“Who do we have here?” Fanny, who was the first person to catch sight of me, said. His face lit with uncertainty, and he gave a lopsided grin.Instantly every eye came upon me and I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips tightly in exaggerated shame. I paused at the door post, shivering and fondling with the torn hem of my dress. Certainly my intention was stated and I wondered with which face I would used to behold this wealthy family to remind them I was eager to sign to the contract marriage now.The entire Fanny’s and their laborers were having a delightsome dinner at the time, so everywhere smelled of roasted prawn, almond and strawberry. Heavy chuckling and clattering hung over them too.The hotness that churned in my stomach wasn’t inspired by hunger but by thought of what awaited me. All my life I had lived with sane people; people that reasoned properly and behaved with absolute rationality. I never associated with the rich having such short coming.What was I getting myself int
I sat elegantly yet shyly as I was superbly decorated more than the former. This time diamond bracelets piled my neck and wrist. On my feet was a pair of Italian stiletto and my wedding gown was shapely made from the Royal Home of England. The tailor-made wedding gown caught my shape so invitingly that my curves and hour-glass shot out at the right edges and corners.“Wow this is so much for a wedding gown that would worn by the mad man’s wife,” one of the maidens gossiped with another by the corner as they gaped at the POS slip for the purchase of the wedding gown.“How much is it worth?” another asked cheerfully.“Eightmillion dollars!” the maiden replied, and cast an inspective gaze at me, probably expecting my reactions.My eyes almost burnt with tears at the thought of my attribute hence forth; mad man’s wife. That was what I was brooding about inwardly not even the worth of my wedding gown. I wondered how I was going to deal with the reserved emotional trauma this marriage was g
I halted my step and could hear voices whispering from ear to ear over the reason for my tears. Fanny Luis’s jaw dropped upon seeing my teary face and I doubted if it was for me or for his reputation.The voices were as the chirping of innumerable bees; they were murmuring about my fallen countenance. I just wish I could chin up and be matured before these gusts.“Why is she all tears?” a voice among the guest queried.“Isn’t she happy?” another replied coldly.“Oh it could be tears of joy,” another suggested.“Who wouldn’t be emotional? She is fortunate to marry the billionaire’s mad son,” that was another voice which sounded even more offensive than all the voices.The guests whispered among themselves, while the waited for the next line of action.I stood in my gloom, locked and pressed my hands in front, with my gaze lowered, at least with the intent to hide my sullen teary face from any careful onlooker.All of a sudden a lush silence hung over the entire building as piles of cha
“Why are you fidgety? Don’t you know you are married couples now, and soon you two would share same bed and roof?” Salsa snapped to me once I dared to withdraw to the wall as Brian advanced forward to sign on the agreement papers.Salsa’s words etched off every memory of what an ideal husband should look like and installed in me the belief that every husband was supposed to be insane; that I had no right to protest in this marriage.The two hefty men dragged him to come forth and he shuffled his legs, unwilling to make a move and throwing his face side ways to bite them since they seemed to be stronger than him. He was chuckling idly now and struggled violently with the two hefty men; to an extent the hefty men didn’t want to get much violent with him since this could result to hurting him.“Brian! Brian! You had better respect yourself and come forth to sign the papers. You are not going to keep us waiting. This is a time we have been anticipating as a family. You can’t ruin this mom
I wished the buzzing and merriment would continue forever, so that I could find reason not to return to my mad husband. For over an hour now I had stilled my sight upon a large mahogany door which I perceived was the entrance to our chamber. I sniffed and got swallowed into the heavy expression on my face.Shortly after we were legally joined together, Fanny approached me with the one million dollar credit card. I sobbed and dared to perk up as he spoke to me.“This is your gift for agreeing to marry my mad son,” he said and touched his face as though he was yet to forget the saliva Brian plastered on his face. “Once again, congratulations, Melissa Brant and welcome to the Fanny’s,” his voice brooded excitement even when his face said otherwise.I forced a smile yet I could barely keep the smile longer than normal. He handed me the credit card, grinned and joined the guests.“Congratulations, Melissa,” that was Opula’s voice right behind me.When I swirled around behold there she was
Soon, everyone left for their various homes and I was still breaking words with Salsa, who I knew was tipsy and heavy in her eyes after having so much to drink. Virtually everyone was alcoholic tonight and I wondered who would run to my rescue if Brian should pounce on me like a lion.“Won’t you go to your husband?” Salsa reminded me with an emphatic look on her face. She rolled her eyes at me and smiled briefly in what I took for mockery.I could perceive much of the exudates of rum from her now.My countenance fell hugely especially when I recalled the man she called husband wasn’t just mad but violently mad. Wasn’t he the reason I was still outside till this moment? I just wish they could mind their business and let me perch wherever I wanted.Salsa’s eyes were still around me, perhaps expecting nothing else than my response.“I will…I will go…go to him,” even my voice shook with uncertainty and I became scared to call him my husband. That clause wasn’t yet activated in me. I only
