Episode 2
993 Words
The proposal
Two weeks had passed since that reckless night, but Damian Blackwood haunted her every thought. She tried to bury it. But his shadow kept lingering in her mind, dark and dangerous, no matter how she tried to shake it off.
And then came the test which changed everything.
The small, cruel piece of plastic that changed everything
Pregnant.
The word alone terrified her. She could barely feed or keep herself alive, let alone raise a child.
The word haunted her. Shaken and shocked, Emma stepped out into the sharp autumn air, her breath fogging. The city bustled around her, she hugged her thin coat tighter and headed down the street.
She didn’t notice the sleek black car until it pulled to the curb. She didn’t notice the tinted window lowering until she heard…
“Emma”
Her blood froze.
She turned slowly, and her knees nearly buckled. Damian sat inside like a king on his throne. And his storm-gray eyes fixed on her.
It felt like the city went silent.
Her voice faltered. “Mr. Blackwood…”
“Get in” he ordered
She hesitated and clutched her bag. “I. Can’t...”
His gaze hardened. “Now.”
The single word rolled out like thunder, and her body moved before her mind could resist. The door shut behind her.
The air inside the car was thick with leather and his cologne, his presence was suffocating her, he didn’t speak or look at her face. He only stared out the window…
Emma sat rigid, her pulse racing.
Finally, he turned, His gaze swept over her, lingering on the dark circles under her eyes, the frayed cuffs of her jacket, the faint tremor in her hands.
“You’ve been hiding from me.”
Her voice cracked. "I don’t think you’d care."
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Everything that belonged to me matters.”
Those words made her chest ache. Belongs as if she were a thing.
He leaned back, studying her like she was a game, he couldn’t decide whether to break or keep her…
Eyes cold. “You’re weaker than I remember. Thinner”.
Emma looked down quickly, biting her lip to stop it from trembling.
She wanted to tell him everything that she was going through, that she was drowning, that she was carrying his child, but fear swallowed her words.
Instead, she whispered, “Why am I here?”
His answer was brutal. “Because you’re useful to me.”
Her chest ached more. Useful not wanted not cared for.
The car stopped in front of a gleaming skyscraper that seemed to touch the clouds.
The door opened. “Out,” Damian ordered.
Emma obeyed silently, her legs trembling as she followed him into a penthouse of glass and marble, a palace that made her feel even smaller.
The penthouse was a palace. Marble floors, glass walls. A skyline that stretched forever. Emma’s reflection in the polished steel looked out of place, she felt tiny, ragged, and utterly breakable.
Damian turned, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
His voice immediately cut through the deep silence.
“You are going to marry me.”
Emma stared, breathless and speechless for a sec. “What?”
His tone was calm, businesslike.
“Marriage. On paper. My lawyers will prepare the contract.”
Her pulse roared in her ears. “I don’t understand…”
“You don’t need to,” he stepped closer, towering over her, “My board demands stability. My family won’t shut up about my legacy. The press won’t leave me alone. This marriage ends all of that.” His tone was clipped.
Her heart pounded. “But why me? You could have anyone.”
“Because you’re cheap and easy to control” His words were brutal, deliberate. His eyes pinned on her like a prey. “You don’t have anything. Your mother is dying. No money. No power. No one to fight for you. That makes you perfect.”
Tears stung her eyes and blurred her vision. “You can’t just…..”
“I can.” He cut her off sharply. "And I will."
She staggered back, her chest heaving. " This is insane..."
He caught her, pulling her closer, his grip unyielding. “ No, Emma. This is business. Don’t mistake it for anything else.”
His closeness made her chest tighten, her breath hitched, dredging up a treacherous memory of that night. Part of her remembered the way he had kissed her, the way he had touched her. The memory burned and unwanted
He released her slowly, eyes like steel.
“You’ll move in tomorrow. Wear my ring. Do exactly as I say. In return, you’ll have security. Protection. Food. A roof over your head and your mother’s hospital bills will be paid and settled”.
Her voice was a whisper. “And if I refuse?”
“Then you’ll crawl back to your crumbling apartment. Lose it within a week. Starve. Beg and, most importantly, your dearest mother will die. No one will lift a finger to help you. Not in this city.”
Emma broke down in pain, fear gripped her immediately. She can’t afford to lose her mother. He was right, she had no choice. Tears slid down her cheeks.
"Good," he said coldly. The wedding will be quiet. A contract will be issued and signed. You’ll smile when I tell you to, stand when I tell you to and leave with nothing when it ends. Understand?
Her lips trembled. But the word left anyway.
“Yes”
Damian studied her one last time before turning away. “Rest. Tomorrow begins your new life.”
Emma stood frozen, her tears falling freely now, realizing she had just agreed to marry a man who didn’t love her, he didn’t even like her. To him, she wasn’t a woman.
She was a tool.
A possession.
And a cage she couldn’t escape.
- Writer
