3. Debt

Dawn-

We didn’t talk anymore; I didn’t know what was going on in his head. He seemed psychotic to call me his wife on the first meeting.

He dropped me home without me having to tell him the directions. We didn’t even say goodbye as I considered this to be our first and the last meeting. I went inside my empty house again. It all started just because I wanted that man’s affection who wanted to send me off as quickly as possible. 

I went upstairs, “why are you here?” A drunk, familiar voice echoed from a corner and soon turned into a scream. My eyes went wide as I found my dad here, he came back home without me?

“Dad? When did you come back---” I got cut off as he threw the bottle on the ground.

“Why are you here? Did he reject you?” He yelled at me, for the first time in my life, I could see him get angry at me. 

I walked down toward him. “Did I give you this dress just to flaunt them off to other guys? Why didn’t you use your tactics to lure him in?” He grabbed the collar of my coat, is this why he used to lock himself up in a room while he was drunk? Because he’d end up harming me? 

But that means he doesn’t want to harm me, right? Am I insane to think this way?

My eyes shed tears watching him ruin whatever relationship we have. “Dad, it’s me, Dawn.” I bawl, thinking he doesn’t know it was me, I shut the thoughts of my dad wanting to send me off to an unknown man. 

“Do you even know what was about to happen because of this stupid dress?” A tear found its way out as I tried to put some sense into him. I was slut shamed by that jerk but I shouldn’t be blaming the dress, should I? 

“How dare you raise your voice? You are going to marry that guy; do you get that?” His hand rose up twisting my ear and I realized that I don’t have the luxury to choose from.

I don’t have a choice. He is indeed forcing me.

“Mr. Mccoy, I’ll make her understand, leave that to me.” Another familiar voice but comparatively soothing.

“Ivy, take this girl away before I do something atrocious.” Dad glared at him, my face paled at my father’s words and Ivy grabbed my hand taking me away.

Ivy was my dad’s right hand; he was the actual person ruling our mafia. 

With my father constantly inebriated, someone had to oversee our business, and that responsibility fell on Ivy. Despite being just a year older than me, he possessed a maturity beyond his years. We’ve been friends since childhood so we know each other’s weaknesses pretty well. 

“Let him be, come here.” He held me in a tight embrace as we made our way to my room. Tears streamed down my face, and he tenderly wiped them away. Despite being part of the ruthless mafia, known for his merciless killings, he treated me with utmost care, like a kid. 

If he weren’t bound to this dangerous world, I would’ve dated him long ago. Although he had never explicitly proposed, his actions spoke volumes about his affection for me.

“Ivy… I don’t want to marry him.” I cried again, what century are we living in? 

Why am I still being forced to marry a man I don’t want to? “You know how hard it is to convince Mr. Mccoy.” He stroked my back with his hands. He didn’t go to the party because my father was afraid people would think of us as a couple. 

The amount of time we’ve spent together has reduced the sense of embarrassment and privacy between us. “You’re saying I have to marry that mafia?” I gasp in fear moving away. 

“That’s what you guys are, fucking heartless. Will you send your daughter off to marry a groundless jerk?” I yell wiping my tears. 

Kai Eldorado is everything but a groundless jerk, I’ve heard about him a lot, in news, in papers, in magazines and even in our house.

My father really boasted how good of a man is, little did I know he was trying to give me a picture of a man who didn’t exist, because Kai Eldorado… he is not good.

“Dawn, I don’t have a daughter…” His unbothered chuckle, in attempt to cool the environment with his filthy joke made me sigh and I sat next to him.

“Ivy, I'm going to Paris, I’ll live there and forget that a world even here exists… Ivy---Ivy?” I was serious about how badly I want to escape this marriage while Ivy wasn’t even looking at me.

“Are you even listening?” I yell smacking his shoulder and he came back with a troubled groan.