I barely could shake my head when I turned around and realized there were about six of the security. They made at Brian, over powered him while one unlocked his chains and set him loose. They made sure they took away the chains and any weapon around him.I was abandoned to gazing at them as they dared to put him to rest. The intense struggle left Brian grunting and groaning like a bull on the floor while the security endeavored to pin him on the floor.“Ma’am, the billionaire wants you to know your way around the chamber,” one said while the rest still struggled with Brian. “The chains often cut into his wrist and ankle that is why we often unchain him, especially at night and give him sedatives so he could sleep well at night,” he elucidated yet further.“Would he ever sleep well at night? Why would you put me at risk by unchaining the most violent mad man in Rio Hondo?” I nagged in my head as I scowled my face at what the other security were doing with Brian.I noticed there were wi
The kidney dialysis and transplant was successful. Finding an eligible donor wasn’t a problem since my kidney was not compatible with that of my mother.I was delighted to see the face of my mother light with smiles and life. Her eyes were bright and filled with energy as that of a fish in the ocean. Happily her body wasn’t swelling like balloon again. And fresh spring had come under feet. She was back to explore her prime now.She could speak perfectly well and raise her body at will. Mom was rejuvenated again, and hope wasn’t far-fetched anymore; this captivated me and put smiles on my chin.At the sight of me, she sat up and opened her arms in wide embrace as I clenched her in an engaging hug. “I am happy to see you alive, hale and hearty, mama, “I muttered behind her neck as we burnt each other with hot breath and hum of gladness.We hugged for a time that seemed eternal“I am delighted to see you hearty too my daughter”, she said, withdrew her face and kissed me on the brow. “Thi
Eva didn’t join us at home. She drove straight to the Fanny Group and barged in on Fanny having a conference meeting with his executives. With her jaw clenched, she rolled furious eyes at her father and left to wait for him in the office.Opula and Kate were at the meeting when Eva barged in, so they wondered what must have prompted her to barge into the meeting uninvited, like a kitten that missed its way.“What could be happening, sis?” Kate asked Opula as she peered her head closer to hers. She whispered yet again, “Why is that little maggot here? Did you see the look on her face? She has never behaved in such a manner. I guess there is a fire on the mountain.”Opula whispered back to her, “Chin up. After the meeting, we will meet with father, who will disclose it to us. I guess he knows what is happening. A few days ago, James Benson came to visit father at the villa. Something is definitely happening.”Kate hummed in disapproval, “I only heard that James visited. I didn’t see him
Whenever I stopped by the hospital to check up on Brian, hope of seeing Brian again often increased in me. His coma was indeed repulsive. When I touched his warm palms, my fear dissipated only for a while; at least he still had an ounce of life in him.The moment I stepped into the ward, I began humming his favorite song, with the absolute intention of making him rise from the coma. I had done this several times in the past weeks, and it seemed I wasn’t making headway.But my instinct had often told me Brian would wake up, soon at a time no one would expect. I only wondered where I would be when it would happen.Would I still be in marriage, or would I be with someone else? Would this love I harbor for Brian tarnish someday? Or would it become increasingly stronger?“No, Brian, please, this is the time I need you most,” I mumbled as I grabbed his palms and went on my knees, “A lot has happened and more are yet to happen…” I paused to stamp a chaste kiss on his palms, “Your father is g
Fanny and James Benson were ascending the elevator to the penthouse when James intoned, “Wow, I guess I love what I saw. She is pretty for my son and if you can convince her to marry my son I will give you the two billion dollars diary contract in California.”Even before now Fanny had been full of contagious smile; the truth was out. Fanny didn’t want to offer his son, Brian as potential husband to the billionaire old daughter who came visiting his office the other day.And the only way he could escape it was by paying up his debt of eight hundred million dollars. And now James Benson had baited him with the two billion dollars contract, he would have to give me to Rod as wife so that he could clench on the contract and pay up his debt.Everything fell on me now. And I wondered how he was going to do it.On another note, James Benson was hiding my pregnancy from Fanny since Fanny had not known of it, it was a plus to him, so he would forever keep it a as secret while Rod fathered the
