The Offer

"Anne, a customer in room 5 asked you to massage her," Emma said as she was busy staring at the cashier's computer screen.

Anne Marie frowned, "Me? Have I handled her before?" she asked somewhat surprised.

"I don't know, as far as I know, she's a new customer here, you have to be a little careful, she's an influential socialite in LA, her name is Elena Brandon!"

Anne Marie frowned, why would an influential socialite in LA ask for a massage with her? Did she want to test her? Without wasting any time, she rushed to room number 5 with a massage kit in her hands. She knocked on the door twice, and then a hoarse voice answered, telling her to get in.

"Mrs. Brandon? I am Anne Marie, I'm going to be your therapist today," said her politely.

"Yeah, I'm expecting you," replied Elena Brandon, she looked up at her with sharp eyes.

Anne Marie smiled, she stepped closer to put the massage oil on the table and then poured it into a small marble bowl that had been heated.

"May I know why?" asked her curiously.

"Is this room soundproof?" asked Elena Brandon, staring at the tightly closed door.

Anne Marie nodded, "You are at the best beauty salon in LA, of course, all your privacy is well maintained," she said without taking a smile on her face.

''I know, I don't need a massage, I need to talk to you," said Elena Brandon seriously."Me? What is it all about?" she started to worry.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight," she answered hesitantly, she took a step back, she had a bad feeling about the woman in front of her.

Elena nodded her head, looking satisfied. She rose from her seat, standing exactly one meter in front of her.

"I'll get straight to the point, I want you to work for me, we can talk about the numbers you want," Elena said with one eyebrow raised.

Anne Marie cleared her throat softly, she scratched the nape of her neck,

"I do not understand Ma'am..."

Elena took out her cell phone from her handbag and scrolled through it for a moment.

"Take a look at this!" she said, showing her a picture on the phone's screen. Anne Marie frowned at the photo of a husband and wife on their wedding day in front of her. The bride looked a bit like her, but their hair was different, she is a brunette while the bride is blonde.

"Who are they?"

Elena took a deep breath, "That's my son and his wife, they got married three years ago, he loves her so much..." she said, her voice stuck in her throat. Anne Marie frowned, but she didn't say anything. She waited for Elena to continue her story.

"Some time ago they had an accident, Joe was in a coma for some time but he's okay now except for his legs, he still needs some therapy to be able to walk again. And Julia, she's disappeared."

Elena paused for a moment, "I want you to pretend to be her, just for a while..."

Anne Marie was flabbergasted, she blinked a few times as if she was getting used to the light. "What do you mean? I mean our faces are not identical and your son, he's not an idiot isn't he?" she said with a frown on her forehead.

"You just have to pretend to be her for a year, after that you have to file for divorce and say that you have a relationship with another man, I don't want Joe to be haunted by guilt because his wife died in that accident, he was the one who drove the car that night…" said Elena turning her face to the wooden floor underneath her feet.

Anne Marie bit her lip, "What if someone else told Joe about it?"

"Nobody would, I'm isolating him in our mansion, for the time being, he has to be in a wheelchair, his old life was in London, and not many people know him here," said Elena firmly. "One million dollars, isn't that enough for fun?"

Anna Marie was trying hard not to scream, her brain was working fast.

"One and half million dollars take it or leave it!"

There was no longer the innocent girl who had greeted Elena Brandon kindly, there was only a girl who was struggling to have the proper life that she had always dreamed of.

"Whoa, look at you! Is that the real you?" said Elena in surprise.

Anne Marie shrugged, "There's no point in pretending, I do need the money. If you agree, I will immediately submit my resignation letter today," she said nonchalantly. Elena smiled for the first time then she nodded.

"I will prepare the contract today, meet me at this address tomorrow," she said as she held out a business card to Anne Marie who immediately accepted it.

That day Anne Marie came home early, she returned to her small apartment, brewed a cup of coffee, and sat in front of her laptop. She typed in Joe Brandon's name and several articles appeared there. She read them one by one, but there was no information about his wife.

"A billionaire?" said she in disbelief. She looked at Joe's face closely, he looked very handsome with dimples on both of his cheeks. But why wasn't there any news about Julia? Was everyone keeping her life a secret? Did she really disappear? Or maybe someone got rid of her on purpose? What if it was Elena who eliminated her?

She had doubts, how could she lie to a man who just lost his wife? Was she that low? Or should she just do it for the money that she's always wanted to have?

She got to her feet, and paced back and forth in her cramped apartment, biting her index finger. It's still not too late to decide, she could refuse Elena's offer and live a normal life. Or she could get what she's always wanted since she was in the orphanage, a comfortable life! She closed her eyes, the decision has been made...

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