CHAPTER ONE
Keisha's Pov
LIFE OF KEISHA
“You’ve put on so much weight,” George, my fiancé said to me, an irritated look on his face and I immediately turned to the mirror beside me, staring at it with a sad smile.
“I know,” I sighed painfully. “I’m trying everything I can to lose weight but it’s not working,”
Things were not always like this. Just about a year ago, I was the perfect girlfriend for George. Happy, vibrant, and fulfilled. Not until I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance called PCOS. It was an ovarian syndrome that causes fertility issues and one of the side effects was weight gain and difficulty in losing it.
It made me have extreme cravings and gain weight uncontrollably.
I knew it was my hormonal imbalance working but I felt guilty for eating food. Sometimes, I would go to the bathroom and stuff my hand into my mouth so I could vomit everything I’d eaten. I tried diets and workouts but none of it was working.
George’s treatment towards me changed immediately I added weight. He called me all sorts of names and would always make reference to it. He even postponed our wedding because all of a sudden, he was not ready. I know it’s because of the weight and it hurts.
It hurts to know that the person you love with all your heart would switch on you because of a challenge you’re facing. It’s not like I wanted this to happen or I wasn’t doing anything about it. I was trying everything I could but nothing was working.
I was so frustrated and angry.
“At this rate, you won’t be able to fit through the door,” he sneered, standing up from the bed with a look of irritation on his face.
“Where are you going? Remember you promised me a date tonight,” I reminded him.
“I’m not in the mood,” he said and walked out of the room. My mouth curved in a sad smile and tears slowly streamed down my eyes and I let out a deep breath, trying to control my emotions but it wasn’t working.
I wiped the round of tears that had gathered in my eyes. A few months ago, George would always take me on dates, buy me flowers, and whisper sweet words into my ears while I giggle like a teenager who is falling in love for the first time.
He worshipped the ground I walked on and always let me know how much he could not wait to spend the rest of his life with me. He even proposed after thirteen months of dating and now, here I am, begging him to take me on one date, for the past three months.
It was as if he felt ashamed of me, and would always move away when we were in public.
It breaks my heart to see this, and all I can do is look in the mirror and cry. I hate myself and even though it wasn’t my fault, I still hate myself.
I had nobody to cry to, I was just an orphan girl, whose parents had died in a car crash, and was left with only one sibling, my younger brother, Ace. I Love him more than anything in the world. Well, There’s also my best friend, Tami.
I consider her family because she has always stood by me both in good times and in bad.
I wiped my tears and picked up my bag. I was heading straight to work so I wouldn’t be late and get any query from the manager.
I work at a fast food eatery as a waitress and also combine it with serving drinks at the diner at night to make some money to fend for myself and my brother.
I got there five minutes late and saw the owner of the restaurant, talking to the manager and I greeted them.
I immediately went to the restroom to change into my work outfit and stood in front of the mirror, staring at my protruding belly and I sighed.
I put on my clothes and only then did I notice they had become tight and I’ll have to request for a new one soon.
I heard the door open and the manager walked in and told me to hurry up and start serving customers.
There were a lot of customers today, and I began to serve them one after the other. The next customers came in, and they were a set of teenagers.
“Hey you, I’d like French fries and a meat burger. Add some hot coffee too,” one of them said rudely.
I managed to force a smile and attend to him. Teenagers are so rude these days, but it was part of my job to still smile and be nice. I took the order of the rest and left immediately.
After a few minutes, I returned with their order.
“I ordered a chicken meat burger, not a beef burger! And the tea is warm! Can you not do anything right you slob!” he yelled at the top of his voice.
I clenched my fist as my eyes reddened in anger, but I struggled to control myself.
I’m bigger than this. I would simply take the order away and have someone else bring it back to them.
“Sorry about that, I’ll change your order,” I forced a smile and began to pack the burger and coffee, as his little friends giggled, and it probably urged him to continue because just as I was leaving, I felt my foot hit something and I came crashing like a pack of cards on the floor, the content in the tray I was holding flew to different corners.
I turned back and saw the boy’s foot, a little smirk on his face as he laughed with his friends. I knew he did it on purpose.
That’s it! I couldn’t take it in anymore!
“You brats!” I stood up and pointed at them. “What is your problem? Were you not taught respect?” I asked, grabbing the boy’s collar gently as my entire face creased in a tight frown.
“Hey, you! Let my son go!” I heard a woman yell from behind and she pulled me away from her son.
I turned to face her and gave her an explanation of what was going on.
“Ma’am, your son….”
Splash! Splash!
The lady splashed the hot coffee she was holding in my face.
