Courtney woke up from her afternoon siesta just to find her parents extremely busy. Her mum was in the kitchen trying to prepare something delicate while her dad was trying to put things around the house in order. Cody, her younger brother, just sat on a couch in the sitting room as his eyes were fixed on the TV.
Courtney, still a little confused, walked up to her mum trying to figure out what the special occasion could be.
" Mum...What's going on?" Courtney asked curiously as her mum kept running up and down trying to hasten up with what she was doing
" Huh?" Lauren, who wasn't paying full attention to Courtney, finally halted what she was doing as she took a small towel wiping her hands with it.
"I want to know what's going on " Courtney demanded, looking confused as she blinked her eyes nervously.
"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, taking up a knife as she began to chop an onion with it.
"What's going on? Why are you preparing such a big feast and why is dad trying to set things up?" Courtney quizzes with a puzzled face.
"Oh ! Actually…... .Hugo is coming around and…..your father and I are just trying to make sure that he sees the house sparkling and also that he has something to eat, " Lauren conveyed, still chopping the onion loudly. She blinked her eyes in pain as she felt the onion burning her eyes.
"There's really no need to make such a big deal out of it. I mean...he's not that important is he?" Courtney asked with her head high as she stared at her mother who paused due to the statement she made turning around as dropped the knife on the chopping board walking towards her.
" He is an affluent businessman which literally makes him really important, facing that he's our only option (paused) Tidy up yourself,you are to look your best for the life of our company and your brother rests on your shoulders young lady." She touched Courtney's cheek softly as she rendered a tender assuring smile to her.
Courtney walked out of the kitchen in a hush. Lauren picked up the knife from the chopping board as she proceeded with what she was doing.
Courtney kept silent for an inexplicable reason as she stepped gently into the room. She walked up to the mirror staring at herself as she blinked her eyes sadly. Was she going to say her life was doomed? She raised up her hand not above her head as she gazed at her engagement ring which gave a shine as the light flashed at it.
She suddenly felt sad and alone as she recalled the pleasant times she spent with Roman, her fiancé. She could clearly recall how he gave her a surprise date where he proposed to her romantically. For a moment,she was haunted by the fear of not being with him,she couched to the floor as she sobbed silently, quivering a bit. It was like no one sat to reason about the pain she was going through and how living seemed unbearable.
She continued to sob as she sniffed incessantly, no longer trying to stifle her tears. She suddenly stood up from the floor,picked up a towel as she dappled her eyes with it drying off the tears she had on her face. She stood in front of the mirror again looking at herself as she stifled in some tears refusing to break down again. She forced out the engagement ring from her hands as she flung it into her jewelry box in pain.
She got undressed,tied a purple towel around her as she went into the bathroom to take a shower. She spent up to an hour in the toilet wondering how and what her billionaire husband was like. She needed no one to tell her that he wasn't nice because why would a nice person bring in such a condition in a ghastly situation? But for some reason,she kept hoping for the best which could ease her parents ' worry.
She picked up her phone,scrolled down her contact lists and suddenly stopped,as she picked out Roman's name. She scrolled down their previous chats as tears flowed down from her eyes. Her hands began to tremble as she decided to text him about her contracted marriage. After doing so,she switched off her phone, nodding her head in pain as she flopped on her bed.
Suddenly,there was an abrupt knock on the door as she paused sobbing, sniffing in as she rushed to open up the door. She walked closer as she held the doorknob for a few seconds,made a heavy sigh,as she opened the door.
Opening up the door,she met her mum standing outside her corridor holding a plate of Mince.
"Oh hi mum. Step inside" Courtney masqueraded a grin for an unknown reason as Lauren walked in placing the plate of Mince on a table.
" Are some of these okay? Eat them up. Hugo will be here any moment from now"
Lauren broadcasted looking at Courtney who nodded her head apprehensive of what might occur.
