Accepting The Proposal

"No, I didn't come here for that Max." Lola answered, "I came to accept your proposal."

Max burst into a loud laughter, bending over to let out the shrill sound because he found her response funny. Was she here to mock him again, to make him feel bad and humiliate him? Or was her purpose just to enact revenge on him for his past deeds. Maybe she's somehow related to the witch. Max thought to himself. 

"I'm serious, Max. I accept your marriage proposal. I am ready to be your wife." Lola's desperate voice boomed, overshadowing his laughter. 

And as she said that louder this time, Max ceased his laughter, straightening himself up, and walked towards her. Was she being serious? Why the sudden change of mind? 

He questioned her as he reached where she was standing, "You are ready to be my wife?" 

"Yes, Max," Lola answered swiftly. She tried not to let the urgency of the matter show in her voice but it somehow still tinged her words. 

"Why?" Max inquired, wanting to know exactly why someone who detested him so much would come to his office on her own will and declare that she was ready to accept his marriage proposal? It was odd. 

Lola answered, "Because I need the money." She decided to be honest with him, there was no point in telling lies if, at the end of the day, he would still find out about her brother's health condition. 

All she's worried about at the moment is if the offer still stands. Because she doesn't know who else to turn to if he doesn't come through. 

"Oh, I see. But I'm sure with your status, you needed the money before. So what changed? Are you here to just joke with me?" Max queried her. Even though deep down he was happy that the only person who could lift the curse was here, and apparently accepting his proposal, he still couldn't just easily believe it. 

Humans are deceptive. He, himself is deceiving her to believe this proposal is only for the sake of winning a contract, whereas, it isn't. It's to break the curse of the witch. So Lola could be telling lies too. 

"It's my younger brother. He's sick. He has blood cancer. And we need money for his medical bills. That's why I'm here because I'll do anything for my brother, even if it's getting married to you, Max. So let me know if the offer is still up?" Lola replied, asking him. 

Max chuckled, "You talk as if you have any other option besides me? Because I'm very sure I wasn't your first option based on our last meeting, I was your last option. So if you have to talk to me, make sure you address me respectfully and remove that sass from your tone. I won't take it." 

Lola knew Max was right. When he was the one begging her to accept the proposal, she had the upper hand. But now that the positions were switched, and she was the one desperate for financial help, Max now has the upper hand. 

And as the arrogant man he is, she knew he would take advantage of this and ridicule her more. A normal person would feel guilty about what he did to her in the past, but not him. Not Max Donovan. 

"I'm sorry. Is the proposal still on?" Lola asked in a small voice. The voice that pleased the ego in Max. That inflated his pride. 

"Good, that's how you address your husband-to-be." He smiled at her. 

His response made Lola's eyes widen, prompting her to ask for confirmation, "Does that mean the proposal is still on?"

"Yes, Lola. We are going to get married the day after tomorrow. You are going to become my wife. The woman stealing away my bachelor title. You would become Misse Donovan. And you would get all that I promised to give you." Max answered her with a bashful smile. 

Lola probably thinks his smile was because he won, and she eventually agreed to his marriage proposition. But that wasn't the only thing making Max happy. It was the fact that his curse was just two days away from being broken. He was going to be free, finally. 

He would be free from the vicious silhouette that chases him in his dreams, he would be free from the clutches of the witch. He would gain back his full power again. He would be the Max Donovan he has always been. 

"Thank you," Lola said, extremely happy that her brother's bill would be taken care of with ease. And she will be able to take proper care of him with all that money in her possession. Even though Max was a painful memory, he had suddenly become the savior in this sour situation. Although she will never glorify him for that, it would only make him feel good. 

"You're welcome. Once you sign the contract, you will get the first payment of ten million dollars." Max tells her, and she nods. Her head doing a quick sum of what that money can cover and solve in a blink of an eye. 

All that debt her mother owed will be immediately settled. Everything felt refreshing, it felt like freedom. It felt good. 

The only part of this whole deal was actually becoming the wife of Max Donovan. Her first love and her first heartache. The man who made her feel butterflies, but ended up killing all of them because he broke her fragile and naive heart into pieces. 

Lola knew she had always been beautiful. And that was the only reason she believed a guy like Max would actually like her back in those days of school. Being one of the most popular guys, she should have suspected his intentions weren't pure. 

But it was her first taste of what love felt like. He was her first kiss. Her first confession. Her first sexual encounter. He was all her first. So it sucked to be getting married to him after all the years she tried to forget him. 

It sucked to be going from Lola Reynolds to Lola Donovan. It really sucked. 

"My assistant is bringing over the contract so you can sign it," Max informed her, snapping her out of the sad thoughts. 

Lola then replied, "Before I sign anything, I think we should set some rules and boundaries."