"You're such a vile person!"she spat out with as much venom as she could muster.
She felt her eyes sting with tears and her throats constrict in discomfort.No way was she going to let him win.She wouldn't let him.So with a defiant stance,she stood from where she sat,glaring at him."This conversation is over,Mr.Micheal.Thank you for coffee "with that she walked out leaving a very confused micheal thinking through the points that may had lead to this very moment.Never in a million years had he seen this coming.No one had ever attempted to walk out on him or end the conversation until he was done. He pulled out his phone and dailed.His secretary picked up at the first ring."Doris,I want you to do something for me.Its about Alina"he spoke.* * * *On her brisk walk home, her mind reeled and her heart picked up a few more beats unable to calm the sensation that had washed through her with her encounter with her boss. She had never thought this day would go this way but she was determined to take this as a bad dream that she wanted so desperately wanted to forget."Am so sorry Alina but I have been authorized to not give your mum any additional treatment until you've cleared out your outstanding bills."the older man clad in a white hospital lab coat said apologetically.She gripped his arm frantically as he turned to leave."Please,my mum won't be able to stand the pain for another week.she needs her prescription."She pleaded.The doctor shook his head emphatically but she knew he couldn't do anything. He was just following orders.Something seemed off .There was no way that they would be turned down.They were on government assistance and as such,had a credit bill for hospital expenses. No matter how much they owed,they were not to be turned down."What's going on,this has never happened before "she asked confused. The man hesitated to respond but eventually, he leaned in closer to whisper."I don't know who you offended but It must have been someone very very high up,even higher than the hospital director.Our orders came from higher up"he whispered and scurried off into the patient wards leaving her standing by the entrance confused and lost.Immediately it clicked.Her frown deepened.Who does he think he is?She stormed off out of the hospital,took a cab and drove straight back to the very building that her rejected her.She knew in her heart of hearts that he would be waiting and she was right.As soon as she arrived,she was ushered into the elevator up to his office on the last floor by security. She was then shown his office and was led right into the lion's then.They led her in and locked the door behind her leaving her standing there so out of place in this fully furnished expanse of his office.Her poor choice of outfit that consisted of her faded jeans and crop top that hung loosely along her belly,exposing just a little bit of skin a huge contrast to the beige leather furniture that decorated the room.He stood,facing the floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking the city.They just stayed in complete silence for a good minute or two before she couldn't take it anymore."I know what you're doing"she spoke up impatiently."And am here to tell you that it won't work"she added and waited for his response but he said nothing. He just stood there gazing out the window in silence. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped in her tracks when he began to speak. "Do you know how fleeting life is?"he finally spoke up.She frowned in confusion.He whipped around and was facing her now before she could say anything ."You know my offer will change your life. It would help your mum.Who needs love when you could have money,fame and power."he argued. "Micheal,you might not need it but I do."she retorted.His lips eased into a smile at the way she said his name."Where is love now when you need it?"he asked.Staring into her eyes a silent challenge in them."Why are you doing this?"she cried. She threw her hands up in fustration."Marry me.that's the only way I will make this all go away"he answered.Later that evening as she walked arm in arm with him clad in a tight red dress as he led her through the crowd, her mind wondered to her mother.And how her mother would feel if she knew that her daughter had sold herself just to get her to fly to Japan for her spine replacement surgery.She felt her body tense as his huge hand splayed across her waist as he shielded her from the cameras and flashes that had surrounded them.He pulled her into his body and the scent of his strong cologne wafted through her.He smelt so good with a combination of mahogany and an earthy scent she couldn't recognize yet still made him feel like a real man .They were able to wrestle their way into the reception area that had been blocked off from unregistered paparazzi and reporters."I'm sorry for the discomfort. It wasn't easy to arrange this last minute. "He whispered closely.she felt the hairs at the back of her nape stand on edge."Come,lets say hi to our guests"her spine stiffened as he wrapped an arm around her waist again and led her towards the crowd of expensive looking people that had directed curiously glances their way from the moment they had made their entrance.As she went through the motions,greeting and smiling so much that she feared her face would crack,her thoughts drifted to her mother being taken care of by someone who was not her.Although,she had been reassured by her impressive resume that she had had a great deal of experience with being a home nurse and taking care of her patients."Alina, meet my mother"his voice broke through her internal musings just as they approached a beautiful blonde woman