SUBMITTING TO THE BILLIONAIRE MAFIA LORD

10 YEARS AGO Riley Anderson "Hurry up, honey, we are going to be late!" My mom shouts from the living room, and I am obliged to rush downstairs, but I have to make sure I look good for the school dance; it is my first, and I have to make sure I steal the show. "I am coming, Mom!" I shout back just to make sure she doesn’t rush to my room to check on me. After making sure that everything is on point, I pick up my sling bag and rush downstairs. "Phewks! You are finally here; I was about to drag you out of your room myself. You know I don’t like being kept waiting; come on, hurry to the car. Your father said he would join us later, so you don’t have to sulk at school." "I know Mom and I am not complaining; can you grab me some snacks on your way out?" "Sure, and no littering in my car!" "Okay, mom!" I shout as I march outside and hop in the car. My family has always been a happy one, with just my mom, my dad, and me. I have everything any child could ask for, and since my parents always worked hard to make sure I never lacked anything, I made sure I repaid them by working hard at school and not disappointing them. My mother gets in the car and immediately buckles up. She looks at me and smiles. "What?" I ask, confused, and she just shrugs. "Nothing, my love; I am just pleased to see you all grown up. "Come on; buckle up, and let’s get going." She urges me, and I nod with a smile. As soon as we hit the road, I am texting my friends from school on the Snapchat group and laughing at their silly jokes and GIFs. My mom is driving at a moderate speed, so I am comfortable in my seat scrolling through my phone until the car swivels off the road, and my mom is trying so hard to regain full control of the car. "Honey, I don’t think the brake works!" She confesses in a terrified voice, and I immediately panic in fear. "Mom, what is going on?" I ask confusedly, and I can see the fear in her eyes as she tries to save us and control the car. "I am sorry, my love. I have tried my best, but the car won’t just stop!" she yells My hands are shaking, my body is sweating, and my heart is thumping so hard against my chest. "No! I can’t die now! "This can’t be!" I rattle as I move around the seat. "Just stay still, honey. Call your father and tell him we are in trouble." My mom ushers me in, but my hands are too sweaty to even hold the phone. "I can't, mom! I can’t!" "Yes, you can! Pick up your phone and dial your dad’s number; I already dialed 911; we are going to be okay." She says reassuringly, and I grab my phone from the adjacent seat. I try dialing my dad’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail. "It won’t go through!" I complain. "Keep trying, baby!" Keep trying, baby! Keep trying, baby! Keep trying, baby! Those are the last words I hear from my mom before the car loses control and we are sent flying to the other side of the road. I don’t remember much that happens because my eyes keep playing tricks on me, and while the darkness finally engulfs me, I shout my mom’s name before I collapse. *** I try opening my eyes and adjusting to the lighting in the room. I half close my eyes as I read my environment, and all I can see is blurry objects and a tinge of darkness. "Where am I? What happened to me?" I ask as I sit upright, and a nurse runs up to me. "No, honey, just sit back and relax." "You are at the hospital, and I am your nurse. Let me get the doctor in charge of your well-being." She says this as she gently pushes me back, and I sigh exasperatedly. The doctor walks in wearing a warm, gentle smile. "Hello Riley Anderson, my name is Doctor Alex, and you were involved in a car accident and are in the hospital. "How are you feeling now?" "Tired and a slight headache; where is my mom?" "Just relax and let me check your vitals to make sure everything is okay. Your father will be here soon." He assures me, but my mind is still blank. What happened to my mom? Why is he not mentioning my mom? I exhaled tiredly and let him do his work. My mind is all over the place as I try to remember what happened. When it dawns on me, I burst into fresh tears. "Your father is here; he has been waiting for you to wake up, and he is excited to see you." Dr. Alex says, and I just nod. "How long have I been out?" "Two months, but nothing to alarm you; you were in great hands, and I made sure you were well taken care of," he adds, and I just nod. "Thank you, Doctor." I trail off. "Alex, I will let you have a minute with your father. I will be back to collect a sample to run some tests on you and make sure that everything is okay." He says it reassuringly, and I just nod. Looking up at the door, I see my father. He is not the same man I have known in my life; he looks tired, worn out, and like he hasn’t eaten in weeks. "My baby." He coos as he walks up to me and pulls me into a tight hug. I don’t even realize I am crying until I see his soaked shirt. "Dad, where is mom?" I ask the question I have been dreading to ask since he walked in, and he flares his nostrils, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "I am sorry, baby; I don’t even know how to tell you this, but your mama didn’t make it. You were in a coma for two months, and I didn’t know when you were going to wake up." He confesses, and I burst into fresh tears. All the memories we had with my mom kept flowing through my mind. I am in denial; she was the best friend I had in my whole life. She was the only person I relied on. How could God take her away from me? "I want to be left alone for now, Dad." "Okay, honey, I will be right outside in case you need anything." He excuses himself, and I am left alone in the room, crying like a baby. I don’t know how long I cried because I woke up the following morning feeling tired and exhausted. After everything was finalized, I was finally allowed to go home, but with a heavy heart. My father was there for me, walking me through my healing journey, dropping me off at school, and picking me up, but it was not enough; it couldn’t make my mom come back to life. I won’t lie, my mom was my life, and after she died, I felt empty; my life was nothing without her, and mourning her was not enough; I wanted her back in my life. I missed her so much, and visiting her grave was not abundant for me. Life has to move despite all the mayhem. When my legs finally healed, I was able to resume normal activities at school that I had put on hold, and my father also got a promotion at work. Life was getting back on track, and I was happy until my father broke the news to me. "It has been almost six months since your mom died, and I know it has been a difficult moment for both of us." My father states, and I look at him interestingly. "Okay, I understand, Dad." "Is there something you are not telling me?" I ask curiously, and he shakes his head. "No, not really, but I didn’t want you to hear it from someone else; that is why I am talking to you, Riley." He goes on, and I just nod in a bored tone. Don’t get me wrong, but my father is a great guy. I just think he didn’t take my mother’s death seriously like I did. He moved on fast, and he was back at work like nothing had happened. "Okay, Dad, I am listening. "What is going on?" "You remember, Amber?" "Yes, mom’s best friend." "What happened to her?" "Nothing; we have been seeing each other for a few months, and we thought it would be best if we moved in together so we could raise all of you together as a family. I mean her twins, Mylee and Stacy, then you." He stutters, and I look at him with hopes that he is joking, but the dead serious face tells me all. "Wait, what?" "Yes, your mom is dead, Riley, and no matter how long we mourn, she is not coming back." He blurts, and I let out an angry chuckle. "Wow, that sounds rich coming from you. Dad? "I expected so much from you, but moving on from mom to her best friend barely months after her death is ridiculous, don’t you think?" "Not all of us mourn the same way, Riley. I am your father, and I am telling you that Amber will be moving in with us. "I am not asking for your permission. "And why are you raising your voice at me? "Did you kill my mom so you could end up with the love of your life?" I ask sarcastically, and he looks at me angrily. "I think we are done here. Mylee and Stacy will be moving in as well, so be ready to share your room, and don’t be mean." He says it with finality before he walks out on me, and I close my eyes. "No, this can’t be true! This can’t be true!" I mutter to myself as I fight the urge to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes.