Chapter 2

The fire in my chest burned with a fierceness I had never known. How did he get my phone number? My address? My heart pounded in my ears as I watched him sit there, so calm, so confident, as if he had every right to be in my home. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, the anger clawing its way up my throat, threatening to erupt.

“How did you find my house?” I demanded, my voice thick with fury. “Who gave you my number? What do you want from me?”

His lips curled into a smile that sent a chill down my spine. “I want you.”

The words felt like a slap. My stomach churned with disgust as I stood tall, trying to keep my composure. “You can’t want me. I’m engaged. And besides, you’re old enough to be my grandfather. I can’t— will not—have anything to do with you.” My voice cracked on the last words as the anger threatened to overwhelm me. “Now, I’ll ask you again: How did you get my number? My address?”

He leaned back in the chair, his eyes never leaving mine, unfazed by my outburst. “I get whatever I want, however I want it. Forget all that. Focus on what matters—my proposal. I want you. That’s all that matters.” His gaze was steady, unwavering, as if I had no choice but to comply.

I shook my head, my voice low but fierce. “I don’t want you. I don’t care about your proposal. Please—stay away from me. I love Daniel. I can’t leave him for you or anyone else in this world.”

I took a step back, ready to flee, but his words stopped me cold.

“I’m sure that ‘lowlife’ of a guy can’t give you even a fraction of what you’ll have with me. Think about it,” he continued, his tone cold and calculating. “I always get what I want. And I will get you, one way or another.”

The words hit me like a blow. I stared at him, my pulse racing, my hands trembling. “If you’ve always gotten what you wanted, you can be sure of this: you’ll lose this time. Stay away from me,” I hissed through clenched teeth, turning on my heel and storming out, the heat of my anger still burning hot in my chest.

A week passed, and I tried to push the encounter out of my mind. But as I lay in bed one quiet morning, the ringing of my phone cut through the stillness. My mother’s voice echoed through the receiver, urgent and panicked.

“Celine, get home. There’s an emergency. Right now.”

My heart skipped. Panic flooded my chest as I scrambled out of bed, rushing through my morning routine. What could possibly be wrong?

When I arrived, I found my mother sitting in the living room, her face strained and pale. I barely had time to process the sight before I burst into the room, my breath shallow.

“What happened? What’s going on?” My voice was frantic, a sense of dread creeping into my bones.

She sighed deeply, her eyes downcast as if steeling herself. “Celine, calm down, please. Sit down.”

I did, my stomach twisted in knots as I waited for her to explain.

“Mr. Dickson was here,” she said, her words soft but heavy.

The anger flared instantly, a raw wave of heat washing over me. My chest tightened. “What? What did he want?”

“He wants you. To be his wife,” my mother continued, her gaze meeting mine with an unsettling seriousness. “He told you about it, and you turned him down. Why, Celine? Why would you turn away our destiny help? Do you realize who he is?”

My hands clenched into fists, but I fought to keep my voice steady. “You’re kidding, right?” My words came out shaky. “You actually expect me to marry him?”

“Of course, I’m serious! You should have said yes! He’s the CEO of Dickson Limited—a multi-million dollar company. Do you know how rare an opportunity this is?”

I felt the room closing in around me, my breath hitching in disbelief. “You mean... you want me to be with a man old enough to be my father? His son could be older than me!” I could feel the bile rise in my throat as I struggled to keep from shouting.

Her face hardened, and she snapped, “Will you stop with this nonsense? That doesn’t matter. All you need to care about is his wealth.” She leaned forward, her voice low, almost menacing. “Don’t mess this up for us. You will marry him. That’s final.”

I was frozen, my mouth hanging open as I tried to absorb the words. My mother’s voice, the coldness in her eyes—it was like she wasn’t even the same person.

“Mom, no... you can’t be serious. I love Daniel. We’re engaged. He loves me,” I whispered, feeling the tears sting at the corners of my eyes. “What happened? You wanted this for me. What changed?”

“Money changed everything,” she spat. “Daniel can’t give you the life that Mr. Dickson can. He can’t even take care of you properly. But Dickson? He’s offering everything we need. The life you’ve always dreamed of. I’m doing this for you.”

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. “But I don’t love him. I can’t marry someone I don’t love.”

“You don’t need to love him. You’ll learn to love him when you become his wife. And if you don’t, Celine…” Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “If you refuse, I will disown you. I will make your life miserable.”

The words cut deeper than any knife. My chest ached, the weight of her betrayal pressing down on me. I couldn’t believe my mother—my own mother—was willing to tear my life apart for money.

Tears welled up, and they spilled over, running down my cheeks, but I couldn’t stop them. My heart shattered with every word. I felt like I was drowning in it all—my dreams slipping away, my future being dictated by someone else’s desires.

“You don’t understand,” I choked out, my voice trembling. “You don’t understand anything about this man. You only care about what you’ll get in return. I can’t do this.”

“You will,” she replied coldly, her eyes narrowed. “Because you owe me. I’ve sacrificed everything for you. Now it’s your turn to pay me back.”

I stumbled back, my legs weak beneath me, my mind reeling. I couldn’t breathe. The tears wouldn’t stop, the sorrow overwhelming me, crashing over me like a wave.

I didn’t know what to do, how to fight against the storm that had just engulfed me. My heart ached, my soul bruised. And somewhere, deep inside, I knew that this was just the beginning.

The raw emotions, the pressure, the betrayal, were too much to bear. My mind raced, torn between the love I felt for Daniel and the crushing weight of the choices my mother was making for me. I cried, unable to stop, until the darkness of night had swallowed the day whole. And in the silence that followed, I made a decision.

But was it the right one? Would I lose everything I held dear?

I didn’t know. Not yet 

But I would find out soon enough.