Marrying the devil

Nina's POV

"Why is she the solution? Is she getting sold or something?" Sandra chuckled in amusement "You must have misheard Father. I had cried for nothing" she dismissed and continued pressing her phone. 

"Are you happy about your father's bankruptcy? You are not even bothered by everything I say" my aunt complained about her daughter's negligence. 

"It's not my fault. I just feel there is an untold story Father is trying to reveal to you. He went bankrupt yesterday till this morning and now this thing is the solution?" She pointed to me. "You even mentioned my father working with Arthur King. It's too unbelievable for me until I meet Dad. I will be taking his credit card with me to know if it's truly suspended" Sandra fumed. 

I whimper internally as they continue to argue. Everything just seemed blank to me and I had a gut feeling that something big was about to happen. What I just can't imply is if it's good or bad. 

"You don't believe it, right? Let me stylishly ask for her permission then. Go to my room and bring my phone. It's on the lampstand" Aunt yelled unnecessarily, without sparing a glance at me "Wake Drake on your way. He mentioned visiting his girlfriend this morning" she recalled. 

I nodded obediently and rushed over the staircase towards her room almost falling. Immediately I was about to open the door, Drake pulled me back and pushed me to the door while pinning my hands over my head. 

"What are you trying to do..!" I tried to scream but he slammed his hand over my mouth causing my words to sound muffled and low. 

"That friend of mine I told you he made a bet of having sex with you to win has contacted me again. Are you trying to form hard to get when you know your hole is as wide as my mouth?" he grunted. "Do you know how many shares I will be getting? Fucking make things easier for me and stop acting like your dead parents never fucked to give birth to you! Fucking cunt" He put the pressure of his hand on my lips making me whimper in pain "I will be back to take you there tomorrow" he spat on my face and walked away. 

I slide down through the door and wipe the sticky liquid from my face. I cried in silence for a few seconds before my senses recalled I was sent on an errand. 

I quickly locked the door and hurried into the living room to meet mother and daughter in happy mode. "With that body of yours…I bet he can't take his eyes off you" my aunt flattened her daughter who couldn't stop smiling. 

"This is the phone" I pointed it to her. 

"Here she comes polluting the mood" Aunt frowns and roughly jerks the phone from me. 

I was chanting internal prayers in incantation as I waited for my aunt's husband to pick up the call. Just a few seconds later, he picked up and the first thing he said was, "I hope Nina didn't leave the house. I am on my way home now." 

"You can't even greet me or ask about how I have been after the news? You are concerned about Nina!" Aunt lamented causing Sandra to look at me. 

No one is as confused and sad as I am because, at the same time, this confirms that I wouldn't be able to meet my Gabriel. I crawled to my room in pain as realization sucked me up. I went to sit at the front of my laptop to check if he was online and thankfully, he was. Did I forget to mention that my room is a tiny store downstairs here which makes it difficult for my relatives to be suspicious of my recent night calls? I felt a pang of distress overwhelm me when I tried to message him. 

Immediately I texted how sorry I am for disappointing our meetup, and he called me. His baritone, soothing, and manly voice made everything fall into place as I lay down on my bed. He praised me for being so patient and sweetly wished me a happy birthday. After a long conversation of encouragement and making each other feel at ease, we decided to fix another day for our meetup which is the next seven days, on the twentieth of this month. I found myself falling asleep with a smile on my face after making the call. 

I woke up from the persistent banging of the door. "What the hell ….hell" I whispered and gasped to see that we were in the evening already. I had not eaten anything today. I sluggishly hauled myself out of the bed to open the door. It was unusual for my aunt to wait for me to open the door when it was not even thoroughly locked. I was used to her bagging into my room. 

Immediately I opened the door, Aunt dashed in and started searching everywhere and scattering my properties. My brows scrunched in confusion as I used my hand to wipe my blurry eyes. "What are you looking for, Aunt?"

"I am looking for my husband's Rolex watch gifted to him by Arthur King. Just know you are leaving my house if I should find it here" She grunted and continued to aggressively search my luggage. 

I scoffed in disgust. Does she have to mention who gifted him the gift? 

All of a sudden, a watch I had never seen or touched fell from my clothes. My heartbeat became unsteady as realization dawned on me. I was framed. 

I watched my aunt with a held breath as she slowly turned to me "I said it! I knew this morning when I sent you to bring my phone must have been the time you stole it. Why? Must you show how much of an ungrateful person you are?! You disgusting witch" She cried out, pulled my hair, and wandered towards the living room to meet her husband and her two children. 

I was pushed on the ground and a wince escaped from my lips when my skin made contact with the cold tiles. My body aches badly and my eyes sting painfully. "I did not steal the watch. Believe me, Aunt. You need to interrogate this carefully. I was framed" I whimpered and tightened my grip on my lap. 

I was beyond exhausted. 

"Are you crazy? Who could have stooped so low to frame you?" Aunt hit me on the face and her husband hurried to drag her away from me. 

"Let me teach this bastard a lesson! Thief!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"You are supposed to be the one to trust me among everyone sitting here, aunt. You should know I can't and won't do this" I defended myself and cried helplessly "I am your brother's daughter. You can't do this to me" I wailed. 

"My brother?! You and your dead father are both shameful. Aren't you concerned about why no one wanted to take you in? It's mainly because the rest of us sacrificed our education for him to pursue his dream career, but what did he do when he got the money? He concentrated on lavishing his Wife and daughter while he neglected and maltreated us! I guess he never told you that!" she roared while I trembled backward in anxiety. 

"It's ok, Dear" Her husband pulled her to himself and then faced me. 

"Just like your mother said…you will not be able to stay with us anymore because we cannot continue to tolerate your behaviors. So…we have arranged your marriage with someone. It's an opportunity for you to experience and start a new beginning without bothering others. Nevertheless, it will be on the twentieth of this month" He emphasized, but he just doesn't seem to make sense to me. 

I averted my gaze to Sandra and Drake who had a stony and unhappy face. Normally, in this type of situation where I am at the center of being emotionally abused, they usually donate to it. Their silence means their parents are not making any sense to them either. 

I faced my aunt and her husband with trembling lips but blank faces as I got overwhelmed by conflicted emotions. "I don't understand you ma," I managed to breathe. 

"You are getting married on the twentieth of this month. I wish you would have taken this instance because your presence disgust me" Aunt muttered with her face scrunched in irritation. 

"Who am I getting…ing marr..ied to? Why am I suddenly getting married and why so soon?" I choked on my words as I found it hard to breathe. My unstable pulse was not making matters easy either. 

"You are getting married to the man who gifted my husband the watch you stole. I guess you can recall now," Aunt smirked devilishly. 

Arthur King!