"Hey...(held Courtney's hands) you don't have to be nerve-wreck okay? Everything will go smoothly I'm sure if it" Lauren patted Courtney's cheek as she smiled, batting her eyes in an attempt to avoid tears from flowing down.
"And gosh ! Why ain't you dressed Courtney? We don't have all day" Lauren stated feeding a piece of Mince to Courtney.
"I was trying to contact…... .Roman" Courtney responded with a mouth full of Mince as everywhere suddenly became hush and calm. Courtney stared at Lauren who turned around as if trying to hide the pain.
A loud car horn was heard as they were brought back to life after floating in a space of sorrow.
"That must be him. Get dressed without an ado" Lauren said walking out of the room as Courtney rushed into her closet trying to figure out an outfit fit to be worn.
She joined her parents shortly as she watched them standing in the corridor of the living room waiting to welcome Hugo.
Stretching her body in an attempt to have a glance of Hugo,she was dumb-strucked.
She couldn't believe her eyes,she watched Hugo walk majestically into the living room. He was accompanied by two body-guards,who were hefty as they bounced in with Hugo. After entering into the living room,Her eyes were locked with Hugo's as they stared at each other for seconds. She felt herself struggling to breathe as she kept breathing heavily while Hugo stared at her with cold eyes. She finally cut the gaze as she nervously looked to another direction but gradually returned gazing at him. Suddenly Hugo smirked, unlocking eye contact as he sat on the couch with two guards beside him.
Courtney nervously walked towards a couch as she sat on it facing directly at Hugo who gave a dead stare. Courtney survived the awkward moment by her dad who broke the hush.
"It's a pleasure meeting you again Hugo I..." Sean spoke up but was interrupted abruptly by Hugo.
"Again Sean. There should be no Informalities between us. I stated that strictly in our last meeting but I guess you have a problem with adhering to instructions. You will address me as Oakley Hugo" Hugo obnoxiously conveyed as Courtney blinked her eyes in disbelief.
" (Chuckled) Oh! I atone for that" Sean smiled embarrassively as he tried to avoid making eye contact with Courtney who nodded her head in disbelief. Lauren, trying to bypass the awkward moment, tried to make a diversion.
"What would you like me to offer you?" Lauren asked, facing Hugo as he picked up his phone scrolling through it ignoring her on purpose.
"Are you talking to me or my bodyguards? I just made emphasis that I need no one to be informal with me. You and your husband pathetically have the same bug" Hugo stated as Courtney looked at her dad in shock with her eyes wide opened.
"My bad. I'm referring to you Sire. What would you like to have?" Lauren quizzed curiously.
"What do you think you can offer me?" Hugo scoffed as Courtney trembled at his deviant attitude.
"Um…..specially for you,I prepared….." Lauren made an attempt to speak but was cut short by Hugo who placed his phone in his pocket giving out a ghastly stare.
"I came not to feast but to attend to a vital issue" Hugo affirmed as Sean held Lauren's hand signaling her to sit down.
"Right...In exchange for the marriage as we agreed on,your company will sponsor my business and ensure my family's survival. So…..this is my daughter Courtney " Sean responded as he pointed at Courtney,she sat up straight nervously trying to control her emotions as she glared at Hugo.
"(Snickered) so this is the daughter I am marrying? She looks too fragile to survive in my world" Hugo smirked with his sleepy looking Gray eyes fixed on Courtney.
She trembled in rage as she glared at Hugo. She couldn't believe her father signed her off to a deviant, arrogant billionaire who couldn't watch his tongue around elders. How was she going to survive? She thought as she bowed her head trying to stifle in some tears. She was literally doomed for life with a no-good ill-mannered creature.
"There will be no divorce for at least 5 years. She will fulfill her duties as my wife. No exceptions" He conveyed stretching out his hands as a document was handed over to him by his bodyguard. He slipped out a piece of paper as he placed it on the table.
Sean picked up the paper as he speed read what was written on it.
"Adding to the bargain you've made of no divorce at least for 5 years,there shall be no scandals, she'll be permitted to go to college,and she'll bear an heir if demanded" Sean stated as tears rolled down from Courtney's eyes as she immediately cleaned it up sobbing lightly.
