Love Doesn’t Cost A Dime

Chapter 1: The Next Morning 

       In a quiet room, Selina gently opened her eyes. She found herself in an unfamiliar place, and the silk sheet was knotted around her legs. She immediately closed her eyes back “Is this a dream” she said in her mind, She rubbed her hand over her face thinking that she was imagining. She felt a body next to her, Her heart sank immediately.

She turned her head slowly, hoping it was Stormy beside her, her 3-year-old daughter who loved sleeping close to her when there was lightning.

Unfortunately, it wasn't Stormy but a Man.

A muscular man in a designer shirt, all the buttons unbuttoned, had very dark hair. His jaw was sharp and defined, and his face was turned away. He slept calmly and peacefully.

“Oh my God what have I done,” she said silently. She placed the sheets on her chest. She felt a slight headache, the kind that comes with a lot of drinking and little food. She had already started panicking.

Her clothing was scattered all over the floor, She picked up her undies from the lamp beside the bed, her black dress beside the bed, and a heel beside the armchair.

She did not remember his name or anything about him. She only remembers crying in the rain, entering a bar, and drinking away her sorrow.

The past rushed back, and she drowned herself in her memories.

Her husband, No, her ex-husband Collins. His voice, which had once been comforting, felt brutal in her memory.

“I will never stop loving you. “Selina, your family doesn't believe in us because I am struggling, but I promise you, when I am financially stable, you will have the best life you've ever wished for.” He lied and manipulated her.

“Give me the tools and let me build our future,” he said, and Selina handed him her inheritance all because she believed in him. He lied that he was going on a business trip in Dubai but never called or checked up on them, even though Selina always received debit alerts. He left them with nothing.

Then, one day, she received a message from him that said, “You will be better off without me.”She was so heartbroken, she had never cried so much in her whole life.

She blamed herself for not accepting the marriage her parents had arranged for her. She was supposed to marry a man from her Caliber, but on her wedding day, she didn't show up; she ran off with Collins. Now, she doesn't have anyone to turn to, no friends, no family.

Last night, after weeks of trying to be strong for her daughter, and pretending she was okay, she couldn't take the pain anymore.

She recollects walking under the rain without an umbrella, a passerby asking whether she was okay, and a stranger who asked whether she cared for some whiskey and offered her a seat. The pleasant sensation it brought, his deep and gentle voice silenced her grief. 

She couldn't recollect what they talked about, all she remembered was how safe his presence made her feel.

Now she was in a bed with him.

Selina buried her head in shame, She felt ashamed of what she was witnessing, She had promised herself not to use a man as an escape route, She had a child to take care of and a life to rebuild not to be sleeping around with men she didn't even know.

She checked what the time was “5:35 a.m.”

She quietly sneaks out of bed, placing the sheet around her naked body, from her waist to her legs every step she took was like lifting weights. She took her dress and wore it on trembling fingers, then located her purse, phone, and heels.

She saw the man, and he was still peacefully sleeping.

She said to herself, “He was kind to me, and I let myself fall apart in front of him. We even went as far as to…” She felt so guilty.

He turned slightly but did not wake, he spread his arms across the empty side of the bed and a soft wrinkle appeared on his brow.

She padded to the door and carefully left the room.

The hallway was peaceful and full of luxury artworks, and the floor was carpeted. 

She took the elevator down, her reflection on the steel body of the elevator teasing her. 

She looked like she had lost everything.

When she stepped outside the Hotel, everywhere was silent, and the street was still asleep. Shops had not opened yet.

Selina wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk home.

Hours later, she walked into her tiny one-bedroom apartment.  Stormy's babysitter Mercy, was sleeping on the couch wrapped in a blanket and a novel beside her. 

She quietly walked past her, straight into her bedroom

Stormy looks like she is enjoying her sleep, She placed her thumb in her mouth, and her tiny face was peaceful.

Selina knelt beside her bed, She ran her fingers through Stormy's dark silky hair, tears streaming down her face. She buried her face in Stormy's blanket and continued weeping. 

“I'm sorry baby,” she murmured, I'm trying but I know it's not enough.

She thought about everything she had lost: Money, dignity, and most especially the life she had imagined, a family and a future. Collins had taken all of that and left her with pain and struggles.

Then she had a knock, Mercy awakened, Sat on the couch, and yawned. “You are back early,” she said.

Selina forced a smile. “Yeah, thanks for staying.”

“You okay?” Mercy asked.

No, just tired. Selina responded.

She could not tell Mercy about the Stranger, the bar, or the incident that had just happened; she was embarrassed and felt like a stranger in her skin.

That morning, Selina took some pills and rested a little, She returned to work at a roadside café called Délight. It was a small place, but it was busy enough with passengers, cab drivers, and students looking for cheap coffee.

She served greasy fries and tea, with a smile on her face and an aching body. Her uniform was too big, and the tips were not enough to cover groceries.

She cleaned tables, refilled condiments, and smiled whenever customers made orders, He boss Mrs. Jade ran the place with a heart buried with bitterness and a sharp tongue.

Selina couldn't afford to lose her job by complaining.

She didn't allow herself to think about what happened that night. But when the cafe quieted down her mind drifted to the man's voice, She wished they would never encounter each other again because how would she face him, What would she say “ Thanks for holding me when I'm down or Sorry I disappeared from your bed” she thought to herself.

She promised herself it wouldn't happen again.

After three weeks, the smell of every food made her stomach turn especially eggs.

Her hand was sticky, and A cold sweater gathered around her neck. She had not eaten anything since morning, but the smell of food made her want to vomit.

Mercy looked at her and asked “Are you okay”

“Just tired,” Selina said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

For the past day, Selina's body has been aching a lot, and her chest feels sore. But Selina brushes it off as stress.

But, something struck her.

Her period hasn't come.