PASSION'S CONTRACT

"Watch your steps, woman." These were the words that brought Marie back from her reverie. It's been weeks now. Her business seemed to be moving from frying pan to fire. First, it was her business running into huge debt when her suppliers suddenly faded into thin air without delivering her goods, goods already paid for. Now, her business permit has abruptly turned illegal. She was just returning from her bank, where she hoped to get some loans to make up for the money she had lost. What she didn't expect was for the bank to reject her loan. Marie bit her nails, not knowing what to do, as she was starting to feel like she had hit a dead end. If the bank couldn't give her a loan, she had to find other means. Rushing to get a cab, her skirt was blown by the wind, adding to her ethereal glow. She looked beautiful and unreal. Finally being able to flag down a cab, she rushed into it, giving orders to the driver on where she was going. "Please use your seatbelt, ma'am," the cab driver said nicely, and Marie did as she was told before the car moved. Another dead end. Yes, she just got to one of her parents' friends' company and was blatantly rejected. Where exactly did she go wrong? What exactly was going on, and why was everyone rejecting her for a loan? "Please, I need the money. My business is on the verge of bankruptcy," but it seems her words didn't penetrate the fierce man who walked past her with his secretary by his side. "I have told you I can't give any money to you," the man whose face had wrinkled due to age looked over with a fierce gaze before continuing on his path. "My father assisted you when he was alive; he gave a lot to you. Yet this is how you treat his daughter." Marie didn't want to say those words, but she was desperate. She could do anything at this moment for the sake of the business. "If I could help, I would have, but I know if your father is still alive, he would reject my help due to the knife hanging on my head if I did assist you." With those words, he immediately got into his car and left at light speed, as he was scared that if he stayed longer, he might give her what she wanted. Marie was at a loss for words; she felt like sitting on the dirty floor and crying her eyes out. She even had to look under her shoe to make sure she didn't step on gum on the way or anything indicating bad luck. She realized through his words that someone was after her. Of course, the business world was a very shady place. It is unknown whether a person can survive in it or not. Marie walked along the road with an unstable mind. She thought of one more place she could go; after all, if the people in the business world couldn't help her, then of course the underworld would. Loan sharks. Her father always warned her of them; they are people who would give you a hand and take your whole body back, but at this point, there was nothing she could do; she had no other place to turn. Even if it was to let down her body for the sharks to bite on just to save her business, she gladly would. The business was all she had left—her only string that kept her alive in this inhuman world. Walking faster, Marie was set to borrow money today, no matter the cost. She looked at the shabby building she was directed to by a homeless man, who told her she could find loan sharks there. She couldn't help but take a deep breath before entering the building to face whatever was on her path. Just as she entered the rusty gate, she was hit by the pungent smell of rotten food. It seems the person who stayed in the building wasn't someone who liked cleaning up. Marie held her nose before knocking on the door, ready to be hit with the smell, but what she was hit with wasn't just the smell but slippers to the head. Rubbing her head with a groan coming out of her lips, she picked up the slippers, looking at the already-opened door in front of her. "I can lend you no money." Marie was surprised; she hadn't even said why she was there, yet she had been blatantly rejected without a chance to speak. "Please, I beg of you." Marie kneeled on the dirty floor, not caring about her dress, which would get soiled. This was her last chance, her last hope. "I said no, now leave my yard." The door was shut on Marie's face with so much force that it rattled. Marie burst into tears as she stood up and walked right out of the rusty gates again. Now that it's over, where does she get money for her business? Getting into a cab Marie cried her eyes out while the driver drove without having the heart to ask for her destination. After a while, she finally seemed to calm down, and the driver could ask the question he had been longing to ask. "Where to, ma'am?" Marie apologized before giving her boyfriend's address. Getting to the house, she opened the door casually, as she had been here a lot of times and it was like a second home to her already. "How was it?" "Awful" Marie burst into tears again, and Mike wiped her tears before pulling her into a hug. "Someone seemed to be after me. No one agreed to give me a loan." "Who is it? asked Mike softly, and Marie shook her head, stating she didn't know the person. "Did you ask?" Marie shook her head again, and Mike sighed. "Why didn't you?" "I didn't think they would spill." "Why don't you ask and see?" Marie pulled away from his embrace and brought out her phone to call a familiar number. The line rang twice before the call was connected. "I can't lend you any money." "That's not the reason I called." "Then what is it?" "I wanted to ask who gave the rule that no money should be lent to me." "I'm not supposed to say." "Please..." "Fine, Antoine Donovan." With that, the call was hung up, and Marie froze.