A CONTRACT BRIDE

"Till death do us past." As I echo the words, a rush of euphoria overtake me and then I know, if this doesn't work out the way it's meant to work out, I'll be in a very huge mess. I stare at the face of one of the richest man in America and I can't help but think, is this all worth it? Selling myself off to a man I barely know, even though he's a ruthless, handsome devil. As I continu to look into his brown eyes, I see a smirk play on his lips. Reminding me this is nothing but a contract thing. A contract wedding. A deal with the devil. Nothing more than this is going to happen between us. At the end of the day, he gets to live the solitary life he wants with no other love or thought but for his company. Satisfying his mom and himself while also getting rid of the minor disturbance in his life. Talk about killing three birds with one stone. For me, I get to see my mother happy again. I get to witness my sister get healed. They're my adopted family but they mean they mean the world to me. They absolutely do. I look at the faces of the crowd and my eyes immediately lock in with my mom's. I see the tear drop fall from her eyes as she gives me a knowing smile. Of course she knows. There's hardly nothing mom doesn't know about. She knows there's more to being the bride of the wedding than me being in love. I smile back at her and I can't help but remember our last conversation. ****** The slow dripping sound of the IV drip continued, each drop reminding me of the withering girl on the bed, her body now ashen white and her eyes closed in pale horror. In a corner of the room, I could hear my mum whimpering, closing her mouth with her hands as she tried to ignore the slow death that her only child was now undergoing. "Mum? Please stop crying. I will get the money soon." I say, my voice breaking towards the end of the statement, my own mental health now sabotaged. "I will work more jobs and I will take out a loan or something. Please. Don't do this to yourself." But she pays me no mind as she continues to stare at the little girl on the bed. Not moving, not eating, I'm not even sure she's breathing. It saddens me more seeing her this way because someone so full of life shouldn't be confined to such sadness. She had adopted me when I was eleven. I was on the streets, beaten and malnutritious without any memory of who I am. Even though I never regained them, she treated me like her own. She carried me to the hospital when she opened the doors of her house and she saw me lying there. Paid for my treatment and got me drugs too. Fed me and clothed me. Made me feel like I was a part of her family. Her own real daughter being my sister and she being my mother. I owe everything I have to them. Looking at that woman now sitting, helpless and without life grieves me. I turn my back about to leave and go in search of money just as I've always done since my sister's sickness started. My mother's voice stops me. "They don't think she's going to last the month without proper treatment." Her hallow voice says. "I tried to talk to the doctor to give us some more time but the more we delay it, the more she..." She tries saying but bursts into a bout of tears. Gastric cancer. That is what my sister is suffering from. And every single second that we waste, lead her closer to the grave. I turn back to face my mom as I walk up to her and fall to her feet as I lose control of myself, the tears falling uncontrollably. "I know, Mom. And I'll work so hard and make sure that doesn't happen. You have to trust me, mom. I promise you she'll be fine. Livia is survive." I know what I'm saying feels impossible but I'm past caring. I just want my mom and sister back and I'm willing to do anything and everything about it. Mom finally takes her eyes of Livia and looks at me, her glassy eyes heavy with sadness. "You've done more than your best, darling. And I don't want you feeling like you owe us." Her warm palm touches my cheek. "Don't say that, mom. This isn't because of debt of anything. You are my family and I'll do anything to make sure you're happy. Aren't I your daughter." Fresh tears fall from her eyes as she nods. "Yes you are, darling. And I love you so much." I stand to my feet and hold out my hand to her. "Let's go home, Mom. You need to eat." I say. She takes a look at Livia and shakes her head. "But your sister, I can't lea—" I interrupt her. "Yes you will, mom. Cause she wouldn't want to wake up and see you this way. No one's saying you can't come back. But right now, you need to eat something. It's been days. I can't lose you both." That seems to do it as she looks back at me and holds my hand, standing to her feet. "Let's go home." She smiles at me. I smile back as my mind begins to wonder how many more jobs I need to take to make all this seem right. No one's going to give me a loan anymore so I've got to do this myself. Mom must have been speaking to me because she squeezes my hand gently and smiles when I look at her. "Don't work yourself to hard, my love. We'll do this together. We won't lose your sister. We won't lose Livia.”