Elizabeth

Today, which was supposed to be the happiest of my life, turned out to be the most embarrassing day. When I reached my wedding venue, thinking the guest would be on the seat, ready to watch me walk down the aisle, their eyes glinting with admiration. But, when I arrived, Chaos greeted me. The event coordinator notified me no one booked the venue in my name for today.

Panic gripping every cell of my body, I tried calling Michael, my fiancé of four years, but his phone was off. I tried reaching Lilian, my best friend and wedding planner, hoping for an explanation, but her phone was off too.

I checked the hotel he had booked—he wasn’t there. And it didn’t take long for me to know that Michael and Lilian had duped me and run with my money.

My grip on the glass cup tightened as every memory I had tried to drown in alcohol filled my mind. Gulping down the last drops of the alcohol, I lurched to my feet. My thoughts began to blur, and everything seemed to float as the alcohol breathed its life into my veins.

“I need a refill,” I said to the bartender as I pulled up the burst of my wedding dress. The gurgling sound of the alcohol filling the glass cup melded with the soft murmurs of the customers.

I slugged towards the exit door, and with an unsteady push, the door swooshed open.

The sun’s warmth scorched me, and the loud noise of the bustling city gnawed at my ears as I came out of the alleyway and into the busy streets.

I was about to cross to the other side of the road when a tire screeched as the car came to a halt—a few inches away from me.

“Are you alright?” The man stepped out of the car and approached me. “Are you okay?”

My unsteady gaze fell on the man. He had a height that mocked me, brown hair, and brown eyes—just like Michael. He wore a well-tailored black suit—what Michael would have been wearing for the wedding.

The sight was appalling as it reminded me of what I had lost. A metallic taste burnt on my tongue. “Are you blind?” I questioned with a clipped tone. “You could have killed me!” I staggered back, stepping on my long white ball gown.

The man furrowed his brows. “You need to be more careful when crossing the road.” He crinkled his nose.

With partially closed eyelids, I shook my head. “Are you blaming me for this?” I snorted, struggling to stand still.

Almost instantly, as though my thoughts had connived against me, I remembered how the close guests blamed me for trusting Michael and Lilian.

And now this stranger was blaming me for him almost hitting me like it was all my fault. Michael and Lilian weren’t here to receive my wrath, but this man definitely was.

Pulling my gown off the ground, I stomped towards the car. With a strong swing, the sharp edge of my heels crashed down onto the headlights before moving to the next.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” The man yelled, his voice melding with the sharp crunch of the glass.

Not pausing, I raised my shoulders and slammed my weight onto the side mirror until it dangled.

A wide smile fleshed out on my lips. “Now you can blame me for this.” With an unsteady gait, I strutted out and hailed a taxi home, leaving the man and his broken car—just like me—in the city too happy for my liking.

****

A week slipped by, and I still hadn’t gotten a hold of Michael or Lilian. The rhythmic tap of my fingers on my lap mingled with the tick of the analogue clock that hung on the light blue walls of my friend's apartment.

Tessy dropped the tray of juice on the small burly wood at the centre of her small living room.

“Were you able to find any work for me?” I reached out for the glass of juice. It’s coldness crept into my fingertips.

After the constant harassment of the loan sharks at my place of work, my boss finally fired me two days ago. I also had to move to spend some days with Tessey.

“The only job available is being a maid.” She sank into the white sofa across from me.

I grunted. “There’s no way that would pay my debt.” I smacked my forehead.

A sharp knock on the door punched the atmosphere, and we whipped her head towards the door.

Tessy sprang to her feet. “I’ll be back,” she said, heading towards the door.

Her yell snatched my attention. I dropped the juice and scurried towards her.

My stomach twisted as my eyes landed on two familiar burly men—the loan shark.

One of them drew closer. “So this is where you’ve been hiding?” His stare was as sinister as the tattoo engraved on his neck.

“I…I…wasn’t…” I stuttered as the words refused to leave my constricted throat.

The man closed the space between. The acrid smell of cheap cigarettes crawled into my nose. Gripping me by my hair, he hurled me to the floor, and my body thudded as I fell. A wince escaped me as pain journeyed through my body.

