The last thing she wanted was to look the way she did and go visit her mother and so she wiped the evidence, splashing cold water on her face then cleaning it with a paper towel.
She leaves the restroom, going back to the reception area which seemed a lot more quiet than a few minutes ago when she’d been there. Amelia goes to her mother’s room, knocking softly before entering but who lay before her startled her. Instead of her mother, there was a man, plugged into an oxygen mask... Startled, she took a step back having entered the wrong room, she turned to leave but then paused at the sense of familiarity she could feel towards this person. Amelia walks to the man’s hospital bed, clearly seeing the face behind the oxygen mask. “Dax...” What was he doing here? She reached her palm to his forehead, her gaze fixated on him—His had grown more handsome over the years. She dragged her hand to his cheek, caressing it. The patient brow creased, and his eyes fluttered but remained closed. Amelia felt a cold aura that seemed to surround him even while he slept, she concentrated on the feel of his stubbled cheek not quite fully grown. The man's eyes slowly opened and at that moment Amelia locked gazes with him. Her breath hitched at the back of her throat, and her heartbeat widely. She’d been caught, fear gripped Amelia's heart as she pulled her gaze away from Dax, storming out of the hospital room in a hurry, and then out of the hospital, as though being chased. Not long after she left the hospital room, the nurse in charge of the patient room came in and saw the patient awake, then she rushed out to call for the doctor. … An hour later at the patient’s room, a doctor was in the middle of running a minor physical examination on the patient, and no later than when he ended it, the door of the hospital room opened, revealing a woman, whose beauty had aged gracefully over the years. “Doctor how is my son” The woman came to stand beside her son’s hospital bed' “Chairwoman” the doctor gave a low bow. “we’ve just finished a basic examination, and from what I gathered his physically fine” “Is that so?” the woman reaches for her son. “Yes, however, we still have to run a thorough examination of his condition to make sure all is well.” “Why? Is there something wrong doctor?” “Not necessarily, it’s just basic procedure. Now that the patient is awake a thorough examination will have to be conducted since the patient has been in a coma for three years. “Perform all the tests as soon as possible and make sure nothing goes wrong with my son.” “Yes ma’am” Dax's gaze fluttered but didn’t open, as the noise filtered through his subconscious, the voices becoming clearer, and a headache began at the back of his head. He opened his eyes to see his mother standing with a man he presumed was the doctor in charge of him. “Dax darling… doctor my son’s awake.” His mother saw him awake. Too loud… Dax squinted his eyes, the sun was getting in his way. His mother was been too loud, as her anxious voice came at him, increasing the migraine he felt. A flurry of sound kept buzzing at his ear. Then he closed his eyes, letting it remain shut for a while. “Doctor is he truly, okay?” his mother asked the doctor, seeing her son so unresponsive after three years. “It's common for a coma patient to have bouts of consciousness, we’ll do a mental assessment of his condition just to be sure, but know he is awake.” Dax heard what the doctor said, he wasn’t unconscious, instead, he couldn’t be bothered to open his eyes for too long. A warm feeling came to his forehead, like someone had touched him. The image of that woman with a blue iris flashed in his memory. He opened his eyes to take a peek if it was her, but it wasn’t instead, it was his mother's hand on him, she and the doctor were the only ones there. A sense of disappointment washed over him at the thought of that woman not being here. Right, who was she? That woman… Dax felt an ache much higher than the migraine he’d felt as it came from his mind, and images of that woman came at him, scenes of them together, how they met, them dating and the day of their marriage, then he remembered he’d gotten into a car accident whilst going on a business trip. “Wi-wife… where is… my… wi-f-e” Dax opened his gaze, finding his mother’s “Where is… my wife... mother?” The ache was unbearable, and Dax fell unconscious not able to withstand the ache any longer. Stunned, the woman watched her son closely. What did he just say? The chairwoman cast a glance at the doctor, as a sense of unease coursed through her “Is this common doctor?” “…” “…no, it isn’t…” … Amelia beat herself up for what had happened at the hospital. She shouldn’t have done