CHARLOTTE'S POV
I opened my eyes slowly as I tried to process my surroundings. Am I in heaven already? I looked around and realized that I was in a hospital, with an IV drip connected to my veins. So… I didn't die? I tried to sit up but the pain in my chest prevented me from moving so I laid back down. Why am I in a hospital? I thought I ascended… I kicked my feet in frustration, wincing at the pain it brought me when the door was pushed open. A man walked in and he looked surprised to see me awake. “You're awake? How do you feel?” He asked as he sat next to me, with guilt and worry written all over his face. I suppose he was the one who hit me with his car. “It was you who hit me right?” I asked slowly, my brain still feeling foggy. Probably the effect of the drip. He nodded slowly and opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it. “Then why didn't you leave me to die? You should have driven away and left me behind. Why did you save me!?” I yelled at him as I sat up, ignoring the pain as I hoped it would kill me instead. He was shocked and confused at my outburst and it only irritated me more. I know I shouldn't let out my anger on a stranger who tried to save my life but I couldn't control it. I was hurting badly. “You should have just left me to die! You ruined everything! I should be in that ocean right now drowning. But you just had to ruin everything! I didn't need your help! I didn't need your saving! Why didn't you just drive away? WHY!?” I yelled louder, my chest hurting from every syllable that came out of my mouth. Tears kept flowing freely from my eyes and he just stared at me, dumbfounded. After a moment of silence, he spoke, his eyes staring at me coldly. It scared me because a minute ago, he was looking so vulnerable and scared. “Is this how you appreciate someone who helps you? You were the one who crossed the road recklessly, and now you're blaming me for saving you? It was so stupid of me to be worried about you. You can decide to die after you leave here as long as it has nothing to do with me! How ungrateful!” He said and walked out of the room angrily, slamming the door hard to prove how angry he was. I stared at the door after he left and burst into tears. I didn't mean to be rude, I just wanted to die. A nurse walked in and she gave me a look of pity and sympathy which absolutely confused me. She came to my side with a tray of injections and medicines and I felt the urge to kick her out of the room. “You must have gone through hell.” She started and I looked at her in confusion. She noticed my confusion and sighed as she sat beside me. “Your husband beats you up, doesn't he? He seems like the violent type and the marks on your body confirm everything. He must have beaten you up so much and then brought you here to be treated. Such cruelty.” I wanted to laugh at her wrong judgment but I was too weak to say anything. Her assumptions were so out of line, it amused me but I stayed silent and let her do her work so she could leave quickly. She talked a lot and I had to lay down and cover my ears before she got the message and finally left. I stared at the white ceiling above me as I thought of what to do. The thought of suicide had completely evaded my mind because this felt like a second chance to live. My eyes slowly drifted close as I prayed to the heavens to help me out. I heard the door open but I was already falling unconscious so I didn't know who came in. When I woke up, it was getting dark. I immediately got up, ignoring the pain all over my body, and made my way outside. A nurse immediately stopped me but I pushed past her and walked to the reception. “Can I please be discharged? I need to go home right now.” I begged, but the nurse didn't agree with me. “You need to rest more ma'am, we can't discharge you until you're fully recovered.” “But I am fully recovered! Look at me, I can walk well and I don't feel any pain.” The crazy throbbing in my head and chest protested and I tried to keep a straight face. She tried to argue with me and I knew I had to use the stranger that brought me here earlier. “Listen… If I don't go home now to cook for my husband, he'll beat me up again and you wouldn't want that to happen to me right? I'm sure he's sorted out the bills. So please, if you really care about my health, let me go.” I looked at her with pleading eyes, my hands clasped together and she finally agreed. I was asked to sign a dischargement form and I was given some drugs before I was allowed to go home. I thanked the nurses continuously as I left the hospital and walked home. The pain in my chest increased at every step I took but I kept going until I finally arrived home. When I got in, I stopped in my tracks as I took a look at my house. It