Chapter 4. The Proposal on Paper

The next day began like any other: the harsh sound of Mom’s coughing from her bedroom, the mess Eric always left in the living room, and the stack of bills on the table, like vultures reminding me that life wasn’t giving me a break.

I tried to convince myself that what had happened the night before had just been a passing madness. Something I could forget if I tried hard enough. But, for some reason, the image of that man —with his absurd proposal and his intense gaze— kept nesting in my mind.

I had promised myself not to think about him again.

My promise didn’t last long.

The doorbell rang just as I was finishing the breakfast dishes. My first instinct was to assume it was one of Eric’s friends, probably asking for money or looking for a place to hide. I dried my hands on a towel and walked to the door, ready to send him away quickly.

But when I opened it, the air got stuck in my lungs.

There he was. Again.

The black suit he wore made him seem even more out of place in my neighborhood. His confident bearing contrasted with the peeling walls and the floor covered in cracks. And in his hands, he held a black leather briefcase.

My fingers clung to the edge of the door.

–What are you doing here? –I snapped, half-closing the door, as if that could keep his presence from slipping into my life.

–I came to talk to you. You didn’t answer my calls –he said calmly.

I frowned.

–My calls? How did you get my number?

–It was easy. It was in the restaurant’s system.

His tone was casual, like tracking my personal information was the most normal thing in the world.

–You can’t just show up here.

–It’s important.

I tried to stay calm, but my skin bristled. If Eric saw him, things could get messy. My brother wasn’t exactly discreet, and the last thing I needed was for him to find out that a man with money was at our door.

–It’s not a good time –I said coldly–. My family is home.

David didn’t flinch. Instead, he opened his briefcase and pulled out a thick envelope.

–That’s why I brought this.

My stomach twisted.

–What is that?

–The contract.

I looked at him like he had completely lost his mind.

–Seriously? A contract?

–I told you I was serious. It’s all here: terms, conditions, and, of course, the financial compensation.

The coldness with which he said it made my stomach churn.

–And you thought it was a good idea to come to my house with that?

–You weren’t working at the restaurant today –he replied, as if that justified his intrusion into my life.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to contain my anger.

–Fine, but speak quickly –I murmured.

I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me before Mom or Eric could see us.

David raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He just extended the envelope toward me.

–I want you to read it.

I took the envelope with trembling hands. It wasn’t just the weight of the paper; it was the weight of what it meant.

–Why me? –I asked, a lump in my throat–. You could choose any other woman. Someone who actually wants this.

For a moment, I saw something in his eyes. A flicker of something deep, something I couldn’t decipher.

–Because I don’t want another –he said firmly–. I’ve been looking for you my whole life.

My skin prickled.

–That doesn’t make sense. You don’t even know me.

David let out a low laugh, without a trace of amusement.

–Maybe not to you. But I never forgot. Since that day we first saw each other… I searched for you. I went back to that place again and again, hoping to find you. I asked around, walked every corner… but it was like you had vanished.

My heart pounded in my chest.

I didn’t remember anything.

He spoke as if I were part of his story, as if we had shared something important. But in my mind… there was only a void.

I tried to search my memories, but all I found was the same unbreakable wall I had learned to ignore since I was a child. My memory wasn’t reliable. Not since that day.

That day when the house filled with screams.

The sound of glass shattering.

The cold floor under my skin as I hid in the darkness.

I couldn’t remember the details clearly, only blurry fragments my mind refused to piece together. But I knew it had been dangerous. I knew that, after that, many things changed. We lost the house. We moved far away. And over time, I learned not to ask questions. Not to try to remember.

Maybe, among all those buried memories, he was there.

My hands trembled, my throat tightened.

I bit my lip, unable to meet his gaze.

–I don’t know what you’re talking about –I said, my voice barely a whisper–. I don’t remember anything.

A flash of pain crossed his face, but he hid it quickly.

–It doesn’t matter. I don’t need you to remember now. I just need you to give me a chance to show you this is real.

–I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember any of that.

A flash of pain crossed his face.

–It doesn’t matter. I don’t need you to remember now. I just need you to give me a chance to show you this is real.

My chest felt heavy.

He extended his hand, waiting for my answer.

–This is ridiculous. I don’t even know your full name.

–David. David Donovan.

My breath hitched.

–Donovan?

He nodded.

–CEO of Donovan Enterprises.

The air seemed to thicken around me. Of course. Everything made sense now: his bearing, his money, his insistence on getting what he wanted. This man wasn’t just rich. He was someone important.

I swallowed hard.

–What are you doing here? –I repeated, more frustrated.

–I already told you. This is important to me. I want you to make the decision with all the information.

I looked at him with anger.

–And you think you can barge into my life just because you have money?

–I’m not trying to impose anything. I just want you to consider it.

His tone was sincere, but I couldn’t trust him.

–You can’t just show up at my door. It doesn’t work like that.

–I understand. I won’t do it again. But I want you to read the contract.

I nodded, just so he would leave.

David held my gaze a second longer and, without another word, turned and left.

I stayed there, with the envelope in my hands, feeling like I had just opened a door I would never be able to close again.

That night, while Mom slept and Eric was out, I slid the contract onto the table.

And even though my mind screamed that it was madness… my heart was starting to consider the possibilities.