An Immoral Marriage Contract

Prologue

The wind whipped rain ferociously down while lightning illuminated the late-night sky before thunder dismissively extinguished it with a violent crash. Through this tempest, a mysterious man dressed in an expensive suit nonchalantly walked up the driveway before knocking on the Nugent's door.

"Who the hell is that!?" Michael Nugent said angrily at the sound of the knocking at the front door with understandable incredulity. He was on top of his wife, Felicity, with his hand up her dress and his fingers deep within her underwear. An empty bottle of Merlot sat on the table with two half-empty wine glasses as their owners were attending to a far more important task than finishing the contents of their wine glasses.

"Leave it!" his young wife Felicity said with a breathless and lustful impatience. "They'll go away eventually, just don't stop what you're doing!"

"No, I'll tell them to piss off. Why the hell are they out on a night like this?" Felicity gave a whimpered cry in frustration as Michael removed his hand from the wonderful thing that he was doing with it.

Michael roughly swung open his front door to see the man under an umbrella. Considering the weather that night the man was surprisingly calm. He wasn't cowering under the umbrella, instead, the rain almost appeared to be cowering from him.

"Good evening," the man smiled politely.

Michael looked at the man with disdain at first then when he observed the man in front of him properly a more confused look crossed his face,

"Can I help you?" he asked somewhat tentatively as his previous anger inexplicably left him.

The man looked pleasant enough but one look at his face told him that he would not be able to remember or describe it afterwards. The man seemed strange and made Michael feel a little uneasy but not enough to worry him. In his fledgeling political career, he had met plenty of men who were strange or made him uneasy but never both.

"Actually," the man said, "it is I that can help you," and without waiting for an invitation, he confidently walked into Michael's and Felicity's home.

Again, the man exuded strangeness. But what was it? Michael could not place his finger on it, but he found himself powerless to stop the man from passing through his front door.

The man considerately removed his shoes and hung up his expensive raincoat before making his way to the lounge closely followed by Michael who had yet to be able to comprehend the audacity of the man who could calmly walk into another man's house uninvited,

"You have a beautiful house," he commented to Felicity as he entered the lounge while she was finishing straightening her clothes and tidying her luxurious auburn hair in the mirror. He stretched out his hand for Felicity to shake and she wearily took it. "Would you mind making us all a cup of tea?" he requested of her with an air of expectation rather than hope.

Despite this affront and intolerable rudeness, Felicity went to the kitchen to do what the man asked. Why was she doing this? Who the hell does this man think he is!?

When she returned the man graciously thanked her before saying with a mischievous smile, "Why the hell indeed."

A cold chill went down Felicity's spine. How did he know what she was thinking? The man gave a small laugh at her reaction as he took a sip.

"Now then," the man said getting down to business. "I understand that you have a bit of a problem, Michael. I can make that problem go away," he said, somehow knowing Michael's name without being introduced.

"What on earth are you talking about?" said Michael with anger welling inside. This man had come into his home uninvited, disrespected his wife and then presumed he had the problem.

"You are being investigated for some financial misdemeanours, are you not? You committed a crime a while back, didn't you, and you are being investigated for it?"

A cold shiver went down Michael's back, although he tried not to show it. Misdemeanour didn't cover it. It was insider trading on a massive scale. Michael and Felicity made millions from it. An anonymous tip-off started an investigation by the financial regulator and if found in the wrong it could result in criminal charges.

The man smiled a smile that made Michael and Felicity fearful. It was like he could read their thoughts, but this man was an enigma, and it was impossible to know what he was truly thinking and that made the couple extremely uncomfortable.

"I can make this problem of yours go away. Of course, there will be a price but once the contract has been signed your problem will disappear, I guarantee it."

"And how will you make it go away?" Michael said suspiciously without even trying to deny the circumstances. "We're not going to replace an investigation with a blackmailer."

"No, no, no," the man said shaking his head. "You misunderstand me, I don't do anything as dirty as blackmail. What I do is deals and you are people who like to do deals, isn't that correct? Do not worry about the how, just be assured that I always keep my side of the deal." With that said, the man removed a contract from the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket and gave it to Michael.

