Contract with the Paralyzed Widower

Genre: Billionaire/CEO
Author: Giss Dominguez
Chapters: 38
Status: Completed
Age Rating: 18+

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Annotation

Brianna, who still feels an emotional void in her life, agrees to marry Lautaro under a contract, and together they begin to build a home. However, Brianna soon realizes that Lautaro cannot let go of the past and still misses Lucía, his deceased wife. Lucía wasn't the perfect wife Eduardo thought she was. Only Brianna knows the true Lucía. As their days together pass, Brianna finds herself entangled in a complex web of emotions. The facade of their contractual marriage starts to weigh heavily on her heart, especially as Lautaro's longing for Lucía becomes more evident. Despite Brianna's efforts to create a real bond between them, Lautaro remains trapped in the memories of his past. He often talks about Lucía, reminiscing about their moments together, their shared dreams, and the life they had planned. Brianna listens, her heart aching as she realizes that she is nothing more than a substitute for the woman he truly loved. One day, as they sit together in the garden, Lautaro takes a deep sigh and says, "Brianna, do you ever wonder if it's possible to truly move on from someone you've loved deeply?" Brianna gazes at him, her eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and frustration. "Lautaro, moving on is a choice we make. It's about embracing the present and looking towards the future." Lautaro looks into her eyes, searching for answers. "But what if the past is too beautiful to let go? What if it feels like I'm betraying Lucía by trying to replace her memory?" Brianna's heart aches for him, but her own pain is becoming unbearable. "Lautaro, I understand that Lucía was special to you. But I am here now, trying to create a life with you. I'm not trying to replace her; I'm trying to build something new." Lautaro's gaze drops, his fingers tracing patterns on the grass. "I know you're right, Brianna. It's just... so hard." Days turn into weeks, and Brianna's patience wears thin. She finds herself growing resentful of the shadow of Lucía that lingers between them. The more she tries to bridge the gap, the more she realizes how deeply Lautaro's heart is tied to the past. One evening, as they sit in silence at the dinner table, Brianna decides it's time to confront the truth. "Lautaro, I need to talk to you about something." He looks up, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. "What is it, Brianna?" "I've come to realize that this marriage, this contract between us, it's not what I want anymore. I can't continue pretending that everything is fine when it's not. I deserve a love that is genuine, a relationship that is built on mutual feelings." Lautaro's expression shifts from surprise to realization. "Brianna, I..." She raises her hand, stopping him from speaking. "Let me finish. I know that you're not ready to let go of Lucía's memory, and I can't keep living in her shadow. It's not fair to either of us." He bows his head, his voice barely a whisper. "You're right. I've been holding on to something that I should have let go of a long time ago." Brianna takes a deep breath, her heart heavy but resolute. "I want us both to find the happiness we deserve. I think it's best if we end this marriage, Lautaro." Tears well up in his eyes as he looks at her. "I never meant to hurt you, Brianna." She reaches across the table, placing her hand on his. "I know you didn't, Lautaro. We both made a choice, and now we need to make a different one for our own sake." As they sit there, hands intertwined, they both come to terms with the difficult truth. The contract that brought them together must now be the catalyst for their separation, allowing them the chance to heal, grow, and find their own paths to happiness.

Chapter 1

Camila awkwardly chuckled as she sipped a cup of tea in front of her father, who was watching her with a furrowed brow and a raised eyebrow. Her father was in charge of mansion security.

"You'll see how I would conquer Lautaro," said Camila.

"Lautaro?" asked Lautaro mockingly.

"Of course, I'm talking about Lautaro," said Camila and continued sipping from her tea cup.

"Daughter, all Lautaro wants is that woman," the father pointed out.

"I'll see how I can remove her from his heart. It's my main goal," affirmed Camila.

"Camila, he cries every night for her. He locks himself in his room and doesn't come out until the next day, begging for her to return. He loves that woman," added the father.

"And so what? I'll make him forget her," Camila commented proudly, standing up.

