Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You Chapter 33: Worried

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Matthew

"You want to go to Texas?" I ask Mr. Wilson, raising an eyebrow.

He nods, leaning back in his chair. "I think you’d benefit from the conference. You’ve been doing great work here, but getting a broader perspective on the business side of things wouldn’t hurt."

I still look at him with surprise. "But I am in finance. I don’t see why I’d..."

"You, yourself, said you may want to move to a different career path later in life, didn’t you?" Mr. Wilson interrupts .

I pause, caught off guard. I had ntioned that before, in passing, but I didn’t think he’d rember.

"Yeah," I admit slowly. "I said I might consider sothing different down the line."

Mr. Wilson nods as if that settles it. "Then this could be a good opportunity to explore your options. There’s no harm in broadening your skill set."

I run a hand through my hair, still unsure. But he wasn’t wrong. A business conference would help network, and I might learn sothing. And besides, Mr. Wilson is my boss, so turning down an opportunity he believes in might not be the smartest move.

"Alright," I finally say. "I’ll go."

"Good man." He smiles. "Sarah will go over the details with you."

"Sarah will?" I looked at him questioningly.

Mr. Wilson nods, completely unaware of the sinking feeling settling in my stomach.

"Yes, she will be joining you on this trip. She’ll be handling most of the logistics, so it makes sense for her to go over everything with you."

I press my lips into a thin line, nodding. "Right. Makes sense."

I step out of his office, my head spinning. I have to go out of state for a conference with Sarah of all people.

That would an she and I would have to be alone together.

No...what am I thinking? We wouldn’t be exactly alone, will we? There will be hundreds of other people there. It was a business conference, after all. I shouldn’t worry about it too much.

I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease creeping into my chest. This is just work. Nothing more.

But as I walk down the hall, I can’t ignore the nagging feeling that Sarah has a big hand in this decision. What is she playing at?

When I reach her desk, she looks up at , her lips curling into a knowing smile.

"So," she says, tilting her head. "I guess you heard the news?"

"Yeah," I reply, keeping my expression neutral. "Guess we are going to Texas."

She leans back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You sound thrilled."

I force a small chuckle. "Just caught off guard, that’s all. Didn’t expect to be traveling for work in my position."

Sarah shrugs. "It’ll be good for you. For both of us, actually. A change of scenery, a chance to learn, and—" she pauses, her gaze locking onto mine, "—a little ti away from everything."

I ignore the way she emphasizes that last part. I’m not stupid—I know what she’s getting at.

"Right," I say, nodding stiffly. "Strictly business, though."

She lets out a soft laugh. "Of course. What else would it be?"

Her words are innocent, but the way she looks at says sothing else entirely.

I smile faintly. "Sarah, is this one of your tricks to get alone? You better stop it."

Sarah giggles, tilting her head as if amused by my suspicion. "Oh, Matthew," she muses, resting her chin on her hand. "You think so little of ."

I arch a brow. "Do I?"

She leans forward slightly, her voice dropping just enough to make wary. "I am not trying to seduce you, I swear."

I exhale through my nose, shaking my head. "Look, I’m going because Mr. Wilson asked to. But if you had anything to do with this, drop it now."

Sarah feigns innocence, placing a hand over her chest. "? Matthew, please. I’m just following orders."

I narrow my eyes at her. "Right."

She grins, picking up a folder from her desk and handing it to . "Here are the details—flights, hotel, itinerary. We leave Friday morning. Try not to be late."

I take the folder without breaking eye contact. "Sarah..."

Sarah laughs again. "I swear I am not trying to get you in trouble with Amanda! Trust ."

I tighten my grip on the folder at the ntion of Amanda’s na. She wouldn’t like this.

"I wasn’t thinking that," I say, though we both know I was.

Sarah smirks knowingly. "Sure you weren’t." She leans back in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers. "Relax, Matthew. This is just a work trip. Two colleagues attending a conference. Nothing more, nothing less."

I study her expression, looking for any hint of mischief, but Sarah looks innocent enough.

I sigh, running a hand down my face. "Fine. I’ll see you Friday."

She winks. "Looking forward to it."

Turning on my heel, I walk away, trying to shake the unease settling in my chest.