clad in shimmering diamonds and a velvet green dress,her hair was laid beautifully behind her neck.She gulped. Nervously clutching and releasing her purse as she watched the woman walk over to them.Her eyes trained on her.All eyes were on them now as they watched the scene unfold.She had heard many stories about mother in laws and how they were always opposed to their son's choice in women.Always.She'd seen them in all the telenovelas her mum had loved to watch before she got too Ill to watch anymore."Don't be worried about my mother "his words had played over and over as she watched the beautiful older woman walk over to them with her entourage of women that seemed judgmental from the looks and stares from around the room.Her thoughts drifted to the events of this evening..."I don't understand whey you have to plan this huge party .Its completely unnecessary."she had cried out as she sat in his office memorizing information about the important people that were going to be there at the party he was arranging for them. It sounded absurd at first.She had not seen the need to publicly announce their engagement when this was meant to be shortlived."I cannot wed without showing my family and people who
In the span of a few days, they had been so wrapped up in a media frenzy over the news of their engagement that she hadn't slept for more than 4 hours in the past week.it was always makeup and hair for events,parties, interviews and the whole shebang of planning a wedding which his mother had completely taken over,fortunately. How could she live this life?Even if it was for a short while she knew that all these would get too overwhelming for her and the only way she could think of to keep her grounded was the thought that her mother was going to be well again.News had gotten to her through Micheal that her surgery had gone well and that she was recovering well.Although she wouldn't be well enough to make the travel back for her wedding tomorrow.Her new iphone 14 that Micheal had gotten her,vibrated as she came out of the shower of her hotel.It was an unknown number.She slid the green button to answer. "Hello?"she asked curious.There was silence at the other end of the phone. "He
She watched as his eyes followed her movements. They were sitted across from each other on his private plane on their way to their honeymoon.The wedding had ended in a frenzy with his mother being emotional,his younger sister ignoring her and his father nodding in approval as they walked down the aisle hand-in -hand as husband and wife."You can stare at me all you want.I won't crack"He stated still focused on the opened pages in his hand."I want to go see my mother"she declared."We'll talk about that once we are back from our honeymoon.I do not want anything ruining my plans"He said nonchalantly as he flipped through the business magazine that had been brought to him as soon as he got seated.She grimaced."What plans?this is a marriage of convenience for you.And anything that you think you've "planned" would just be a wasted effort because there is no love between us.There never can be "she responded ending with a defiant pout on her lips that he found was getting difficult to res
Michael's povHe blinked once. Twice in surprise. Trying to understand what exactly she had said more out of disbelief rather than doubt."Mr Wheeler?"She called staring back at his dumbfounded look.She waved a hand in front of his face which caused him to wake up.He cleared his throat."Sorry...am just trying to wrap my head around this piece of information"he said clearing his throat in-between. She hung her head solemnly. "I understand.Its understandable if you choose to get yourself a new wife"She said sadly.He frowned."I never said that."He stated gruffly.Her head whipped up to stare at him in disbelief. He gulped down having difficulty swallowing ."Virgin or not.You are my lawfully wedded wife .And as the contract states you have to satisfy me in bed until an heir is sired"he stated stoically.Loosening his tie,he took a step towards her until he was sitting besides her on the couch.She moved to put distance between them but he wasn't having that.He pulled her towards h
ALINA'S POV "Micheal!"She cried out as he locked the door behind them.He stared back at her with a smug smile."So we won't be interrupted."He explained. She felt her heart rack heavily in her chest as she thought about the impending step they were going to take.It's not that she couldn't do it because she knew she eventually had to .It was in the contract.But that didn't make the decision easier.She knew what she was getting herself into when she signed the contract to save her mother and she had to go through with it."I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time"He said taking a menacing step forward as she took one backwards.His hungry gaze made her heartbeat quicken at the thought of what his mind had in store for her."Micheal...lets... talk...about this.I don't want to do this anymore"she panicked as the back of knees came up against the bed ."Too late"He growled before pushing her gently unto the bed.She felt the ruffles from her amazingly designed wedding gown
MICHEAL'S POV"Please call them back!"She cried."I can't,they're still in surgery.We'll know once she's done"He responded. "But I need to be there for her?!"She replied.He let out a frustrated breath."What is it you want,Alina?"He asked approaching her side of the bed."I want my mother to be okay"she sobbed."And she'll be alright, Just trust me"he comforted,stretching out his hand which she took."Please let me see her.Just once please "she begged once she was on her feet.His lips pursed in thought."You know I can't do that"He answered with a pained expression."Why not?!"She asked."Because that was the terms of the agreement.And so far you've been doing so well keeping your end of the bargain. "He explained sarcastically.She gave him a bitter smile taking a step back away from him."No more breaking the terms of the contract"He declared. She scoffed ."My mother is possibly dying and you're here talking about your stupid contract!"She said in a harsh tone.Her chest heave