had been turned upside down and so many things had been broken. This was definitely Mr Sam's doing. I locked the door and lay down on the bed as I burst into tears, the pain and agony washing over me like a flood. My body shook with emotions as I cried my heart out. I had no idea when I fell asleep but all of a sudden, it was morning and I woke up to a banging on the door. My heart immediately rose to my throat as I tried to run out through the back door. My heart dropped when I saw two men waiting for me at the back. I stumbled back inside as the front door was pushed open and Mr Sam walked in with a dubious smirk on his face. “Is my pretty face going somewhere? Or are you trying to run away from me? But I've missed you so so much.” He walked closer to me but I moved away from him, frantically looking around for anything to use for defense. I tried to make it to the door, but one of the huge men grabbed me and threw me on the bed and I yelped in pain. I refused to cry, I would not give him the pleasure of seeing me in pain. He walked over to the bed and pulled my hair hard and as I tried to pull it out of his grip, he gripped it harder. I knew what he wanted, he liked to see me broken and begging for my life. When I didn't budge, he got very angry and smacked my face very hard causing me to spit out blood. “You're trying to be strong now, aren't you? Let's see how long you can hold.” He raised his hand and was about to hit me again when someone pushed the door open and everyone immediately turned to look at who walked in. “What's happening here?”OWEN'S POVToday has been a very strenuous day. I collapsed on my office chair as I thought about all that had happened today. My father's crazy insistence on me getting married, arranging girls for me to pick a wife from, and then I hit someone who yelled at me for saving her. Should I have just left her there to die? Doesn't that mean I'll go to prison?I rubbed my face, fatigue and stress beginning to get the better part of me. I still have a lot of work to do and I suddenly don't know where to start. Caleb walked in and my eyes immediately lit up at the sight of a bottle in his hand.“What happened? Why did you sound so scared and frantic on the phone earlier?” He placed the bottle in front of me and sat down, worry etched into his features.I sighed and grabbed a glass under my table as I explained all that happened to him. He stared at me in disbelief, with his mouth wide open. I laughed and poured myself a glass of whiskey, gulping it down in an instant and relishing the sat
CHARLOTTE'S POVI stared at the man who walked in in shock. How did he find me? And why was he here? Mr Sam is going to hurt him!He looked at me with a shocked expression and I shook my head at him as I tried to tell him to leave. Mr Sam got up and walked to him and I panicked. I can't endanger a stranger that saved my life.I got up and held Mr Sam's hand, stopping him from moving forward. “He doesn't know anything about this. Please let him go. He has nothing to do with me at all. He's probably in the wrong house. You can do whatever you want to me just- just let him leave first. Please.”I pleaded with him and a smirk formed on his face as he yanked my hands away from his and pulled my hair tightly.“Let her go! Why are you doing this? What has she done to you?” The stranger asked and tried to come closer and I knew I had to do something.“NO! Go away! Just leave and never come back! You were never welcome here anyway. This is all your fault! If you had left me to die yesterday,
OWEN'S POV“I have a condition.” She looked at me with hope in her eyes and I thought about this again. Would this be a good idea?"How much is the money?" I enquired, wanting to know what I was getting myself into. She looked at her fingers as she played with them, she's probably nervous."A hundred thousand dollars." She whispered and I stared at her in shock. That's what she was getting abused for?"Just that?" I asked to be sure and she nodded slowly. That's a small amount compared to the trauma she's going through.I could help her with her loans, I'm rich enough to pay off the loans in the United States. She'll have to be my wife.Marrying her will benefit me a lot, I just need to pay off her debt, and then she gets married to me for three months and the inheritance is mine. She won't have any additional deal or request to make so this will all fall in my favor.“I'll pay off all of your debts if you decide to marry me.” She gaped at me in disbelief and I felt offended. I'm a to