The man lowered to the floor next to me, and I recoiled.

“Where’s my money?” he questioned with a hoarse voice.

Silence traced the air as we both stared at each other. I didn’t have the money. But was I bold enough to say that—not at all?

“You don’t have the cash?” His eyes dipped to a rare moment of sympathy.

My body eased up as I nodded.

A vile smile curled his lips upward, and his eyes darkened. “You can always sell your organs to pay up.” He ran his filthy fingers down my face.

A stinging chill crippled my nerves, and my breath stilled.

The man rose to his feet. “You have a week from now to pay up, or else you might end up walking around with one kidney.” With those final words, he and his partner left.

Tessy rushed towards me and pulled me into a hug. Painful tears stung my face as it trickled down. What on earth did I do to deserve such terrible luck? Michael and Lilian were probably leaving the best life, while I was here about to lose an organ.

**

8 pm on the same unfortunate day. I climbed up the stairs of the block of flats until I reached my block.

Darkness and cool air sprinkled in through the small, scrawny window at the end of the hallway. Dashing out of my house four days ago, I had neglected the light bulb outside my door.

My gaze fell on the paper stamped on my door. I ran my eye across it; it was an eviction notice.

A frustrated hiss escaped me as I pulled down the paper and crumpled it between my palms. Tossing to the floor, my eyes fell on a brown envelope lying peacefully.

I cocked my head as I observed it. I wasn’t expecting any package. Aside from Lilian and Tessy, I didn’t have anyone who would send me a package.

After picking up the envelope, I tore it open and pulled out the white paper in it. My jaws sagged as I read the content; I was sued for $500,000 for damages.

Memories of that day slipped into my mind and itched my brain. “Gosh. How could I have been so stupid?” I muttered. I hadn’t even paid the loan sharks, and now another debt had embraced me. Life seemed like it had a “buy one, get one free” deal on disasters.

My eyes fell on the plaintiff’s name, Mr. Zain Adiaga.

Inside the envelope, I noticed a contact card and reached out for my phone and dialled the number.

The dial filled my ears, followed by a deep velvety voice. “This must be Elizabeth.”

My chest tightened. How did I know who I was? “Yes.”

Before I could proceed further, he continued. “You’ve received the petition, I assume. I did a background search—it seems you don’t have the means to pay.”

“So why serve me, knowing that?” My voice tightened.

A chuckle came from the other end of the call. “I don’t want your money.” His voice dropped, a dark undertone creeping in. “I want something else.”

A question gnawed at my mind. What does this man want from me now?”

Elizabeth

The evening next day came too soon and I stood before the full-length mirror, observing my outfit. The black gown was just a little above my knees. The quality of the dress reflected my broken bank account.

A hiss fled from my lips as I took off the gown. Mr. Adiaga had sent the location and it was one of the biggest restaurants in Manhattan. It was known for its luxury, I doubt they would let me pass through looking like this.

A knock on the door punched the silence and my chest tightened as I gazed at the door.

My heart raced as thought of it being the loan shark.

The knock came in again and my heartbeat doubled, panic twisting my stomach.

Knowing if they broke down the door, my fate might be much worse, I trudged towards the door, my joint as rigid as a worn-out machine.

As I opened the door my eyes fell on a middle-aged woman. Faint wrinkle lines had dominated her face and hands. “Mr. Adiaga sent me to prepare you for the date.”

As soon as the woman walked in, three ladies trailed behind, carrying heavy boxes. They placed them on the sofa and pulled out different dresses, makeup, and jewelry.

“What the hell is going on?” My eyes swept across the sitting room, taking in the luxurious items on my sofa.

“Well, There’s no way you are sitting before Mr. Adiaga,” she said, eyeing me. “Wearing this filth.” She turned to the ladies. “Girl fix her.”

And like little minions, they approached me. One that placed the dress on my body. “This doesn’t match your eye color.”

Another came close, her excessive fragrance stinging my nose. “This lipstick is perfect.”

After a while, I stood before the full-length mirror, dressed in a full-length body-hugging red gown that exposed my back. My face was covered in subtle but beautiful makeup and on my neck rested a diamond necklace.