"Are you really going to do that?" the father asked.

"Yes, I'll be his woman. You'll see, I'll be the future wife of the important Mr. Lautaro," Camila replied determinedly.

Lautaro walked aimlessly through the house. He had to get to the company, but he was barely at home, except for the nights when he got lost in memories of his late wife. The days had become endless, and he just wanted to return to that memory, recalling his past love. He picked up his briefcase and got into a modern vehicle with a sad smile.

While he was in the vehicle, he was so focused on a photo he had with him that he didn't see the truck that cut in front of him. He crashed violently, and the vehicle slid to the side, flipping over twice and skidding.

"So many months have passed since that accident," commented Melisa, Briana's best friend.

"I don't know how, but he still takes me out to eat every day and talks to me about his late wife," Briana replied.

"And does that bother you?" Melisa asked curiously.

"Not at all, my friend," Briana said as she finished washing some dishes that Emma, Lautaro's daughter, had used.

"I think it does affect you," Melisa murmured.

"It doesn't affect me," Briana replied, raising an eyebrow, and her friend chuckled.

"That's what you wanted to believe, my friend," Melisa commented, and Briana denied it.

"It doesn't affect me, what I do or don't do," she blatantly lied, and her friend looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I just hope all of this doesn't hurt you more than it already does," Melisa said, concerned.

"Either way, I hope the same," Briana replied. She looked nervously towards the entrance until Lautaro rolled in on his wheelchair. He looked at her disinterestedly, hating the world since the accident and even more so since his beloved wife was no longer with him.

"Hello, Briana, how are you?" Lautaro asked as he approached her.

"I'm fine," Briana replied with a sad smile, and Melisa disappeared, as she was the housemaid.

"Hello, little daughter," Lautaro commented as he approached, Emma with her blonde curls...

"Hi, Dad," Emma said and ran off.

"What's going on?" Brianna asked, knowing he would talk to her about something. "I miss her so much, she was such a perfect woman," he murmured, referring to Lucia, his late wife.

"Has it been a year, sir?" Briana asked, sitting on a stool.

"It's been a year, and I still miss her. There's not a day that I don't think about her," Lautaro commented sadly, looking down.

"You should worry about yourself, about improving and trying..." Briana began to say, but Lautaro interrupted her.

"Are you blaming me for that?" he asked wearily.

"No..." Briana replied, but was interrupted again.

"I can't live without her..."

"You have to move on, move forward. That's what Lucía would have wanted," Briana said.

"I can't forget the only person who loved me with all her heart. She was as loyal as she was perfect and precious. She made me happy. We had such a strong marriage, so in love," Lautaro mentioned, and Briana rolled her eyes discreetly.

"Of course, sir, I understand," Briana said.

"Do you understand what I feel?" Lautaro asked as he moved away from her side.

"I believe you should move forward, find a new woman," Briana suggested.

"Are you suggesting I look for another wife?" Lautaro muttered wearily.

"Of course, I think you need to move on, and..." Briana couldn't finish her sentence as Lautaro interrupted her again.

"I can't, Briana, I can't..." Lautaro couldn't continue the sentence, and Briana disappeared down the hallway. Briana had to return to her mother's house, as she didn't live there. She was only the governess, or rather, the nanny of...

"Lautaro..."

Briana walked out the door, clutching the brown dress she always wore with determination. She didn't have much money, but with what little she had, she was happy.

She walked out the door, reflecting on Eduardo's words and remembering that she was Lucia's best friend. Lucia, with her power and money, had helped her get that job, and now she had been with Emma for many years, who had been born five years ago. She had known them since they were girls and, despite the social difference, they were friends. As she reached her mother's house, her mother was waiting for her.

"Hello, Mom," she said, approaching her and giving her a hug.

"My little girl, how did it go?" her mother asked curiously, while mixing something.

"What are you preparing?" Briana asked.

"I'm making shepherd's pie with minced meat," her mother replied.

"How delicious! I love it," Briana said.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit off," her mother commented.