ALINA'S POVShe had never imagined that she would be meeting his parents this early into their marriage.She thought she would be able to have more time to prepare before meeting them.It was nerve wracking.She never got the chance to find out what they thought of her during their wedding.She stepped back a little to gaze up at him."Do we really have to?"She asked hesitantly."Yes"he answered without hesitation. "If we really want to sell the story,we have to make my parents believe it.Its bad enough I shocked them with my wedding but I know they would want to meet their daughter-in-law,so I want to give them that respect."he explained.He put distance between them because he couldn't resist her for so long."So go upstairs and get ready"He told her."I don't think am ready to meet them yet "she confessed.His features softened.His lips pursed in thought."I don't think we have a choice anymore."he responded coldly."Please"she pleaded desperately."No and that's final."He said shut
MICHAEL'S POVWords couldn't explain how remorseful he felt concerning what had transpired tonight.He could feel her defeat from the drive back home all the way to their bedroom.She hadn't spoken a word since the meeting with his parents.As he watched her crouched up on her side of the bed,he watched her shoulders tremble gently and his heart broke even more because he knew she was crying.He knew that his parents were not going to accept the marriage so easily but he hadn't expected it to go side ways like it did tonight. He pulled the duvet higher up her shoulder and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Am sorry"He whispered before turning over to sleep.It took a while before he finally succumbed to sleep but he felt the bed dip when she left the bedroom later into the night.Scuffling of feet woke him up the next morning.His hand reached out towards her side of the bed and found it empty.Which meant,she had not come back later that night. He let out a defeated sigh.Pulling the du
ALINA'S POVWhen she opened her eyes she felt her eyes sting at the brightness of the over head light. She raised a hand to shield her eyes."Alina" She heard Micheal whisper breathlessly.He let out a sigh of relief.She turned to see her mother and her fiance on the couch seated, holding hands with worried looks on their faces. Her hand instincitivley came up to her belly. "The baby is doing okay" he told her, reading her mind. He gave her a wide smile."My beautiful daughter,how are you feeling?" her mother said, sniffing.She was by her side in an instant."Water" She croaked out.She stretched to get her a glass which she drank generously like she had been in a desert."Mum, what are you doing here?" She asked once she was satisfied."Don't you want me here?" Her mother questioned."No, no, that's not the reason. I just thought that you shouldn't have been so worried " She said weakly."I almost didn't. I came to your house and found that it was empty. I had to call Micheal who
ALINA'S POV"Ma'am, don't you want to see Micheal? he has been downstairs all night waiting to talk to you" Martha said as she walked in holding a tray of breakfast for her.She took the tray from her, forcing a smile."Thank you Martha, that will be all." She said dismissively.Martha stood for a few more seconds, about to say something but reluctantly walked away without saying a word.She let out a tired sigh as soon as the door shut behind Martha. She buried her face in her palms and cried like she had done all night. She felt the embalming of a headache reminding her of last night's cry.Her mind wandered to the confident way the woman, Paulina had told her about the baby.***FLASHBACK***"You can't be serious" She chuckled."Do I look like am joking?" Paulina said, sneering back at her."That can't be. When did this happen?" She questioned.Paulina puffed her chest,digging into her purse with a triumphant smile playing on her lips. Almost as if, she had been waiting to hear tha
MICHAEL'S POVWhen he returned home that day he was extremely tired. He dragged his feet across the flight of stairs with a backward glance at the clock to see it read 10:09am.He paused in his tracks.It was too eerily quiet.He frowned in confusion. It was never this quiet. Usually, whenever he got back she was always perched on the couch munching on whatever she craved at that moment.He spun around at the foot of the stairs, his eyes darting around the room in search of anything, even though he didn't know what exactly to be looking for . Right on cue, Martha walked in from the kitchen pantry holding a bowl of chips and guacamole decorated beautifully in a flower patterned tray. "Hello sir "She greeted with a sad smile on her face as she hurriedly walked past him .His frown deepened.His arms stretched out reaching out to still her actions."Are those for Alina?" He asked.She stared up at him questionably for a while before nodding in response.His eyes widened in fear."Is som