“Yes, it just takes me a while to process so much stupid all at once.” Is he kidding me? Why am I even trying to explain things to him? I snort in frustration giving up quickly. 

“Dawn, it’s going to be over, you don’t have to marry that man, I won’t let it happen, trust me.” His words were all I needed, I squealed with joy and hugged him tightly, I forget it every time that he feels something for me and ends up in big trouble. He hugged me back even tighter.

“Uh! Ivy you’re pressing my boobs hard, they’re hurting” I shrugged and he broke apart in panic, stealing gazes from me.

It is fun to watch him blush over small things, a guy same as Ivy but excluding this mafia world, that’s the kind of a man I want. I smiled and thumped myself on the bed; I could swear I felt my breasts jingle. 

“Dawn how about you start acting your age now.” Ivy coughed hard in panic, and his cheeks turned red, was he blushing?

He was blushing!

“I don’t know how to act my age, I’ve never been this age before.” I smiled mocking him and he got up in a hurry to leave. 

At least, he lifted my mood from the mess I was in. “Every cloud has a silver lining, don’t worry, it’s gonna be fine.” He reassured me, bringing a sense of calmness to my troubled mind.

I went to change my clothes to wear a loose t-shirt, and my eyes landed on his coat.

Does it hurt?

That hoarse voice, arrogant face, self-centered, egoistic bastard, his voice hindered my peace and I felt hot as if my body was burning up with weird sensations. 

“Fuck you, Dawn…” I snapped myself out of it, what’s happening to me? Why would I think of him like he’s a messiah?

He is a groundless jerk with IQ zero, don’t ever forget that.

I snap myself back into reality and slap my own face, I threw his coat in the washing machine and before I could do any evil to it, my phone chimed.

UNKNOWN: It’s me, Kai. I left an important paper in the inner pocket of my blazer.

ME: Good for you!

I replied with an evil grin on my face.

UNKNOWN: I’m coming to take it, just notified you beforehand.

He is… what?

ME: Don’t come.

I panicked and wrote whatever my dumb mind could think of.

UNKNOWN: ???

ME: Because I’m asleep.

I'm currently on hating mode and I hate this man, and I'm sure I'm going to hate him for an eternity. I kept on waiting for his reply but he never did and a sense of displeasure starts to seep in, adding to my already turbulent emotions.

My phone chimed once again and my heart skipped a beat but the moment I read it, I found myself cringing at his text. This audacity of his is something I loathe…

UNKNOWN: G****e some jokes if you want to be funny.

My humor is thousand times higher than his IQ…

No!

His IQ is zero that would mean---

Why would he do that? Why am I getting so worked up over nothing? 

I again kept on looking at my phone’s screen anxiously awaiting his response. Amidst my restlessness, the sound of a doorbell echoed through the house. I rushed downstairs, my heart pounding with anticipation and swung the door open as if I had been desperately waiting for him.

There he was, standing in his white shirt, his hands in pocket as if he is a king of some sort, I hate his nerves, the way they crawl under my skin, his one gaze is enough to make me lose my mind.

He eyed my unabridged body with his filthy gaze and I followed him, looking at my bare legs, I covered them with my hands in panic. Like seriously, Dawn? Is this something to forget about? 

I pulled my t-shirt down as much as I could realizing I had nothing beneath it nor did I wear any shorts, as embarrassing as it could get. I know he’s thinking I'm provoking him again.

“Listen, I'm not provoking you, I just forgot-” He interrupted as I failed an attempt in proving my innocence.

“Where is it?” He sighed placing his hands at the back and started walking around to look at my house. 

“It’s up there in my washing machine---” I replied swiftly when both of our eyes went wide in shock at my words.  

“It’s…” He paused, his eyes blinking in disbelief. “It’s… where?” He hissed and I shut my eyes in mortification, I really should start acting my age.

He was ineptly staring daggers at me with his gaze leaving traces of awkwardness on my skin, my kind heart quaked horrendously because the important document is now, gone…