Chapter 1

BELLA POV

    "Samantha, what else do we need on the list for summer next week?" I asked Samantha, my best friend since high school.

I was presently standing close to the window in my room, focusing my brown eyes pointedly on the paper in my hand. The fresh breeze which was penetrating my room from the window was sifting through my hair, waving my black hair that curls at the tip.

"Come on, Bella. This is the umpteenth time you are asking me that specific question," Samantha groans frustratingly as she rolls on the bed. "I'm tired of answering you multiple times!" She complained further.

I couldn't help but scoff. "I'm just making sure we are not missing anything else on the list, I fucking want this year's summer to be the best!"

Samantha suddenly stopped tossing around and sailed out of the bed, she was now readjusting her shirt and while striding towards me.

"Bella, you ain't the only one enthusiast and eager to go to the city for Summer." She was now saying as she took a halt in front of me.

Lifting my head from the paper, I glanced up at her with raised eyebrows. "You of all people should know how much I have impatiently waited for a day like this to come, and I need to make sure I get the things on this list for a proper summer Vacation!" I waved the paper in my hand across her face.

Samantha couldn't help but let out a chuckle, of course, I know in my mind that she understands that I need a break from studies and especially from my father who gambles every fucking day like no man's business.

"I know you have waited long enough, but still... You have to take a break, huh? Bella, you look so worn and exhausted right now," Samantha says to me, she sounded concerned as she slowly grabs my hand and pulled me towards my old bed.

       Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocks came riotously on my door and we both abruptly halted, snapping our heads at the door as we wondered aloud who it could be...

"I guess that's your younger brother, Richard.” Samantha guessed with a grin that spread out on her face as she immediately let go of my hand.

"Who is that?" I further asked in a raised voice.

"Bella, it's me, your father!" My father's deep voice answered me a second later.

It sounded like he was stressed.

It had better not be because he gambled all his money away once again as usual and wanted me to lend him some of my savings.

Because I won’t be doing that right now.

"Come in, father!" I gulped emptily, folding my hands under my bust as I watched the worn out door wobble as it was being opened from the outside.

My father swung the door open and stepped into the room, he didn't even bother to close the door behind him as he strode towards me and Samantha.

Even as my father tried to keep a steady expression, I could vividly discern through his eyes that he was unhappy and I instantly knew that I had been indeed right by my first assumptions of why he was here. He must have lost again in one of his gambling games, not as he has ever won something tangible for once.

"Samantha, please can me and my daughter have the room for five minutes?" My father asked my best friend, bestowing her one of those bleak glances.

"Su...sure, Mr. Williams!" Samantha shuttered, she nervously chuckled as she peeked her green eyes at me before exiting the bedroom in a few moments.

Immediately after my best friend left, the room became silent and automatically filled with tension.

My father uneasily coughed, the smell of alcohol spewing from his presence reeked the entire room and I scrunch my nose in nausea.

"Bella... I want to tell you something," my father said, taking a step closer to me.

My brows furrowed at his question "What is it, father? Don't tell me you want me to lend you more money again, remember you haven't paid back the one you borrowed from me last time."

"No! No Bella! It's not about money," My father nervously released a soft laugh, his eyes were intensely gawking at the floor and it was evident he was averting my gaze from him on purpose.

"Oh!" I mouthed at his response, my intense facial facade collapsing as I asked him  "Then, what Is it?"

"Umm, you see..." He coughed again, sniffing drily through his nose "Ten years ago, when your poor mother died, I was the only one left to live for you and your younger brother. However, I was diagnosed with a terrible sickness that nearly took my life. I... I couldn't bear to see myself dying and leaving you and your brother alone in this evil world!"

I was neutrally surprised at my father's explanations, but in my mind, I was trying to understand what he was trying exactly to say to me...

"...I had no money back then, I was impoverished and broken. Having no choice, Bella, my daughter, I had to swallow my fears and confront a powerful man whom I begged to lend me some money to pay for the hospital bills and this man agreed to help me out. However, I foolishly squandered the entire money on my games with nothing left... I had no dime to pay back to the man who had to lend me the money."

