Chapter 5

• Merry
• “You are my wife. You can’t just pull out now. I am not being difficult. You are. I am calling a cab and you are coming with me. I am your husband and you are coming with me.”
• He yelled right back. I tried to make sense of what I just got myself into. Why did I do it? why did I get married to a total stranger because of some fuck ass inheritance that turned out to be a scam? Now I had more things to worry about.
• My new husband might be some weirdo. What if he takes me to his house and locks me up just to come every day and fuck me until he breeds me and then I have to give birth to his children with no medical aids.
• Worse, what if he sells me to some trafficking ring? What if he pimps me to his friends for money. I watched a lot of documentaries and right now, all the worst possible things that he could do to me were running through my head and they were all terrible.
• “And if I don’t?”
• I asked, putting a little distance between us.
• “You won’t dare. If you don’t come with me willingly. You will leave me with no choice but to drag you into the cab wailing and screaming.”
• That did it for me. It was obvious now that I married a psychopath. I should have known from the beginning.
• “I don’t know you. I can’t just go home with you.”
• I told him. looking around and trying to find a way to get out of his presence.
• “You didn’t know me when you agreed to marry me. you can’t pull out now. Not to mention, I never said I was taking you to my house.”
• Now, I was really scared. If he wasn’t taking me to his house, then where was he taking me to?
• “Where are you taking me to?”
• I asked. I couldn’t even hide the fear from my voice anymore.
• “Your house. To pack your personal stuff that you might need and then to a hotel where you will spend the night.”
• He revealed. He said me not us. So does that mean he won’t be there? And would his not being there guarantee my safety? For all I know, he might have a man ready to have sex with me on our first night already. not to mention I promised him hot sex earlier.
• What was I thinking when I made all those promises? How could I have shamelessly promised a strange different position? I must have been drugged or something.
• “Why would you do all those things for me?”
• I asked him.
• “Isn’t it obvious? We are husband and wife.”
• “Stop saying that.”
• “Well, it is the truth. And what did you say before about the marriage not being valid and our contract not standing? You must think I am a fool. Our marriage is real and you can’t back out. we can continue fighting here until tomorrow or you get in the cab with me so that we can go and pick up your stuff.”
• He said. I let out a sigh. I was tired. Angry. Hungry. Drained. I was every bit done with the world and all I wanted to do was lock myself up in a room and cry myself to sleep.
• “I don’t want to go pick up my stuff.”
• I told him.
• “Okay, then. We will go straight to your hotel.”
• “I don’t have money to pay for a hotel. In case you didn’t hear everything I said earlier, I am broke. Freaking penniless.”
• I told him. he scoffed
• “I didn’t ask you to pay.”
• “Then how will you pay? Do you have money? Are you going to burn your savings just to help a stranger?”
• I asked him. He laughed.
• “And what if I am? I told you already. Don't worry about anything. I will handle everything. The cab is here. We should go.”
• He said and reached for my hand and once he took my hand, I couldn’t shake off his hand because his hold was strong. I looked around, trying to see if anyone was watching and would help if I called out for help but everyone was minding their goddamn business.
• No one found it odd that a man was holding a woman and pulling her with him towards a waiting cab. Maybe I should pull out and run in the opposite direction. Run as fast as I can and run far away from him.
• “Don’t even think about it.”
• He said as if he had read my mind. I let out a defeated sigh and got into the cab with him. The ride to the hotel was the most fearful experience of my life. I kept looking out through the window and wondering just how far we were going.
• I didn’t have to wonder for long because about twenty minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of one of the biggest hotels in the state. I turned to him in confusion.
• “You really want me to stay here for the night? Do you know how expensive it’s?”
• I let out. Even while dating a big-shot singer, I didn’t enter hotels like this. Ever. Not even once but this man wanted me to spend the night here.
• “Yes, this should do.”
• “And where would you get the money to pay?”
• I asked, looking at him as if he had lost his mind. Heck, he definitely has lost his mind.
• “Don’t worry about that.”
• “The hell? Are you planning on punishing me? Is that what you want to do? Book a night in this expensive hotel just walk off without paying and leave me with more debts? Do you really think I am that stupid to fall for something like that?”
• I yelled out. The man was crazy. Worst of all, he was freaking calm while I was almost losing my mind.
• “I don’t have any such plans. If you would just let me finish. The owner of the hotel owes me a favor so I texted earlier that someone important would be spending a night here.”
• That made no sense. How can a man like him know the owner of such a big hotel and why would the owner owe him? He was just trying to get her in more trouble.
• “No. Please, let’s just go to my apartment. I would rather sleep there than here. I can’t believe you know someone like the person who owns this hotel and that he would owe you a favor.”
• I let out.
• “You are a very difficult woman. Merry.”
• I refused to acknowledge the way my inside turned when he called my name or how hearing my name from his mouth made me feel. It was stupid. It was me being a fool again and I refuse to be a fool twice. He brought out his phone. He made a call and spoke to someone on the phone for a few seconds before handing the phone to me.
• “Hello? Am I onto Merry?”
• The deep voice at the other end of the phone asked. I looked at my new husband and he nodded towards the phone. I took it from him and placed it on my ears.
• “Yes, this is Merry.”
• I managed to say.
• “Good. My friend tells me that you are having doubts about your hotel arrangement. You don’t have to worry. I owe him and I told him he could get a favor from me anytime he wants. He chose to use it now so you must be very important to him.”
• The voice at the other end of the phone said. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing but it sounded too real for it to be fake. But then again, I couldn’t tell Alex was faking for five whole years so maybe I wasn’t the best judge of character.
• “Are you sure?”
• I asked, hoping that I wasn’t digging myself into more trouble.
• “Yes, you have nothing to worry about.”
• He assured me. I nodded and handed the phone back to my new husband. We both got out of the cab and he paid the driver before reaching for my hand again. He led me into the huge hotel and made his way directly to the reception as if he had been there before.
• “Have you been here before?”
• I couldn’t resist asking. He just looked at me and didn’t say a word. He spoke with the receptionist who handed him a card.
• “Your room is this way.”
• He said and led us towards the elevator. I had so many questions as we rode the elevator but I just couldn’t get the words out. Plus, there were other people with us so I couldn’t really question him. when the elevator came to a stop. He reached for my hand and we both walked out of the elevator.
• “You will spend the night here. If you need anything, just call room service.”
• He told me. I paused and looked at him really well.
• “Are you for real? This hotel is freaking expensive. How do you know the owner?”
• I questioned.
• “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. Merry. Everything will be sorted out. you just have to trust me.”
• “Trust you? I have trusted two men and they both turned out to be two-faced monsters today. I don’t think I want to do that to myself anymore.”
• I responded. Trust wasn’t something I could easily give going forward, not after what Alex and the lawyer did today. They both succeeded in turning my life upside down.