Win-Win Situation

Anastasia slammed her body on the chair. Her sigh could be heard within a ten-metre radius around her. Taking a long, deep breath, she closed her eyes. "Glad that I start my leave tomorrow. That man must be crazy."

"What did he want?" Diya, with her signature sneaky appearance, once again shocked Anastasia.

"Can you please at least say 'hi' or 'hello' first?" Anastasia furrowed in anger. 

"Oh, hi," Diya awkwardly raised her hand, then smiled. "What did he do that made you this moody?"

"All I can say is, he's totally crazy. How can a rude guy suddenly act all smiley and—" She stopped, unable to finish her sentence.

"What, what, what? Finish it. Did he do something to you?!" Diya began imagining all the possibilities. "He didn't do that, right? Are you okay?" She turned the chair around to check on Anastasia's condition.

Dizzy, Anastasia stopped the chair immediately. "No, Diya, I'm okay. Not what you're thinking," she denied, seemingly aware of what was on Diya's mind.

"Then what is it?" Diya asked, worried.

Anastasia waved her hand, signalling Diya to come closer. "You need to promise me not to shout after I tell you this," she warned, knowing Diya would definitely shout after hearing what she had to say.

Pulling out her pinky finger, Diya bent down. "Promise." She grinned.

"Our rude boss," Anastasia whispered, then looked around before continuing, "you know, he…" She paused again, taking her time. Her eyes wandered to make sure no one was near them. "You know, he—"

"No! I don't know!" Diya shouted in frustration.

Anastasia burst out laughing, then quickly covered Diya's mouth. She loved that she could tease Diya this time. At least she could still laugh and smile when she was around this friend of hers. "I'm joking."

"And I am serious." Diya crossed her arms, acting sulky.

"Okay, I will be serious." She pulled her chairs closer to Diya and pulled Diya's sleeve to make her bent, "He said, he needed an instant bride, " In an instant, she pinched Diya's lips as she saw she about to shout out of surprise, "Ah, I asked you not to say anything out loud."

Diya covered her mouth and nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry. Continue—instant bride?" she whispered, almost mouthing the words.

"Yes, and you know what? He asked me to be the one." Anastasia leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms after dropping the bomb.

"O…M…G…" This time, Diya covered her mouth with both of her hands. After a while, she crossed her arms too and pouted her lips. "But why you?" she asked after a few seconds of thought.

"How do I know?" Anastasia shrugged her shoulders. "But I think he believed I was the best person he could benefit from. After all, he knew I really needed someone to act as my boyfriend. It's almost as if he saw an opportunity and decided it was a win-win situation for both of us. He gets what he needs, and I get the support I've been looking for. It's strange, though—I never imagined it would come to this."

"Win-win? Why?" Diya couldn't understand the meaning of Anastasia's words.

"He said his parents are pressuring him to marry a stranger, and he doesn't like it. So, he asked me to be his bride," Anastasia explained, pursing her lips after revealing the shocking information once again.

"It's totally strange," Diya rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I mean, you're a stranger to him too."

Anastasia flicked her fingers dismissively. "Exactly! That's what makes it so odd. I'm a stranger too, so why would he choose me? It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe…" Diya moved closer to Anastasia's ear, "he likes you–"

"No! Definitely not!" Anastasia interrupted quickly, her eyes widening in alarm.

"Shhh…" Diya reminded her as a few curious glances began to shift their way. "Let's not make a scene. Besides, you don't really think he's got feelings for you, do you?"

"No," Anastasia shook her head. "Listen, be real. Would your face always wrinkle up in annoyance if you were talking to someone you actually had feelings for?"

Nodding in agreement, Diya's brow furrowed again. "But Anna… you should at least find out what you'd get in return for agreeing to be his instant bride."

A sudden slap landed on Diya's shoulder made quite a noise.

"Ouch!" Diya rubbed her shoulder, wincing from the impact. "I didn't say anything wrong," she mumbled. "I mean, who knows? She might offer you something really tempting." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Like big money or something."

Anastasia raised an eyebrow. "A branch manager? How much money could a branch manager possibly offer? I'm not sure it's worth it."

"Like you said earlier, it's a win-win. He couldn't possibly just offer to act like your boyfriend. Getting married is not that simple, Anna," Diya finally said, her serious side showing through for a moment.

Seeing Anastasia raise her brows in confusion, Diya continued, "I mean, you wouldn't agree to this just because he's asking you to marry him and, in return, he'll act like your boyfriend in front of your family, right?"

The wrinkles in Anastasia's forehead deepened as she considered Diya's point.

"What if he could offer something you really need—"

"I only need money at the moment," Anastasia cut in, being straightforward. "Nothing else is as important to me right now."

"Then try asking what he could offer," Diya suggested. "You don't want to marry that rude douchebag just to help your father's company, right? I mean, if you're going to make such a big sacrifice, you should at least find out if there's a significant benefit in it for you. After all, we are talking about a potentially life-changing decision."

"I told you, the amount he might offer wouldn't be nearly enough," Anastasia replied. "The money needed to really make a difference for the company is much more than what a branch manager could provide."

"And how much is it? How much do you want?" The sudden appearance of Daniel, who had crouched down beside Anastasia's chair, made her jump up in surprise.