CHAPTER 2
1853 Words
Good evening, Mr. Kyle,”
“I think you can save the pleasantries for later,” Kyle said with a mischievous smile.
“How is my new wife?”
“I hope you have had her prepared for her new life with me”
“She can be sure that she would have a good time with me,” Kyle continued, laughing mockingly this time.
“She can finally enjoy the riches that I possess”
“It's not easy enduring under struggling parents, no offense”
“She is ehh, she is, she,” Simon said, his voice breaking as he was broken by the state he had found himself.
He thought about how unfair it was for Kyle to demand his daughter’s hand in marriage in exchange for a huge debt even though he had helped earn a lot of money for Kyle and his company over the years.
“She is prepared Sir,” Simon finally gathered his nerve.
“We have told her about it and she is doing well and ready,”
“That's good”
“Very good”
“I will come pick her up in the morning and soon we will have our wedding,” Kyle said proudly.
Valerie, while in her room, opened the boxes of gifts from her boyfriend, Oswald, and in one of them was a purple orchid flower. It was as beautiful as anything Valerie had ever seen. Inside it was a note written on it;
“My love! The sound of your name brings a smile to my face.
You bring so much joy to my life and I don't know what it will look like without you
Have you ever wondered why I love you so much?
It leaves me speechless too that every reason I find cannot quantify the kind of love I have for you
Take care of yourself, my dear Valerie.
This is just a little that came from the thoughts of my heart.
I hope it makes you smile at least.
Love you, xoxo”
Valerie could not contain her emotions as she busted out crying.
She opened the second item and it was a silver wristwatch. She wore it on her wrist and it fit her so well.
She couldn't stop crying as she wondered how she would tell Oswald that the woman who had accepted his proposal was going to be married to another man.
Her phone soon rang and she cleaned off the tears on her face, rubbing the back of her palm on her dress.
“Hello, my love,” Oswald said sweetly on a video call.
“Have you received the package?”
Valerie became frozen as she didn't know what to say. She remained silent and the only thing that was heard was the sound of her blowing her nose silently.
“Valerie?” Oswald started suspecting that something was off.
“Talk to me”
“Is something wrong?”
“What's going on?”
Valerie remained silent for a few more moments before she finally mustered something.
“Oswald”
“There is….”
“There is something”
“I need to tell you something,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Talk to me, baby”
“I am listening”
“It's fine, talk to me”
“Calm your nerves,” Oswald said.
Valerie soon regained composure and realized that she could not afford to tell him the truth.
“Come on, darling”
“It's fine, I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that we can share beautiful moments like this even though we don't physically see each other every day,” Valerie said assuredly.
“Valerie, are you sure that’s it?”
“Nothing else? You sounded like there was something you needed to get off your chest,” Oswald said curiously.
“That's what I wanted to say, darling”
“I am just a little bit more in my feelings this evening”
“I appreciate the gift”
“The watch fits me perfectly,” Valerie said.
“I'm sure you will get better dear”
“It's just a few more weeks before I return and we can have our wedding”
“Let’s discuss setting a date for the wedding tomorrow, okay?” Oswald asked.
“Alright, goodnight,” Valerie said, her voice shaking.
The next morning, Valerie woke up with a headache. She felt pain all over her body and the thought of being forced to marry Kyle made her heartbeat faster than normal.
She thought about running away but who would she run to? The only person she could think of was Oswald but he was in Canada for a scholarship and was only due to return during the summer holidays.
Her mind soon wavered to someone else; Nicholas.
Nicholas is a sweet boy who knew his way around Valerie’s heart and being in the same final-year class as her, she couldn't help but drool about his impressive physical structure.
Nicholas always smelled nice and he had the girls turning their heads in admiration anytime he walked into the class. He has soft hair and a charming deep voice.
Valerie had always tried to resist his elegance and avoid his charm since she had a boyfriend but the night of their final exam paper was when she couldn't resist anymore.
Valerie had a one-night stand with Nicholas and she started avoiding him since then. She didn't want herself to become intimate with him even though every other thing tempted her towards him.