that. Going into someone else’s room, touching their faces, caressing them… she shouldn’t have done that. Why did she do that? Fu*k! She kicked at a can on the road startling a pedestrian walking beside her. Amelia made gestures of apologies, but the stranger walked past her, avoiding her at all costs—she deserves that. No one would want to walk beside a raving lunatic; Amelia sighed. A lot calmer, she gazed at the people on the street noticing that most pedestrians out and about, wore office wear. That means it was closing time for most office workers. Amelia gazed at these strangers with longing—What was she doing? People her age work at stellar companies, getting jobs that can support their lifestyle and family, and what of her? How about her? While she graduated from a local college and had scraps for food to eat, as life dealt her one blow, after another—she could never be one of them... As low as a dog, that's what she was, she could never be in anybody's league—especially not his league, not anymore… No! She should stay away… far away from his radar, where he wouldn’t see her tortured, she’d just about break if he did… There was no point peeling old scars. For the past ten years she hadn’t met anyone she knew from high society and how would she... they weren’t in the same status anymore. Today was just an accident... Almost at her house, Amelia took a turn at the corner of an old building entering the alley, it was nearly sundown, and she had to be back home before that happened. The crunch of two distinct rugged boots sounded from behind Amelia, as her instinct pointed at danger, she was being followed. She looked ahead, quickening her pace, just ahead of her was another corner and she’d be out of the alley. But she didn’t reach that corner, as two men; both looking menacing and all covered up with tatt, came from that spot, men she knew. They both glared at her, and Amelia turned to bolt, but slammed into a body behind her… she was trapped. “Hey, hey, hey, would you look at that, it’s pretty Amelia” Mike, Dylan, Drake, and Dash, entrapped her in a circle of four. With her heart in panic Amelia took a step away from Dash “You were following me” “Of course, we were… had to make sure you and your mother haven’t run away,” Dash said. “By the way, where is your mother?” Dylan asked, pulling her to face him. Startled by the pull Amelia tripped and almost fell, but was caught by Drake, and he wrapped his hand around her. Disgusting. “Don’t touch me,” Amelia pulled herself away, gaining balance on her feet. “We haven’t run away. I promise you will get your money back.” “And how do you plan to pay? Scraping at that miserly diner you work at?” Dylan scowled. His gaze fierce and all the more demeaning. “Did you forget the amount your mother owes us? Fifteen Million dollars… is that what you want to pay while working a diner?” Drake glowered annoyed. Amelia’s hands shook in fright and so she balled them into fists to stop their momentum. The last thing she wanted was to let these men know she was afraid. “Look I’m hunting for a job, and soon I’ll get steady cash, you’ll get your money” “How long will that take to pay, working a regular nine-to-five job?” Dash leaned forward hovering above Amelia, his act of intimidation was so successful. “And speaking of job… we’ve got a job for you” Mike started his eyes crazed, like a dog in heat. “It’ll get you steady cash flow and you can pay us and support the family,” “No” Amelia gritted out the word. “Oh, come on” Mike continued “… you are being foolish… all it will take is for you to spread your legs and let a man fu*k you, and get paid... I could be your first man, and you get money you’ve never seen in your Fu*kin—” Amelia swung.Her hand was grabbed and pulled back behind her. “What are you trying to do?” Dylan muttered from behind her. Amelia’s heart went up her throat. “Hmph, you still think you have a choice?” Mike snapped. “If you knew your mother couldn't pay, maybe you shouldn’t have let her out of the house, you dare!” Mike moved forward to act but was held back by Dash. “Make up your mind already?” Drake moved in between her and Mike. Amelia instinctively stepped back leaning on Dylan, startled by her close proximity to him she took a hesitant step forward. “Look, tell your boss Bobby I’m still here, my mother is still here, I will not sell my body, and you can’t make me.” Dash frowned, her words sounded like a threat. The other laughed, not taking her seriously at all. Amelia lowered her gaze to the ground. Like a leech sucking at every fiber of her being. How could her mother borrow money from these people? She couldn't help but feel small, and ashamed in front of these people.