CHARLOTTE'S POV I stared out the window, taking a deep breath in as I braced myself for the impending outburst and I flinched when I heard her yell.“WHAT!?” Roselia yelled, her hands on her waist as she paced around the room, trying to comprehend all I had just told her. “What do you mean you're getting married? And it's a contract marriage at that? What were you thinking!?” I sighed and tried to calm her down but she wasn't having any of it. My chest began to hurt and as I grimaced in pain, she finally noticed and calmed down as she helped me lay down.“You should let me explain myself, Rosie.” I held her hand and she looked at me with worry and concern. “Yesterday, I wanted to end my life, but it seemed like this man was sent by the heavens to save my life.”“Micheal betrayed me, Rose. He cheated on me. He said she was better than me in every way. My life fell apart and when I thought it was over, this man appeared like an angel sent from God. He hit me by accident and brought me
OWEN'S POVShe looked worried, but I didn't know if she was worried about me or worried about the fact that I might cancel the contract. That's never gonna happen. I slipped my hand inside my pocket and brought out a ring case and her eyes lit up.“There was something about her that didn't sit well with me.” She looked confused and I almost laughed. “The question you asked me, why I proposed the contract to you when I already had someone.” Her mouth formed into an ‘O’ and she nodded like she understood me. I knew she didn't because she was still playing with her fingers nervously. “So…” She started with a small voice. “Is there something about me that sits well with you?” Her question caught me off guard and I found myself thinking about it as well. What made me propose the contract to her anyway? “I don't know… I guess it was because you needed my help? And you don't look like a gold digger so… that's probably why.” She nodded again, this time it looked like she finally understo
CHARLOTTE'S POV Days had passed since Owen placed a ring on my finger and I hadn't seen him since then, which is understandable because he's a workaholic. I watched as Rose helped me pack my things and I glanced around the hospital room. I had actually gotten used to these white walls and I knew I was gonna miss the outside view from here.I sighed as I thought about the past events that led me here. And I still found it hard to believe that I was indeed free and married to a freaking billionaire. I thought of Micheal and though my heart clenched in pain from how much he hurt me, I felt grateful that he did. If he hadn't, I don't think I'd have met Owen. I looked at my phone and it was already past 12. Owen said he'd be here early this morning but he still wasn't here yet. I wondered if he was working and had forgotten about me. I scoffed at the thought and was just about to start complaining when the door opened and he walked in.“Took you long enough.” I murmured loud enough for h
OWEN'S POVI stared at Catherine in shock as my grip on Charlotte's hand tightened and I could feel her burning eyes on me. Why was she here?“Mother? Why is she-” I was interrupted by my father's loud squeal as he rushed to the doorstep, pushing past Mom and Catherine. Are men allowed to make such noises? I was still confused about what was happening but at the same time relieved that my father stepped in.“You must be Charlotte, you're so beautiful.” He said as he held her other hand in his since I refused to let go of her hand. He was beaming with joy and I felt bad for not doing this earlier. He smiled at me and it made me happy to see him smile because of something I did after a very long time. “Come on in! We've been waiting and preparing for your arrival. Come. Beatrice! Get the table ready!” He extended his arm to her and even though she looked overwhelmed, she locked arms with my father and walked inside with him, as Rose followed her in.“Mom? What just happened? How could
CHARLOTTE'S POVShe's here again. Right from the moment she smiled at me at the doorstep, I envied her. She looked so beautiful and had the most beautiful smile ever. How can a human be so perfect? I felt so negligible beside her. It looked like she and Owen had known each other for a while now. Should I be jealous? No. Am I jealous? Hell no! I watched as she sat on the bed beside him and I was tempted to leave the room for them.But then I remembered, this rich irresponsible workaholic is now my husband and so, I have a right to be here, isn't that right? I took a seat on the couch and raised the book to my face so I could listen in on their conversations.“Surprised to see me again Owen?” She started and I moved the book down a bit to see Owen's reaction. He stood up as he moved away from her and came to sit at the edge of the couch I sat on. I stared at him in shock as he looked at me and spoke calmly.“Wifey, you asked who she was earlier, well, that's Catherine, the lady I told