MICHAEL'S POV"What happened?!"He shouted."I have no idea! One minute she was with me,trying to start a fight with me.Mind you,she insulted me. And the next thing I know,She's on the floor." She stated."That's not possible mum!" He retorted."It cannot be just an accident! And who the hell is this woman?!" He shouted."She was just helping me out when Alina was busy insulting me.She was defending my honour. We should be grateful to her son. Come on,say Hi to her."His mother urged.He glared straight at the blushing woman and looked away as soon as she smiled shyly at him."Mum please leave "He instructed.His mother gasped in disbelief."What? Why?!" She cried."Is it because of that thing?"She said with her face scrunched up in a wealth of disgust, pointing in the direction of the emergency room behind her.Micheal paced the length of the waiting room, taking deep breaths as he turned to still his laboured breathing."Son, you cannot possibly be worried. After all ,the baby isn't y
ALINA'S POVWaking up that morning had been relatively quiet and peaceful,apart from the fact that Micehal had to rush out that morning without even a passing greeting even while she had called for him from the kitchen. Her belly was growing bigger and her waist line had grown thicker as she felt the weight of her baby while parading around the house in comfy sweatpants before settling on the couch.Her mother was supposed to come help her out today. And her gynecologist had said she was doing extremely well taking care of herself and the baby.She let out a frustrated sigh as a repeat episode of her favourite series came on.The house was relatively lonely and quiet on most days just like they were now.The only solace she had was either reading to her baby or watching a tv show and whenever her mother was less busy she would come over to keep her company.She smiled at the sound of the doorbell and without hesitation padded briskly towards the door without looking at the intercom, un
MICHAEL'S POV.His bag slipped and fell from his hand as he froze in shock.She had on a sly smile."What?" he asked in disbelief."You heard me." She replied, giving him a sly smile."Yes we made a baby that night you came over at my place." She explained.Micheal padded towards the living to see Alina seated in the couch flickering across the TV channels smiling distractedly.He breathed out a sigh of relief. She was out of earshot and thankfully was so engrossed in the TV program that she couldn't have heard anything that had been said a few minutes ago.His hand reached out to clutch her arm and dragged her upwards towards his study. Giving Alina a forced smile when she sent a worried glance their way.Paulina protested all the way till they were safely in his office. "Why are you acting suspiciously?" She said wryly. "It's not like she had any say to what happens in this house, you're the head of the house." She stated matter of fact."What was the meaning of the rubbish stunt
ALINA'S POVShe had been shaken up after his mother's visit. But the past three months have been quiet and distant.Micheal had seemed more distant than normal. He had chosen to spend his days at work and he was rarely at home. Even when he was home he was distant, he only spent silent hours eating and once dinner was over he was leaving without so much as a word. She wished he would at least open up and let her know what was bothering him but he was sworn to silence. Everything had relatively stayed normal except her mother visited more often.She had chosen to come to terms with the fact that Alina was pregnant and there was nothing that could be done now.She still didn't like Micheal but she was careful not to be present whenever he got back from work.She was nestled on the couch watching a rerun of the show "housewives of Johannersburg" When the knock sounded on the door.She paused the show and headed to the intercom to see who was knocking.It was a unfamiliar face.She frowne
MICHEAL'S POVA FEW DAYS BEFORE..."Paulina what are you doing here? In my bed?" He asked panicked as he looked under the covers to find that she was wearing nothing underneath.He quickly closed it,wrapping the bedsheets around him sarong style as he jumped out of the bed trying to get some distance away from her. She had on a satisfied smile and he could clearly recognize that smile from all the times they had made love in the past. He chastised himself inwardly for being unable to erase that part of his past and memory."You're the one in my bed " She clarified.His eyes darted around the room and his eyes widened in recognition."How did I get here?" He asked in disbelief."I brought you here. You needed a place to sleep because you were drunk and I couldn't let you drive home like that. So I offered to bring you to my room, and it's a small apartment, I don't have a guest room at the moment. "She stated sitting up and letting the duvet slid down her breasts without the least bit
ALINA'S POV"No! No! Please, somebody help me! Please! "She cried as she fought and scratched whenever she had the opportunity to. But she wasn't strong enough. She felt powerless and helpless. "Felix stop! Please am begging you" she pleaded, her eyes streaming down with a pool of tears. She felt her body loose all its energy as he inserted himself into her. She was numb to the pain now as he begun to move. She was at the brink of giving up when she heard a voice. His voice guiding her back."Alina, am here. No one is going to hurt you,I promise. Am here now" She heard him speak softly as he shook her slightly until the scene before her had begun to change. The disgusting smile of Felix atop her slowly disappeared and she found herself lying on the bare ground staring into nothingness.She finally opened her eyes to find Micheal's face towering over hers. His forehead were creased in worry as he stared intensely into her eyes. He gave her a warm smile and lifted her up in his arms