"Not bear an heir if demanded,she will" Hugo corrected in a cruel tone as he paid no attention to Courtney who looked devastated rather,he flipped through the contract papers acting as if she was invisible.
Sean handed the paper over to Courtney who hesitated at first but later collected it. She couldn't scan through it as her eyes were bulged with tears and she couldn't clearly see what was written.
" If your daughter refuses to sign it,your company dies tomorrow" Hugo stated making it sound as if it was a threat to them.
And there, Courtney held the paper with a quivering hand. She looked at the paper which she called her life as she kept sobbing, ignoring Hugo who sat tall on the couch paying no attention to her. She had never dreamt of her life turning into a contract for survival and the most excruciating part was that it was to a billionaire with a deviant attitude who showed not even the slightest concern for her. How was she going to live her life which felt more like her being trapped in a cage? She has many thoughts and underwent different rounds of sorrows but the reality couldn't be erased by tears so she sniffed in glaring at Hugo with absolute rage.
"I don't have all the time in the world. Can someone just pass her a pen already? I just need your signature to seal this contract so can you not make a fuss out of this?" Hugo cruelty stated as a pen was passed out to her by his bodyguard.
She placed the paper on the table after receiving the pen making an attempt to sign it but a loud rant was heard which halted her. Without wondering who it was,Roman stormed into the living room breathing out with a fury as he yelled out her name.
"How can you do this? You're engaged to me! So how can you sit there and sign a marriage paper to him?" Roman yelled while breathing heavily.
Sean stood up trying to hush him but he rushed towards Courtney as he looked her deep into her eyes in disbelief.
"Tell me this isn't true. Tell me you ain't throwing us away for money" He kept a steady gaze at her as she sobbed and lightly nodded her head.
"I'm helpless. It is a choice I don't have. I'm sorry. I never meant to cause you this much pain" Courtney sobbing uncontrollably as Roman nodded his head.
"No no no,there must be something we can do to stop this right?" Roman asked knowing what the answer would be but expects a positive response for some reason.
"Nothing can be done," Courtney nodded in disagreement as she continued to sob.
The billionaire stood up towering over them both. Calm but menacing. He finally spoke up:
" She belongs to me now. If you want to fight,fight the contract...but you'll lose. (To Courtney) Sign and watch how fast the world forgets about him" Hugo said mockingly in an attempt to aggravate Roman who stood up dashing towards him but was restrained by Hugo's Bodyguard.
"She's mine ! You can't just buy her" Roman roared at Hugo as he struggled to break free from the hands of Hugo's Bodyguards but his efforts were in vain.
"She's mine now! Contracts are stronger than feelings. Watch her sign" Hugo said in an icy calm.
"You know the situation we're in. This is really not the right time to be emotional. I beg of you. Our company life is at stake, same as your brother, he's dying Courtney. Please sign it" Sean whispered to Courtney who stared at Roman as he kept struggling with the Bodyguards trying to reach her.
"Don't sign it Courtney. We can fix this. Please" Roman pleaded as Hugo smirked, foreseeing how it was going to end.
Courtney, who was sobbing,picked up the Contract which was secured by her father and placed it on the table. She looked at Roman who nodded in disagreement. She bowed down her head in dismay as she picked up the pen on the table, signing the contract.
"Congratulations Miss. Billionaire,for you've just sold your freedom" Hugo smirked collecting the contract paper from Courtney as he placed it back into the folder,closing it smoothly.
After this ,Hugo ordered his bodyguards to take Roman outside and while he was dragged outside,he yelled at Mr. Sean in deep pain:
" you've sold her soul! And I swear,I'll get her back,even if it kills me"
Roman was taken out of the house as Courtney flopped on the floor with her hands on her mouth whimpering bitterly. Lauren walked up to her as she couched to the floor enfolding Courtney who was quivering in pain while in tears.