I could barely recognize the lady in the mirror. Something felt wrong, like I wasn’t deserving of this.

My hands trailed the necklace, my eyes still fixed on my reflection in the mirror. “I can’t wear this,” I said, “it’s too expensive.”

The woman shot me a glacial look. “Why do poor people pray for luxury and when they get it, they toss it.” She snorted and brought out a perfume. Spraying it on me, she continued. “Mr. Adiaga can’t be seen having dinner with an impoverished-looking woman. He is not doing this for you, but for his reputation.”

It was hard to feel at ease, not when he said he wanted something from me. I still had no idea what a wealthy man wanted from a woman like me. I doubt it was just for my body, as he should have been able to have women prettier than me, richer and sexier.

With a deep inhale and sharp exhale, I trod out of my apartment. My eyes fell on a sleek black Mercedes car outside. The driver stepped out and opened the car door. After I entered the car, the driver shut the door and drove off.

.

.

After a twenty-minute drive, I arrived at the restaurant. My heel clinked against the pavement as I strutted towards the entrance—two double glass doors.

Inside, The air was laden with affluence, from the large golden chandelier to the black-marbled tile floor. The expensive art that hung on the white panel walls.

My eyes fell on Mr. Adiaga sitting on the east end corner. Mr. Adiaga was dressed in a black dress shirt. His sleeves rolled up, exposing his veiny hands. His gaze fixed outside the expansive window.

“Good evening.” I settled in the seat across from him.

His brown eyes lingered on me as his lips curled up into a smile. “Good evening. You look beautiful.”

Despite the knots in my stomach, his compliment still managed to stir a warmth in me.

But I wasn’t going to let that warmth control me. “What do you want from me?” My face contorted into a soft frown.

Mr. Adiaga smacked his lips. “Not the patient type I see.” He gestured for a waitress to come over and when she did. He picked up the menu and turned to me. “What would you like to have?”

The frown was still etched on my face like it was a part of my makeup. “I didn’t come here to eat Mr. Adiaga.” As my stomach tightened, I doubted if there was any space for food.

“Alright then.” He turned back to the waitress. “Let’s have red wine. Bring the most expensive one you have.”

“Alright.” She said, as she flashed a polite smile, before disappearing into the inner interiors of the restaurant.

Mr. Adiaga's gaze returned to me. “Let’s wait for the wine. Such conversations are best held with a red wine.”

The waitress returned with a bottle of wine. Tilting the bottle, the red wine streamed into my glass. The fruity undertone lined the air.

“Thank you.” I picked up the wine and sipped it. The alcohol taste—much stronger than its scent—coated my tongue.

After he drunk from his wine, he placed it on the table with a soft thud. “I want to propose a deal.” He leaned forward. “A contract marriage. I’d pay off all your debt for your hands in marriage.” A devil’s grin played on his lips and his eyes sparkled as though he had set a trap for me.

My eyes widened. The fruity taste of the wine turned stale on my tongue.

What did this man take me for? Was it because I was poor, he believed I could easily sell my freedom to him?

I tightened my fist. The chair creaked and his eyes followed me as I rose to my feet. “Do you think I am that desperate?” My voice was quieter than I intended. “That I’d sell myself to pay off a debt?”

Sitting before me was a monster as his grin only widened. “I see you are also a proud one.” He swirled his wine glass before sipping from it. “Pride without money to back it up will only plunge you into despair.”

“Thank you, Socrates, I can help myself.”

A frown replaced the smiling expression as he leaned back. “I’m sorry if my kind gestures made you feel like you have an upper hand here.” He leaned in. “Do you have any means of paying off the loan shark? The interest is constantly rising. How are you going to pay off my $500,000?” He took another sip, as though my predicament was entertaining. “Even if your aunty sells her tiny cafe, she won’t still be able to pay your debt.”

His words punched my guts and my heart wailed.

“I suggest you sit and think about my proposal.”

After the tragic loss of my parents, my aunt trained and loved me as her own. Sacrificing all the beauty of life, so I could go to college and become somebody in life. I couldn’t allow her to sell her cafe to pay off my debt.