"Are you serious?" Michael asked with incredulity as he read the contract. "If you make this go away, we will have to marry our daughter to your son?"

"Yes, I am, absolutely, serious," replied the man without smiling for the first time. "That is the price for my help and I'm afraid it is non-negotiable."

"Who in their right mind would agree to this?" Michael asked handing the contract to his wife to read.

"You would be surprised," the man answered enigmatically.

"Do you mind if myself and my husband discuss this in private before we agree?" Felicity asked with a calm and controlled manner that contrasted greatly with her husband's more emotional response.

"Of course, I will stay here and finish this delicious tea," the man agreed in a tone that suggested that he was confident Michael would sign.

Michael and Felicity went into the kitchen and began to discuss what the man was offering in fevered whispers.

"Do you believe him?" Felicity asked.

"It is strange, but I do. He is an odd one, but I do believe he can do what he says. There is nothing to prove that he can but-"

"I feel the same." Felicity agreed, quickly interrupting her husband, and hugging herself nervously. "I don't like it, but we have nothing to lose. If he doesn't do what he says we are still in the same place as before. We never planned to have children anyway. We're career people so the risk is all his. We don't even know if he has a son."

"True, so we agree then, I will sign the contract?"

Felicity nodded distastefully, "Anything to make him leave. There is something about him that I don't like. It feels like he knows all our secrets."

"We will give him a week then proceed to do what we agreed before," Felicity nodded again in agreement to Michael's suggestion.

"Okay, you have a deal," Michael told the man confidently as Michael and Felicity returned to the living room.

"Excellent, just sign the contract here," the man said happily pointing to a dotted line before he surprised Felicity by telling her, "I will need your signature too, Felicity. I know you're not the trophy wife you want people to believe." It was true. Felicity was more ruthless than Michael. She had a love of money and luxury. Marrying an up-and-coming politician with the qualities to get to the top would give her that. She could have been successful in politics too if she was inclined to do so. Many people underestimated her and paid for it with their careers.

"We don't have to sign in blood, do we?" Michael said half joking.

"No," the man replied laughing. "A pen is just fine," and both Michael and Felicity signed the contract followed by the man.

"Thank you very much. It has been a pleasure" the man said brightly standing up, folding up the contract and putting it back in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "I will be on my way. No need to see me out. Your problem will be all resolved by the morning."

With that, the man left as mysteriously as he arrived.

Early the following morning the phone rang while Michael and Felicity were having breakfast,

"Good morning, Mr Nugent", the voice on the other end said with a formal yet light-hearted tone. "It is Nigel Lyle from Jones, Lyle and Freeman. I have some good news. The financial regulator has contacted me and has confirmed that you have no case to answer in the investigation into your past business dealings."

"That is good news." Michael smiled broadly, as weeks of stress dropped from his shoulders. "Thank you for letting me know. Have a good day."

"My pleasure Mr Nugent. We will forward the investigation findings to you for your records and have a pleasant day yourself."

"What happened?" Felicity asked quizzically on seeing Michael's happy yet stunned face.

"The investigation, they found no case to answer."

"That is wonderful news," Felicity cooed before saying with a grim determination, "Now we can progress with your political career once we have settled a few scores."

"I agree. I suppose we now must have a daughter," Michael mused seriously.

"Don't you find it all a little convenient?" Felicity said with suspicion at the forefront of her mind. "We signed the contract, then it all went away."

"He did say that it would all go away in the morning, and it did," Michael said surprisingly innocently for a man forging a career in politics.

"Oh, Michael!" Felicity said a little condescendingly to her husband, kissing him on the lips. "It is lucky I'm here. He knew the financial regulator's findings already. So, I don't see that he has done anything to help us. We owe him nothing. Anyway, demanding our children marry, what kind of sick mind puts that in a deal? We are not planning to have children anyway. What is done is done so I think we should celebrate. I will book a table at Le Provance for tonight. I'll call for a driver. We are drinking champagne!" she said with an excited smile.

