Chapter 1 The Bargain

I never thought that my life would deteriorate to this level, where an important decision was made based on the agreement of my mother’s bed. While standing in the first bare room, everything around me started blinking, and the sound of the monitors’ beeping made me realize how vulnerable life is. I watched my mother, Ava, whom I found to be looking so weak and sickly with her eyes shut as she searched for breath with each succeeding moment. She was the whole universe to me and I could have killed for her to be alive or live again. The door cracked open and my father Cyan strode with a ruthless look on his face. Behind him arrived Charlotte, my step-sister loathsome, as always, before she averted her snobbish little nose in another direction. Looking at the two of you interact, I thought, could we have been under the same roof even if for a short time? Her mother was my father’s new wife who introduced her like a blot on the family’s copybook. “Dad,” I managed to say softly. “Besides, we have not spoken to the doctors before, can they commence her treatment?” He nodded, slowly, looking from me to my mother. “Yes, Vanessa, they can. ” But he paused and then continued “There is however one condition to it”. My heart sank. "What condition?" I ? He looked at me, blinking and then staring into my eyes earnestly, “You must marry Kai Ace. ” Charlotte gave a bark of laughter and I looked at her in question, my mind addled. “Kai Ace? The man you are supposed to marry?” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, but according to her, I am too young and frail for him, as it seems he is not a Prince Charming that he wants everyone to believe that he is ” A glance at my father Back at the man before turning my attention back to my father, I was overwhelmed by myriad thoughts. “Sir this is what I mean…. ’’ Cyan made a deep stressed sound as if asking for a pardon for having to explain such a messed up ‘deal. ’ Kai Ace has a. . . difficult past His evil deeds had reached certain ears Once again, your mother and I agreed that you should marry him as he promises to clear all debts and finance your mother’s treatment as well. The room felt like it was contracting and I was suffocating inside – marry a man I did not know; a man with issues all for my mother. Sometimes it was like someone has played a most sinister of pranks upon me. Then I looked at Mother, lying there with that serene expression on her face, and I realized that I had no other option left. Here is a conversation that Kathy and her boyfriend used to have: “When do we…? Sleep together? Get married?” I said, speaking almost inaudibly. Charlotte sniggered still giving the dangerous gaze. “Tomorrow. There will not be a big celebration, some nice dinner, and a few hundred guests, You know, Kai is not a superstar; he is not a billionaire, just a frontman for some other people. These realizations knocked me to my core because the truth is painful sometimes. My father was selling me off for resurrecting his declining business and my mother’s life. To be honest, I was nauseous; however, I couldn’t afford to be pitiful. This I had to do. For her. The next day, I am standing in a decent black dress. Look in the mirror. The woman gazing right into the camera resembled a completely different person; she was pale, and she seemed stressed, but her eyes were full of determination. My stepmother hovered over me, adjusting things until the last minute and Charlotte and her crew laughed at me. The elders then scolded me for the moves I had made but realizing that I had come to perform, I did not care to pay attention to them. Somewhere between this start and that finish, just make it to the end of the day. The ceremony was rather short, it seemed more like a doctor’s procedure. Kai Ace was late, dressed in his black suit he had sharp dark eyes that looked as if he was looking for a way out. He was quite a tall man and rated a high-danger signal. He had dark hair blending it on his forehead in such a manner that he looked rather mysterious. First of all, let me truly thank you for what we said to each other, Maybe something was flashing in the eyes — is it remorse? But then it was gone, brought by a new DD's determination and preparedness. The ceremony was followed by some picture-taking. Charlotte’s friends used very unpleasant words to me, they even called me all sorts of names, all their meritorious effort was put into making me believe that they were the real laughingstock of the world. I held my head up high and didn’t let their words get to me, I stood with my armor firmly intact. Kai was there, standing beside me, his eyes fixed straight ahead, deep in his thoughts, and yet even with him by my side, I felt a total sense of helplessness. That night we found ourselves in a one-bedroom apartment that did not seem to be very expensive. It was not the palace-like home I was expecting but it was tidy and cozy. As if doing this to me was something that he had the right to do Kai stared at me with an emotionless face. “We will live here for six months”, he whispered. After that, we can get a divorce since we are to pretend to be a couple only, I will ensure that your mother’s treatment is catered for. I merely gave a brief nod of my head and smiled, although a part of me was almost let down. This was just a business deal and it bore no more than that. But at least my mother would be ok. So the next morning, I got up with the serious intention of making breakfast. Cooking within the premises of the kitchen, I could not help but feel rather uneasy. This was my new reality, and I had to adjust to it in some way, so I thought about it a little more and came up with the following: Kai came out and when he saw the spread, he could not feign any surprise which is rather rich given his part in the drama. “Er…I cook?” he asked, though his voice sounded more like a question he really did not want to have to ask. I shrugged. “I had to learn”, Mom was ill for a long time, I guess for a couple of years. He nodded and then settled down to begin eating. Most of this time was spent eating in silence with looks of discontent, making the invisible questions hang like the air. I wanted to know more about him; to ask the reason he is ready to marry a lady to pay for her father’s debts but I couldn’t. Next, following breakfast, I put on my clothes to go out. Kai stared at me, his features ending up sharpened somewhat. "Where are you going?" “The store,” I answered, not elaborating on it any more than that. I was not willing to let him into my life in that way yet. It was still quite and dark when I stepped out of the house and for some unknown reason I had a feeling of uneasiness. This was only the evolution of our rather sick relationship and I never saw what it was going to turn into next. But one thing was clear: I had to get through this, for my mother and me. Kai Ace used to be a mere tool that helped me achieve my ultimate goal, little did I know about upcoming events.