CHAPTER TWOTHE BETRAYALI was seated in the manager’s office, my cheeks swollen and red from the effect of the hot coffee.The boy and his mother were also seated as we listened to the Manager speak.“I’m so sorry, Madam. Keisha can be quite rude but I can assure you she’ll be disciplined,”My mouth flew open in shock. Did the manager not hear all the explanations I just gave?“You must absolutely discipline her but before then, she must apologize to me and my son,” the woman scoffed, folding her arms.I couldn’t believe what was happening. This boy was rude to me and made me fall, his mother poured hot coffee on me, yet I had to apologize. I was hoping the manager would at least be sensible and dismiss her but her next sentence shocked me.“What are you waiting for Keisha? Apologize!”“No way! I was wronged and harassed, they should apologize to me,” “Customer is king! We taught you that in your training, right? Now apologize!” The manager yelled, her face curved in anger as her v
CHAPTER THREEA NEW IDENTITY I slowly opened my eyes as I held my head in pain. The lights in the room blurred my vision and I squinted my eyes. I managed to open them again and saw that I was laying on a bed in an empty room. It was obvious it was a hospital.I sat up, wondering why there were drips and wires connected to my body. The door suddenly opened and a nurse walked in.“You’re awake!” She gasped in shock and then smiled.I couldn’t remember anything at the moment and I wondered what was going on and how I got here.The nurse explained to me that I have been in a coma for three years and I was shocked to hear that. I suddenly remembered George and how he conspired to push me down the cliff.My face creased in a frown, a flow of blood rushed through my veins in anger. They were such wicked people and I would make sure I dealt with them. For now, I need to focus on myself.“So who has been paying my bills?” I asked curiously, still confused about the whole situation.“Doctor
CHAPTER FOURFUELED BY REVENGEPerhaps, I didn’t hear properly. Maybe it is the effect of just waking up from a coma because did I just hear this man ask me to be his contract wife?“The board wants a responsible young man to take over as CEO of the hospital; someone without a baby mama or scandals. I want to focus on being part of the finances of this hospital,”I blinked, still trying to process this information. Waking up from a coma and getting married isn’t something I envisioned, but I really felt indebted to this man.“It’s just going to be for three years. It’s a loveless marriage and as a bonus, I’ll help you manage your weight loss and grant you any desire within my power. After the contract expires, you’re free to leave,”I thought about it. I need to revenge against the people that tried to kill and for that, I’ll need power and protection.I clenched my fist. After having a near-death experience, nothing scares me anymore. All that matters right now is getting revenge and
CHAPTER 5The revenge plan.That evening, I visited a mineral shop and sold a quarter of the gold, which I deposited into my new bank account because I planned on using a check.I also went to a boutique and got myself some dresses and shoes. I was going there as a potential investor and client. I had to look the part.I decided that I'd sleep in the house that night. I wanted to feel my family’s presence, to know that I wasn’t alone. All night long my thoughts were haunted by the past, knowing that I'd see George and Tami again, the two people that tried to have me killed filled me with the worst possible anger and dread. I imagined going up there with a gun and shooting them both in the heads, but I knew that I'd be arrested immediately, I would gain nothing and I might never see my brother again. These thoughts calmed me down, and I decided to proceed carefully. Everything depended on me sticking to the scripts, I won’t fuck it up.The next day.I stood outside the sleek glass buil
Chapter SixGabriella's POVAs I stood in the parking lot of the luxurious restaurant, I adjusted the hem of my silver dress. I took a deep breath and paused to gaze at myself in the car mirror. I looked stunning, way too stunning to spend dinner with George.I mentally scoffed. I had been dreading this dinner with George all day, but I knew I had to keep up the charade.As I walked in, George stood up from his seat, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Gabriella, you look stunning," he said, his eyes roaming over my body and finally settling on my waist.I forced a smile and took a seat across from him, trying to ignore the wave of disgust that washed over me. The more time I spent with George, the more my resentment grew. I had no choice but to hide my true feelings if I wanted to carry out my revenge plan.The conversation started off awkward at first. George refused to take his eyes off me for once. That was more reason to prove that he and Tami's relationship was not a
Chapter Seven- Family SecretGabriella's POVSon? Gold digger? Those two words rang loudly in my ears. I took a few steps backward, staggered by the shock. I tried to put two and two together, but everything still felt confusing. I mean, of course, she was definitely Lucian's mother, just judging by her appearance, they looked so much alike. What I really wondered was what she was doing here and why she had tagged me as a gold digger.I managed to step fully into the living room, clutching my bag tight, my eyes never left Lucian's mother for once. His mother eyed me with so much disdain and disgust, that I felt like a complete fool in her eyes, and just as she seemed like she was about to bark another insult at me, Lucian appeared out of nowhere, a charming smile plastered on his face."Gabriella, you are home so soon. I thought you said you had a business dinner?" He raised a brow at me.I gulped a lump down my throat and waved that off immediately. "It has already ended," I said wit
Chapter Seven- Family SecretGabriella's POVSon? Gold digger? Those two words rang loudly in my ears. I took a few steps backward, staggered by the shock. I tried to put two and two together, but everything still felt confusing. I mean, of course, she was definitely Lucian's mother, just judging by her appearance, they looked so much alike. What I really wondered was what she was doing here and why she had tagged me as a gold digger.I managed to step fully into the living room, clutching my bag tight, my eyes never left Lucian's mother for once. His mother eyed me with so much disdain and disgust, that I felt like a complete fool in her eyes, and just as she seemed like she was about to bark another insult at me, Lucian appeared out of nowhere, a charming smile plastered on his face."Gabriella, you are home so soon. I thought you said you had a business dinner?" He raised a brow at me.I gulped a lump down my throat and waved that off immediately. "It has already ended," I said wit