“I’d think about your proposal and I’d give my response tomorrow.”

“See, Ms. Elizabeth. To a man like me, I can always replace money lost, but never time. You have thirty seconds to make the decision or the deal is off the table.” His fingers tapped on the table, each thud sounding like a ticking bomb.

“There’s no way I can accept the proposal without thinking thoroughly about it.” My voice rose an octave higher and my heart thundered against my rib cage.

“Twenty seconds more.” His cold voice drilled into my ears, chilling my core.

I hadn’t even read the proposal. But then images of my aunty flashed into my mind. She loved her small cafe shop as that was the only dream she could achieve all because she took me in.

“Ten seconds more, Elizabeth.”

Time wasn’t on my side. I couldn’t find the calmness to think. Beads of sweat carpeted my face

“5…4…3…2…”

Each number instilled more panic in me, drowning me in the deep blue sea with no straw to clutch at

Elizabeth

“I accept.”

Although faint, the scribble sound gnawed at my ears as I quickly signed the document.

My stomach tightened as heat pooled. My chin lowered to my chest as I dropped into the chair. Defeat stamping a bitter taste on my tongue.

Mr. Adiaga smiled as he took in the white paper and tucked it back in the envelope. A smile—one that seemed to hide sinister intent—gleamed up his face. “Thank you.” Tossing it on the other vacant chair, he said. “Are you ready to have dinner yet?”

I rolled my eyes. “I think I should be going home,” I stated, my fingers digging into the armrest of the blue upholstery chair.

His dismissal behaviour grated on my very last nerve. Acting like he hadn’t done something so inhumane.

His gaze hovered around me before he drank the last content in his wine glass. “So the contract is simple. You just have to act as a wife for a year. Tomorrow, prepare; you will be moving into the Adiaga’s mansion while you prepare for your wedding. A week is enough for that.”

Still wallowing in the pit of uncertainty, no words left my lips. I could have protested; living with a man, I barely knew. This wasn’t how I planned on getting married. I had always dreamt of getting married to Michael. He and I would live in a nice, sweet home and have two kids. Michael wasn’t a cat person, but he said he wouldn’t mind having one because of me.

This wasn’t the life I had envisioned for myself.

A year trickled down my face as I stifled the sobs about to break out of my throat.

Mr. Adiaga's eyes dipped at a rare moment of what I thought was sympathy. “Oh no, don’t cry,” he said with an exaggerated, warm voice. “Many women would kill for this life.”

Kill to become a slave to a man as heartless as he was. I spat to my feet. “Good night. I need rest.”

"But the didn’t date isn’t over,” Mr. Adiaga said.

Saving whatever was left of my dignity, I jutted my chin. “Until the wedding, I am still the owner of my life.”

He wiggled his brows, and his face contorted into a rosy expression. “You are one hell of an interesting woman.”

My eyes widened, but quickly I narrowed them. He didn’t deserve a reaction from me. Without responding, I swung around and strutted out of the restaurant.

.

.

Immediately after I got home, I took off my heels and turned on the light bulb. The bright white light shone on the walls of the apartment, but it couldn’t reach the walls of my heart.

I sprawled on the sofa, the tight dress bridling my movement. My hands flew to my neck. The diamond necklace looked more like a collar confining me than an accessory.

The next fifteen minutes were spent on the sofa, thinking of ways to escape from this predicament. Would running back to London save me? Then what if the chaos followed me to London and then I drowned not only me but my aunty?

As I grunted, simultaneously, a knock on my door filled the air. I whipped my head to the door and the clock—8 pm.

Once again, my heart thudded. Who could it possibly be now? I picked up the white flower vase on my coffee table and drew closer to the door.

“Who is there?” My grip on the base tightened.

“A package for Ms. Elizabeth from Mr. Adiaga” A man’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Dropping the vase on the floor, I opened the door. A delivery man stretched out his hand, holding a package. “Mr. Adiaga ordered this meal for you.”

The tantalising aroma of the food darted into my nose, stirring a hungry storm in my stomach.

