even more than I thought. I start to read a few and before long, I'm laughing like a maniac. Their emails are witty and filled with flirtatious remarks. Some of them even went as far as sending pictures to me. I shake my head, ready to close my laptop when one catches my eye.

I HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER YOU, the title reads. Intrigued, I click on the message and begin to read. It's unlike anything I've read earlier. It's straight to the point and feels business like. Though the writer had clearly stated that she's a highschool dropout and hadn't been anywhere near the walls of college, her write up is anything but.

"Jessica Franklin. Never heard of her." I try searching her up on Google but nothing comes up. She must not be well known. I plan to ignore it once more when my phone buzzes. It's a message from Evelyn. How did she get my number? Growing tense, I click on the message and read it.

Hello Dev, how has your day been? Well, mine has been good. Did you see the posts, we certainly look good together. By the way, I met your mother earlier this week! She's such an amazing person. She invited me to her birthday party. Would you be coming? I'd love for us to talk more. Have a good night!

She's sending me goodnight messages and has dragged my mom into this? Okay, that's it. I need to end this before it gets out of hand. I turn back to the message on my screen. I started this, I might as well have fun with it.

Application approved.