Chapter SixGabriella's POVAs I stood in the parking lot of the luxurious restaurant, I adjusted the hem of my silver dress. I took a deep breath and paused to gaze at myself in the car mirror. I looked stunning, way too stunning to spend dinner with George.I mentally scoffed. I had been dreading this dinner with George all day, but I knew I had to keep up the charade.As I walked in, George stood up from his seat, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Gabriella, you look stunning," he said, his eyes roaming over my body and finally settling on my waist.I forced a smile and took a seat across from him, trying to ignore the wave of disgust that washed over me. The more time I spent with George, the more my resentment grew. I had no choice but to hide my true feelings if I wanted to carry out my revenge plan.The conversation started off awkward at first. George refused to take his eyes off me for once. That was more reason to prove that he and Tami's relationship was not a
CHAPTER 5The revenge plan.That evening, I visited a mineral shop and sold a quarter of the gold, which I deposited into my new bank account because I planned on using a check.I also went to a boutique and got myself some dresses and shoes. I was going there as a potential investor and client. I had to look the part.I decided that I'd sleep in the house that night. I wanted to feel my family’s presence, to know that I wasn’t alone. All night long my thoughts were haunted by the past, knowing that I'd see George and Tami again, the two people that tried to have me killed filled me with the worst possible anger and dread. I imagined going up there with a gun and shooting them both in the heads, but I knew that I'd be arrested immediately, I would gain nothing and I might never see my brother again. These thoughts calmed me down, and I decided to proceed carefully. Everything depended on me sticking to the scripts, I won’t fuck it up.The next day.I stood outside the sleek glass buil
CHAPTER FOURFUELED BY REVENGEPerhaps, I didn’t hear properly. Maybe it is the effect of just waking up from a coma because did I just hear this man ask me to be his contract wife?“The board wants a responsible young man to take over as CEO of the hospital; someone without a baby mama or scandals. I want to focus on being part of the finances of this hospital,”I blinked, still trying to process this information. Waking up from a coma and getting married isn’t something I envisioned, but I really felt indebted to this man.“It’s just going to be for three years. It’s a loveless marriage and as a bonus, I’ll help you manage your weight loss and grant you any desire within my power. After the contract expires, you’re free to leave,”I thought about it. I need to revenge against the people that tried to kill and for that, I’ll need power and protection.I clenched my fist. After having a near-death experience, nothing scares me anymore. All that matters right now is getting revenge and
CHAPTER THREEA NEW IDENTITY I slowly opened my eyes as I held my head in pain. The lights in the room blurred my vision and I squinted my eyes. I managed to open them again and saw that I was laying on a bed in an empty room. It was obvious it was a hospital.I sat up, wondering why there were drips and wires connected to my body. The door suddenly opened and a nurse walked in.“You’re awake!” She gasped in shock and then smiled.I couldn’t remember anything at the moment and I wondered what was going on and how I got here.The nurse explained to me that I have been in a coma for three years and I was shocked to hear that. I suddenly remembered George and how he conspired to push me down the cliff.My face creased in a frown, a flow of blood rushed through my veins in anger. They were such wicked people and I would make sure I dealt with them. For now, I need to focus on myself.“So who has been paying my bills?” I asked curiously, still confused about the whole situation.“Doctor
CHAPTER TWOTHE BETRAYALI was seated in the manager’s office, my cheeks swollen and red from the effect of the hot coffee.The boy and his mother were also seated as we listened to the Manager speak.“I’m so sorry, Madam. Keisha can be quite rude but I can assure you she’ll be disciplined,”My mouth flew open in shock. Did the manager not hear all the explanations I just gave?“You must absolutely discipline her but before then, she must apologize to me and my son,” the woman scoffed, folding her arms.I couldn’t believe what was happening. This boy was rude to me and made me fall, his mother poured hot coffee on me, yet I had to apologize. I was hoping the manager would at least be sensible and dismiss her but her next sentence shocked me.“What are you waiting for Keisha? Apologize!”“No way! I was wronged and harassed, they should apologize to me,” “Customer is king! We taught you that in your training, right? Now apologize!” The manager yelled, her face curved in anger as her v
CHAPTER ONEKeisha's PovLIFE OF KEISHA “You’ve put on so much weight,” George, my fiancé said to me, an irritated look on his face and I immediately turned to the mirror beside me, staring at it with a sad smile.“I know,” I sighed painfully. “I’m trying everything I can to lose weight but it’s not working,”Things were not always like this. Just about a year ago, I was the perfect girlfriend for George. Happy, vibrant, and fulfilled. Not until I was diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance called PCOS. It was an ovarian syndrome that causes fertility issues and one of the side effects was weight gain and difficulty in losing it. It made me have extreme cravings and gain weight uncontrollably.I knew it was my hormonal imbalance working but I felt guilty for eating food. Sometimes, I would go to the bathroom and stuff my hand into my mouth so I could vomit everything I’d eaten. I tried diets and workouts but none of it was working.George’s treatment towards me changed immediately I add