At first, she didn’t know where they were taking her. A few minutes earlier at her doorstep… “Are you Miss Amelia?” the man upfront asked. Amelia’s grip on the doorknob tightened. “Yes, I’m Amelia. Is there a problem?” She waged the door to block the men from seeing the inside of her house. “Come with us” The man reached for her arm not waiting for a response he forcefully dragged her out the door. Not waiting for a response, he held her by the arm and dragged her outside. Back to the present… Before she knew it, she was already in a car with two of the four men, while the other two flanked them, following from behind in another vehicle. Aside from those few words, they’d said nothing about who it was they worked for. At least she knew it wasn’t Bobby; these men weren’t cut from the same cloth as those bastards from yesterday. They seemed much more gentle, a lot more official than them, like a bodyguard. Amelia's gaze darted to the man beside her and then to
Amelia’s gaze widened, and her hands trembled as she read the figures—one billion! She flipped to one page, then another—her movement chaotic. Then her heart wrenched so much so she couldn’t breathe, once her gaze landed on the signature written at the end of the document. LIES they were all LIES. Her grip on the document tightened. “Back then, I forgave this debt. But as you rightly reminded me, our family has no relationship. It’s too much to ask that you pretend to be my son’s wife, just pay the debt and we will cut ties” “It's fake, isn’t it?” her voice trembled as she crumpled the sheet in her hand. “This has to be fake, a ruse to get what you want” She gazed at Mrs. Hughes, her eyes pleading. “I see your father never told you or your mother…” Mrs. Hughes poured herself another cup of tea “When his business was failing, he’d borrowed money from me to help keep it afloat, and it did for a while, but it failed in the end” Amelia watched as Mrs. Hughes took a sip
Outside the diner, Amelia could barely hold herself straight as her stomach churned, with the overwhelming urge to puke. She squatted on the stone pavement near the diner, she was fired. Watching the many feet that walked past her, her mind zoned out with the world being out of place to her. Where would she go from here? They hadn’t even paid her a week's worth of salary, and her only means to provide for her and her sister was gone. What does she do about tonight's dinner? Was It not enough to have everything crumble around her? Her lips trembled and soon tears fell off her cheeks to the stone pavements. It felt like the world was waiting for her to fall apart, and honestly, she’d reached her limit. More tears flowed from her as her state became evident to most who walked by, with the way her shoulder trembled. A man's shoes came into her view, and Amelia wiped off her tears to check if she saw clearly, and yes, a man's shoes stood before her. She gazed up to see
Dax gazed outside his hospital window, watching the fading hues of the sun marking the end of the day. Whoossshhh… the cool evening breeze blew, and he closed his eyes, reminiscing in the tranquility that was the night.Yet a faint aura emanated from him, one that belied his fury—A mild breeze could not quench.It’s been a day now he’d been awake. Why wasn’t she here yet?The sound of the ticking clock, the nurse hovering and checking him, and the damn breeze that blew into his hospital room—they all got on his nerve.According to the doctor, he’d just woken up from a three-year-long coma, shouldn’t his wife be here with him?His last memory was of himself driving to the airport, and even now, he still felt the sense of urgency that propelled him as he drove on that day and then the accident when a truck crashed in on his car. What had happened and why he was in such a rush, Dax could not remember the details, and every time he tried to, there was a fog to his memories. The inner w
After a mild discomfort, Amelia falls asleep. Her fever broke in the early hours of the morning…She rose from the bed in the late hours; her sunken eyes were bloodshot, and her skin pale white, she seemed to have lost weight over the night.As flashes of her fevered haze went through her mind, the image of her signing the document given to her snapped her out of her weary look.Turning to the bed, she saw the documents scattered on top, linking them to the image she’d seen.Her chest tightened as the feeling of dread filled her. Then she grabbed hold of the documents; her eyes shone as panic filled them, seeing her signature boldly written on one of them.She gazed at the top of the document. The heading was that of the contractual agreement to be Dax Hughes' pretend wife, and she’d signed it.Her gaze flew down, glaring fixedly at her signature. Her hands shook with force whilst gripping the document too tightly.She bit down hard on her lower lip, bruising it.What had made her do
