Lorraine
"No, it can't be true,"I tried to ignore the words I heard from the anonymous caller as I stormed towards the church.Dressed in my silky black nightgown with my hair packed in a messy bun, I didn't look like I belonged here and it could be seen by how people kept glancing at me. I was just woken from sleep with words I never expected to hear--not in a million years.We’re in love for Christ's sake! Or… we were.I blinked for the fifth time wondering if my eyes were deceiving me because there was no way Eden could have used the same venue we booked for our wedding..."Now it's time to exchange the rings." The priest announced and I gulped. He was the same priest I had booked!"What is going on here?" I thundered as I advanced towards Iris and Eden who stood facing each other with bright smiles on their faces in front of everyone, my presence interrupting their happy moment. Surprise and shock were evident in their expressions as I was probably the last person they expected to see at their wedding, at least not when they were about to exchange the rings and become a couple."I-I can explain, Lorraine." Iris pleaded, stuttering and palming her hands while loud whispers went around in the congregation.I stared at the two people who meant everything to me with my eyes turning misty, but I willed myself not to cry or give them the satisfaction that they had broken me.My lips curled in a smirk as I flashed a deep glare at her. "Now you stutter, but you didn't while you were declaring your vows without shame. What the hell did I do wrong to deserve this Eden? I thought you loved me. We were supposed to get married next week....." My voice didn't come out sounding as confident as I wanted it to, but it didn't matter anymore. I needed clarity. Eden's expression switched from apologetic to stoic and nonchalant within a fleeting second."What makes you think that I can get married to a woman like you? You are timid and lack foresight. I do every single thing for you and with the baggage of your stepfather, I don't think I'll be able to deal with that in marriage." He spurted out. The tears I'd been trying to keep in finally rolled down my eyes, but I wiped them off without hesitating, seeing that I was only making a fool of myself.My stepfather was one of the reasons I turned out the way I did. After my mother died while I was nine years old, he treated me well for some time but the moment I turned thirteen he began to make strange advances towards me.I ignored it all, and stayed in school later than usual just to avoid him but when I returned home he'd hit me and tell me never to return late from school."After everything I've done for you, Iris, you saw no one else to be with but my fiancé?" I yelled at her, clenching my fist to punch the annoying expression off her face but she snorted then cocked her head to the side."It's not my fault that you were stupid and dumb and allowed him to do whatever he wanted with you. He never loved you from the onset, it was just some deep sympathy he felt for you because no one wanted to date a timid and needy girl like you. To him, you are the case of a lost puppy found under the rain, so leave here before we call security to throw you out." She snarled, hissing like she couldn't stand my presence anymore.My lips parted and I didn't bother to shut it. Here I was thinking that I'd gotten a family, but they just showed me that it was an illusion. I inclined my head and touched my stomach, I couldn't even tell him that I was pregnant. "You don't need to go that far, but I want you to remember that stolen property never lasts. It will be taken from you, the same way you took it." Her face turned pale at my words but I'd said everything that needed to be said. As I walked through the aisle with my shoulders hanging loosely and my head inclined, the sad memories of my life began to replay in my head. I made sure not to look sideways or the sight of the guests flashing pitiful looks at me would make me cry harder.Now I was pregnant and alone; no boyfriend or even a best friend. I hadn't seen my stepfather in a few years as he was my worst nightmare, but now that I was left with no house or property to myself there was only one choice left but to run away.On my way out of the church, I sighted someone who looked just like my stepfather. I darted my eyes away from the man chewing his burger and taking a sip from the bottle of water on the wooden chair he sat on and looked around.'It can't be him.' I muttered under my breath and trudged away from the church.I scrolled through my phone and dialed the number of the person who had called anonymously to inform me about the wedding but it was unreachable. Goosebumps rose on my skin as I felt someone following me.I turned around sharply, the action causing a wave of dizziness to hit me hard but I shook it off and searched for who might be following me and I found no one.Unnerved by the eerie feeling, I increased my pace and began a sprint. Footsteps sounded behind me but I didn't bother looking back again as it was confirmed that I was being followed. The dizziness continued but I kept running till I got to the main road.I glanced at the traffic lights which signified that it wasn't time for me to cross yet, but seeing that I had a stalker, I threw caution to the wind and ran across the road.Cars honked their horns, the drivers throwing snide remarks at me but I kept running, gasping for breath at the same time. I paused my race then summoned the courage to check if I was still being followed but that was the worst mistake I'd ever made, as a black jeep which was coming with uncontrollable speed collided into me.The force of the hit sent me flying in the air, and when my head connected to the ground, everything turned pitch black.LorraineThe unfiltered noises, the smell of antiseptic, and the weird feeling of someone hovering over me jolted me from my reverie. Slowly my eyes fluttered open but the bright light emanating from the bulbs sent my eyelids back to safety mode.I shut my eyes for a few seconds then opened them again after getting used to the brightness. I took a cursory glance around the room which was painted in a shade of Aqua blue, with floral patterned curtains which had a lagoon blue background."It's nice to know that you are awake, you are really strong. You've been out for a week, your body must have enjoyed the rest." A familiar deep baritone voice intruded my brief scrutiny and drew my attention to him.I tried to sit up and reply to him but a sharp stabbing pain reminded me of the reason I was here in the first place. It came rushing to my mind; the man dressed in an all-black attire chasing me around the street, Iris and Eden's betrayal which brought tears to my eyes again, then the acci
