My Life with Hades

Work Registered under copyright with No. 2112140032693. All rights reserved by Safe Creative. While I waited in line to receive my diploma, since I was graduating in International Business today, someone tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, I found Ramsés Knight, or Hades, as everyone knew him. It had been many years since I last saw him, and here he was, showing up at my graduation with a huge bouquet of roses. He approached me and greeted me with his usual frown. "Hello, Bree, congratulations. I'm proud of you," he said, handing me the bouquet. Nervously, I broke eye contact and looked around. My classmates were staring at him, captivated. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the effect Ramsés had on women. But not on me. He never did. "Hello, thank you," I replied after a few seconds. "What are you doing here?" I asked immediately. "I came to your graduation. I had to invite myself since I didn’t receive an invitation from you." "And how exactly did you expect to get one? I haven’t seen you in years," I replied with a frown. He looked at me seriously and nodded. "I know, and I deserve it. When the ceremony is over, you and I need to talk. I'll be waiting for you with the other guests," he said, turning away. As soon as he was a bit distant, the girls started questioning me. "Where do you know Hades from? Why didn’t we know anything? You’re one of his flings, right? The guy has millions, Bree. We don’t want that for you." "I’m not one of his flings, and I have nothing to do with him. As you heard, I haven’t seen him in years," I replied with a frown. "And let’s not talk about it anymore," I said, trying to downplay it. When it was my turn to go up to the podium to say a few words, since I graduated at the top of my class, I saw him stand up immediately to applaud me. That seemed totally strange to me. Once the ceremony was over, I stayed with the girls, chatting for a while. We were never friends, but we got along well. "Come on, Bree," someone said, taking my hand and pulling me away from them. I pulled away from his grip, angry. "Don’t ever do that again, got it?" I scolded him with a frown. He nodded and apologized. "Sorry, Bree, force of habit." I nodded and said goodbye to the girls with hugs. "Now we can go," I said, approaching him. When we got into his car, Caden, his bodyguard, greeted me with a smile. "Where are we going?" I asked, looking at Ramsés after a few seconds of silence. "To a restaurant. I have a reservation to celebrate your graduation. I'm very proud of you." I nodded and remained silent, looking out the car window. We arrived at the restaurant where I had worked some time ago, and that struck me as strange. I didn’t understand why he had brought me to that place. "Why are we here?" I asked almost immediately. "This is where we met," he replied, shrugging. We sat at the table, and he ordered for both of us. After placing our order, he looked at me intently. "Do you remember I told you that one day I would need something from you?" I nodded. "Well, I want you to marry me. I want a wife, and there's no one better than you. You will enjoy all the benefits that come with being Mrs. Knight. We’ll get married without a prenup, and divorce is not an option," he said, looking at me intently. I... I wanted to believe it was a joke, but he was serious. I remained silent, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to think. So, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "What do you mean you want to get married, Ramsés? You can’t just decide to get married on a whim. You decide that when you love someone." "I don’t love anyone, and I never will, Bree." "But why me? There are millions of women in the world." "Because there's no one better for this. Being my wife will give you power, money, and a family. I will become your family." "But I can't, Ramsés. I'm not interested, and besides, I love someone else," I replied, crossing my arms. He kept looking at me without any expression, as if the word "love" was meaningless to him, as if he didn’t understand it. "Love should be called infatuation, Bree. That’s what you have—an infatuation." "No," I replied, frustrated. "I know what I feel. I know what I feel for him. Don’t come at me with this, please." "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Bree," was the last thing he said. I simply nodded. I had made a deal with Ramsés Knight himself, the man nicknamed "Hades" for his ruthless nature. "When you say the hard way, what exactly do you mean?" I asked, determined to see where this was going. "Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, looking at me with a frown. "Yes," I replied, challenging him. He gave me a half-smile that was genuinely unsettling. "You live in an apartment under my name without any contract. I can claim you moved in without permission. Besides, you owe me a lot of money. You should read what you sign, Bree." I stayed silent, unable to utter a word. I couldn’t believe what Ramsés was saying. The silence became uncomfortable after several minutes until I finally spoke, because I knew he could go an entire day without uttering a single word. "Why do you want to get married, Ramsés? Is there some clause in a will or something?" He shook his head. "I want a wife, Bree. That’s all." "Can you give me a valid reason, please?" He thought for a few seconds, as if debating with himself. "I don’t want to be alone. I want someone to be with me in that lonely house, to accompany me to the beach on Saturdays and watch me while I do some sport in the sea." "For God’s sake, Ramsés! Get a dog! What you need is a dog, not a wife." He nodded. "Maybe, but a dog couldn’t apply sunscreen on me." "Then hire a full-time assistant to do those things for you," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I want a wife, and that wife has to be you," he said, placing a small box in the center of the table. "I’ll give you until the end of lunch to decide." I remained silent. How was I supposed to marry him when I was completely in love with someone else? I just couldn’t. I didn’t want to get married either—that had never been in my plans. "I can’t marry you because I’m pregnant," I told him, hoping it would make him back off. He thought for a few seconds and nodded. "I’ll take care of the child too." "But I’m not asking you for that. My baby has a father," I replied, crossing my arms. "I don’t care, Bree. One way or another, you’ll be my wife." I sighed, frustrated. "I’m not pregnant, but if even that doesn’t stop you, nothing will," I said, crossing my arms. "I’m glad you’re starting to understand," he replied without expression. We ate in silence—or rather, he ate while I just played with the food. This had put me on edge. "Are you going to eat or not?" he asked seriously. I shook my head. "Then it’s time to say yes, Bree." I nodded. "Yes," I said very quietly. "I didn’t hear you, Bree. Can you say it louder, please?" "Yes, I accept," I replied, sighing. What choice did I have? He had helped me, and today, like the devil himself, he had come to collect. Was it a coincidence that his nickname was Hades? I didn’t think so. He took the box and slipped the ring onto my finger. "I’m glad you accepted, Bree." "Did I have a choice?" I asked him, frustrated. "This will be beneficial for both of us. You’ll see. Let’s go, I’ll take you home," he said, getting up from the table. But I shook my head. "I’d prefer to go alone. Don’t worry," I said without looking at him. "I’ll call you in a few days about the wedding. Goodbye, Bree." I waved goodbye to him and was left deep in thought, staring into space. My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. It was Carol, one of my classmates. She invited me to go out partying with them to celebrate our graduation, but I wasn’t in the mood for anything, so I declined. Nevertheless, she came to pick me up at my apartment with the other girls, and they waited for me while I got ready to go out that night. "What’s going on with you, Bree? Come on, you’ve never been the life of the party, but today you’re worse," Carol said, crossing her arms. I shook my head. "I’m just tired, that’s why I wanted to stay home," I replied, sighing. She put two shots of tequila in front of me, smiling. "Here, this will take away your tiredness." I nodded and downed the first, then the second. She hugged me, smiling. "That’s more like it." Minutes later, she served me another, and another, until I started to feel dizzy. "Let’s go to the bathroom, I feel really nauseous," I begged, taking her hand, but she stopped me. "What’s this about, Bree?" she asked, her mouth slightly open. "It means I drank too much tequila and now I want to throw up. Let’s go!" I replied, dragging her, but she wouldn’t move. She lifted my hand and said, "I’m talking about this ring." Seconds later, they were all around me, interrogating me. I shrugged, downplaying it because I had forgotten to take off the damn ring. "Come on, Bree. Talk," Step said, frowning. "It’s an engagement ring. I’m getting married," I said, and they looked at me surprised, with Carol staring in disbelief. "But how are you getting married?" "That’s right," I replied, shrugging. Carol dragged me out of the bar while the others followed. "You’re