Chapter 1

Sara sat alone in a quiet part of the half-empty lecture hall. The excited chattering of the other students echoed around her as they got to know their new friends. Following in her father's footsteps, she had entered a top university to study law. She had earned top grades at school, but she had been already offered a place before her exams due to her exceptional scholastic performance.

This was the first real lecture after fresher's week. That week was spent by most students getting to know each other, partying and joining clubs. Sara didn't do this. She didn't make any friends. This was not from not trying. Growing up she did make friends but as soon as she did, they moved away and the older she got the other children her age didn't seem to want to be her friend. If she wasn't the daughter of a high-ranking politician probably no one would have known who she was. In the end, she stopped trying. It was lonely so she filled her time studying. She fully expected to fill her time at university doing the same.

Sara's solitude was interrupted as a quiet gasp filled the lecture hall and there were audible whispers from all the young women. Sara looked up and a little gasp escaped from her lips too. The guy who walked in was gorgeous, but he appeared oblivious to the attention he was getting. He had a rebellious air about him but the clothes he wore looked expensive.

Sara's eyes followed him as he sat down by himself in the same quiet part of the lecture hall as Sara. The chatter abruptly stopped when the lecturer walked in.

University life began as expected for Sara. Quiet, uneventful, lonely and lots of studying. She saw the guy several times, but he seemed aloof and unapproachable. A few of the girls in the lectures tried to talk to him even flirt with him but he politely talked to them without reciprocating their advances. Rumours began that he was gay which led the few gay guys on the course to try their luck, but they too were politely rebuffed. The guy was an enigma which drove the young women on the course into a frenzy.

Sara began attending the course criminal law classes and was surprised to see the guy in the same class as her. There was a lot of homework in these classes, and although Sara found these relatively easy, she could see that some of the other students were struggling. This guy wasn't one of them though despite not seeming to pay attention in class or to study much.

"Why am I so fascinated by this guy?" Sara wondered. She was never interested in boys before, and boys were never interested in her. But this guy fascinated her for some reason.

Soon the classes required group projects. The girls in the class swarmed around him. Desperate to study with him, hoping to be asked out, and to sleep with him. His mysteriousness was like an aphrodisiac.

Sara was always the last to join a group. Normally, as the only girl in a group of the same guys. Even though she was more intelligent and dedicated than the boys, they never asked her opinion and Sara never felt confident enough to stand up to them.

Towards the Christmas break her class was asked to work on an assignment in pairs.

"Are you in a pair?" a voice asked Sara. She looked up to see him standing above her.

"Erm, no" She replied shyly her heart began to beat with breathless excitement.

"Do you mind if we pair up for this assignment?" his dark piercing eyes felt like they were penetrating Sara's soul.

"Okay," Sara whispered, barely audible. This felt weird. No one had ever asked her to work with her, be her friend, or date her.

Wait!

What was she thinking?

"Great!" The guy smiled which made Sara's heart beat faster than she thought possible. "My name is Sam."

"I'm Sara, nice to meet you."

Sara enjoyed working on the assignment with Sam. Although she felt an intense shyness around him, she also felt strangely comfortable in his presence. Sara loved studying but working with Sam took it to the next level. He was always interested in her opinions, and she loved to discuss the assignment with him. When they finished their assignment and handed in their work Sam asked her if she wanted to go out for a drink to celebrate.

"Sorry, you're probably busy. It is Christmas after all." Sam said when no reply was forthcoming.

"No! I would love to," Sara exclaimed. "I'm sorry. You took me by surprise. I don't get many invitations," she flushed red with embarrassment.

"Great! I'll meet you in town." Sam seemed completely oblivious to Sara's embarrassment.

"Where in town?" Sara blurted out as Sam began to leave.

"Don't worry I'll find you," Sam replied with a smile as mysterious as he was and then he left, almost disappearing after walking through the door.

Sam was as good as his word. Somehow, he did find Sara amongst the mass of humanity that was the Christmas revelry.

"Where do you want to go?" Sara asked bashfully.

