MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Chapter 3

Brooklyn’s POV

He tore my clothes apart, exposing my boobs instantly.

I started screaming and crying, trying to push him away.

“Please… stop!”

My entire body shook violently beneath him.

But he didn't stop, he continued, pushing further.

I didn't give in, I kept screaming and crying.

Then suddenly…he stopped.

He stared at me for a few seconds, breathing heavily, his jaw tight with anger.

Without saying a word, he stood up from the bed and walked away.

The door slammed shut behind him.

I froze in shock.

At the same time… relief washed over me.

I quickly pulled the blanket over my body and sat there trembling as tears rolled endlessly down my cheeks.

I can't imagine losing my virginity to a man I don't love, I said tears still rushing out.

What exactly was my life becoming?

I stayed awake almost the entire night, curled up on the bed with my knees against my chest.

Every little sound made my heart jump.

I kept expecting him to come back.

To force himself on me, but he never did.

***

The next morning, my eyes felt swollen and heavy from crying.

I looked terrible.

I slowly sat up on the bed when the room telephone suddenly rang loudly, making me flinch.

I quickly picked it up.

“Come downstairs now!”

Mrs. Helen Damson’s sharp voice echoed through the phone.

“Okay, ma’am,” I replied quickly.

But she had already hung up.

I let out a shaky breath before dragging myself out of bed.

After washing my face, I changed into another dress from the wardrobe and headed downstairs nervously.

The moment I entered the dining area, I saw them both sitting there.

Brian and his mother.

Almost like they had been waiting for me.

“Good morning…”

“Hold it right there,” Mrs. Helen snapped before I could finish.

I immediately went silent.

She stood up slowly from her chair.

“How dare you?!” she yelled angrily.

I was kind of expecting this reaction, so I just looked at her.

“How dare you deny my son s*x?”

My throat tightened instantly.

“A nobody like you,” she continued harshly, “from a broken and miserable family, had the audacity to reject my son?”

“I…I…”

“Shut your mouth!” she snapped. “I’m still talking.”

I lowered my head immediately.

The entire room suddenly felt suffocating.

“Listen carefully,” she continued coldly. “If my son wants you, then you give yourself to him willingly. Do you understand?”

I swallowed hard.

“Yes… ma’am.”

Suddenly, the sound of heels clicking against the staircase interrupted the tense atmosphere.

I turned around slightly.

A lady walked downstairs almost half naked, wearing an oversized shirt that barely covered her thighs.

“Baby, I’ve been waiting for you,” she said dramatically.

She rushed straight to Brian, and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him boldly like nobody was watching them.

Brian didn’t say a word.

Instead, he casually grabbed her ass while listening to whatever she was whispering into his ear.

Like this was a normal routine for them.

The lady finally pulled back and noticed me.

“Oh,” she said with a small smirk. “So the new wife is here.”

I stayed quiet, completely unbothered.

Jealous?, Oh please, far from it.

I don’t love Brian, and Brian clearly doesn't give a damn about me either.

This marriage is nothing more than a sham.

But…still, standing there watching another woman openly cling to my husband barely forty eight hours after our wedding felt strangely awkward.

It was just so humiliating.

Helen glanced at the both of them casually, completely unsurprised.

Then she turned to me…

“And from now on,” she said, looking disgustedly at my outfit, “you will stop dressing like some poor church girl.”

I instinctively looked down at myself.

“What exactly is this?” she scoffed. “You look boring.”

“Mom,” Brian suddenly spoke calmly, sipping from his coffee. “Get her a stylist or something. I don’t want to keep seeing her dressed like this.”

“Of course,” Helen replied immediately.

Like I wasn’t even there.

“Now get back to your room,” she ordered.

I turned around quickly before they could see the tears already gathering in my eyes.

The moment I entered my room, I locked the door immediately.

Then I broke down in tears.

I slid to the floor beside the bed, crying uncontrollably into my hands.

I can’t do this anymore.

I'm tired, I said, tears still rushing down.

Everything about this place is toxic.

The humiliation is too much, I said as I grabbed my phone with trembling hands and dialed my father’s number immediately.

He picked up after the second ring.

“Hello?”

The moment I heard his voice, I burst into tears again.

“Dad… please…” I cried desperately. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. Please, there has to be another way out.”

Complete silence.

“Dad?” I said anxiously. “Are you there?”

A shaky breath came from the other side.

Then his weak voice finally spoke.

“Brooklyn…”

Something about the way he said my name made fear crawl into my chest immediately.

“Your… your mom…”

I sat up quickly, “What happened?”

Another silence.

Then suddenly, I heard him crying.

“Your mom is dead.”

Everything around me stopped, my breathing, my thoughts, my heartbeat.

“What?” I whispered.

“The doctors confirmed it this morning,” he cried brokenly. “She… she didn’t make it.”

My phone slipped slightly from my hand.

“No…”

Fresh tears blurred my vision instantly.

“No… no, no, no…”

My chest tightened painfully.

This couldn’t be happening.

Just yesterday, I spoke to her.

Just yesterday.

“Dad…” I cried helplessly. “How? I thought she was getting better…”

“She started having complications during the night,” he sobbed painfully. “The doctors tried everything…”

I couldn’t hear anything after that.

My ears rang loudly, my body suddenly felt numb.

Memories of my mom flashed through my head rapidly, her smile, her voice.

The way she always kissed my forehead before I left for work.

The way she called me “my little girl.”

Tears poured endlessly down my cheeks.

“Brooklyn?” My dad called weakly from the phone. “Brooklyn, are you there?”

But I couldn’t respond.

The pain was unbearable.

I felt like my entire world had just collapsed.

Suddenly, my vision started getting blurry.

The room spun around me.

I tried standing up, but my legs felt weak.

Then darkness slowly covered my sight.

And everything went black.