Chapter 3LorraineI scoffed and tried my best to stand up so that I could smack him in the face but my strength failed me."You've gotta be joking, huh? What makes you think that I need your help? The fact that I lost my boyfriend and my child doesn't make me helpless." My eyes turned misty as I burned in rage, wondering why everyone thought I was a piece of trash that they could spit on.Eden's emotionless words replayed in my head. He called me needy and helpless, then said I had a lot of baggage. Iris said that it was the case of a lost puppy found under the rain. Now, Dexter wanted me to marry him because of the same pity? "You don't have to be so sentimental about the proposal. I've made some background checks on you, and I discovered that you do need some savings or you'll be in big trouble." He stated passively, his hands plunged into his pocket. The face I'd admired earlier disgusted me, but nothing annoyed me more than the fact that he was right. I needed help, but I wouldn
Chapter 4Lorraine I was to be discharged today. It was supposed to be an exciting news but here I was, making plans on how I would disappear from town and travel to another country until the heat dies down. As a knock sounded on the door, my heart skipped a beat, thumping hard while I gripped the sheets and waited for the visitor to come in. "May I come in?" The voice of the nurse who had been taking care of me calmed my fear immediately as I nodded, merely mouthing that she came inside. She came in, her lips stretched in the soothing smile that I liked. I'd have made her my friend if I wasn't going to run away as soon as I left, besides the fear of having friends who could easily betray me had already enveloped me. The pain Iris caused me was still imprinted in my mind and I wasn't sure that I'd ever forget about it. "How do you feel knowing that you will be discharged today?" She asked, handing me some new clothes which surprised me. She took note of my arched brows and parte
LorraineA sharp pain tore through my head as my eyes fluttered open. I shut my eyes quickly and opened them again and tried to shove the pain aside by shaking my head, but it only compounded the pain.Slowly adapting to the empty bright room, I tried to get up, but then I realized that my legs were tied together at the back, and my hands also suffered the same fate as they were held together at the back of the iron chair.My intended scream was muffled by the rope my lips were covered with, bringing tears to my ears as my heart beat in a staccato rhythm.My fear skyrocketed when the door of the empty room was pushed open with some men trudging in a lackadaisical manner like they owned the world. My eyes gleamed with fury as I caught the sight of their leader, strolling behind them with his lips curved in a mischievous smile.I'd have scoffed if not for the restriction. I bet he was finding it funny."Untie her!" He ordered, his voice firm and hinged with disapproval.One of his bodyg
Chapter 6Dexter My brows furrowed at the thought of her bringing up new rules. Were they what she thought to be important right now? Though I wasn't happy with her request, I couldn't help but indulge her knowing that she could be stubborn if she set her mind on something. "What are the rules?" I asked with a bored tone, even though I was actually interested in her rules. She sighed, approaching me slowly. "I don't want anyone to know that we are married, after all, it's a contract marriage. The knowledge should remain between the both of us." "What the hell are you talking about?" I blasted her, but she kept my gaze, looking unfazed. "What's the use of getting married if no one gets to know about it?" She shrugged and folded her arms, her stance obstinate and annoying. Sadly, I'd have to put up with this for two years if we didn't end up killing each other. "You've succeeded in making me do what I don't want, so there should be some compromise at your end, don't you think?" S
Chapter 7Lorraine "Who's she to you?" I asked as a pang of jealousy rose up my chest. I shouldn't have felt that way, but right now I couldn't ignore the scathing urge to push the woman far away from Dexter because they clearly had a history. He stared at me briefly with his unreadable brown eyes boring into mine. "Why do you sound jealous? Should you be jealous considering the fact that you don't want anyone to know that we are married?" He used one of my wishes against me and I couldn't deny that it hurt a bit. "I just want to know what I'll be up against," I replied with a lackadaisical tone. "She seems like a lot of trouble and she's obviously into you." He was quiet for a while, like he was deciding if it would be appropriate to part with the information. But then, it was my right to know the people he was involved with since I was his wife. "She's my ex." He finally responded. My eyes widened in surprise then I lowered her lashes, apparently processing the information.
Chapter 8Lorraine Waking up to prepare for my first day at the agency filled my body with nervousness and a sizzling excitement. Finally, I'd be doing what I loved after a long time. Rubbing my sleepy eyes with the back of my hands, I realised that it had been a long time since I slept on a bed as comfy and plush as this. Dexter slept in the same room with me, but in a different bed as I'd wanted. I got up, tossing on my black robe as I'd gotten really self conscious because of the overly revealing nightwear that he had forced me to wear. "Good morning," I chirped as I reached for my toothbrush while scanning Dexter's bare chest with the corner of my eyes. God! His body was ripped with thick muscles that flexes with each movement. My fingers itched to touch his smooth skin and feel the sturdiness of chest. Dexter had always been a hottie since high school and I could remember girls sprawling all over the place just to have him notice them. "You are going to be late for work if
Chapter 9Dexter Sitting still in my office with the reminder that Lorraine was in the down floor practicing kept my restlessness burning. I wanted to see her beautiful face even though I had to do it under the pretext of supervision. The feelings were weird because I loathed her and I was supposed to stay several meters away from her but it wasn't working. Hell! I wasn't even comfortable allowing her to commute to the office so I sent one of my men to disguise as a cab driver so that she would be safe. And when he notified me that she was around, I had to rush to my floor to ceiling window which faced the entrance of the building to confirm. Unable to keep the urge away, I got up from my executive chair and headed to their practice room. If I'd known that Emilia would jump on me like a predator, I'd have stayed back and sent for Lorraine to come over. "What the hell are you doing?" I pulled away with a grimace, glaring at her satisfied grin. If not for the strong respect I had