going to explain all of this right now," she scolded, crossing her arms. How the hell was I going to explain all this? I didn’t even understand it myself. "I’m going to marry Ramsés Knight," I said, just like that. Their faces were a picture, and I supposed it was the same look I had when he proposed to me. Once they got over their shock, the interrogation continued. "How are you going to marry the damn Hades? Where do you know him from? Why have we never seen you together?" Carol asked. So, I had to lie. Ramsés hadn’t told me exactly why he wanted to get married, so I couldn’t go around saying he was forcing me. "He’s my ex-boyfriend, and he came back to ask for forgiveness and marriage," I said, smiling. "Don’t lie, Bree. Hades doesn’t have girlfriends," Step said. "That’s absurd, Step," I replied, sighing. "If he doesn’t have girlfriends, then he doesn’t have wives, and he gave me this ring." "I think you’re very drunk, Bree," Carol said, evidently angry. "You’re probably so drunk that you’re confusing things." "Yes, I’m very drunk, girls. I’m going home. Goodbye," I said, walking away from them. I took a taxi and went home. I removed my clothes and went to sleep. When I opened my eyes, I saw a dark figure right in front of my bed. I almost died of fright as my eyes adjusted to the light. "Damn it! You nearly scared me to death," I said, touching my chest. "How the hell did you get in? What are you doing here?" "It’s my apartment, Bree. I have the keys. And please, don’t use bad language." "But I live here," I replied, frustrated. "You can’t just come in whenever you want." "You’re my fiancée, Bree, and yes, I can," he responded expressionlessly. "Can you please leave so I can get dressed?" I asked, pointing to the door. He nodded, turning around. I brushed my teeth and put on the first thing I found. When I came out of my room, he was on his phone. "Is that what you’re wearing to your dress fitting?" he asked, looking me up and down. "Afterward, we’ll go eat together," he added, shaking his head, and I felt like punching him. "How was I supposed to know we were going to a dress fitting?" I asked, turning around to change. "There’s no time, Bree," he said, getting up from the couch and taking my hand. I immediately pulled away from his grip and headed to my room. I don’t know how it happened, but before I knew it, I was already over his shoulder. I hit his back as hard as I could, but it hurt me more than him because his back felt like a rock. This man definitely didn’t seem human. He didn’t even complain. "If you don’t stop hitting me, Bree, I’m going to s***k you," he scolded me in a serious voice when we were in the elevator. "Then put me down!" I replied angrily. "Could you try saying, 'Please, my beloved future husband, can you put me down?'" "Not in your dreams," I replied, hitting his back. Seconds later, I felt a s***k. "What the hell is your problem?!" I shouted furiously. "I warned you, Bree. And please stop using bad language," he said. More angry than defeated, I stayed silent, cursing in my mind. "Hello, Bree," I heard my neighbor greet me, Mrs. Colt. "Hello, Mrs. Colt," I greeted her, looking at her smile. I think she found it amusing that I was in that situation. Damn! Ramsés put me down from his shoulder when we were in his car. I wanted to punch him as soon as he set me down, but his look scared me a little. So, I got into the car and crossed my arms. He walked around the car and sat next to me. "I didn’t find that funny. Don’t do it again," I said, looking at him intently. He shrugged. "It wasn’t supposed to be funny," he replied, engrossed in his phone, without looking at me. Damn this man! Was it impossible to win against him? I thought. "Good morning, Miss Bree," Caden, his bodyguard, greeted me. "Good morning, Caden," I replied with a smile. "You smile at him but hit me?" Ramsés asked without taking his eyes off his phone. "Because he didn’t barge into my apartment and carry me over his shoulder without my consent," I replied, frowning at him. "For now, but he has orders to do it if you don’t comply, Bree," he said, looking at me seriously. Arguing with him was impossible, so I stayed silent, looking out the window. "Don’t you have something to say?" he asked after a few minutes. "Go to hell, Ramsés," I said. I saw a half-smile on his face. "I’ll let the swearing slide this time, just because you made me laugh." "Do you even laugh?" I asked, trying to annoy him. "I’m human, Bree. Of course, I laugh." "I’m still doubting that," I replied, sighing. He shrugged and continued on his phone. The dress fitting was a complete disaster. I hated Beverly, the wedding