A Bride Without a Choice

The Devil is a liar! I had exclaimed in my mind.

I managed to help my aunt to her bedside and fetched her a glass of water and her medicines. She had many questions to answer because a stranger couldn’t come and declare me his wife like I was a piece of furniture.

No way. And Melissa? I hated the name as a word itself.

I was boiling with so much anger I did not know when I kicked the bed bunk and yelled in pain.

Breath in, Tessa! I said to myself.

“Are you okay?” My aunt had asked. “You know we can plan our escape; we don’t have to do anything he says."

Escape? Do anything he says? Why would I be compelled to listen to a man I do not know? I was triggered by that question.

“Nobody is escaping to anywhere. I want to see how this plays out. If there is anything I need to know about the drama that played out, now is the best time to tell me,” I said before pulling a seat to the window side and sitting down.

“How do I explain the situation now?” Aunt Norah started, “If only you had listened when I told you to let us run away.”

“I am not going to run away, especially not from that pole-like-looking bastard; who the hell does he think he is to just walk in here and issue orders around?” I yelled.

"Tessa,” my aunt called out softly.

“It just doesn’t make any sense to me; I am not giving up the life I have here, all because of a man, and if you won't tell me why, then we are not leaving here,” I said. My eyes darted at the small black box, and I kicked it angrily. “I am not going to any damn house either!”

“Why are you stubborn, my child? You never listen or do what I tell you to. This battle is far bigger than you; you are not ready for the truth,” Aunt Norah said, trying to stabilise her breathing.

“Who the hell is that man?" I asked again, my eyes meeting hers.

“Your husband,” she said.

“My husband?” I yelled.

It was as though a screw had fallen off my head, but I tried to play calm. “Last I remember, I am still dating Sergio, and he has not proposed to or married me yet; we intend to do that when he returns in a few months; at least that is the only union I recognise, so what is this marriage you are talking about?” I rambled. My words were calmly placed after each other, so I didn’t scare her.

“This has been the secret I tried to protect you from, the reason I didn’t let you have friends or socialise much, just so you could easily run without having any emotional attachments, till I saved enough money to send you abroad, where you can start life afresh on your own terms,” my aunt said I was confused even more.

“You are his wife,” she said coldly.

“How am I his wife?”

“Your dad gave you to him; you were a price used to cover a substantial part of the loan. I only got to find out when Don Lorenzo had come to fetch you when you turned eighteen. He showed me the contracts and agreements. There was no way I could let my baby girl become a bride without a choice.” My aunt paused to wipe the trickles of tears welling up in her eyes. 

“So my dad not only disappeared, he sold me off to cover for a mess he created?”

“I managed to escape with you that time. It was the reason I changed your name to Tessa—to buy us time to plan your escape—but this monster is back in our lives again, and I feel weak—too weak to fight for us,” Aunt Norah said.

“I will fight for us,” I said coldly.

"No, you can't; he is too powerful.”

“Maybe you don’t know this; I love to handle men like him,” I started. “So in a nutshell, that bastard is responsible for my mother's death?”

Watching my aunt nod quietly broke my heart.

A wave of fury washed over me. I do not know if it was the anger at her helplessness or the hatred I had for my dad for being a coward, or if it was my mother's death caused by the very proud bastard who visited earlier or the thought of being married to a stranger, a painfully insufferable one at that.

“I will fight for both of us,” I said. My eyes were bloodshot red as I looked out of the window.

‘It’s getting late; I think you should come sleep by my bedside tonight, my child,” I heard my aunt say, noticing she was already lying down.

“He won't kidnap me from your sight, aunt; try to get some sleep; I will be fine; I just need to process what you have just shared with me,” I said softly, soothing myself with several deep breaths.

***

It was dawn; I was up early. I had barely slept. My eyes were still heavy, but I didn’t mind. I needed to get to the office early enough; the events from yesterday had repeatedly played in my head, and I wished I could shake it off, but it lingered. Whatever happened yesterday was a joke, a bad dream, I said to myself. There was no way I would be marrying that man. No way at all.

My aunt was still sleeping when I left her a note before leaving for the office. I did not want to wake her up because I knew she would try to stop me. 