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, surprised.

My father signed dejectedly, his brown eyes which were synonymous with mine were now bubbling. "I knew this man might kill me or do something worse to me, Bella... Having no option, I promised this powerful man that he can have you as his wife for the repayment of the money he loaned me, I'm sorry, Bella."

"Father!" I screamed shockingly, my eyes widened as I heard his unbelievable utterances. My breath hitched immediately for a few minutes.

My father fucking used me as a COLLATERAL!?

"How could you, father?!" I yelled again at him, shouting at the top of my voice as I fisted my both hands angrily in my shirt material, while my hands began to tremble in anger.  

My father awkwardly began to fiddle his fingers, struggling to glance at me but he couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm very sorry, please forgive me," my father frantically pleaded to me but I raved to the core.

The air in the room was becoming intense and unsettling...

"Father, how could you do this to me?!" I cried out as my eyes began to sting, now brimming in tears as my heart shattered into pieces.

My school, my life, my dreams, everything is ust... Everything is just destroyed right now. How could he do this to me?

"Talk to me, father!" I screamed raucously at him.

"It wasn't my, fault!" My father suddenly growled and seethed up at me.

"Oh! So it was my fault then, huh?!" I squealed back at him, extremely mad at him for putting my whole life in jeopardy.

My father rumbling chest fell and he sighed thickly. He rested his hands on his hips.

"You always gamble, drinking alcohol to an embarrassing stupor and you never cared about me or my younger brother!" I was sobbing heavily at this point, feeling intensely hurt, openly reflecting on all the sadness and pains I have always lain low in my heart for so long.

"I'm sorry, Bella." My father apologized to me but it wasn't enough to soothe my grievance, he attempted to move closer to me and touch me but I shifted away from him.

"I love you, Bella, believe me!" My father's voice quiver as he quivered.

"No! You are lying, father. You don't love me either do you cherish me one bit!" I sniff sharply, pointing my finger boldly at him.

Gosh!

Right now, I feel extremely frustrated and fueled with rage. Just the mere imagination of being a wife to a man I have never known in my entire life was driving me crazy. And to make it worse, I'm fucking eighteen years and getting married at my current age is something I'd say is extremely absurd!

I'm sure this man father is talking about will be fat and old, must be one of those pervy old men who shamelessly chase after the young girls. He could even be married, and then that will make me... His second, no third wife. Never!

"I'm not gonna marry this man you talk about, father and that's final... You can't force me to do something I don't wanna do, I don't know this man before and I simply would not want to marry a man I don't even have any atom of love for." I courageously said to my father, I was now cleaning up my drenched face as I straightened up myself.

"You don't have a choice but to marry this man, Bella. He is a dangerous man and could..."

"I don't care, father!" I shouted, cutting him off as I tried to hold back my tears "You...you can't force me to marry him, no you can't do it, father!"

"If you hadn't gambled away that money and used me as a freaking collateral, I won't be in this picture so don't try to drag me into the mess which you created!" I was panting and sniffing intensely.

"I know It's all my fault and for that, I am sorry, Bella. Listen, if you keep being stubborn, then be rest assured that Richard, your brother's life will be in deep danger!" My father raised his voice at me this time, and I felt my heart instantly crash to a stop.

"What? Richard?!" My eyes widened in shock at my father’s words. My heart was now beating violently against my chest as I began to panic.

"Yes, Richard. This man is threatening the life of Richard and you know what that means Bella, your brother's life will be in danger. This man is going to kill him!" My father confessed to me, his breathing pattern was becoming heavier.

My legs turned in jelly immediately and I slumped against the wall, sliding down dejectedly. My world was crashing right before my eyes and there was absolutely nothing I could do to save it.

All my plans were already automatically halted. If I don't marry this man my father is talking about; then the life of my younger brother will be taken!

Oh no…