planner. I hated her with all my soul. That woman was annoying and arrogant. So, when I could, I slipped out of the place, but a pair of arms stopped me. "I’m sorry, miss, but I have strict orders not to let you leave," Caden told me with a regretful look. "Can you call your boss, please? I’m not going back in there because I’m going to lose it," I replied, frustrated. He nodded and grabbed his phone. Seconds later, Ramsés came out the door with a frown. "What’s going on, Bree? Why aren’t you inside? I was waiting for you to come out with your dress on when Caden called me." "I hate that woman. If we’re going to do this, let me choose my planner," I said, crossing my arms. He took my hand, leading me back into the store. "Beverly, Miss Bree is my fiancée and the one who hired you for this, so you must obey her in everything," he said, giving her an order. She, embarrassed, nodded. For the first time, I liked the power I was feeling, at least in front of that irritating woman. So, she stopped acting like an i***t with me and obeyed me in everything. I came out with a triumphant smile in my dress to show it to Ramsés, who looked at me with a smile. And that was the first time I saw him smile. "Thank you," I said, giving him a hug, but he tensed up immediately. So, I let go and, embarrassed, apologized. After that, he was quieter than ever. "Take me to the office, Caden," he requested without expression once we were in the car. "Weren’t we going to eat together?" I asked, looking at him intently. It was as if I had never asked him a question because he completely ignored me. "Take Miss Bree home," he told Caden before getting out of the car, and that was it. He turned around and left. "What the hell was all that?!" I sighed in frustration, not realizing I had said it out loud until Caden responded. "The boss is a bit difficult, but he’s not a bad person, Miss Bree." "Caden, you know you can call me Bree, just Bree," I replied, looking at him. But he shook his head. "I can’t, Miss Bree, especially now that you’ll be my boss’s wife," he replied, shrugging. I sighed, frustrated. "Your boss is going to drive me nuts," I complained, shaking my head, and he smiled. After that afternoon, days passed until I saw him again. He let me choose everything, from the food to the cake flavor. I picked my favorite for everything, even though he tried a different one. "You’re freaking me out," I told him as soon as we were alone. "What do you mean?" he asked, looking at me intently. "You’re letting me choose everything. You’re not arguing with me about anything, and you’ve stopped bothering me. Are you feeling okay?" I asked, touching his forehead. He shrugged and shook his head. "I’m not sick, Bree. I want you to feel comfortable with everything about the wedding." "Thank you for this," I replied, smiling. "And don’t worry, I’m not going to hug you." He looked at me, and I didn’t know what I saw in his eyes. "You should do it more often. It makes me feel more human," he replied very softly. I was silent, not knowing what to say. I felt really bad for him; it reminded me of the Bree from the orphanage. So, I approached him and hugged him. At first, he tensed up, then he relaxed. We stayed like that until we were interrupted by Beverly. "What a lovely couple you make! You can tell how in love you are," she said, smiling, and I gave her an eye roll. I really hated her. He looked at me and shook his head with a slightly mocking half-smile. After that, we went to private lessons for the wedding dance, and it was more than a disaster. I didn’t know how to dance and kept stepping on him constantly. "Focus, Bree!" he shouted angrily. "I can’t dance, damn it!" I shouted back. "What do you mean you can’t dance? It’s not rocket science, Bree." "I told you, I can’t dance! What did you think? That the nuns at the orphanage were going to teach me to dance?" I shouted angrily again and turned to leave. "I’m sorry, Bree. I didn’t mean to yell. I didn’t want to make you feel bad," he said, stopping me. But I was already like a volcano erupting and silenced him. I don’t know exactly what I shouted at him. I can’t even remember. He just stayed silent. That’s where the cordiality between us ended. The next time we saw each other was on the wedding day. I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t want to get married. I asked him to come to my room to see each other minutes before the ceremony started. "Please, let’s cancel this. It’s a mistake. I don’t want to get married," I pleaded, but he refused. "Say yes, Bree. We’re getting married today, no matter what," he replied, turning around and leaving me in a mess.