"Are you okay to go somewhere quiet? I'm not into all these Christmas celebrations."

Sara didn't mind. She was just happy that someone was interested to be with her.

Sam took Sara to a small bar. Music was playing quietly in the background. Though curiously not Christmas music considering the time of year. Sara took in the ambience. It was well decorated but not too posh. All the same, it wasn't the kind of place a student would normally go to. "This is perfect," Sara thought.

Sam brought a couple of drinks over. Sara had only had wine before so just asked for a glass of red. Sam joined her in having wine.

"Are you doing anything special for Christmas?" Sam enquired.

"No, not really. We never do. It is all a bit boring I'm afraid."

"That's okay. My family don't celebrate Christmas at all."

"You're not Christians?" Sara asked with surprise.

"Something like that. This bar is nice" Sam said, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Sam, why did you want to work with me?" Sara asked nervously. It was a question she had been asking herself every day they worked on their assignment. Why would this handsome guy choose an introverted girl like her when he could have chosen any girl with just a smile?

"Because you were the only one who hasn't tried to date me. It was getting a pain," he admitted looking annoyed about the attention he was getting.

"Are you serious?" Sara replied sceptically, coming out of her shell. Not believing a guy not liking women throw themselves at him.

"Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it in the beginning but none of them had any interest in me. They want me as a status symbol. Be the first one to have me. You were the only one who didn't. I thought it would be nice to get to know you."

Sara blushed. No one had said that to her before. It felt good to hear that someone wanted to be friends with her.

Sam and Sara talked all night. Realising the lateness of the hour, Sara told Sam that she should go home. Sam gallantly walked her home. At the door, they swapped phone numbers.

Their eyes locked together before they parted as a sexual tension developed between them. Finally, breaking the tension with willpower she had never needed before, she told Sam,

"Thank you for a lovely evening."

"Yeah, I enjoyed it too. Can I call you over the Christmas break?"

"I would love that. Goodnight Samuel" Sara said trying to control her excitement.

"Er, actually Sam is short for Samael" Sam replied with a little embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I just assumed-"

"Don't worry. It happens all the time. Goodnight," he smiled with reassurance, and with that, he left, almost disappearing once again.

Sara opened her front door, fumbling with her key as she did so, and quickly went inside. Her heart was thumping hard. It had been a wonderful evening. She had never been able to connect with anyone like that before but why had she connected with Sam so intensely and so easily?

She climbed into bed but, despite the hour, she couldn't sleep. Thoughts raced through her head. Her body had sensations running through it. Sensations that were unfamiliar to her.

Chapter 2

The Christmas break soon came and a car came to pick Sara up. As usual, her parents didn't come in the car to collect her. It would have been nice. It was the same when she was at school. Someone else always took her to and from school. Sara always hoped that her parents would one day not be so busy that they would make time for her, but she knew her father's job as a senior government minister was very important.

Her father's job meant a bodyguard came with the car because children of senior government ministers were seen as people who could be kidnapped by a foreign power to force their parents to reveal national secrets. When the car arrived, the bodyguard helped Sara with her suitcase, and they headed back home.

Sara's parents' wealth meant they could afford to buy an expensive and modern newly built two-bed apartment, for Sara not far from the university. They were happy to do so as they fully expected to make a profit when they sold it after she finished her studies. Compared to other students, Sara had it easy and lived in far greater comfort than other students, but it also meant that she missed out on the fun, and trials and tribulations of house sharing.

As expected, Sara arrived back at an empty house. She called her mother, but it went straight to voicemail. Sara's parents did love her in their own way, but they were obsessed with her father's political career, so they often missed important milestones in Sara's life due to one function or another or an official trip abroad. They never planned to have Sara. It was a surprise when her mother got pregnant, but they went ahead with the pregnancy anyway. It turned out that having a child was a vote winner and her father's political career took off. Sara's studiousness, good grades and scandal-free introverted life helped him further. Other politicians' children went off the rails and it cost them, so Sara became a great and reliable political asset envied by politicians of all colours.