Was Nicholas an option to run to? He was just a dial away. Of course, not, she thought. Valerie didn't want to create another chaos.
Her boyfriend wouldn't be happy if he knew about it. That was why they made their one-night stand as secretive as possible.
Valerie soon heard a knock on her door.
“Valerie, open up!”
“Kyle is already almost here”
“Open up,” Valerie’s mother said, her face showing a lot of anxiety.
Valerie opened the door and without saying a word, her mother rushed in and started packing her clothes into her box.
“Mum!”
“Won’t you take it easy?”
“You are invading my privacy at this point and all for what?”
“You won't even give me some time to pack up”
“Why are you so afraid of him?”
“Neither I nor your father is afraid of Kyle,” Valerie’s mother responded as she dropped a heap of clothes that she had folded.
“We have explained this to you”
“We have no choice”
Valerie was left speechless and with no more strength to argue. Her father, Simon, soon walked into her room with Kyle Wesley.
Valerie couldn't believe her eyes. A husband that was forced on her in her room? She thought that it was the height of embarrassment.
She had always seen her room as her safe abode and there it was being infiltrated by a ruthless man who used his wealth and possessions to acquire her as a wife.
Kyle looked around Valerie’s room as if he were inspecting it as Simon watched sheepishly.
“My darling wife,” Kyle said as he locked his eyes with Valerie and smiled.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” he said as he moved closer to Valerie, this time wrapping his arm around her shoulder as her parents watched.
Valerie had never felt so disgusted before. It felt for a moment like the ground should swallow her up.
“I can already imagine how beautiful you would look on my bed,” Kyle laughed hysterically.
“We are ready Sir,” one of Kyle’s men dressed in a suit and dark glasses who stood by the door said.
“Oh, yes, we're done here,” Kyle said, holding Valerie’s hand as they both walked outside the house.
Valerie was escorted into a black SUV car. She looked back and saw her parents as she was escorted and a million thoughts went through her mind.
Her parents wore sorrowful looks as they held each other's hands. Simon, with a regrettable face, patted his wife on her hair as they watched their only daughter head into the home of a ruthless billionaire.
“Maybe if my parents were rich enough, they would have been able to repay the debt”
“My parents have to watch me leave, knowing that they may never see me under proper conditions again,” these were the words that filled her mind as she was escorted into the SUV car.
She started to feel pity for her dad especially and saw reasons why he had to agree to the marriage.
“I’m sure he wouldn't have agreed to it if he had an option,” she grumbled as she remembered the fun moments she shared with her father during her childhood.
She recalled how her father would take her swinging, to the park, and beaches.
Her parents wore sad faces as they waved goodbye to their daughter.
“Oh! Don't be so sad, sweetheart,” Kyle said as Valerie looked back to her parents while the car was already in motion.
“You are my wife now”
“That's more than anything you have ever had”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“You should be happy”
“I don't like sad faces around me,” he said with a mocking smile.
“For example, look at Michu,” he gesticulated towards his driver in the front seat.
“He keeps a serious face but smiles whenever I ask him to”
“Am I not right?” he asked Michu.
Michu responded with a bold smile as he looked back at Valerie to show her the example Kyle was talking about.
“Did you see that?”
“Now, that's what I am talking about,” Kyle teased.
“Maybe you can also try that?” he said as he reached for her chin with his hand.
Just as Kyle moved closer, he noticed a silver wristwatch on Valerie’s arm. It was the watch her boyfriend, Oswald, got for her.
“Hmm, that’s a nice watch”
“Who got it for you?” Kyle queried resentfully.
Valerie didn't offer a word as she was tensed by Kyle’s manner of approach.
Kyle then raised his voice, “I am talking to you”
“When I talk to you, you respond promptly”
“Is that understood?”
Valerie, filled with fear, then said, “My boy…”
“My….”
“My boyfriend got it for me,” Valerie was finally able to get her words together.
Kyle became furious with her response as he threw the glass of wine he was about to sip towards the tinted car window.
Kyle then held her jaw tight and yelled, “You what?”
“You have the nerves to call a riff-raff your boyfriend when you are married to me?”
- Writer
