Brotherhood

GA Invenity Company 

At the moment I sat in my room. I was not alone. There was also Eros who was currently looking at me in disbelief. Eros said, if he actually wanted to ask me this since yesterday. But he hesitated, because at that time he saw that I was happy with the marriage I was in. 

Happy? 

Seriously?

I had always been annoyed by Aileen. Err..., but to be honest, I had fun. Right, I had only fun, not happy as Eros said earlier. 

"Are you serious, Glenn, marrying her? I mean that woman, just because you want to help her? Don't mess with a marriage, Glenn," Eros said while shaking his head, as if not believing what I explained a while ago. 

"Gosh, Eros. You don't believe me at all. I told you earlier, that I just want to help her pay off her debts and help her achieve her dreams. She said she wanted to continue her studies abroad, but couldn't because of her debt. I'm just offering to help, pay off her debt and that way she can study abroad. Tsk." 

I explained again to Eros who was still shaking his head at me. After all, what was wrong with working together like this. Certainly, I was not the only one who got married like this, right?

"Besides, at that time I really didn't know how to keep Mom from being embarrassed. You know yourself, that Mom really wanted me to get married. Unfortunately, that woman left me right on our wedding day. At least, if she didn't want the wedding to happen, she didn't have to say yes when our parents set the wedding date," I continued with a slightly annoyed tone. 

Eros fell silent in front of me. He also sat down again after walking back and forth in front of me which made me dizzy seeing his behavior. 

"I see, Glenn. Sorry if I sound like lecturing you. I just don't want you to regret your choice," Eros said and this time looked at me as usual. 

There was no more shaking of the head, which I had absolutely no idea what that meant.

"Don't worry, Ren. Me and her already have an agreement. The contract will end, if I find someone that I love. Or also, if she wanted to continue her studies abroad. I will use this as an excuse, so Mom won't be too disappointed with my failed and tragic marriage." 

I did not hide what happened to Eros at all. There was almost no secret between us, because I already considered Eros like my brother and so did Eros. Eros had accompanied me since the beginning of my career until I became a successful like this. 

"I can only wish you the best, Glenn," Eros said. 

Then we continued our conversation about the work which was a new collaboration. The plan was that I made a business trip to Germany in a few days to arrange a collaboration with one of the companies there. I could use this business trip as an excuse to reschedule my honeymoon if mom asked. 

In the middle of our discussion, Eros called my name and asked again about my contract wife. 

"Glenn," Eros called with me muttering in response, because I was busy looking at the contract letter sent yesterday by Smith's company.

 "Hmm?" 

"What did you say your wife's name was? Emh-"

"Aileen Soraya," I interrupted him quickly, when Eros seemed to have a hard time remembering my annoying wife's name. 

I called her the annoying wife, because apart from being a kid, she also liked to annoy me with her annoying behavior. 

"Yes, Aileen Soraya, Does she just have that name? I mean she doesn't have a surname?" Eros asked curiously.

"No, she doesn't. I already asked. She also said, I just need to know her name and where she studied. Other things about her are her privacy and I can't cross the line. I don't even know what major she took," I explained while turning the paper in my hand, without looking at Eros who seemed to be still curious with my wife. 

"Ah.... Yes! About her study, I just found out, that she took two majors. One is design and the other is ballet that I just knew recently," I added quickly, remembering Aileen who left this morning for practice. 

"And.... Do you believe that?" Eros asked, making me stop my work and stare at him with a tired sigh. 

"Oh my God Ren. You talk a lot today! If you are not satisfied with my answer, just ask her yourself," I said annoyed, then went back to work.

"Well, it's not like that, Glenn. I'm just scared, if she's from a criminal or mafia family. Maybe she pretends-

 "Tsk, Eros. Why are you like Mom? You talk too much." 

I annoyedly interrupted Eros' exaggeration, then stood up from my seat and walked towards the window. I took a breath for what I just said, it seems I've gone too far in responding to Eros' words earlier.

"Why don't I like it, when people think negatively about Aileen," I thought to myself confusely. 

"Glenn," Eros called in a strange tone, making me turn to him and raise an eyebrow, asking. 

"Hmm?" 

"Do you seriously, just want to help Aileen get out of her debt?" Eros asked and looked at me strangely. 

I nodded of course, then turned to face the window and took another deep breath. 

"Huft.... Of course, Ren. I've only known her for a short time. There's no way I have feelings for her," I replied without looking at him. 

"I have never thought about you have feelings for her, Glenn. But, since you brought it up yourself and said that you have no feelings for her, I became suspicious that you really do have feelings for her." Eros said and looked at me suspiciously, making me speechless at Eros's unreasonable statement. 

"Nonsense, Ren. You listen to me one more time. Yes, I married Aileen but it was just a contract marriage and not really a marriage, ok? Period! After all, you have heard and know that I just randomly picked a woman to marry at that time and it was because of Mom. There is nothing between us and I hope you understand that, Eros Surendra," I said firmly and explained clearly to Eros who was sitting behind me.

"Ok, I got it. So, That's mean I can get to know and be close to Aileen?" Eros asked in an enthusiastic tone, causing me to immediately turn to him and look at him suspiciously. 

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly.

 "You said, that you don't have feelings with Aileen. Then, can I be close to Aileen too?" Eros answered with his brows rising and falling teasingly, irritating me with my best friend's completely unexpected impudent remark.

 "Damn it, you, Ren. Could it be, you were trying to find out my true relationship with Aileen was just a tactic, huh? So that I confess my true feelings to Aileen," I growled in an annoyed tone, but Eros just chuckled with a nod of his head at me. 

"Yes." 

"Damn you! So, you want friends eating friends," I said and Eros laughed in response to me with a laugh that sounded increasingly annoying. 

"Ha-ha-ha! Who's fault that you make a beautiful woman like her just as a contract wife. You even say that your wife was picked randomly. Tell me, your mouth has never been glued with plastic, right? Then you use a contract marriage ceremony on the pretext of your parents. Huh, it's just annoying ," said Eros, either he was jealous of my impromptu wife who happened to be beautiful or really annoyed with my actions.

"Tsk.... Are you jealous, Ren? Then quickly get married by contract too, so you're not alone in the apartment," I joked with a crooked smile, when I saw Eros glared but then laughed again at my words. 

"Are you crazy! Contract marriage? It's not cool, what's good is a real marriage. You can make love and earn after that, meanwhile you!! You have a wife but only a contract wife, and you make an agreement that there's no making love scene between you two. How can that be? That's called loss, Glenn." 

"What! Ah, you pervert. You were talking earlier about being suspicious, afraid that she was a criminal and so on. But now you're thinking pervert like this. Do you ask to be hit, huh?"

 "Bring it on! I am not afraid!" 

And so was the relationship between me and Eros when we were not discussing about work. But at least I was relieved, because Eros didn't think that I was crazy because of the arbitrary decision I made. 

Hm, Contract marriage... 

The marriage was legal in the eyes of law and religion, but if you get a divorce, then get ready to be a young widower. Damn, just thinking about it made me want to sink myself into the river right now.

To be continued.