The Billionaire's Convenient Bride

Riley sat beside the bed, red-faced from all the tears that she refused to let fall, holding the hand of her mother that barely had any life flowing within her bones. She looked lifeless white. She had been unconscious the last 3 days. Little clear pipes ran from the oxygen tank into her nose, the steady hiss filling the room. The sight constantly crushed Riley's will to be strong. This was the third hospital she could attempt to afford in Star City for the past two months with the same hospital report. “Without half payment we can't admit her”, was the anthem of the Doctors. The drugs couldn't slow down the growing cancer cells anymore. Her mother had lost the will to live after she was diagnosed and given only months to live. Finding out the cost of her medical bills alone was a tragedy. She couldn't bear being such a burden to her daughter. Debts and unpaid bills already piled from her father's gambling nature. He had not once called to check in on them or his wife. Her uncles were out of the question to help her with her mother's bills. “Is there really nothing you can do, Doctor Charles?”, Riley said, breathing heavily as she stared into the heart monitor that beat ever slowly. All the lines had become imprinted in her memory like an ever hurting trauma. “Except that an operation is carried out, there's really no hope for her, Ms. Riley”, Riley collapsed into her chair and went into a daze. The air conditioner began to blow hot air across her neck as she stood up and paced around the room. “Why can't you call your husband?” Chris, who had been sitting numb for the past hour finally spoke with so much resentment. “Shut up! I told you not to bring him up!”, Riley scolded her younger brother. He was right. He was meant to be her savior in times her world was crumbling but since it was still broad daylight her batman couldn’t come to save her. The air in the room had started to stiffen. Her mother’s faint breathing and her brother's constant sniffing had become a rhythm. The doctor felt helpless and excused himself, leaving the ward. “He's rich and he knows mama. Why can't he help! All because of your pride mama’s going to die, she doesn't deserve you as a daughter. You're the worst!”, with his sudden outburst and tears streaming down his face he stormed out of the ward. Riley felt her world finally crashing after holding it alone for too long. She took out her phone and dialed his number, dialed and dialed again. “Of course it's going to voice mail”, she sighed. Her knuckles had begun to redden from how tightly she held her phone. The past two years since she offered him a divorce was more treacherous than the 4 months she endured after finding out his abusive nature. “Pretty women deserve to be tamed", he said, patting her head as she settled against the wall in the corner of the room sobbing. She nestled into his arms, only wishing it was the first and last. The married life that she dreamt of was an endless path to her delusions. And today the man who refused to let her go was nowhere close to aiding her. Her thoughts began to eat her up and frustration started to crawl to her guts slowly as she tried calling again and again. She threw her phone across the room and it shattered instantly. “This damned man!”, she muttered in her heart. For someone who always had her things figured out, her limit was drawn. Riley stepped out of the ward and saw a flight of stairs that led to the roof top. “Lung resections usually cost about 22 million” was the only statement ringing in her mind. Where was she supposed to raise such an amount of money in a week? As the air hit her face, the tears finally let themselves out. She started to sob uncontrollably. Her mother was the only encouragement she had to keep pushing and her life was slowly drifting with every passing minute. Riley stood abruptly with her head high up, the cold air had put her hair in disarray, some stuck to her lip others clinged-to her sweaty forehead. The once thrilling wind that had built her career was coming back to dry her sorrows. Riley had began to wind down from her series of tears when she felt a cold chilled down her spine. That familiar scent –a thin line of cologne waved passed her. It was real like he stood right behind her. If she kept her eyes shut, it would fade. Maybe she had pondered too much on him that he felt too close –really close. Even the scattered voices that echoed around her became calm like they felt what she felt. “You look horrible Bonze”, the voice came behind Riley as she suddenly became stiffer. “How did you find me?”she asked, wiping her tears with the back of her hands. She didn't turn, she could recognise him from how thick the air had become. Her feet would fumble under his gaze if she moved an inch Her breath caught as he held a small part of her waist and his other hand in his pocket. “Nothing about you can be hidden my darling”, Anderson said with obvious annoyance to his voice as he inched closer to her ear. She stepped forward and his hand followed. “I know I promised to stay away. But which man can will their hearts to hate such creation of God”, he said as he kissed the back of her neck. She shifted her head back. Chills ran down her spine as warmth began to flood her core. She hated that she was still drawn to him. He was a bitter sweet candy she couldn't run away from no matter how hard she tried. Heavy breaths began to hasten behind Riley. She recognised that little giant that was about to erupt, she turned abruptly towards his direction. “Chris-” Before she could stop him he was steps ahead “Stay away from my sister you p*****t!!”, Chris yelled as he launched at Anderson with a blow on his jaw right above his neck. Compared to Anderson, Chris was feet below his line of sight. He didn't stumble. Riley gasped as Anderson took Chris by the collar and put a blow at his face. Riley rushed to her brother's side, and it dawned on her he was only a child with Anderson’s figure towering over them. “You should be careful out here kiddo. It's not safe”, Anderson chuckled, wiping the faint blood from his lips as he stepped away in disgust. Riley sat beside Chris, embracing him as scanned his face with his hands, wiping traces of blood from his face as that one blow had really done damage to him. “He used to be so kind”, Chris mumbled as he sobbed into Riley's warmth. Riley’s eyes slowly became tightly hooded as this love that she had allowed to brew for years had become like a cactus plant in the rainy states. Riley realized that her family was really at the mercy of a man that she cons tantly shared a bed with. The man he had become or maybe what he had always been was no longer a face she could stand.