I have nothing to worry about. Amanda trusts .

But as I glance down at the folder in my hands, I can’t help but wonder...should I tell her I was going with Sarah?

I exhale sharply. Would telling Amanda now be better than letting her find out later?

Or maybe I am overthinking it, but Amanda has always been the jealous type, and she straight-up told she didn’t like or trust Sarah. If I tell her, she will freak out and try to stop from going.

No, I can’t tell her.

I shut my eyes for a brief mont.

No, telling Amanda will only make things worse.

She will blow up my phone with texts, demand I refuse the trip, or worse—accuse of wanting to go with Sarah.

And I am not about to deal with that.

It isn’t like I am doing anything wrong. This is for work.

Still, the uneasy feeling in my chest doesn’t fade as I head toward my office.

~-~

The morning of the conference arrives, and I can already feel the tension building up in my chest. I’ve packed my things, double-checked the itinerary, and now I’m waiting at the airport for Sarah to arrive.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, seeing a text from Amanda: "Have a great trip. And have fun, okay?"

I quickly typed a reply: "Will do. Talk soon."

I try not to feel guilty, but it’s hard not to.

Just as I finish typing, Sarah rounds the corner, her heels clicking sharply against the tile. She smiles when she spots , clearly in a chipper mood.

"Ready?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess so," I mutter.

She laughs lightly, not seeming to mind my lack of enthusiasm. "You know, you might actually enjoy it. This conference could be a great opportunity for you."

I smile. "I think so too."

We board the flight, and Sarah, as usual, is in her elent—chatting with the flight attendants and making small talk with everyone she encounters. I can’t help but notice how effortlessly she engages with people, her presence commanding attention even in a crowded space.

anwhile, I’m buried in my thoughts, staring out the window.

Sarah turns to with a mischievous grin. "So... how’s Amanda holding up without you?" she asks, her voice laced with playfulness.

I glance at her, wary of her tone. "She’s fine. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I am just wondering," she says with a shrug. "Is she worried that you are out here with ?"

I stiffen. "It’s just work, Sarah. Why would she be worried?"

She shrugs. "I don’t know. She seed like the jealous type. I still rember the way she was looking at back at the office. I felt like she wanted to turn into stone."

I suppress a laugh. "Amanda’s not like that," I say, trying to keep my tone light, though there’s an edge of defensiveness I can’t quite hide. "She trusts . And this is just a business trip, nothing more."

Sarah gives a side-eye, her lips curling into a playful smirk. "I didn’t say she didn’t trust you. I just think she might be a little... possessive." Her tone is teasing, but it’s also cutting, and I don’t like it.

I clench my jaw, unwilling to engage further. "Let’s focus on the conference, okay? That’s why we’re here."

She pouts slightly as though pretending to be disappointed by my lack of response. "Alright, alright," she says, leaning back in her seat and pulling out a magazine.

I don’t reply, instead turning my attention back to the window.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm the rising tension. But just when I thought things might settle down, the captain’s voice cos over the intercom.

"Attention, passengers," he says, his tone calm but firm. "We’ve encountered a malfunction with our plane engine, and unfortunately, the flight has been canceled. We are currently working to arrange alternative travel for all of you."

A collective groan fills the cabin, followed by murmurs of frustration. I suddenly feel relieved.

Maybe I won’t have to go to this conference after all.

I turn to Sarah. She has already pulled out her phone. "Hmm...this is not good. Looks like the next two flights are fully booked. If we have to take the third flight, we won’t get there on ti."

"So what now? Should we go back ho?" I ask.

"No way! Daddy won’t like that. It wasn’t cheap to get admission to that conference. We can’t miss it," she says.

"Then what do you suggest?" I ask.

Sarah looks thoughtful. "Well...if we rent a car and start driving now, we can still make it there by tonight. That will give us just enough ti to sleep and attend the conference in the morning."

The suggestion catches off guard. It makes perfect sense, yet the idea of sharing a car ride with Sarah, just the two of us, feels much more intimate than flying together in a plane. But the conference is important, and she is right. Skipping it isn’t an option.

"Well? What do you think?" she asks.

I nod reluctantly. "Okay. Let’s rent a car."