My Cinderella Man

CHAPTER ONE

It felt like the world stopped spinning for Veniece as she stared at the man in front of her. That familiar voice — trembling, tired, but full of honesty — kept repeating and echoing in her ears. Raven. The man she left at the mansion without saying goodbye, the man who was the reason for her secret crying at night, was now here in front of her door. He was catching his breath, sweat was dripping from his messy hair down to his cheek, and his knees were almost shaking from extreme tiredness. His old backpack seemed to make him look even heavier, but the spark in his eyes could not be denied. A big look of relief showed on Raven's face when he saw Veniece safe and whole in front of him.

"Ma’am Veniece... Finally, I found you," Raven said almost in a whisper, while chasing his breath.

His hands were still shaking a little bit while holding tightly to the strap of his bag.

Veniece could not speak right away. Her heart beat past its normal rate, seemingly going wild with a mix of emotions. Anger, joy, fear, and longing took over her chest all at the same time. She looked at Raven from head to toe. His white t-shirt was dirty, there were traces of dust on his pants, and it was obvious that he traveled, walked, and asked around everywhere for days or weeks just to find where she was. Despite all her care to hide, here was the man that many considered foolish and slow, but he managed to overcome all obstacles just to get to her.

"R-Raven? How... How did you find me?" Veniece asked, stammering, while her one hand remained protective over her big stomach, which was already in its sixth month of pregnancy.

Raven did not answer with words. Instead, he took steps one by one into the threshold of the door, looking like he could not believe that the person he was looking for was right in front of him. When he noticed Veniece's big stomach under her loose house dress, Raven's eyes widened. It was full of innocent wonder and deep worry. In his simple mind, he knew Veniece was carrying their child, but seeing it in person in this condition brought a strange emotion to his heart.

"Ma’am, your stomach... It is so big now," Raven said, and for the first time, tears fell from his eyes. "I am sorry, Ma’am. I am sorry if I only arrived now. I am really so stupid. If I did not beg the old drivers and guards at the mansion, I would not know which province you went to. I got lost many times, Ma’am. I rode the wrong bus, I walked for many kilometers... but I told myself, "I will not stop until I see you."

Every word from Raven was like a gentle touch to Veniece's wounded heart. Her sassy and tough outer look, which she built for months to protect herself from the cruelty of the world, suddenly broke down. Her eyes filled with tears, and before she could stop herself, she completely broke down and cried loudly. All the hardships of being alone, the fear of giving birth without anyone by her side, the longing for wealth and love — all of that exploded.

"Why did you even come here, Raven?!" Veniece shouted in the middle of her crying, while her small hands hit Raven's chest. "My life is so messy! I left everything! I left the mansion, the company, my money! I have nothing left to give you! I am no longer your rich boss who can protect you! Why did you still look for me in this hell?!"

Raven accepted every hit from Veniece without any complaint. He did not move away; instead, he let the woman release all the anger and pain hidden in her heart. When he noticed that Veniece was becoming weak from crying and almost losing her balance because of the weight of her body, he moved quickly. He carefully held Veniece's shoulders and slowly guided her toward the old sofa on the side of the small living room.

"I don’t need your money, Ma’am," Raven said seriously, while kneeling in front of Veniece and looking straight into her eyes. His voice had no trace of doubt. "When you first saw me on the street, I was a beggar. A thief. My stepfather beat me up, I almost died, and I was so hungry. But you gave me a chance. Even if I almost burned your house, even if I put the pineapple in your washing machine, and even if I put MSG in your coffee... you did not throw me away. You protected me from the mean maids, and you even faced the Chairman for me. So when you disappeared, I felt like my life lost its meaning too. My heart, Ma’am... it hurts when you are not around."

Veniece stared at Raven. The love he felt was so noble and had no conditions. In the world she grew up in, where every relationship had a price and was about money, Raven's love was a rare jewel. A man with no education, considered ignorant by society, but had the ability to love deeper than any educated person she had ever met.

"Raven..." Veniece whispered, while wiping her own tears. "You are really so foolish. Life is very hard here. Look at my apartment — it is small, hot, and stuffy. My food earlier even got burnt because I do not know how to cook properly. How will we survive here?"

Raven smiled, a smile that erased all the tiredness from his face.

"I will take care of it, Ma’am. Even if I do not have a diploma, I have arms and legs, right? Like what you told me before at the mansion, as long as you have strength, you can work. I will look for a job first thing tomorrow. I will carry the heavy things, I will wipe your sweat. And about the food..." Raven looked at the kitchen where the pot was still smoking. "I actually know how to cook well, Ma’am. My mother taught me how to cook."

Veniece felt hope slowly returning to her system. The cold and dark apartment that seemed to be her prison for a few months suddenly had light and warmth because of Raven's presence. Raven stood up and walked to the kitchen to completely turn off the stove and open the windows so the smoke could go out. In his every move, Veniece saw determination.

While Raven was fixing the kitchen, Veniece sat down and held her stomach. She felt like her baby inside her womb also agreed with the return of its father. The fear that the Chairman might find them was temporarily covered by the peace brought by this man. Veniece knew that the coming days would not be easy; they would face poverty, lack of money, and the judging eyes of the people in the province. But for the first time since she left their mansion, she felt that she was no longer alone.

When Raven finished in the kitchen, he went back to the living room carrying a glass of water. He handed it to Veniece with extreme care, as if he was holding an expensive crystal.

"Drink some water first, Ma’am. It is bad for pregnant women to get too mad and stressed," Raven said gently, as if remembering things he watched on old televisions before.

Veniece drank the water and slowly set the glass down. She looked at Raven, who was now sitting on the floor next to her feet, looking content just to guide her simply.

"Raven, do not call me Ma’am anymore. We are no longer at the mansion," Veniece ordered seriously, though there was sweetness in her voice now.

"Then, what should I call you, Ma — I mean, Veniece?" Raven asked, while scratching his head as if he was shy.

"Just Veniece. Or if you want... just call me your wife, because from now on, we will face all of this together," Veniece answered, while forcing her face up to look brave, but her cheeks were already turning red from shyness.

Raven stared blankly. His simple brain seemed to load for a few seconds before completely processing what the woman said. When he realized the meaning of it, a big smile appeared on his lips, and he quickly held Veniece's hands.

"I promise, Veniece. I will never leave you. I will protect you and our baby, no matter what happens," Raven said with total honesty.

The night slowly darkened, but inside that apartment, a new beginning was slowly being built by two people brought together by fate in the most unusual way. They went to sleep with smiles on their lips, but they did not know that the world they ran away from was already slowly finding a way to look for them and tear them apart again.