I stood at the entrance of the office and noticed something strange: the security men were not at their duty posts. I entered the premises and noticed everybody was gathered in the conference hall. I tore through my colleagues to the front to know what was happening.

“I would like you all to cooperate with Don Lorenzo, your new boss,” Mr Jenkins said. “Extend to him the respect you have so generously given to me.”

I was shocked. What is he doing here? He is the new boss.

“Aha! Ms. Tessa!” I heard Mr Jenkins call out upon sighting me, “Please come out.”

I did. Avoid Don Lorenzo’s gazes.

“Don Lorenzo has specially requested that you resume as his personal assistant. I know you are yet to find your feet around here as you started working here several months ago, but I trust you will do a good job; it’s definitely something you can handle,” he said.

I was tempted to scream, I resign, at the top of my voice, but I acted calm.

“Don Lorenzo, would you like to address the team?” Mr. Jenkins asked, all smiles, cooing like a little girl in a candle store. I hated the show of extra reverence. Don Lorenzo must think he is God; just showing up at my work and becoming my boss won't make him less of a stranger.

“That will be all for now." Don Lorenzo said his attention on me made me uncomfortable. “I would like everybody to return to their duty post.”

As everybody dispersed, I heard him say, ‘Except you, Melissa.” 

‘I’m sorry?” I replied.

"Tessa, right? Except you, Tessa, I would like Tessa to show me around,” he said.

"Okay, great! Tessa, show our new boss around the building. I will join you both later, Mr. Jenkins said. Excusing us of his presence.

“First show me the way to my office,” he said wryly.

I led the way, quietly. And he followed.

I had a lot to say, but not in front of my work colleagues; I had to maintain absolute decorum.

Once we got into his office, “Shut the door, wifey,” he ordered.

I felt like grabbing the volleyball stick and whipping this bastard across the face, but instead, I watched him quietly take a seat.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked.

“Doing what?”

“Showing up at my house claiming to be my husband, the stupid birthday gift, and now showing up as the new boss around here, what’s all that about?” I asked dryly.

How can anybody be so repulsive? There was nothing to like about this man. He was driving me crazy, and every single thing about him gave me an irk—his stupid hairstyle, the stupid way he looked at me.

"Oh, slow down, you are feisty!” He said, getting up from his chair.

“I would like to know why you think you can just show up out of nowhere to constitute a nuisance.” I spoke again, stepping backwards as he drew close to me.

“It is because I can; I was curious to see where my beautiful wife works,’ he said before I interrupted.

“I am not your wife.”

“No woman of mine should have to work for peanuts,” he continued like I had not just corrected him.

When he drew close enough, a thousand thoughts flipped through my mind—kick him where it would hurt—a voice whispered in my head.

“Don’t even try to do what I think you want to do." He said, his voice descending into a raspy, lowered tone. “You are my wife, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

He leaned as though he wanted to kiss me, his right hand snaking around my waist while his left softly caressed my neck. I felt a sudden weakness overshadow my defiance. I tried to free myself from his grip.

“This is inappropriate, Mr. Lorenzo,” I said, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

“Not between a husband and a wife." He said, licking my earlobe, his grip firm enough to hold me in place. “You smell so good, soft, and innocent.”

“I am not your wife!” I said, stepping on one of his feet and breaking free.

I watched him wince in pain and wished I had kicked him in the crotch.

He went from squealing in pain to laughing. He laughed so hard. I wondered what was funny.

“I love stubborn women." He finally said, “Keep at it, but it still won't change the fact that I am your husband and your boss.

“Then I quit!” I said defiantly. My heart is racing at this point. How dare this bastard try to touch me?

“The contract you signed states that you can’t quit without sending in a one-month notice in advance or be met with legal actions for breach of contract.” He said with a smirk on his face, his muscular body heaving in his suit.

“You can’t run away from me even if you wanted to.”

“I am not even trying to run away; I am just wondering if you will be so kind as to put an end to all these games or you will meet a side of me you won't like,” I said.

I expected him to say something, but he was quiet. I took that as a cue to end the discussion. I arranged myself and straightened my skirt before heading out. All through the day I felt his gaze on me; it made me resent him so much more.