The Billionaire’s Contracted Ruin

ALLYSA “I just have to get married to her tomorrow. And we can finally get everything we’ve worked so hard for, honey.” I inhaled a sharp breath, as my entire world came crashing down. Here I was, standing by the door of one of the libraries at my family estate, watching my bestfriend straddle my fiancé, who I was to walk down the aisle with tomorrow. Even now, as I watched him nuzzle her neck, making her giggle, it still felt so surreal. Like i was waiting for one of them to jump with a smile and go, “It’s a prank!” But unfortunately… My fiancé, Monty Wayne, was who people would call a childhood love. He was my first crush, my first love, my first boyfriend, my first everything, in fact. Our parents were friendly with each other and sometimes allied with one another, so they warmly welcomed our relationship and even encouraged it. Though I generally considered his parents and the rest of his family to be acute pricks, Monty was an exception…or so I thought. He was a heartthrob with his mop of blond curls, his deep blue eyes and a flawless smile. My personal undoing was always his dimples. Monty could walk into a room strapped full with guns and still charm everyone into thinking he was harmless. And then there was my best friend, Sienna. She grew up around the same circles that Monty and I were in. Though our families were…on a slightly higher standing than hers, it never mattered to me. I was an only child and Sienna was the sister I never had. We did everything together. We hit puberty together, were there for each other when we had our first periods, when we cried our hearts out over pricks who broke our hearts and the rest. So, surely, you must excuse the fact that I’d been standing at this doorway like a fool for what seems like forever and it’s only been a few minutes. The sound of smacking pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts just in time for me to see Sienna’s head duck as they kiss. Monty’s hands pulled her closer to him as my heart kept shattering. When I heared fumbling and the sound of a zipper being pulled down, I reached my limit, feeling bile coming up my throat. I stumbled away from the doorway, my breath shaky and my sight blurring. I turned around and groped blindly as I stumbled away from the library, down the twisting corridors of my home that is now closing in on me. Our butler, Walter, looked up when I stumbled into the foyer, from where he was directing some staff on where and how to place flower arrangements. He frowned when he saw me. “Miss Rickman? Are you alright?” I waved him off, avoiding his eyes as I practically ran outside and towards the garage where the cars were parked. It was evening already, and nighttime was quickly approaching. I was also in nothing more than a long robe, with flurry slippers and heartless curlers in my hair. I had, after all, been talking with Mom before I decided to go looking for my fiancé…and my catastrophic doom. One of the bodyguards, Rin, saw me and straightened and asked, “Are you going somewhere, Miss Rickman?” I nodded frantically. “Yeah, I need…need to get…I just…” My lips trembled as my eyes prickled. Rin and the other guard he was with stiffened in alarm at the tears in my eyes. I waved them off. “Just…bring the car around.” Rin hesitates. “Are…Are you alright, miss? Should I contact your father or Mr. Wayne…?” “Just bring the car around.” I snapped, then immediately felt shitty about it. “Please.” I added quietly and Rin nodded. “Of course, ma’am. Please give me a minute.” And he disappeared. The other guard cleared his throat, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he looked awkward. I swallowed and my throat felt dry and scratchy. “Can I have some water?” I asked primly. He blinked and then nodded, almost frantically. “Of course, ma’am. Yes, ma’am.” Then he strode quickly away. He seemed like a rookie. In fact, i was sure he was. If not, he’d have known not to leave me alone with Rin gone. I almost felt bad for the chastisement he was sure to get after this, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything more. I was already brimming with emotions. I made a mad dash towards the motorcycles and clambered clumsily onto one of them, turning it on with a press of the button. The bikes were the extremely expensive and rare sort that were also automatic. My dad loved collecting them even though he’d never get on one. The bike came alive beneath me and I grabbed the handles, and pressed down on the accelerator and lurched forward with speed towards the gate. I heard a panicked “Miss Rickman!”, behind me but i was laser focused on the gate. The eyes of the guards at the gate went wide when they saw me zooming towards them. Somewhere behind me, Rin yelled, “Stop her! Close the gates!” I bared my teeth, daring them to stop me. I was feeling particularly murderous and in the mood of running down anyone who would stop me. Instead of slowing down, I revved the engines and accelerated even faster. The guards cried out in alarm as they leaped back and out of my way. And then I was out of the estate, zooming down the deserted streets. My heart was pounding so badly, the rush of adrenaline fueling my recklessness. I had just started learning how to ride not too long ago so I was no where near an expert level. Yet, I felt so daring and f**k-all. But despite my rebellion, the dam in me finally broke as I began to cover more distances. My eyes became so blurry I struggled to see the road in front of me. I knew I should probably stop, but I was so sick. So sick and tired of everything. Of giving so much of myself and never getting it back from others. I wanted it to be over. For everything to just go away and just stop. I didn’t know how long I was riding, twisting down random streets as I went, and not looking back. I knew Rin and my fathers men would catch up to me soon. It was only a matter of time. I was so lost in my head, that when the sky broke open and rain began to fall, I didn’t even feel it. What would happen if I died? If I disappeared? If I called off the wedding? If I confronted them about it? Would anyone care? How could they do this to me? Why me? What did I do to be so undeserving of everyone’s love?! Flashlights suddenly appeared on up ahead of me and I didn’t see it in time, sobbing so hard my whole body jerked and shook. But when I finally did, my eyes widened and I tried to swerve out of the way, but the rain was sleek and I was both physically and mentally unstable, losing control of the steering handles. The sound of screeching tires and the acrid smell of burning asphalt reached me first as I slammed into the front of the car just as it swerved off the road and crashed into a tree.