“What do you think you are doing?” she snapped, her teary gaze locked in on who forcibly held her.“Unhand me.” Her tone sharp as her gaze turned fiery.“Where do you think you are going?” his grip on her tightened, and Amelia struggled lightly, but it was no use.“It is the chairwoman’s wish that you proceed with this marriage”“This isn’t pretend, is it?” Amelia scoffed in disdain “The contract you gave me was a lie, wasn’t it; this isn’t what I signed up for. I do not wish to be more than a pretend wife.”“All will be explained to you soon for now, let’s go back to the hospital room,”“No!” she managed to pull her hands off the guard hold “I won’t go back; this is beyond me I cannot go through with this”“And why won’t you?”Startled, Amelia's chest tightened as she turned to Face Mrs. Hughes, who’d shown with a few entourage of guards.“Tell me, David, what was the young lady saying?” Mrs Hughes's tone was soft but unyielding.“She refuses to proceed with the marriage, ma’am”“And
Still at the hospital, Amelia came out of the restroom cubicle wearing her own clothes. Reaching for the faucet ahead of her, she scooped a load of water and splashed it on her face.Then her gaze caught in on the mirror, her exhaustion, a reflection... a deep-seated weariness, and she felt it to her bones.What now...She sighed, her hand moving to grab a paper towel, drying her face with it.Her mother's surgery was set in three days, Dax would be out in also three days, and she had to move in by the morrow. So much was still left undone… unsettled.Amelia sighed once more. The last thing she wanted was to confront both situations on the same day. But what do you know?She needed money, and she’d gotten it—like a magpie on a pipe, they’d played her tune.Such a solution as this... was like a double-edged sword… staying close to that family.But it was never up to her to decide. Not to mention her role in all of this.She sighedBut when life throws you lemons, you buy a lemonade
A few minutes before her awakening… He wanted to caress it. Golden Brown or Auburn was it? Dax’s gaze traced over those tresses, It was almost… sinful, the way they wrapped around her frame. It looked so… right. Dax clenched his fist, a subtle action— He wanted that too. What would they feel like? Having them wrapped around his fingers… a fistful. Inhaling sharply, he reflexively closed his eyes, the daunting scent of begonia filling his nostrils. He had his hands in half grasp almost scenting them. As though already holding what it is, he desired most… her. Exhaling gradually, Dax kept his eyes on his prize, reaching for the wheels of his chair. Dragging himself closer to her. He caught the light on the smooth surface of her forehead, and from then on he traced, committing all that met his gaze to memory. Her lashes. Her brows. The bridge of her nose— Cute! He caught himself smiling. Did he find it all cute? What was wrong with him? Dax’s eyes wavered momentarily fro
“Hello Mrs. Amelia” A woman came out from among the seven. “I’m Carla Will, the head designer. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She reached for a handshake.“N-nice to meet you a-as well.” Amelia shook her hand hesitantly.Her heart cringed with uncertainty as a wave of intense unease built over her, having so many faces watching her, their gazes calculating. “Here, take this,” Mrs. Sims threw a few catalogs her way and Amelia caught them mid-air, her knees almost hitting the floor in doing so.She stood straight, her gaze drifting on the cover pages of each magazine.“These here are the designers” Amelia's gaze snapped back to Mrs. Sims, watching as she gestured to the lot of them in the parlor.“They will be responsible for your clothes, shoes, bags— every little thing you may need to look the part of the Hughes family’s daughter-in-law. Your underwear included.”Amelia looked down at the catalogs in her hands, she turned a page, gazing at shoes, bags, and outfits in different styles
The next day at the hospital… A knock came through Dax’s hospital room. “Mr President” Jones his secretary, came in. “Why is it you?” Dax scowled. Secretary Jone’s steps faltered “Yes? Pardon???” he gazed up at Dax, confused to take another step inside the room. Tsk—Dax sounded out, he was running out of patience. “Never Mind” he swept his hands through his hair gazing back at his secretary “Don’t just stand there come in” At first, Secretary Jones hesitated, but then he made his way down to Dax’s bedside. “Took you long enough to come visit ” “Apologies sir” his secretary bowed lightly “I will do well to be punctual from now on.” “You better keep that promise” “Yes sir.” His secretary stood straight, and he leaned back comfortably on his hospital bed. Unlike someone who only bothered to show up when he was inebriated… this was far better. Dax’s gaze was caught on the birds beyond his hospital window. They chirped so happily one with the other— a companionship
Catching a sorry figure, with her eyes tinted red and her gaze lowered to the ground, Amelia walked down the streets; her posture slumped as she made steady but aimless progress down the sidewalk.The pedestrians were but a blur—a fleeting shadow of some sort as the day turned to darkness, the sun had set a while ago.She slammed into a person on the road.“S… sorry,” she muttered, turning only slightly in apology yet not meeting the stranger’s gaze.Hahhhhhh… She needed to get home, and yet she didn’t want to…Packing her bag, leaving her home and her sister to stay all alone without her. She didn’t want to do all that, and yet it was inevitable. Even if it was for a fleeting moment of a year, she would belong to the Hughes to do as told… act as told.Hahhhhhh… She really didn’t want to do all that.Amelia squinted her eyes, coming close to a brightly lit store, her gaze caught on the show glass, and her step faltered on the display where a rack of noodles of all kinds.On cue her s
