DUTY BOND: MY LIFE WITH A COMATOSE HUSBAND

Be My Mistress

"I'll marry your son," I repeated, my voice firm and resolute. The words hung in the air like a promise, a commitment that would change my life forever.

His mother's face lit up with joy, her eyes shining with tears. She rushed to me, her arms open wide, and enveloped me in a warm embrace.

"Thank you so much, dear," she whispered, her voice trembling with gratitude.

"I'll start the preparations for the wedding immediately."

As she pulled back and reached for her phone, I turned to look at him again, my gaze drawn to his like a magnet. I couldn't stop looking at him, my heart racing with a mix of emotions.

If marrying him would save my father from dying, if it would save his company from bankruptcy, then why wouldn't I do it?

The thought echoed in my mind like a mantra, a reminder of the sacrifice I was about to make. I knew that this marriage would come with a steep price, but I was willing to pay it. For my father's sake, for his company's sake, I would do this.

But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that gave me pause. A glimmer of kindness, a hint of warmth, a spark of connection that went beyond a mere business transaction. And in that moment, I wondered if maybe, just maybe, this marriage wouldn't be just a sacrifice, but a chance at something more.

I stood up and began to walk out of the room, a glimmer of hope flickered to life within me. Maybe, just maybe, I could find a way to escape the suffocating arrangement that had been laid out before me. I thought about my art, my passion, my escape. If I could just sell my painting, even at a low price, maybe I wouldn't need to sacrifice my freedom and marry someone I didn't love.

The thought sent a surge of determination through me, and I quickened my pace, my heart beating with a newfound sense of purpose. I would find a way to make this work, to make my art support me, no matter what it took. I couldn't let my parents' expectations dictate my life, not when I had a dream that burned so brightly within me.

As I walked, the weight of my situation began to lift, replaced by a sense of empowerment. I would take control of my destiny, no matter what obstacles lay ahead. I would find a way to sell my painting, make a name for myself in the art world, and forge my path. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying, but I knew it was the only way to truly be free.

*

Gallery

I pushed open the door to my gallery, and a sense of unease washed over me. The door was already ajar, and I knew I had locked it before leaving the night before. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized that someone had been inside. Felix was the only person I had entrusted with a spare key, and I couldn't help but wonder if he had something to do with the eerie feeling that was growing inside me.

I stepped cautiously into the room, my eyes scanning the space for any signs of disturbance. And then, I saw it. The room was in disarray, paintings knocked off the walls, sculptures overturned, and debris scattered everywhere. My heart sank as I took in the destruction before me. Who could have done this? And why?

I moved deeper into the room, my senses on high alert, as I tried to make sense of the chaos. The air was thick with an eerie silence, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I knew I had to call the police, but my feet seemed rooted to the spot. I was frozen in shock, unable to process the destruction of my beloved gallery.

As I stood there, trying to make sense of the mess, my mind kept going back to Felix. Had he done this? And if so, why? I thought we were lovers, I thought he loved me.

"Oh, see who's here," a sultry female voice purred, dripping with sarcasm. I spun around, my heart racing, to find Gloria and Felix standing in the doorway, their faces twisted into smug grins. My eyes narrowed, my mind racing with the implications.

"Don't tell me you did this to my gallery," I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls as I took a step closer to them. My hands clenched into fists, my anger boiling over like a pot left unattended.

Gloria's smile grew wider, her eyes glinting with malice.

"Maybe we just wanted to redecorate," she said, her voice dripping with condescension.

Felix chuckled, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You should be grateful we didn't burn the place down," he sneered.

I took another step closer, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You have no idea what this gallery means to me," I spat, my voice venomous. "It's my passion, my livelihood. And you've destroyed it."

Gloria shrugged, her shoulders barely rising off her sleek black dress.

"Collateral damage," she said, her voice dismissive.

I felt a red haze creeping over my vision, my anger threatening to consume me.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. Haven't you done enough for me? I thought, my mind reeling with the sheer audacity of his betrayal. You've taken everything away from me - my gallery, my passion, my freedom. What else do you want? My soul?

"You'll pay for this," I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper, but laced with a deadly promise.

"Mark my words, Felix. You'll regret the day you ever crossed me."

But Felix just smirked, his eyes glinting with a cold calculation.

"Well, I can pay for it," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Become my mistress, my slave, and I'll take care of your father's bills. I'll even help with your family's bankruptcy."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I stared at Felix, my heart shattered into a million pieces.

This was the man who had once loved me with every fiber of his being, who had promised to cherish and protect me. Now, he was offering me a deal that made my skin crawl.

"You're unbelievable," I spat, my voice shaking with rage and sorrow.

"You're willing to buy me like a piece of property, to own me like a slave. What happened to the man who loved me? What happened to the man who would move mountains for me?"

Felix's expression didn't change, his eyes cold and unyielding.

"That man is gone," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"And in his place is a man who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And what I want is you."

I started crying, the sobs wracking my body as I struggled to comprehend the depth of Felix's betrayal. How could he do this to me? How could he reduce our love to a mere business transaction? I thought I knew him, but now I realize I never did.

"You'll never get a chance to pay the bills for your dying father," she taunted, her voice dripping with malice.

"And you'll have no other choice but to come crawling to us, begging for our help."

Gloria's words dripped with venom as she sneered at me, her eyes flashing with triumph.

Her eyes rolled in exasperation as if she couldn't believe I hadn't already succumbed to their demands.

"You're running out of time," she snapped, her voice cracking with impatience.

"Your father's condition is deteriorating by the day, and you're still holding on to your pathetic little pride."

I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears threatened to spill over, but I refused to give her the satisfaction.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I spat, my voice trembling with rage.

"You're reveling in my misery, taking pleasure in my pain."

Gloria's smile grew wider, her lips curling up in a cruel smile.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," she purred, her voice dripping with sadistic pleasure.

"You have no idea what we're capable of, what we'll do to get what we want."

I felt a chill run down my spine as I realized the true extent of their cruelty. They would stop at nothing to destroy me, to break me. But I refused to give in, refused to let them win. I would fight with every last breath in my body, for my father, for myself, and for the future we deserved.