CHAPTER ONE
1142 Words
May Thompson had never been one to drink her pain away. But tonight, everything felt different. The air was crisp, her thoughts hazy, and the world seemed so far out of reach. Her boyfriend, Mark, had shattered her world just hours ago cheating with someone she once called a friend. The humiliation cut deeper than any knife, leaving her feeling empty, rejected, and angry.
She left the bar with shaky hands and
unsteady steps, her body lurching as the alcohol blurred her vision. She should’ve gone home, but her mind was a swirling storm, her emotions a mess. The cold night air bit at her skin, but it did little to wake her up.
The city streets were empty as she walked, her thoughts clouded and hazy. She didn’t care where she was going, just that she was moving away from the life that had just fallen apart. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it, too drained to deal with anything or anyone.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She was too lost in her own world to notice the van pull up behind her. A hand shot out of the open door, grabbing her arm and yanking her backward.
"Hey!" she screamed, her voice slurred, but
it barely left her lips before another hand clamped over her mouth, stifling the sound.
"Shut up," a cold voice ordered.
She struggled, thrashing as best as she could, but the hands that held her were too strong. She was thrown into the van, the door slamming shut behind her with a force that rattled her bones. The darkness of the van consumed her as she felt the vehicle lurch into motion.
The last thing she remembered before passing out was the sharp, metallic scent of the air, and the distant sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
---
When May regainedconscious, she was no
longer in the bar. The plush velvet cushions beneath her, the dim lighting, and the ornate surroundings made it clear that she was no longer in her familiar world. Her breath hitched in panic as her eyes shot open. She shot up from the bed, her heart racing. “What the hell?” she murmured, stumbling to her feet.
The room was grand too grand for someone like her. Dark wood furniture, golden accents, walls draped in rich, luxurious fabric. It looked like a place she didn’t belong, a nightmare dressed in opulence.
And then, she saw it.
She was wearing a wedding dress.
Her breath caught in her throat, her panic turning to pure terror. She tore at the fabric, trying to pull it off, but it wouldn’t
come. The weight of the situation crashed over her, her thoughts too scattered to process what had happened. How had she gone from leaving the bar to waking up here? She felt dizzy, as though the world was spinning around her, the air too thick to breathe.
She stepped cautiously toward the door, her legs unsteady as she moved. Her heart hammered in her chest, each beat louder than the last. The heavy wood door creaked open, and a man stepped inside.
May froze.
Her father.
His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with guilt, so much guilt that it was almost suffocating. He looked like he was about to crumble under the weight of whatever
was happening.
“Dad?” Her voice was shaky, as if speaking would shatter the fragile world she was standing in.
His eyes flickered with sorrow, and then he spoke, his voice cracking. “May… I’m so sorry. I never wanted you to find out like this.”
“Find out?” she repeated, feeling the cold sweat on her brow. “Find out what? Where am I?”
Her father’s face crumpled. “May…” His voice faltered again. “Your sister… she ran away.”
May's thoughts spun. “What are you talking about? Where’s Mia?”
“She...she ran before the wedding. She left Zane.” His eyes avoided hers. “And the Williams family…”
“The Williams family?” May’s heart skipped a beat. “Zane Williams? The billionaire? What does he have to do with any of this?”
Her father’s gaze was filled with a mixture of shame and fear. “It was an arranged marriage. Your sister was supposed to marry him.”
“Arranged?” May’s voice caught in her throat. She had known about Mia’s wedding, but she hadn’t known the details. Not like this. “And now you want me to marry him?” The words felt foreign in her mouth. “No. Absolutely not. I won’t do it.”
Her father’s eyes were wide with desperation. “May, please. You don’t
understand. If we don’t go through with this, everything—the business, our reputation—everything we’ve built will be destroyed. They’ll ruin us. They’ll tear us apart. I couldn’t protect your sister, and now I can’t protect you. You’re the only one left.”
Her body went cold. “I don’t care. I won’t marry a stranger just to save your empire. This is insane.”
“Please, May,” her father pleaded, his voice breaking. “If you don’t...if you don’t marry him, they will destroy us. They won’t stop. They won’t show mercy. We’re running out of time.”
May’s head was spinning. This was all too much, too unreal. “You want me to replace Mia? To marry a man I don’t even know? Someone I don’t want?”
Her father nodded, his eyes pleading. “I’m begging you. For the family. For everything. Just this once.”
May took a step back, shaking her head. She could feel the walls closing in on her. “I can’t,” she whispered, but her voice was barely audible. “I can’t.”
Her father’s eyes held her, unrelenting. “May, you have no choice.”
The words hit her like a physical blow. She stared at him, her thoughts a storm of disbelief and anger. He was right. In the end, she had no choice. Not really.
Before she could say another word, a knock at the door interrupted the moment. Her father’s gaze snapped to it, and the fear in his eyes deepened.
“Dad?” May’s voice was tight with fear, her body tensing as she stood frozen.
Her father’s face went even paler. “It’s him,” he muttered.
May’s heart skipped a beat. The door opened slowly, the sound of it echoing through the room like a ticking clock. A tall figure stood in the doorway, his face hidden in the shadows. But May could feel his presence, his power.
The door closed softly behind him, and everything went still.
Zane Williams had arrived.
- Writer