Still at the hospital, Amelia came out of the restroom cubicle wearing her own clothes. Reaching for the faucet ahead of her, she scooped a load of water and splashed it on her face.Then her gaze caught in on the mirror, her exhaustion, a reflection... a deep-seated weariness, and she felt it to her bones.What now...She sighed, her hand moving to grab a paper towel, drying her face with it.Her mother's surgery was set in three days, Dax would be out in also three days, and she had to move in by the morrow. So much was still left undone… unsettled.Amelia sighed once more. The last thing she wanted was to confront both situations on the same day. But what do you know?She needed money, and she’d gotten it—like a magpie on a pipe, they’d played her tune.Such a solution as this... was like a double-edged sword… staying close to that family.But it was never up to her to decide. Not to mention her role in all of this.She sighedBut when life throws you lemons, you buy a lemonade
“What do you think you are doing?” she snapped, her teary gaze locked in on who forcibly held her.“Unhand me.” Her tone sharp as her gaze turned fiery.“Where do you think you are going?” his grip on her tightened, and Amelia struggled lightly, but it was no use.“It is the chairwoman’s wish that you proceed with this marriage”“This isn’t pretend, is it?” Amelia scoffed in disdain “The contract you gave me was a lie, wasn’t it; this isn’t what I signed up for. I do not wish to be more than a pretend wife.”“All will be explained to you soon for now, let’s go back to the hospital room,”“No!” she managed to pull her hands off the guard hold “I won’t go back; this is beyond me I cannot go through with this”“And why won’t you?”Startled, Amelia's chest tightened as she turned to Face Mrs. Hughes, who’d shown with a few entourage of guards.“Tell me, David, what was the young lady saying?” Mrs Hughes's tone was soft but unyielding.“She refuses to proceed with the marriage, ma’am”“And
After a mild discomfort, Amelia falls asleep. Her fever broke in the early hours of the morning…She rose from the bed in the late hours; her sunken eyes were bloodshot, and her skin pale white, she seemed to have lost weight over the night.As flashes of her fevered haze went through her mind, the image of her signing the document given to her snapped her out of her weary look.Turning to the bed, she saw the documents scattered on top, linking them to the image she’d seen.Her chest tightened as the feeling of dread filled her. Then she grabbed hold of the documents; her eyes shone as panic filled them, seeing her signature boldly written on one of them.She gazed at the top of the document. The heading was that of the contractual agreement to be Dax Hughes' pretend wife, and she’d signed it.Her gaze flew down, glaring fixedly at her signature. Her hands shook with force whilst gripping the document too tightly.She bit down hard on her lower lip, bruising it.What had made her do
Dax gazed outside his hospital window, watching the fading hues of the sun marking the end of the day. Whoossshhh… the cool evening breeze blew, and he closed his eyes, reminiscing in the tranquility that was the night.Yet a faint aura emanated from him, one that belied his fury—A mild breeze could not quench.It’s been a day now he’d been awake. Why wasn’t she here yet?The sound of the ticking clock, the nurse hovering and checking him, and the damn breeze that blew into his hospital room—they all got on his nerve.According to the doctor, he’d just woken up from a three-year-long coma, shouldn’t his wife be here with him?His last memory was of himself driving to the airport, and even now, he still felt the sense of urgency that propelled him as he drove on that day and then the accident when a truck crashed in on his car. What had happened and why he was in such a rush, Dax could not remember the details, and every time he tried to, there was a fog to his memories. The inner w
Outside the diner, Amelia could barely hold herself straight as her stomach churned, with the overwhelming urge to puke. She squatted on the stone pavement near the diner, she was fired. Watching the many feet that walked past her, her mind zoned out with the world being out of place to her. Where would she go from here? They hadn’t even paid her a week's worth of salary, and her only means to provide for her and her sister was gone. What does she do about tonight's dinner? Was It not enough to have everything crumble around her? Her lips trembled and soon tears fell off her cheeks to the stone pavements. It felt like the world was waiting for her to fall apart, and honestly, she’d reached her limit. More tears flowed from her as her state became evident to most who walked by, with the way her shoulder trembled. A man's shoes came into her view, and Amelia wiped off her tears to check if she saw clearly, and yes, a man's shoes stood before her. She gazed up to see