Salsa had nicknamed Fanny a time bomb that was about to happen. And indeed Fanny was. If not for Salsa, who made that revelation to me, some day Fanny would take me unawares and demand a divorce.I was midway putting my inner chamber in order when a servant approached my door, knocked shortly and said, “Melissa Fanny demands you share the table with him.”With my eyes shut, a wave of irritation swept over me and I wondered if I could keep low and not question his intention of getting Brian an older lady once he woke from a coma.“I will be with him in a jiffy,” I said, and swallowed hard to contemplate the audacity I would use to share a table with him.“If Brian wakes from a coma and Fanny threatens to deprive him of being the heir unless he marries this old lady be rest assured that Brian may divorce you.”Those words of Salsa resounded in my head as I got ready to go to Fanny. “Brian would never do that,” I said to myself, “He can never divorce me,” I said yet again as I shook my h
Shortly after mom had disgraced me, Opula and Kate hissed and walked into the villa. I knew they felt disappointed at my decision. They thought mom would have been the only person who would have convinced me to accept the annulment of my marriage. But my mind for Brian had gone rocky and not even my late father resurrecting from the dead, could convince me.“Pet Melissa and ensure she is well taken care of in her chamber, “Fanny ordered the maidens who had been part of the onlookers.Frankly speaking, I had gone soft in the head, my countenance displayed shame. Salsa and Eva surrounded me and I could hear Eva telling the maidens to disperse. As usual, she had taken my dilemma personally and wished she could save me from my fears.I didn’t expect this to happen; into the night I wailed bitterly and felt dejected. To an extent, Salsa and Eva grew wary of petting me.“Hence forth you cease to be my daughter. If you hear that I am dead tomorrow, please don’t come to my funeral …”Those la
With jerking hands, I wiped my cheeks, daring to comprehend what mom meant by one last decision. Everyone’s face dragged in frown as they stared at mom in one moment of bated breath.“Melissa,” mom called and said, “You are going to accept divorce this minute and join me home or you reject divorce and remain disowned forever,” she said through clenched teeth and impatiently waited for my reply.Opula and Kate shook their heads in approval as if, in a subtle way they would give me a warm handshake for finally agreeing to accept divorce.Fanny dimmed his watery eyes at mom and threatened her with his thunderous face. It was not only he that settled his gaze on my lips waiting for my reply, also Eva, Opula, Kate and Salsa wondered what my reply would sound like.I stood to my feet in one moment of payback. Mom had really bitten more than she could chew; what stopped her from inviting me home so we could figure this out. She shouldn’t have embarrassed me in this way. This was absurd.Thro
She had barely uttered out a word when mom’s voice shrieked at her, “May thunder strike that mouth with which you called me an in-law to a shameless billionaire who does nothing than lure naïve girls into unwanted marriage…”Fanny’s brow had knitted immediately as he surged closer to mom, with folded arms, “What is the problem, mom? Do you realize who you are insulting, huh? You can’t come to my villa and blurt out rubbish. Do I need to remind you that this is my compound and you have no right to insult me?”Mom couldn’t listen to me; my molded arms were still pleading with her but there was no stopping her. She hollered at a disheartening manner, which pulled out Eva and their husbands from where they had been in the villa.I couldn’t withstand this anymore; I lowered my gaze in shame and wailed uneasily like a child.“Even if I am in your toilet I will talk sense into your dumb head. You evil billionaire!” mom cursed, “So it is you that charmed my daughter into a marriage of no retu
A mountain of frown crept into my face as I shot an investigative gaze at Salsa. “What is happening, Salsa? My mom is here?” I asked, stood to my jerking feet and advanced to the window.I could hear voices at the third gate, and it was obvious the security had restricted her from barging in and they were yelling at one another now.“I should be asking you that?” Salsa snapped and shot crimson gaze at me. “How did your mom know that you are here? Did you tell her the last time you visited?” Salsa queried as she joined me at the window.A sudden rain of sweat descended on my body; nervousness enveloped me as my lips shook with anxiety. I stroked my French hair confusedly and paced up and down. I was locked in utter confusion.“I never did,” I replied at a breath, “Why would I reveal my destination to my mom, knowing how furious she would be? After I lied to her that I have reaccepted the divorce, I told her I had relocated to Ohio where I worked as janitor.” I paused as suspicion jumpe
Having waited for Salsa to show up in my chamber, but to no avail, I decided to check her up in the kitchen where I knew she could be found. I needed to appreciate her for saving me from being implicated the other day.Salsa gave me a second chance to stay at the Fanny villa; of course, she had saved my marriage the moment she told a lie about the gift.“Hey, I have come to say thank you for saving my marriage,” I said softly , standing at the door as she got startled under the sound of my voice.“You startled the hell out of me,” Salsa said calmly, her lopsided smile dragging from ear to ear as she turned on the gas cooker, “What are you doing here, Melissa? I hope you know I will be punished drastically if you are found in the kitchen.”I was all smiles too, as I glanced around for any onlookers, “I know family members are restricted from the kitchen. But it is taking you too long to take breakfast in my chamber,” I whispered and glanced around.Salsa seemed to be scared; it was evi