Ignoring my traitorous stomach, I said, “Please kindly return the package to him.” Before the delivery could say anything more, I slammed the door shut.

I returned and sprawled back on the sofa. My thoughts resumed terrorising my mind until sleep came in like a hero, snatching me into her beautiful arms.

***

The relentless thuds on the door startled me awake. My eyes flew open, and the morning light sprinting from the windows bored into my eyes, burning my iris.

Teetering in the line between being half awake and half asleep, I approached the door, and without hesitating, I opened the door. Thankfully it was Tessy and not the loan shark.

“You must have really loved the outfit to sleep in.” Her eyes zeroed in on me. Tessy gasped. “Is that a real diamond?” Her hands darted to the necklace still on my neck.

“Yes.” I gestured for her to come in. “Yesterday was tiring. I ended up crashing on the sofa.”

Tessy smiled and settled on the sofa. “I came to check up on you. And also to tell you, I found a job, but the pay is quite small.”

My chest tightened as a pang of regret gripped my heart. “Never mind, I have already sold my soul to the devil.”

Curiosity arched her brows. “What do you mean?”

Slipping out of the gown into my bra and pants, I settled on the sofa. From the accident to the dinner and useless contract—I explained it all.

“You shouldn’t have turned down the food. It did nothing to you.” She winked... a failed attempt to lighten my mood up. Tessy exhaled as she sat next to me. “Try and see the silver lining here. You won’t be selling your kidney.” An awkward smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Another failed attempt to lighten my mood.

I had tried to see the silver lining, but there was none, as I ended up selling my whole being.

A knock thudded on the door, followed by a louder thud as the door collapsed to the floor.

My eyes widened. The loan shark man strutted into my apartment, his hands dipped into his pocket. Instinctively, I curled up, covering my almost naked body.

The man’s eyes darkened as his eyes raked over me. A smile formed on his lips and he drew closer. Curling his around my wrist, he yanked me off the sofa.

“I thought you gave me a week.” My voice quivered.

“I changed my mind.” His eyes lingered on my cleavages. “You have a beautiful body. How about you pay me in another way?" He pinched my chin and forced my gaze to meet his horny eyes.

A crawling sensation journeyed beneath my skin. His breath against my skin burnt disgust into me.

“Leave her alone,” Tessy yelled. About to come closer when one of his men trapped her between his hands.

“How about I make you mine?" The boss’s cruel hands went around my waist.

“Sorry, she already belongs to me.” A familiar voice filled the room, one I hated but was so glad to hear.

With the most horrid frown I had seen, the boss turned to Mr. Adiaga. “And you are?”

“You should check your account. Her debt had been paid.” Raphael’s eyes rested on my body, and his eyes darkened briefly.

The boss checked his phone, and without saying a word, he and his man disappeared.

Mr. Adiagatook off his suit and hung it over me. “Did that bastard hurt you?” His tone reverberated with warmth.

A warmth that painted my cheeks red. His musky scent that lingered on his suit filled my nostrils.

“Let’s get you out of here.” He added.

“I need to change,” I said, before heading to my room to change into a knee-length gown.

**

After a while, we arrived at the Adiaga’s mansion. The mansion stood on large acres of land. Towering trees lined the driveway. A large fountain was stationed meters away from the stairs that led to the entrance.

Mr. Adiaga's footsteps and mine echoed as we entered the house. Climbing the stairs and passing through the white-panelled hallway, we entered a room.

Brown shelves lined the walls of the study room. The air harboured the scent of paper.

My eyes fell on a man settled on the sofa in the middle of the room, a wheelchair next to him.

His black hair was styled to perfection. His hunter-hazel eyes seared over me, melting my skin with a feeling I knew well—fear, and another I couldn’t dare discern. The black polo shirt did a horrible job concealing his broad chest.

“Is she the one Raphael?” His voice was hoarse yet pleasing.

I whipped my head to him. “Raphael?” The plaintiff’s name was Mr. Zain. The name on the contract was Mr. Zain Adiaga.

My breath shuddered as shock swept my whole body.

Mr. Adiaga shot a taunting smile. “This is Zain, your husband-to-be.”

He had tricked me.