The contract bride

--- Chapter 1: A Desperate Choice Linda was sleeping soundly in her modest, dimly lit room when the door burst open with a sharp bang. Startled, she jerked awake, her heart racing. Her mother stood in the doorway, her face twisted with anger, and beside her was Linda's younger sister—dressed in a trendy, limited-edition outfit that was so far from Linda’s reality that it stung. Her mother didn’t wait for an invitation. She crossed the room with swift, angry strides and grabbed Linda by the arm, pulling her out of the bed. “Get up!” she shouted. “What are you doing lying there? All you do is eat, sleep, and do nothing!” Linda’s vision blurred with unshed tears as she tried to adjust to the sudden aggression. She looked down at her worn, threadbare clothes, feeling the weight of the judgment in her mother’s eyes. Her younger sister, who hadn’t lifted a finger to help, was nodding in silent support, her perfect, expensive clothes contrasting sharply with Linda's tattered appearance. “You’re a disgrace,” her mother continued, her voice venomous. “Since you lost your job, you’ve been nothing but a burden. No one in this house has time for laziness!” Linda opened her mouth to speak, but her words stuck in her throat. She had only been out of work for a week, but to her mother, a week felt like a lifetime. “I need some time... just a little time to get back on my feet,” Linda pleaded, her voice breaking. Her mother scoffed, slapping her hard across the cheek. “Time?” she hissed. “You’ve had all the time you wanted. No more! You’re not a child anymore. If you want to stay under my roof, you’ll learn to pull your weight!” Linda staggered back, stunned by the slap. Before she could recover, her mother tossed a dress at her. It was an elegant, expensive gown—the kind Linda couldn’t afford. “Get dressed. Now,” her mother ordered. Linda, in shock and unable to argue, stared at the dress. Her mother’s next words hit her like a hammer. “There’s a suitor waiting for you at the hotel. You’ll meet him there. Do whatever he asks. That’s your chance to get your life together, to fix the mess you’ve made. Don’t you dare mess it up.” The coldness of the command, the finality in her voice, made Linda’s stomach churn. She had no choice. There was no time to argue, no time for dignity. She had to do this. She had to survive. With tears streaming down her face, Linda dressed in the gown her mother had given her, her body trembling with a mix of fear, shame, and helplessness. She couldn’t remember when she had felt so small, so insignificant. She left the house without another word, her heart heavy. The cab ride to the hotel felt like an eternity. Each passing minute was a reminder of how much had gone wrong, how everything had led to this desperate moment. ---